The effectiveness of measures to mitigate nitrate concentrations in surface and groundwater depends not only on their suitability for reducing nitrate leaching, but also on characteristics of groundwater transport that may cause a lag in achieving recovery. The recovery of a catchment within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone in the east of Scotland has been assessed using a combined monitoring and modelling approach. Understanding of the dominant hydrological processes was developed through a programme of monitoring of surface and groundwater bodies. Age dating of groundwater samples, using dissolved atmospheric trace gases (CFCs and SF6) underpinned the conceptualisation of groundwater transport and a lumped dispersion model was applied to the data to estimate mean solute transit times. High spatial variability in the groundwater dating made it difficult to estimate catchment means, but the range was estimated to lie between 15 and 60 years. A catchment hydrology and nitrate model was used to explore the effect of simple changes in land management on reducing nitrate concentrations, as well as associated time scales of recovery. The study has helped improve understanding of the role of groundwater in catchment recovery and given an indication of the scale of agricultural changes required to achieve different levels of pollution mitigation.
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Research Article|
April 12 2012
The role of groundwater characteristics in catchment recovery from nitrate pollution
S. M. Dunn;
1The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
E-mail: [email protected]
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W. G. Darling;
W. G. Darling
2British Geological Survey, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
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C. Birkel;
C. Birkel
1The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
3Now at School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UF, UK
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J. R. Bacon
J. R. Bacon
1The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
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Hydrology Research (2012) 43 (5): 560–575.
Article history
Received:
January 21 2011
Accepted:
November 10 2011
Citation
S. M. Dunn, W. G. Darling, C. Birkel, J. R. Bacon; The role of groundwater characteristics in catchment recovery from nitrate pollution. Hydrology Research 1 October 2012; 43 (5): 560–575. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2012.020
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