IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i11p6585-d826054.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessment of the Validity of Introducing Nitrate Vulnerable Zones in Large Areas

Author

Listed:
  • Aleksandra Bawiec

    (Institute of Environmental Engineering, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 24 Grunwaldzki Sq., 50-363 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Joanna Kajewska-Szkudlarek

    (Institute of Environmental Engineering, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 24 Grunwaldzki Sq., 50-363 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Krzysztof Pulikowski

    (Institute of Environmental Engineering, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 24 Grunwaldzki Sq., 50-363 Wrocław, Poland)

  • Katarzyna Pawęska

    (Institute of Environmental Engineering, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 24 Grunwaldzki Sq., 50-363 Wrocław, Poland)

Abstract

The rivers of agricultural catchment areas are particularly vulnerable to eutrophication, which causes nitrate nitrogen (N-NO 3 ) that can be easily leached from the cropland. In 1991, the EU implemented the Nitrates Directive (ND) to identify and reduce the negative effects of nitrates in water. According to this regulation, in 2018, the whole territory of Poland was classified as Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ). The aim of the study was to assess the validity of the introduction of NVZs in large areas of the river catchment level. Statistical data on agricultural changes for individual provinces of Poland and for the whole country were analyzed. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the N-NO 3 content in the water at different locations along the river within four rivers in the Odra basin. The results indicated that higher concentrations are observed in the upper part of the studied catchments, which reached a maximum of 25.0 mg N-NO 3 ·dm −3 . However, average values rarely exceeded 11.3 mg N-NO 3 ·dm −3 , the limit according to the Nitrates Directive. The large variability in N-NO 3 content suggests the need to redefine the actual NVZs since it is essential for the appropriate implementation of programs aimed at restoring water quality according to ND.

Suggested Citation

  • Aleksandra Bawiec & Joanna Kajewska-Szkudlarek & Krzysztof Pulikowski & Katarzyna Pawęska, 2022. "Assessment of the Validity of Introducing Nitrate Vulnerable Zones in Large Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:11:p:6585-:d:826054
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/11/6585/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/11/6585/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sándor Koós & Béla Pirkó & Gábor Szatmári & Péter Csathó & Marianna Magyar & József Szabó & Nándor Fodor & László Pásztor & Annamária Laborczi & Klára Pokovai & Anita Szabó, 2021. "Influence of the Shortening of the Winter Fertilization Prohibition Period in Hungary Assessed by Spatial Crop Simulation Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, January.
    2. José María Orellana-Macías & María Jesús Perles Roselló & Jesús Causapé, 2021. "A Methodology for Assessing Groundwater Pollution Hazard by Nitrates from Agricultural Sources: Application to the Gallocanta Groundwater Basin (Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-15, June.
    3. Ewa Szalińska & Paulina Orlińska-Woźniak & Paweł Wilk, 2018. "Nitrate Vulnerable Zones Revision in Poland—Assessment of Environmental Impact and Land Use Conflicts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-16, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Carlos Mestanza & Hilter Figueroa Saavedra & Isabel Domínguez Gaibor & Manuel Abarca Zaquinaula & Rita Lara Váscones & Oswaldo Malla Pacheco, 2018. "Conflict and Impacts Generated by the Filming of Discovery Channel’s Reality Series “Naked and Afraid” in the Amazon: A Special Case in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, Ecuador," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Katarzyna Godlewska & Anita Biesiada & Izabela Michalak & Paweł Pacyga, 2020. "The Effect of Botanical Extracts Obtained through Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction on White Head Cabbage ( Brassica Oleracea L. Var. Capitata L.) Seedlings Grown under Controlled Conditions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-31, March.
    3. Radoslav Bujnovský & Štefan Koco & Roman Cibulka & Andrea Vranovská & Dana Vrablíková, 2022. "Nitrate Concentration in Leachate—Essential Information for Reducing Nitrogen Surplus and Groundwater Pollution from Agricultural Land in Slovakia," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-15, March.
    4. Orlińska-Woźniak, Paulina & Wilk, Paweł & Szalińska, Ewa, 2020. "Delimitation of nutrient vulnerable zones - a comprehensive method to manage a persistent problem of agriculture," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    5. Chunxia Yang & Hua Zheng & Binbin Huang & Ruonan Li & Zhiyun Ouyang & Cong Li, 2018. "Crop Structure Changes Altered the Cropland Nitrogen Balance between 2005 and 2015 on the Sanjiang Plain, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-14, November.
    6. Xintong Wang & Weimin Yang & Zhenhao Xu & Jie Hu & Yiguo Xue & Peng Lin, 2019. "A Normal Cloud Model-Based Method for Water Quality Assessment of Springs and Its Application in Jinan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-16, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:11:p:6585-:d:826054. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.