Title: Impact of conventional N-fertiliser application in various soil types on ground water pollution in the Gaza Strip

Authors: Abdelmajid Nassar

Addresses: Department of Environment Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine

Abstract: The susceptibility of the Gaza aquifer to contamination and the continuous deterioration of water quality and its associated problems such as nitrate and pesticides concentrations, constitutes a real and immediate threat to humans and the environment. The nitrate concentration in the majority of agricultural wells is relatively high, with typical values of 100-300 ppm, and exceeding 600 ppm in some areas of the Gaza Strip. In an effort to reduce non-point source pollution from agricultural lands, producers are encouraged to adopt best management practices and farming practices capable of reducing nutrient contamination of surface and ground water, such as considering the nitrogen in irrigation water and the surplus in the soil. In similar environmental circumstances, the research trails showed that by applying N at a rate that is 95% of requirement for maximum yield, 30% to 40% reduction in nitrate leaching is obtained.

Keywords: nitrate leaching; soil contamination; Gaza Strip; Palestine; fertilisers; groundwater pollution; water pollution; water quality; pesticides; agricultural wells; nitrogen; irrigation water.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2015.068415

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2015 Vol.18 No.1, pp.44 - 53

Received: 15 Oct 2013
Accepted: 14 Nov 2014
Published online: 06 May 2015 *

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