Nitrate Concentration in Leachate—Essential Information for Reducing Nitrogen Surplus and Groundwater Pollution from Agricultural Land in Slovakia

The aim of the study was to detect nitrate concentrations in leachate within agricultural land in three districts of Slovakia, namely Nitra, Nové Zámky and Dunajská Streda as well as in the DEEPWATER-CE pilot area. Using the average values of leachable nitrogen in the period 2015–2018 and the long-term amount of percolated water, the nitrate concentration values in leachate were detected. In most defined groundwater monitoring sites, the current nitrogen surplus and corresponding nitrate concentration in leachate create preconditions for the gradual reduction of groundwater nitrate pollution. However, in some groundwater monitoring places, especially in the Nitra district, the nitrate concentration in leachate exceeds 50 mg L−1, which is completely unacceptable from the point of groundwater pollution. In detected hot-spots, it is necessary to reduce the nitrogen surplus up to 15 kg ha−1 on average per year. In this sense, the nitrate concentration in leachate is an important indicator for the revision of existing measures in agriculture

Evaluation of the Ecosystem Services of Inland Waters in the Slovak Republic - To Date Findings

Ecosystem services (ES) (goods and services) represent the outputs of natural systems from which people can have benefits. Evaluation of the benefits resulting from ES of inland waters or the benefits, which are lost when the necessary measures are not implemented, is one of the methods of evaluating the external costs of environmental damage - environmental and resource costs. Evaluation of ES is based on the CICES classification v. 4.3, which defines provision, regulation/ maintenance and cultural services. In the assessment of ES also enters groundwater, although in comparison with surface waters in lesser extent. At present, the evaluation is performed at the level of sub-basins of the Slovak Republic. In this paper, evaluation of selected ES is presented. Use of evaluation in practice is also discussed

Estimation of benefits from the actual use of inland water ecosystem services in the Slovak Republic

The primary aim of the article is to obtain an overview of benefits from the actual use of inland water ecosystem services (ESSs) in Slovakia. The evaluation, which includes both surface water and groundwater, is primarily focused on demand side. Methods for assessing the benefits of the most prevalent ESSs, designated by Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES classification) v. 4.3, are described and discussed. The evaluation is performed at the level of 10 sub-basins to which available data are allocated. In the absence of necessary data or the impossibility of allocating them to sub-basins, the benefit from the use of some ESSs is estimated at the level of whole Slovak territory. The use of ESSs valuation in practice, especially with regard to water protection of surface water and groundwater, is discussed. The evaluation of benefits from ESSs of inland waters in Slovakia so far does not allow direct use of obtained results for proposal of measures within river basin management plans as suggested by several authors. Main reason is the input data availability and quality. At the present time, the significance of the ESSs evaluation may rather lie in the awareness of the value that human society gains from the use of inland waters. It becomes more evident that increase in environmental awareness alone is not sufficient in terms of the protection of ecosystems and their services. To achieve unambiguous and lasting improvement in this area, it is necessary to address the deeper causes, closely related to human thinking and behaviour

Soil Degradation and Soil Value in Slovakia – Two Problems with Common Denominator

Soil use is oft en accompanied by its degradation. Immediate reason of soil degradation in agriculture is the non-respecting the principles of good agricultural practice. Giving long-term precedence to production function over remaining ecological ones as well as supporting the land consumption for economy development by governmental bodies are next reasons of soil degradation and mirror the societal values and priorities. Soil provides many services that in soil science are defined as soil functions. Besides biomass production the soil provides ecological and socio-economic functions. Use of soil and its functions is closely linked to soil ecological, societal and economic values. Preference to economic interests together with reluctance to search compromise solutions is oft en manifesting in soil degradation. Economic valuation of soil and its ecological functions is considered a possible way for improvement of soil protection especially in modification of soil price at its permanent consumption. In spite of that financial values can not be used as a base for forming of ethical values, which are imminently connected with human approach towards soil and its degradation, and which are essentially needed by global society. Ethical human values, based on basic beliefs and convictions, influence of human attitude to the soil, and they influence on soil use can be considered as common denominator of soil degradation and soil value, respectively

Evaluation of the risk of diffuse pollution of groundwater by nitrogen substances from agricultural land use as background for allocation of effective measures

The risk of diffuse pollution of groundwater by nitrogen substances from agricultural land is perceived as a result of the interaction of groundwater vulnerability (determined by the characteristics of the environment overlying groundwater in relation to water transport or soil solution) and loading of overlying environment by nitrogen. Index of groundwater vulnerability was assessed on the basis of four parameters, namely, the amount of effective rainfall in the period from October to March, the capacity of soil to accumulate water, the average depth of the groundwater table and the permeability of the rock environment. Assessment of the index of loading of overlying environment by nitrogen was based on two parameters, namely, nitrogen balance and crop cover on agricultural land in the winter half on districts level in 2012, which corresponds with current state of the load. The resulting risk of groundwater pollution by nitrogen was expressed by the formula counting with the transformed values of groundwater vulnerability index and the index of loading of overlying environment by nitrogen. From practical point of view, the above mentioned indexes, as well as the subsequent risk of diffuse groundwater pollution, were spatially expressed via three associated categories. Based on the evaluation of relevant parameters, 5.18% of agricultural land falls into the category of very high and high risk, 42.20% in the medium risk category and 52.62% in the category of low and very low risk of diffuse pollution of groundwater by nitrogen from agricultural land

Nitrate Concentration in Leachate—Essential Information for Reducing Nitrogen Surplus and Groundwater Pollution from Agricultural Land in Slovakia

The aim of the study was to detect nitrate concentrations in leachate within agricultural land in three districts of Slovakia, namely Nitra, Nové Zámky and Dunajská Streda as well as in the DEEPWATER-CE pilot area. Using the average values of leachable nitrogen in the period 2015–2018 and the long-term amount of percolated water, the nitrate concentration values in leachate were detected. In most defined groundwater monitoring sites, the current nitrogen surplus and corresponding nitrate concentration in leachate create preconditions for the gradual reduction of groundwater nitrate pollution. However, in some groundwater monitoring places, especially in the Nitra district, the nitrate concentration in leachate exceeds 50 mg L−1, which is completely unacceptable from the point of groundwater pollution. In detected hot-spots, it is necessary to reduce the nitrogen surplus up to 15 kg ha−1 on average per year. In this sense, the nitrate concentration in leachate is an important indicator for the revision of existing measures in agriculture