Introducing a new method to aquifer vulnerability assessment of Moghan plain based on combination of DRASTIC, SINTACS and SI methods

Increasing growth of population leads to increase in human activities such as agriculture and industry, which these activities increasing and irregular usage of fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides result in soil and groundwater pollution. Meanwhile, vulnerability assessment can play important role in the management of polluting activities. In this research a new method has been proposed for the vulnerability assessment of Moghan plain as one of the most important provider of agricultural products and animal husbandry in the Ardebil province. This method incorporates the weighted combination of three common vulnerability assessment methods DRASTIC, SINTACS and SI which. Comparison of obtained results from the proposal method with field nitrate concentration data of this area which sampled from 21 tube wells in the study area in the autumn 1394 indicates that the proposed method has a higher correlation index than other methods. According to the result of proposed method, 41, 46 and 13 percent of the study area have been located in areas with low, medium and high vulnerability respectively.The proposed methodology in this study could be used for vulnerability assessment of other aquifers.