title: Nitrate and salt water contamination associated with the transition of an agrarian basin into an irrigated area.
abstract: The introduction of irrigation to agrarian areas involves several environmental changes that can be aggravated by physical and agronomic factors. The aim of this study is to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of the environmental impact on water resources that result from the transition of an agrarian basin into an irrigated area. During five hydrological years, a spatiotemporal comparison was carried out on the quantity and quality of drainage from the four zones in which the study area was subdivided. Introduction of irrigation activities incorporated flows that lowered salinity and increased nitrate concentration in the basin. The zones/years with most irrigation showed the greatest exports of salts and nitrates, with temporal variations related to rainfall patterns and spatial variations related to soil salinity and nitrogenous fertilization. The agro-environmental impacts of the gradual introduction of irrigation into a previously non-irrigated area were congruent to that of established irrigation areas with similar characteristics.
authors.affiliation: MIRARCO - Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation and Applied Research Corporation, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada. rabrahao@mirarco.org
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abrahao
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Causapé
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moreno-Mateos
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Comín
mesh_terms: D057914:Agricultural Irrigation; D005308:Fertilizers; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis*; D054712:Salinity; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D060753:Water Quality
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D009566:Nitrates; D012987:Soil; D014867:Water