Spatio-temporal variations of shallow and deep well groundwater nitrate concentrations along the Indus River floodplain aquifer in Pakistan.

Excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers and their improper management in agriculture causes nitrate contamination of surface and groundwater resources. This study was conducted along the seasonally flooded alluvial agricultural area of Indus River Basin to determine the spatial and temporal dynamics of nitrate concentrations in the groundwater along the river. Total of 112 samples were collected from shallow (30-40 ft) and deep groundwater (120-150 ft) wells at seven sites, 25 km apart from each other and covered an area of 170 km along the river, during four sampling campaigns between October 2016 to May 2017 i.e. in start, mid and end of dry season. The study period covered the whole agricultural cycle including the wet summer season with no agricultural activities under flooding and the sampling sites were always less than 2 km from the river bank. Nitrate concentrations of shallow wells were 15-54 and 20-45 mg L

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.