Risk assessment of the agricultural pollution with nitrates in Latvia | Lauksaimniecības izraisītā nitrātu piesārņojuma riska analīze Latvijā
2009
Jansons, V., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia). Faculty of Rural Engineering. Dept. of Environmental Engineering and Water Management | Abramenko, K., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia). Faculty of Rural Engineering. Dept. of Environmental Engineering and Water Management | Bērziņa, L., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia). Faculty of Rural Engineering. Dept. of Environmental Engineering and Water Management | Timbare, R., Agrochemical Research Centre, Riga (Latvia)
The legislation of the EU and Latvia obligate the control and mitigation of the environmental impact of the agriculture (nitrate pollution). The article summarises the main results arising from long-term measurements of nutrient concentrations within agricultural run-off monitoring programme. The assessment of the long time data series (1994-2007), obtained from the non point source agricultural run-off monitoring programme, has shown that nitrate nitrogen concentrations depend on the scale of monitoring system (drainage plot, drainage field, small catchment) and intensity of agricultural production system. The available long-term data series and use of the probability curves allow the assessment of the variations of nitrate concentration on the scale of the plot, drainage field and small catchments. The article provides the estimation of risk exceeding the threshold limits (11.3 mg LE-1 NO3-N) of the nitrates concentrations. High risk to reach nitrates concentrations over the limits has been found (about 30 of samples) in the field drainage of Bērze monitoring site. With regard to the small catchments' scale nitrates concentrations over limits could be expected (15 of samples) in the Bērze catchment with high intensity of agriculture. To some degree the presented study and interpretation of nitrate data may be used for designation of water quality standards and designation of nitrate vulnerable zones.
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