Assessment of Groundwater Risk of Agrochemicals Based on a Modified DRASTIC Method

The area under consideration in our research is the Vercelli plain, an important zone for the cultivation of rice and maize. In addition, the groundwater has been seriously contaminated by agro-activities. The goal of this study was to use GIS technology to develop maps of potential groundwater risk from agricultural activity of the Vercelli plain. The temporal trends of agrochemical concentration in groundwater were plotted. The relationship between groundwater contaminant concentration of agrochemicals and the period amount of precipitation was analyzed. The results showed that most of the shallow aquifer in Vercelli plain is at high to very high risk in terms of potential pollution. Although, there was no obvious upward or downward trend of pesticide concentration in the shallow aquifers, the change of agrochemical concentration in groundwater seems according to the level of the groundwater table. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015