Abstract: Soil salinization is an environmental problem having
significant impacts on the soil–water–plant system. This
problem is more frequent in coastal areas due to seawater
intrusion into the land. Assessing the soil salinization is a
critical issue for the agricultural areas situated in the
Mediterranean basin. This paper examines the deterioration
of soil quality in the cultivated land of a Mediterranean site
(Agoulinitsa district—West Greece). Soil samples were collected
in both pre-irrigation and post-irrigation seasons.
Electrical conductivity (EC), pH and the ions Br−, Ca2+, Cl−,
F−, K+, Li+, Mg2+, Na+, NH4
+, NO2
−, NO3
−, PO4
3− and SO4
2−
were determined by the 1:2 (soil/water ratio on weight basis)
method. The salts which were present in both seasons in the
soils of the area studied are KCl, MgCl2, NaCl, CaSO4 and
K2SO4. The wide spatiotemporal variation of EC in the cultivated
land in both seasons demonstrates that soil salinity is
controlled mainly by seawater intrusion and anthropogenic
factors such as the application of salt-rich water which is
directly pumped from the drainage ditches. Seawater intrusion
provides the affected soil with elevated contents of Ca2+, Cl−,
K+, Mg2+, Na+ and SO4
2−. Classification of the soils by using
criteria given by the literature is discussed. Practices to prevent,
or at least ameliorate, salinization in the cultivated land
of Agoulinitsa district are proposed.

Abstract: When assessing the origin of salinity and the mechanisms of salinization in coastal aquifers, hydrogeologists may consider the combined use of certain geochemical tools to assess critical aspects of the hydrogeological setting of the system. These tools are based in the integrated use of chemical (major ions, trace elements and ionic ratios) and isotope parameters (oxygen, hydrogen, sulphur, carbon, strontium and boron). The problem of groundwater salinization in coastal aquifers, besides active seawater intrusion, may be affected by several human activities that accelerate the progressive deterioration of water quality, such as concentrated pumping, intensive agricultural practices including return flows or reuse of waste waters from urban or industrial origin. The characterisation of the perating processes and mechanisms of salinization is a requisite for a proper management of groundwater resources and for adopting remediation strategies. In this contribution the potential role of several isotopic tools in these studies is briefly described.