View article

A comprehensive approach for assessing the shallow aquifer Susceptibility Index (SI) to pollution was proposed by combining the Vulnerability Index (VI) and Quality Index (QI) in Sidi Bouzid basin in Central Tunisia. Hydrochemical investigation showed that nitrate concentrations and total dissolved solid (TDS) values of the Mio-Plio-Quaternary (MPQ) aquifer in the study area were ranging from 14.3 to 111 mg/l and 1218 to 6202 mg/l successively. VI was first estimated using either a generic DRASTIC model or DRASTIC-LU model by adding land use (LU) factor, with preset factor weights; these weights were later adjusted using a single parameter sensitivity analysis (SPSA) or two different statistical methods: canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP) and partial least squares (PLS). Compared to the generic models, the weight of the factor impact of vadose zone (I) is equal to 5 remained the highest for all the other …