A càrrec de Dr. DAVID WIDORY, BRGM - Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, Orléans, França.
SEMINARIS DE LA FACULTAT DE GEOLOGIA I L'INSTITUT DE CIÈNCIES DE LA TERRA "JAUME ALMERA"

Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Consell Superior d'Investigacions Científiques (CSIC)

Dia: Dimecres 15 de juliol
Hora: 12:00h.
Lloc: Sala d'actes de l'Institut "Jaume Almera"

Resum: Current approach to environmental management and control of water quality regarding nitrate is based on monitoring concentrations. Chemical data alone do not permit to establish unambiguously the type, location and contribution of its different sources in a river basin. In particular, differentiating urban and agricultural origin is impossible (even by increasing the number of monitoring stations or samples). Thus, design and application of specifically targeted management plans for nitrate control is improbable.
Research showed the great added value of using isotopes to precisely distinguish nitrate sources, trace them in water and quantify their respective contributions. This new isotope approach inherently provides more information, but is yet to be fully demonstrated through a suitable long-term integrated pilot project.
The objective of ISONITRATE is to demonstrate, to policy makers, the technical/economical feasibility of integrating the multi-isotope approach (15N & 18O of NO3 coupled to 11B) as part of characterising water bodies and analysing pressure and impact of nitrate pollution, for a more effective implementation of environmental management measures in river basins.