Nitrate contamination of groundwater and identification of its cause in Kumamoto City and neighbouring area in Japan

Kumamoto City that has a population of 0.7 million depends on the only groundwater for the drinking-water demand. Recently, there are growing concerns about a groundwater contamination by nitrate. In this study, we aimed to reveal the situation and cause of nitrate contamination of groundwater in Kumamoto City and its neighbouring area by a combination of water-quality measurement and the analysis of public data. Nitrate concentration in the...