Nonpoint-Source Agricultural Hazard Index: A Case Study of the Province of Cremona, Italy

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a study aimed at the evaluation of the hazard level of farming activities in the province of Cremona, Italy, with particular reference to groundwater. The applied methodology employs a parametric approach based on the definition of potential hazard indexes (nonpoint-source agricultural hazard indexes, NPSAHI). Two categories of parameters were considered: the hazard factors (HF), which represent all farming activities that cause or might cause an impact on groundwater (use of fertilizers and pesticides, application of livestock and poultry manure, food industry wastewater, and urban sludge), and the control factors (CF), which adapt the hazard factor to the characteristics of the site (geographical location, slope, agronomic practices, and type of irrigation). The hazard index (HI) can be calculated multiplying the hazard factors by the control factors and, finally, the NPSAHI are obtained dividing HI into classes on a percentile basis using a scale ranging from 1 to 10. Organization, processing, and display of all data layers were performed using the geographical information system (GIS) ArcView and its Spatial Analyst extension. Results show that the potential hazard of groundwater pollution by farming activities in the province of Cremona falls mainly in the fifth class (very low hazard).