Description and Evaluation of Methodologies for the Determination of Background Values in Groundwater of Portugal and Italy

The aim of the study was to propose a methodology to easily delineate contaminated and pristine areas within a groundwater body for management purposes, or areas where groundwater may exceed a given standard, both for the geogenic origin or due to anthropic contamination.
This methodology may support the identification of groundwater bodies in risk of breaching regulatory compliance and at risk of failing groundwater quality objectives.