| The area investigated is located in the province of Brindisi (Italy). It is
a generally flat area separated from the nearby carbonatic plateau of the
Murgia by quite indistinct and high fault scarps. As regards the geological
features, carbonatic basement rocks and post-cretaceous terrains made up of
calabrian calcarenites and middle-upper Pleistocenic marine terraced
deposits can be distinguished.
In the examined area there are two different hydrogeological environments.
The first is represented by deep groundwater, the main groundwater resource
in Apulia.
The second hydrogeological environment, now of lesser importance than the
deep aquifer in terms of size and use, is made up of some small shallow
groundwater systems situated in post-calabrian sands and located in the
eastern area.
During some sampling cycles carried out in the studied area, water was
withdrawn from both the deep aquifer and from the shallow groundwater. For
every sample, the necessary parameters were determined for the physical and
chemical characterisation of two different hydrogeological environments.
Moreover, some chemical parameters indicating anthropogenic activities were
determined.
Analysis of the aerial distribution of the measured parameters has shown
some main areas subject to different conditions of contamination risk, in
accordance with the hydrogeological and geological features of the
investigated area.
In the south-eastern part of the investigated area, the important action
performed by the surface aquifer for protecting the deep groundwater from
contamination of anthropogenic origin is clear.
On the other hand, in the shallow groundwater, areas of nitrate and nitrite
contamination have been identified, which result from the extensive use of
fertilizers. |