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Methodology uncertainty

Nutrient conditions vary throughout the year depending on, for example, season and flow conditions. Hence, the annual average concentrations should ideally be based on samples collected throughout the year. Using annual averages representing only part of the year introduces some uncertainty, but it also makes it possible to include more sites, which reduces the uncertainty in spatial coverage. Moreover, the majority of the annual averages represent the whole year.

Nitrate concentrations in groundwater originate mainly from anthropogenic activities as a result of agricultural land use. Concentrations in water are the effect of a multidimensional and time-related process, which varies from groundwater body to groundwater body and is less quantified. To properly evaluate the nitrate concentration in groundwater and its development, closely-related parameters such as ammonium and dissolved oxygen should be taken into account.