A GIS-based DRASTIC and pesticide DRASTIC model to evaluate groundwater vulnerability to pollution in Central Erbil basin, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
- 1Department of Earth Sciences and Petroleum, College of Science, Salahaddin University– Erbil, Erbil, Iraq
Abstract
Assessing groundwater vulnerability is crucial for managing groundwater resources effectively, especially in regions experiencing significant human activities and pollution. This study evaluates groundwater vulnerability in the Central Erbil Basin, northern Iraq, using a comparative approach with the DRASTIC and Pesticide DRASTIC methods, integrated with a geographic information system (GIS). Results showed the highest vulnerability in the central-western and central-eastern parts of the study area. In contrast, the south-eastern, central, and northwestern parts exhibited the lowest vulnerability. Furthermore, a single-parameter sensitivity analysis for both methods indicated that the unsaturated zone was the most influential among the seven parameters, while hydraulic conductivity was the least influential. Lastly, validation of the final vulnerability maps against real nitrate concentration measurements using the Pearson correlation coefficient showed that Pesticide DRASTIC was more accurate than DRASTIC, with R = 0.66 compared with R = 0.62 for DRASTIC.
Related
- From Pesticide Pollution to Healthy Soils: Policy Assessment and Reform Options in Germany
- Deep tree roots at risk of accelerating groundwater pollution beneath clay-rich aquitards
- Associations of Organophosphate Pesticide Metabolite Mixtures with Epigenetic Age Acceleration
- Pesticide Exposure and Breast Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms, Epidemiological Evidence, and Current Challenges
- An end-to-end modelling approach to evaluate different facets of climate change on the Eastern channel and southern North Sea ecosystem
BibTeX
@article{dara2026gisbased,
title = {{A GIS-based DRASTIC and pesticide DRASTIC model to evaluate groundwater vulnerability to pollution in Central Erbil basin, Kurdistan Region, Iraq}},
author = {Rebwar N. Dara},
journal = {Tikrit Journal of Pure Science},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.25130/tjps.v31i5.1901},
url = {https://doi.org/10.25130/tjps.v31i5.1901},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A GIS-based DRASTIC and pesticide DRASTIC model to evaluate groundwater vulnerability to pollution in Central Erbil basin, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
AU - Rebwar N. Dara
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
JO - Tikrit Journal of Pure Science
DO - 10.25130/tjps.v31i5.1901
UR - https://doi.org/10.25130/tjps.v31i5.1901
AB - Assessing groundwater vulnerability is crucial for managing groundwater resources effectively, especially in regions experiencing significant human activities and pollution. This study evaluates groundwater vulnerability in the Central Erbil Basin, northern Iraq, using a comparative approach with the DRASTIC and Pesticide DRASTIC methods, integrated with a geographic information system (GIS). Results showed the highest vulnerability in the central-western and central-eastern parts of the study area. In contrast, the south-eastern, central, and northwestern parts exhibited the lowest vulnerability. Furthermore, a single-parameter sensitivity analysis for both methods indicated that the unsaturated zone was the most influential among the seven parameters, while hydraulic conductivity was the least influential. Lastly, validation of the final vulnerability maps against real nitrate concentration measurements using the Pearson correlation coefficient showed that Pesticide DRASTIC was more accurate than DRASTIC, with R = 0.66 compared with R = 0.62 for DRASTIC.
SN - 1813-1662
SN - 2415-1726
ER -