Florida’s Aquifer Vulnerability to Nitrate Contamination: A GIS Model

Abstract

Groundwater is a crucial natural resource in the state of Florida. since it supports to environmental, social, and economic aspects of the country. Groundwater will not be contaminated easily but it is difficult to restore once it is contaminated. Since its extensive usage in agricultural activities in the state of Florida, groundwater has degraded in recent years, resulting in many direct and indirect impacts, particularly nitrogen content in the form of nitrates using Geographical Information System (GIS) technology, the researchers investigated the effects of groundwater on Nitrogen (NO3) content in the study area by creating a spatial distribution of NO3 contamination, which was then analyzed using GIS, Kriging Interpolation, and the DRASTIC model to determine the susceptibility of groundwater to NO3 contamination. The final result depicts the model’s performance as vulnerability groups, which are based on natural breaks showing places that are more susceptible to nitrogen pollution. The map highlighted that the south zone of Florida was more vulnerable to nitrogen contamination, necessitating more careful wastewater disposal system planning.