title: Determination of nitrogen reduction levels necessary to reach groundwater quality targets in Slovenia.
abstract: Within a collaborative project between Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO) and Research Center Jülich (FZJ), nitrogen reduction levels necessary to reach groundwater quality targets in Slovenia were assessed. For this purpose the hydrological model GROWA-DENUZ was coupled with agricultural N balances and applied consistently to the whole territory of Slovenia in a spatial resolution of 100×100m. GROWA was used to determine the water balance in Slovenia for the hydrologic period 1971-2000. Simultaneously, the displaceable N load in soil was assessed from agricultural Slovenian N surpluses for 2011 and the atmospheric N deposition. Subsequently, the DENUZ model was used to assess the nitrate degradation in soil and, in combination with the percolation water rates from the GROWA model, to determine nitrate concentration in the leachate. The areas showing predicted nitrate concentrations in the leachate above the EU groundwater quality standard of 50mg NO3(-)/L have been identified as priority areas for implementing nitrogen reduction measures. For these "hot spot" areas DENUZ was used in a backward mode to quantify the maximal permissible nitrogen surplus levels in agriculture to guarantee a nitrate concentration in percolation water below 50mg NO3(-)/L. Model results indicate that additional N reduction measures should be implemented in priority areas rather than area-covering. Research work will directly support the implementation of the European Union Water Framework Directive in Slovenia, e.g., by using the maximal permissible nitrogen surplus levels as a framework for the derivation of regionally adapted and hence effective nitrogen reduction measures.
authors.affiliation: Slovenian Environment Agency, Hydrogeological Analysis Division, Vojkova 1b, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: miso.andjelov@telemach.net.
authors.forename: Miso
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andelov
authors.affiliation: Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ), Institute of Bio- and Geosciences (IBG), Institute 3: Agrosphere, 52425 Juelich, Germany. Electronic address: r.kunkel@fz-juelich.de.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kunkel
authors.affiliation: Slovenian Environment Agency, Hydrogeological Analysis Division, Vojkova 1b, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Jože
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Uhan
authors.affiliation: Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ), Institute of Bio- and Geosciences (IBG), Institute 3: Agrosphere, 52425 Juelich, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wendland
mesh_terms: D060587:Groundwater / Q000737:chemistry*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D058458:Nitrogen Cycle; D017524:Slovenia; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D060753:Water Quality / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: EU Water Framework Directive; Groundwater quality targets; Nitrate pollution; Reactive nitrate transport modeling