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Strong hydroclimatic controls on vulnerability to subsurface nitrate contamination across Europe

Author

Listed:
  • R. Kumar

    (UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)

  • F. Heße

    (UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)

  • P. S. C. Rao

    (Purdue University
    Purdue University)

  • A. Musolff

    (UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)

  • J. W. Jawitz

    (University of Florida)

  • F. Sarrazin

    (UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)

  • L. Samaniego

    (UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)

  • J. H. Fleckenstein

    (UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
    University of Bayreuth)

  • O. Rakovec

    (UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
    Czech University of Life Sciences)

  • S. Thober

    (UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research)

  • S. Attinger

    (UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
    University of Potsdam)

Abstract

Subsurface contamination due to excessive nutrient surpluses is a persistent and widespread problem in agricultural areas across Europe. The vulnerability of a particular location to pollution from reactive solutes, such as nitrate, is determined by the interplay between hydrologic transport and biogeochemical transformations. Current studies on the controls of subsurface vulnerability do not consider the transient behaviour of transport dynamics in the root zone. Here, using state-of-the-art hydrologic simulations driven by observed hydroclimatic forcing, we demonstrate the strong spatiotemporal heterogeneity of hydrologic transport dynamics and reveal that these dynamics are primarily controlled by the hydroclimatic gradient of the aridity index across Europe. Contrasting the space-time dynamics of transport times with reactive timescales of denitrification in soil indicate that ~75% of the cultivated areas across Europe are potentially vulnerable to nitrate leaching for at least one-third of the year. We find that neglecting the transient nature of transport and reaction timescale results in a great underestimation of the extent of vulnerable regions by almost 50%. Therefore, future vulnerability and risk assessment studies must account for the transient behaviour of transport and biogeochemical transformation processes.

Suggested Citation

  • R. Kumar & F. Heße & P. S. C. Rao & A. Musolff & J. W. Jawitz & F. Sarrazin & L. Samaniego & J. H. Fleckenstein & O. Rakovec & S. Thober & S. Attinger, 2020. "Strong hydroclimatic controls on vulnerability to subsurface nitrate contamination across Europe," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-19955-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19955-8
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.

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