Summary:

Specific groundwater vulnerability to pollution by organic pesticides depends on natural conditions in agricultural catchment (climatic, hydrologic and soils) as well as pesticide properties, such as sorption coefficient by organic carbon and pesticide persistence in the soil environment. The most comprehensive method of presenting the assessment of groundwater vulnerability to pollution is its mapping and further analysis of maps. Maps of groundwater vulnerability to pollution by organic pesticides have been produced in GIS environment using Attenuation Factor (AF) approach, evaluated by Rao et al. in 1985. For the area of Ciesielska Woda agricultural catchment 25 maps of groundwater vulnerability to pollution by pesticides have been produced, for various combinations of Koc and t1/2 (table 2, figures 1 and 2). Analysis of the maps clearly identified these pesticides, which are the most dangerous for groundwater quality in particular natural conditions within the catchment area (figure 3)