Nitrates Pollution in Water: Sources, Pathways and Receptors

Dear Colleagues,

Groundwater contamination by nitrate is a widespread problem all over the world. Aquifer pollution causes public health problems and environmental degradation of ecosystems. All these negative effects can be minimized with an integrated groundwater management and a good governance to mitigate the risks of nitrate contamination. In order to ensure sustainable use and protection of groundwater aquifers, water resources specialists and decision makers need information on the scope, distribution, and severity of aquifer nitrate contamination. In other words, the identification of nitrate sources, early diagnosis of possible changes, and knowledge for selecting effective remediation strategies are essential.

In compliance with these requirements, the contributors of this Special Issue are invited to submit papers focusing on the presentation of models and applications following the concept of “pressure–pathway–receptor”, whereby the information on point and nonpoint sources of water pollution (fertilizer, livestock manure, septic tanks, municipal and industrial effluents) is combined with aquifer vulnerability parameters (depth of water table, recharge, aquifer material, soil type, topography, and hydraulic conductivity, among others) and eventually with biogeochemical models, to explain nutrient yields arriving at the receptor (groundwater).

We believe that this Special Issue will help to bring to the attention of land use planners, water resources managers, and the general public that conservation of groundwater resources begins with a reliable land use and implementation of conservation measures, and that deviation from this practice inevitably leads groundwater resources to danger and ultimately to collapse as a service provider.

Prof. Dr. Fernando A.L. Pacheco
Prof. Dr. Luís Filipe Sanches Fernandes
Guest Editors

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