Specific vulnerability to nitrates in groundwater

In order to protect the groundwater of the Abidjan District from pollution this specific nitrate vulnerability study has been initiated. The aim of this study is to protect groundwater. To achieve this objective an approach based on the use of three (3) criteria was followed: - The Hydrogeology criterion: For this criterion the hydrogeological parameters of the aquifer were used: depth (D) annual recharge of the water table (R) aquifer materials (A) soil type (S) topography (T) impact of the unsaturated zone (I) and hydraulic conductivity (C);- The Human criterion: This criterion is used in this study as a potential source of nitrate production. The Human criterion is used in this study as a potential source of nitrate production: population density (P) land use (L) and the number of people connected to the public sewerage system (N);- Physico-chemistry of nitrates: this refers to the physico-chemical interactions between the aquifer and the pollutant (nitrates). In this study the degree of adsorption of the pollutant by the unsaturated zone (F) and its solubility in water (H) were taken into account.