A New Approach for Aquifer Vulnerability Assessment: the Case Study of Campania Plain

Vittorio Catani, Daniela Zuzolo, Libera Esposito, Stefano Albanese, Mauro Pagnozzi, Francesco Fiorillo, Benedetto Vivo and Domenico Cicchella ()
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Vittorio Catani: University of Sannio
Daniela Zuzolo: University of Sannio
Libera Esposito: University of Sannio
Stefano Albanese: University of Napoli “Federico II”
Mauro Pagnozzi: University of Sannio
Francesco Fiorillo: University of Sannio
Benedetto Vivo: Pegaso University
Domenico Cicchella: University of Sannio

Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), 2020, vol. 34, issue 2, No 22, 819-834

Abstract: Abstract We are going to propose a new method for aquifer vulnerability assessment, named Susceptibility Index-Contamination Degree (SICODE). Starting from the assumption that soil chemistry impacts on infiltration water quality, geochemical tool such as the soil contamination degree index (CD) was combined with hydrogeological parameters in order to enhance previous well-known index (DRASTIC, Susceptibility Index). The study has been carried out at the Campania Plain (CP) aquifer, which mostly supplies the drinking water distribution system of Napoli (Southern Italy). The survey area extends from Mt. Vesuvius to the metropolitan area of Napoli and it can be considered an interesting field laboratory in order to test hydro-geochemical methods and models since both diffuse anthropogenic pollution and natural contamination sources (e.g. interaction processes between groundwater and rock) coexist. Three models have been compared. Our results have showed that DRASTIC is not the best model to be applied to urbanized environments since it does not account for the anthropogenic influence. Susceptibility Index (SI), which incorporates land use parameter, has showed a more detailed map of vulnerability degree and it better answers the local variability of human pressure. However, the proposed SICODE method completely meets the geochemical fingerprint of soil. Sensitivity analysis has revealed a high variability of the parameters due to the local heterogeneity of the analyzed system conditions. A comparison between the groundwater nitrates distribution and the predicted vulnerability has showed that. SICODE gave more accurate predictions than the other ones. This study has provided the evidence that combining hydrogeological and geochemical tools may enhance aquifer vulnerability assessment.

Keywords: Aquifer vulnerability mapping; Contamination degree; Campania plain; Modified susceptibility index; Groundwater pollution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1007/s11269-019-02476-5

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