Nitrate Pollution Management Workshop

At the European level, surface and groundwater nitrate pollution remains of major concern, despite considerable efforts made over the last decades via e.g. Nitrate Directive and Urban Waste Water Directive. Currently, all parties from European to local level dealing with nitrate pollution face the same challenge: significant improvement in managing and controlling human inputs of nitrate in the environment is urgently required. Appropriate and reliable tools are requested to improve nitrate pollution management and therefore to preserve water quality and environment quality.

Isonitrate is a project funded by the EU Life Environment Program aiming to demonstrate the added value of the isotope techniques in characterising water bodies, distinguishing nitrate sources and analysing the impact of nitrate pollution. Recent research proved that isotopic measurements in surface or groundwater can be successfully used to identify human sources of nitrate pollution. Isotope ratios of nitrate from different sources (atmospheric, mineral fertiliser, urban or industrial wastewater, animal manure or soil organic matter) are often significantly distinguishable.

Since nitrate pollution is expected to be one of the main reasons for water bodies not to reach their required status by 2015, the workshop aims to address the most innovative approaches to nitrate monitoring; alternative methods of supporting water stakeholders in managing nitrate pollution will be presented and discussed.

Posters sessions will be also organised. Contributions are encouraged in both scientific and policy categories. To submit a poster, please send an abstract (in English only) to conf_isonitrate@oieau by the 13 November 2009. Abstracts will be published in the proceedings.

Attendance at the workshop is free and the deadline for registration is the 1st December. For information about registration and accommodation, visit http://isonitrate.brgm.fr/.