Studio dell’origine dei nitrati nelle acque sotterranee piemontesi mediante gli isotopi dell’azoto

Isotopic techniques, using nitrogen and oxygen isotopes, are useful to understand the origin of the nitrate contamination and to recognize denitrification phenomena. A study on nitrate contamination in groundwater was conducted using these techniques in Piemonte plain (Northern Italy); in particular groundwater was sampled in two area between Turin and Cuneo. Nitrate were interpreted as the associated input of synthetic fertilisers and manure or septic tank effluents. Moreover, denitrification phenomena were estimated and their relevance was evaluated.