Intrinsic vulnerability assessment using a modified version of the PI Method: A case study in the Boeotia region, Central Greece

Abstract

The assessment of an aquifers’ vulnerability to pollution is of great importance, and can be used as a tool to augment planning, effective protection and management of groundwater resources’ quality, especially in the case of karstic aquifers. The present study aims to assess the intrinsic vulnerability of a karstic groundwater system, with the use of a modified version of the PI method. The assessments are functional to the effectiveness of the protective cover, as well as to the degree to which the protective cover is bypassed due to flow conditions. The used data was obtained by field work, empirical and semi-quantitative approaches regarding lithology, fissuring and karstification of bedrock, soil characteristics, hydrology, hydrogeology, topography and vegetation. The combinational effect of the above parameters, as processed with the aid of a GIS system, yielded the final calculation of the protection factor (π) and subsequently the vulnerability of the aquifer to pollution.