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Sources and Processes Affecting Nitrate in a Dam-Controlled Subtropical River, Southwest China

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Abstract

Excess nutrient (N and P) loads are recognized as the major cause of serious water quality problems in China. River systems play a very important role in nitrate (NO3 −) transportation and transformation in the aquatic environment. To understand and clarify the sources and processes affecting NO3 − in river basins, we have examined spatial and temporal variations of concentration and dual-isotopic composition of NO3 − in the dam-controlled Jialing River, a major tributary of the Yangtze River where land use is dominated by agriculture. Water samples were collected in July 2008 and February 2009 from the main channel of the Jialing River and its major tributaries. The δ15N and δ18O of NO3 − range from 1.5 to 11.0 ‰ (average 6.2 ‰) and −5.0 to 11.1 ‰ (average, 1.6 ‰), respectively. NO3 − isotope data and δ18O of water interpreted in combination with hydrological and chemical data suggest that most of the NO3 − input is from nitrification during the rainy season, and discharge of sewage and manure in the upper course and from cities accounts for much of the NO3 − load during the dry season. The construction of cascade dams has led to retention of Si and a decrease in the Si/N ratio, implying that assimilation and/or denitrification may significantly affect NO3 − in the dam area, as demonstrated by NO3 − and dissolved Si concentrations, and \(\updelta^{ 1 5} {\text{N}}_{{{\text{NO}}_{3} }}\) and \(\updelta^{ 1 8} {\text{O}}_{{{\text{NO}}_{3} }}\) values. This study indicates that dual-isotopic data can be used to identify NO3 − pollution sources and the processes NO3 − has undergone during its retention and transport in the watershed of the dam-controlled Jialing River.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Mr. Xie Xinming for his help during field work. Technical laboratory assistance from Ms. Guan Jin and Mr. An Ning and Huang Rongsheng are also appreciated. This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41373136, 41021062, and 40703004) and the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2013CB956703).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.46, Guanshui Road, Guiyang, 550002, Guizhou, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao-Dong Li, Cong-Qiang Liu & Xue-Yan Liu

  2. Key Laboratory of Aquatic Environment and Water Resource, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300384, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao-Long Liu

  3. State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Jing Yu

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  1. Xiao-Dong Li
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  2. Cong-Qiang Liu
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Correspondence to Xiao-Dong Li.

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Li, XD., Liu, CQ., Liu, XL. et al. Sources and Processes Affecting Nitrate in a Dam-Controlled Subtropical River, Southwest China. Aquat Geochem 20, 483–500 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-014-9231-1

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