On reducing VOCs concentration from groundwater for irrigation purposes: A detailed monitoring program to test the stripping efficiency of a sprinkler system

Groundwater contamination is one of the major environmental problem throughout the world. This is partly because groundwater can transport a substance quite easily and even extensively toward a receptor. Agriculture is a weak link in this context since, for example, fresh produce irrigated with low-quality water is a major factor contributing to some human diseases. Apart from pathogenic microorganisms, a gross source of groundwater contamination is by volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this paper, we present and discuss a monitoring activity of transport processes in the soil-vegetation-atmosphere continuum to evaluate the effectiveness of a sprinkler irrigation system specifically-designed to reduce the VOCs concentrations in a contaminated site. For phytoremediation purposes, this test site is planted with poplar trees.