KAZALCI OKOLJA

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Key message
Neutral

Slovenian groundwater bodies most polluted with nitrates are those with intergranular (alluvium) aquifers, particularly in north-eastern Slovenia. Groundwater in karst and fractured aquifers is less burdened with nitrates due to geographical conditions, low population density and less agricultural land. In the period 1998–2020, the average annual levels of nitrates in water bodies in the Sava valley, Ljubljansko barje, Savinja, Drava and Mura basins show a statistically significant downward trend. In other water bodies, nitrate levels are not statistically significant.


This indicator shows:

  • Average annual values ​​of nitrate in groundwater samples in Europe and Slovenia and at the sampling points of the Slovenian national monitoring in 2020.
  • Structure of agricultural land use and groundwater quality in the analzyed year.
  • Share of agricultural area in the surface of ground water bodies in Slovenia in the analyzed year.

  • Total annual nitrogen emissions from municipal wastewater treatment plants.


Charts

Figure VD05-1: Average annual values ​​of nitrate in groundwater samples at the sampling points of the Slovenian national monitoring in 2020
Sources: 

ARSO, GURS 2021 (January, 2021)

Figure VD05-2: The average value of nitrate levels in Europe and in Slovenia and Slovenian groundwater bodies with predominantly intergranular (alluvial) and karst/fractured aquifers
Sources: 

Standardised Database for Water Quality Monitoring, Slovenian Environment Agency; Waterbase European Environment Agency, 2021 (January, 2021)

Show data
Slovenija - alluvial aquifers[mg/l]Slovenia - karst-fractured aquifers[mg/l]Slovenia - average[mg/l]Europa - average[mg/l]
200440.567.4815.3620.04
200540.297.3915.2319.72
200638.597.4114.8419.50
200731.757.3313.1519.27
200832.776.7812.9719.20
200932.876.5812.8419.12
201031.955.5011.8019.28
201131.206.6012.5019.28
201230.205.3611.2819.28
201332.305.2711.7019.28
201432.215.2711.6919.28
201531.055.7811.8019.28
201625.355.5011.4419.28
201731.735.9012.0519.28
201831.955.6111.8819.28
201930.115.7811.5719.28
202029.226.2411.7119
Figure VD05-3: Average annual nitrate levels in groundwater of the more polluted water bodies
Sources: 

Standardised Database for Water Quality Monitoring, Slovenian Environment Agency, 2021 (January, 2021)

Show data

1001 Savska kotlina in Ljubljansko barje[mg/l]

1002 Savinjska kotlina[mg/l]

1003 Krška kotlina[mg/l]

3012 Dravska kotlina[mg/l]

4016 Murska kotlina[mg/l]

quality standard[mg/l]

1998

23.39

50.01

21.84

45.10

47.63

50

1999

22.80

43.78

23.80

48.37

39.75

50

2000

21.64

47.21

20.39

45.44

47.34

50

2001

21.94

55.49

25.68

46.46

50

2002

20.68

43.88

32.96

39.70

34.43

50

2003

20.70

50.45

22.34

40.29

39.86

50

2004

20.90

65.03

29.44

49.45

37.98

50

2005

22.90

57.83

24.76

54.01

41.99

50

2006

22.70

45.37

26.94

53.25

44.67

50

2007

18.38

47.29

21.10

39.12

32.88

50

2008

19.57

48.65

23.16

40.28

32.20

50

2009

20.63

44.83

24.19

42.13

32.57

50

2010

19.21

42.52

24.05

42.18

31.78

50

2011

19.20

43.20

21.60

39

32.90

50

2012

18.23

46.91

23.66

35.56

26.65

50

2013

18.93

40.24

28.67

42.31

31.36

50

2014

18.80

43.98

24.52

40.00

33.73

50

2015

17.96

44.66

23.64

40.27

28.73

50

2016

16.75

42.02

24.53

38.51

30.32

50

2017

16.83

49.85

24.13

39.09

28.75

50

2018

18.78

44.41

25.71

39.66

31.19

50

2019

17.46

47.75

21.85

36.11

27.37

50

2020

16.06

46.08

19.91

35.30

28.74

50

Figure VD05-4: The declining trend of the nitrate concentration in water bodies Sava, Savinja, Mura, and Drava basin in the period 1998-2020
Sources: 

Standardised Database for Water Quality Monitoring, Slovenian Environment Agency, 2021 (January, 2021)

Figure VD05-5: Structure of agricultural land use and groundwater quality by water bodies in 2020
Sources: 

Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, 2020. Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (2020)

Figure VD05-6: Share of agricultural area in the surface of ground water bodies in Slovenia in 2020 (%)
Sources: 

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (2020)

Chart note: 

  Red coloured bars denote ground water bodies with poor chemical state because the nitrate concentration limit is exceeded.

Show data

Julijske Alpe v porečju Save [%]

Karavanke [%]

Julijske Alpe v porečju Soče [%]

Kamniško-Savinjske Alpe [%]

Kraška Ljubljanica [%]

Goriška [%]

Vzhodne Alpe [%]

Cerkljansko, Škofjeloško in Polhograjsko hribovje [%]

Dolenjski kras [%]

Obala in Kras z Brkini [%]

Posavsko hribovje do osrednje Sotle [%]

Spodnji del Savinje do Sotle [%]

Haloze in Dravinjske gorice [%]

Goričko [%]

Savska kotlina in Ljubljansko Barje [%]

Vzhodne Slovenske gorice [%]

Dravska kotlina [%]

Zahodne Slovenske gorice [%]

Murska kotlina [%]

Savinjska kotlina [%]

Krška kotlina [%]

2020

10.38

11.29

15.50

17.74

24.78

25.43

25.88

26.00

27.91

31.57

35.23

38.41

48.12

52.05

52.29

58.94

59.89

63.28

68.68

68.82

69.27

Figure VD05-7: Total nitrogen emissions from municipal wastewater treatment plants (t/year)
Sources: 

Waste Water Treatment Plants Database, Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia (2020)

Show data

Indirect outflow into groundwater [t/year]

Outflow into surface waters [t/year]

2010

5.90

1993.30

2011

6.60

2011.40

2012

3.40

1710.40

2013

2.40

1707.10

2014

4.50

1634

2015

5.90

1502

2016

9.70

1321.40

2017

9.90

1315.50

2018

12

1388.60

2019

12.80

1283.10


Goals

  • To improve the state of the water environment,
  • to reduce emissions from dispersed sources (intensive agriculture, dispersed settlement without wastewater treatment),
  • to achieve a favourable state of groundwater,
  • to reduce concentrations of nitrates in overburdened groundwater below 50 mg NO3/l and to reverse the trends of increasing nitrate concentrations.

 



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