Abstract
Nitrate pollution is a severe problem in areas with intensive agricultural activities. This study focuses on nitrate occurrence and its constraints in a selected alluvial fan using chemical data combined with environmental isotopic tracers (18O, 3H, and 15N). Results show that groundwater nitrate in the study area is as high as 258.0 mg/L (hereafter NO3 −) with an average of 86.8 mg/L against national drinking water limit of 45 mg/L and a regional baseline value of 14.4 mg/L. Outside of the riparian zone, nitrate occurrence is closely related to groundwater circulation and application of chemical fertilizer. High groundwater nitrate is found in the recharge area, where nitrate enters into groundwater through vertical infiltration, corresponding to high 3H and enriched 18O in the water. In the riparian zone, on the contrary, the fate of groundwater nitrate is strongly affected by groundwater level. Based on two sampling transects perpendicular to the riverbank, we found that the high level of nitrate corresponds to the deeper water table (25 m) near the urban center, where groundwater is heavily extracted. Groundwater nitrate is much lower (<12.4 mg/L) at localities with a shallow water table (5 m), which is likely caused by denitrification in the aquifer.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References Cited
Aravena, R., Robertson, W. D., 1998. Use of Multiple Isotope Tracers to Evaluate Denitrification in Ground Water: Study of Nitrate from a Large-Flux Septic System Plume. Ground Water, 36(6): 975–982, doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1998.tb02104.x
Böhlke, J. K., 2002. Groundwater Recharge and Agricultural Contamination. Hydrogeology Journal, 10(1): 153–179, doi:10.1007/s10040-001-0183-3
Böttcher, J., Strebel, O., Voerkelius, S., et al., 1990. Using Isotope Fractionation of Nitrate-Nitrogen and Nitrate-Oxygen for Evaluation of Microbial Denitrification in a Sandy Aquifer. Journal of Hydrology, 114(3–4): 413–424
Bethke, C. M., Johnson, T. M., 2008. Groundwater Age and Groundwater Age Dating. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 36: 121–152
Burkart, M. R., Kolpin, D. W., 1993. Hydrologic and Land-Use Factors Associated with Herbicides and Nitrate in Near-Surface Aquifers. Journal of Environmental Quality, 22(4): 646–656
Chen, J. Y., Tang, C. Y., Sakura, Y., et al., 2005. Nitrate Pollution from Agriculture in Different Hydrogeological Zones of the Regional Groundwater Flow System in the North China Plain. Hydrogeology Journal, 13(3): 481–492, doi:10.1007/s10040-004-0321-9
Chen, J. Y., Tang, C. Y., Sakura, Y., et al., 2004. Spatial Geochemical and Isotopic Characteristics Associated with Groundwater Flow in the North China Plain. Hydrological Processes, 18(16): 3133–3146, doi:10.1002/hyp.5753
Chen, J. Y., Tang, C. Y., Shen, Y. J., et al., 2003. Use of Water Balance Calculation and Tritium to Examine the Dropdown of Groundwater Table in the Piedmont of the North China Plain (NCP). Environmental Geology, 44(5): 564–571, doi:10.1007/s00254-003-0792-3
Chen, Z. Y., Qi, J. X., Xu, J. M., et al., 2003. Paleoclimatic Interpretation of the Past 30 ka from Isotopic Studies of the Deep Confined Aquifer of the North China Plain. Applied Geochemistry, 18(7): 997–1009
Chen, Z. Y., Wang, Y., Liu, J., et al., 2010. Groundwater Changes of Selected Groundwater Systems in Northern China in Recent Fifty Years. Quaternary Sciences, 30(1): 115–126, doi:10.3969/j.issn.1001-7410.2010.01.11
Chesnaux, R., Allen, D. M., Graham, G.., 2007. Assessment of the Impact of Nutrient Management Practices on Nitrate Contamination in the Abbotsford-Sumas Aquifer. Environmental Science & Technology, 41: 7229–7234
Domagalski, J., Zhou, X. Q., Lin, C., et al., 2001. Comparative Water-Quality Assessment of the Hai He River Basin in the People’s Republic of China and Three Similar Basins in the United States. US Dept. of the Interior, US Geological Survey, Washington D.C.
Eckhardt, D. A. V., Stackelberg, P. E., 1995. Relation of Ground-Water Quality to Land Use on Long Island, New York. Ground Water, 33(6): 1019–1033, doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1995.tb00047.x
Hu, C. S., Cheng, Y. S., Lu, G., et al., 2001. On the Nitrate-N Accumulated Characteristics in Deep Soil Layer of Winter Wheat Field in Taihang Piedmont. Chinese Journal of Eco-Agriculture, 9: 19–20
Kim, K. H., Yun, S. T., Choi, B. Y., et al., 2009. Hydrochemical and Multivariate Statistical Interpretations of Spatial Controls of Nitrate Concentrations in a Shallow Alluvial Aquifer around Oxbow Lakes (Osong Area, Central Korea). Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 107(3–4): 114–127
Liu, C. M., Yu, J. J., Kendy, E., 2001. Groundwater Exploita tion and Its Impact on the Environment in the North China Plain. Water International, 26(2): 265–272, doi:10.1080/02508060108686913
Lu, Y. T., Tang, C. Y., Chen, J. Y., et al., 2008. Spatial Characteristics of Water Quality, Stable Isotopes and Tritium Associated with Groundwater Flow in the Hutuo River Alluvial Fan Plain of the North China Plain. Hydrogeology Journal, 16(5): 1003–1015, doi:10.1007/s10040-008-0292-3
McLay, C. D. A., Dragten, R., Sparling, G., et al., 2001. Predicting Groundwater Nitrate Concentrations in a Region of Mixed Agricultural Land Use: A Comparison of Three Approaches. Environmental Pollution, 115(2): 191–204
Mengis, M., Schif, S. L., Harris, M., et al., 1999. Multiple Geochemical and Isotopic Approaches for Assessing Ground Water NO3 − Elimination in a Riparian Zone. Ground Water, 37(3): 448–457, doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1999.tb01124.x
Rivett, M. O., Buss, S. R., Morgan, P., et al., 2008. Nitrate Attenuation in Groundwater: A Review of Biogeochemical Controlling Processes. Water Research, 42(16): 4215–4232
Silva, S. R., Kendall, C., Wilkison, D. H., et al., 2000. A New Method for Collection of Nitrate from Fresh Water and the Analysis of Nitrogen and Oxygen Isotope Ratios. Journal of Hydrology, 228(1–2): 22–36
Wang, B. G., Jin, M. G., Nimmo, J. R., et al., 2008. Estimating Groundwater Recharge in Hebei Plain, China under Varying Land Use Practices Using Tritium and Bromide Tracers. Journal of Hydrology, 356(1–2): 209–222
Wang, S. Q., Song, X. F., Wang, Q. X., et al., 2009. Shallow Groundwater Dynamics in North China Plain. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 19: 175–188
Xu, Q. H., Wu, C., Yang, X. L., et al., 1996. Palaeochannels on the North China Plain: Relationships between Their Development and Tectonics. Geomorphology, 18(1): 27–35
Zhang, W. L., Tian, Z. X., Zhang, N., et al., 1996. Nitrate Pollution of Groundwater in Northern China. Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment, 59(3): 223–231
Zhang, Y. M., Hu, C. S., Mao, R. Z., et al., 2003. Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium Cycling and Balance in Farmland Ecosystem at the Piedmont of Taihang. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 14: 1863–1867
Zhao, S. H., 2010. Sustainable Utilization of Groundwater Resource at Tangshan. Haihe Water Resources, 4: 8–30 (in Chinese)
Zhou, S. L., Wu, Y. C., Wang, Z. M., et al., 2008. The Nitrate Leached below Maize Root Zone is Available for Deep-Rooted Wheat in Winter Wheat-Summer Maize Rotation in the North China Plain. Environmental Pollution, 152(3): 723–730
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 40872162, 41202183) and the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. kzcx2-yw-127).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pang, Z., Yuan, L., Huang, T. et al. Impacts of human activities on the occurrence of groundwater nitrate in an alluvial plain: A multiple isotopic tracers approach. J. Earth Sci. 24, 111–124 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-013-0310-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-013-0310-9