Simulation of nitrate pollution and vulnerability of groundwater resources using MODFLOW and DRASTIC models

Groundwater assets are the foremost imperative assets of freshwater accessible to people especially in arid and semi-arid regions. For the investigation of temporal changes in groundwater nitrate pollution and the role of agriculture and other sources in the pollution of groundwater, the information on 42 drinking water wells with suitable distribution in the plain in Bouin-Daran Plain in the center of Iran was used. The results showed that the amount of hydraulic conductivity in the plain for different areas after calibration in steady state was calculated between 0.8 and 34 m/day. After calibrating the model in permanent conditions, the model was calibrated in non-permanent conditions for 2 years. The results showed that in a wide area of the region, the nitrate ion concentration has values of more than 25 mg/L. This shows that the average concentration of this ion in the region is generally high. The highest level of pollution in the aquifer of the plain is related to the southern and southeastern parts of the plain. Due to the agricultural activities with the use of large amounts of fertilizers in this plain, there is a potential for pollution in all of the places, and it requires codified and executive planning for agricultural operations as well as the use of groundwater sources. The DRASTIC vulnerability estimation method is only useful for estimating the areas that have a high potential for contamination and according to the validation tests, it has also provided a suitable estimate.

Automated summary

Groundwater is a vital freshwater resource in arid and semi-arid regions, but it is being polluted by agricultural activities and other sources. A study in the Bouin-Daran Plain in central Iran found that nitrate pollution in groundwater is widespread, particularly in the southern and southeastern parts of the plain. The excessive use of fertilizers in agriculture is contributing to this pollution.