Assess the relationship between land use and nitrate contamination of groundwater resources (Case study: Ghorve-Dehgolan plain in Kurdistan province)

Nitrate pollution of groundwater resources has been increasingly becoming one of the main concerns in Iran. The main objectives for the present research are as following: to evaluation of groundwater nitrate pollution status and evaluate the effect of land use on groundwater nitrate pollution. To fulfill these goals, data for groundwater nitrate concentration were collected (from 50 point) and overlaid with landuse map. The result showed that nitrate concentration of groundwater exceeded WHO (World Health Organization) threshold. In addition, nitrate-polluted wells spatial position was undertaken so that all of wells were located at irrigated farming land use. Investigation of annual fertilizer application indicated that level of nitrate entered to irrigated lands strongly was correlated into groundwater nitrate concentration. Hence it was found that N-fertilizers abuse was the main factor affecting groundwater nitrate pollutions. In order to control the nitrate pollution of groundwater, comprehensive management of N-fertilizer and irrigation is recommended.