Nitrates in drinking water: relation with intensive livestock production

The directive 91/676/CEE aims to reduce the nitrogen pressure in Europe from agriculture sources and identifies the livestock population as one of the predominant sources of surplus of nutrients that could be released in water and air. Directive is concerned about the cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry and their territorial loads, but it does not deal with fish farms. On the basis of multivariate statistical analysis, this paper aims to establish what types of farming affect the presence of nitrates in drinking water in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy. We have used data from official sources on nitrates in drinking water and data Arvet database, concerning the presence of intensive farming in the considered area. We have identified fish farms as a major source of nitrogen released into the environment, while pollution from sheep and poultry has appeared negligible. Thus we would like to emphasize the need to include in the âNitrate Vulnerable Zonesâ areas in which there are intensive farming of fish with open-system type of water use