Calibration and validation of an integrated nitrate transport model within a well capture zone.
J Contam Hydrol
; 128(1-4): 1-18, 2012 Feb 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22192341
ABSTRACT
Groundwater contamination by nitrate was investigated in an agricultural area in southern Quebec, Canada, where a municipal well is the local source of drinking water. A network of 38 piezometers was installed within the capture zone of the municipal well to monitor water table levels and nitrate concentrations in the aquifer. Nitrate concentrations were also measured in the municipal well. A Water flow and Nitrate transport Global Model (WNGM) was developed to simulate the impact of agricultural activities on nitrate concentrations in both the aquifer and municipal well. The WNGM first uses the Agriflux model to simulate vertical water and nitrate fluxes below the root zone for each of the seventy agricultural fields located within the capture zone of the municipal well. The WNGM then uses the HydroGeoSphere model to simulate three-dimensional variably-saturated groundwater flow and nitrate transport in the aquifer using water and nitrate fluxes computed with the Agriflux model as the top boundary conditions. The WNGM model was calibrated by reproducing water levels measured from 2005 to 2007 in the network of piezometers and nitrate concentrations measured in the municipal well from 1997 to 2007. The nitrate concentrations measured in the network of piezometers, however, showed greater variability than in the municipal well and could not be reproduced by the calibrated model. After calibration, the model was validated by successfully reproducing the decrease of nitrate concentrations observed in the municipal well in 2006 and 2007. Although it cannot predict nitrate concentrations in individual piezometers, the calibrated and validated WNGM can be used to assess the impact of changes in agricultural practices on global nitrate concentrations in the aquifer and in the municipal well.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Poluentes Químicos da Água
/
Abastecimento de Água
/
Água Subterrânea
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Agricultura
/
Modelos Químicos
/
Nitratos
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Humans
País como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2012
Tipo de documento:
Article