Comparison of the Solute (nitrates) Transport Through Two Types of Soil Profiles Using 1-D HYDRUS Software

Nitrates, used especially in agricultural activities, are still a widespread risk for human health when exceeding recommended limits in various water drinking sources.Leaching of nitrates from soil to groundwater depends on various factors (as soil properties, the size of soil particles, the ability of specific soil components and plant to absorb water and nitrates, meteorological conditions).The main goal of the presented work was to show nitrates leaching through different soil types.Different solute transport processes and solute distribution in the soil profile were demonstrated using HYDRUS-1D model simulation.This mathematical computation research could contribute to the set-up of suitable fertilizers concentration applied in agriculture on the soil surface with defined hydraulic properties.This method represents the economically advantageous and simple first step before fertilizers application.Particularly, the main idea of such theoretical simulations is a timely environmental measures implementation against groundwater contamination.