title: Effects of an intensive hog farming operation on groundwater in east Mediterranean (I): a study on electrical conductivity, as well as nitrogen and sulfur nutrients.
abstract: The discharge of treated animal wastewater produced in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) on surface soil (within CAFOs borders) leads to groundwater degradation. In this research, groundwater degradation effects of an intensive hog farming operation, located in a Mediterranean area, were investigated. Treated animal wastewater was discharged on a small plot (~10.8 ha) with a geologic fault. Groundwater samples were taken from seven groundwater monitoring wells close to the farm. These wells were affected by the subsurface flow of waters, due to the presence of the geologic fault. In the summer, a significant increase of electrical conductivity values was noted in and attributed to falling water table levels. During the winter, significant increases in concentrations of ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and sulfate were noted and attributed to high precipitation, which assisted in the leaching of nitrogen and sulfur to groundwater.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon Polytechniou Str., 157 80, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Charalampos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Michalopoulos
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tzamtzis
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liodakis
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006115:Greece; D060587:Groundwater / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D017672:Nitrogen Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D013457:Sulfur Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D034421:Sus scrofa; D062065:Wastewater / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D017672:Nitrogen Compounds; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D013457:Sulfur Compounds; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical