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Estimating river pollution from diffuse sources in the Viterbo province using the potential non-point pollution index
Giuliano Cecchi1, Michele Munafò, Fabio Baiocco
1Dipartimento Ambiente e Connessa Prevenzione Primaria, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Annali Dell'Istituto Superiore Di Sanita
|October 17, 2007
Summary
The Index of Potential Non-point Pollution (PNPI) is a GIS tool applied in Viterbo Province, Italy. It assesses diffuse pollution impacts on aquatic ecosystems, aiding environmental management and decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Water Resource Management
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Background:
- Diffuse pollution poses a significant threat to surface aquatic ecosystems.
- Assessing non-point source pollution requires integrated environmental data and expert knowledge.
- Existing tools may lack user-friendliness or a multi-disciplinary approach for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply the Index of Potential Non-point Pollution (PNPI) in Viterbo Province, Central Italy.
- To demonstrate PNPI as a GIS-based tool for assessing diffuse pollution pressure on aquatic environments.
- To support decision-making processes in water resource management through an informative and user-friendly tool.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to develop and apply the PNPI.
- Integrated diverse environmental datasets and specialist expertise for index calculation.
- Described the methodology for calculating the PNPI to ensure transparency and reproducibility.
Main Results:
- Successfully applied the PNPI to the Viterbo Province, providing an assessment of non-point pollution pressure.
- Generated an overview of the PNPI's potential applications in environmental management within the study area.
- Highlighted the tool's capacity to support a multi-disciplinary approach to pollution assessment.
Conclusions:
- The PNPI is an effective GIS tool for evaluating diffuse pollution impacts on surface aquatic ecosystems.
- The application in Viterbo Province demonstrates the PNPI's utility in supporting environmental decision-making.
- The index facilitates a user-friendly and informative approach to managing non-point source pollution.
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