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Jung H, Lee J, Yoo J, Kim M, Kim YS. Improving the accuracy of nitrogen estimates from nonpoint source in a river catchment with multi-isotope tracers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 921:171016. [PMID: 38369142 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Climate change can affect precipitation patterns, temperature, and the hydrological cycle, consequently influencing the dynamics of nitrogen (N) within aquatic ecosystems. In this study, multiple stable isotopes (15N-NO3/18O-NO3 and 2H-H2O/18O-H2O) were used to investigate the N sources and flowpath within the Bogang stream in South Korea. Within the vicinity of the stream with complex land use where various N sources were present, four end-members (rainfall, soil, sewage, and livestock) were sampled and examined. Consequently, spatial-temporal variations of the N sources were observed dependent on the type of land use. During the dry season, sewage accounted for the dominant N source, ranging from 62.2 % to 80.2 %. In contrast, nonpoint sources increased significantly across most sites during the wet season (10.3-41.6 % for soil; 6.3-35.2 % for livestock) compared to the dry season (7.7-28.5 % for soil; 6-13.2 % for livestock). However, sewage (78.7 %) remains dominant, representing the largest ratio at the site downstream of the wastewater treatment plant during the wet season. This ratio showed a notable difference from the calculated N loading ratio of 52.2 %, especially for livestock. This suggests that a significant potential for N legacy effects, given that groundwater flow is likely to be the primary hydrological pathway delivering N to rivers. This study will help to develop water resource management strategies by understanding how the interaction between N sources and hydrological process responds to climate change within sub-basins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyejung Jung
- Department of Science Education, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeonghoon Lee
- Department of Science Education, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jisu Yoo
- Environmental Measurement & Analysis Center, National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), Incheon 22689, Republic of Korea
| | - Minhee Kim
- Ministry of Environment, Hanam, Gyeonggi-do 12902, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun S Kim
- Water Environmental Safety Management Department, K-water, Daejeon 34350, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Pradana R, Hernández-Martín JA, Martínez-Hernández V, Meffe R, de Santiago-Martín A, Pérez Barbón A, de Bustamante I. Attenuation mechanisms and key parameters to enhance treatment performance in vegetation filters: A review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 300:113752. [PMID: 34547571 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In times when environmental concerns are on the rise and the search of ways to reduce waste generation and to create a circular economy is booming, Nature Based Solutions (NBSs) play a very important role. Vegetation Filters (VFs) are a type of Land Application System (LAS) in which wastewater is used to irrigate a forestry plantation to treat the water and produce biomass. VFs show multiple benefits that render this technology a suitable solution for wastewater treatment, especially for scattered populations or isolated buildings that lack of connection to sewer systems. This review aims to provide a comprehensive state of the art of VF implementation, highlighting the do's and don'ts for a successful performance focusing on those factors that are essential to water treatment. Results show that VFs have a great treatment capacity when all involving factors are considered, and their efficiency tends to increase with time, as the VF develops and "gets older". Indeed, the presence of fine-textured soils, the selection of a proper vegetation species, the use of pre-treated wastewater and a water balance-based irrigation schedule alternating wetting and -drying cycles are all factors that help to achieve the best performance. However, it is necessary to design and follow a simple but rigorous operation and maintenance schedule to avoid system failure, which could lead to NO3-N leaching towards groundwater.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Pradana
- Grupo Eulen (Madrid), Calle del Valle de Tobalina, 56, 28021, Madrid, Spain; IMDEA Agua, Avda Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, A-II km 33,0, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | | | - R Meffe
- IMDEA Agua, Avda Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - A Pérez Barbón
- IMDEA Agua, Avda Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - I de Bustamante
- IMDEA Agua, Avda Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, A-II km 33,0, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
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3
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Qiuying C, Qi W, Zhidong L, Mingwei Z, Manzhong S. Release characteristics of inorganic nitrogen in different water layers and its impact on overlying water from Liaohe River, China. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2021; 30:1731-1742. [PMID: 33135143 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02292-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Migration and release of sediment pollutants has become one of the important causes of water pollution, but the contribution of different forms of nitrogen in different water layers to the water quality of the overlying water is unclear. In this study, the main stream of Liaohe River with heavy nitrogen pollution was taken as an example. The static simulation method and related analysis techniques were used to explore the release characteristics of different forms of inorganic nitrogen and its effect on TN and Chla in overlying water from the different water layers. The results showed that the release rates of TN, NH4+-N and NO3--N from upstream, midstream and downstream sections were different, but the release characteristics of them in different water layers were the same basically. Generally, the inorganic nitrogen in the pore water of the sediment was released to the water body rapidly in the early 0-8 days. The contribution rate of NH4+-N and NO3--N to the change of TNo was 76.85% for the upstream section, and the contribution rate of NO3--N to the change of TNo was 65.02% for the midstream section. NH4+-N and NO3--N in the different water layers from downstream did not showed a significant correlation with TN of overlying water. NO3--N in sediments was the main contributor of TN and Chla changes in the overlying water and its content can reflect the nitrogen pollution trend of the water body to a certain extent. When the water retention time was 4-16 days, the TLI in the water body was relatively high. After effective control of exogenous pollution, the release of endogenous nutrients in Liaohe River should be paid more attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Qiuying
- Zhuhai Branch of State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, 519087, Beijing, China.
- College of Life Science, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, 110034, China.
| | - Wang Qi
- College of Life Science, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, 110034, China
| | - Li Zhidong
- College of Life Science, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, 110034, China
| | - Zhang Mingwei
- College of Life Science, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, 110034, China
| | - Sun Manzhong
- College of Life Science, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, 110034, China
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Distribution of Endocrine Disruptor Chemicals and Bacteria in Saline Pétrola Lake (Albacete, SE Spain) Protected Area is Strongly Linked to Land Use. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/app10114017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Saline lakes are subject to numerous environmental impacts related to human activities, changing the chemical and biological natural conditions of the ecosystem. Sustainable development depends on the conservation of such delicate saline ecosystems, which may hold distinctive biodiversity. Pollution is one of the major threats to surface water bodies, for example by increasing nutrient contents and organic pollutants, including endocrine disrupting chemicals. Microbially mediated redox processes exert a fundamental control on nutrient turnover and contaminant removal. This study examines the influence of land use on the distribution of endocrine disrupting chemicals as well as on the microbial community composition in lacustrine sediments from Pétrola saline Lake (SE Spain). The lake is impacted by anthropogenic activities (agriculture, farming, mining and urban wastewater spills). Applying chemical and molecular tools (sequencing of 16S rRNA gene) showed a clear influence of land use on the chemistry and bacterial abundance of the lake sediments. The sampling points closer to wastewater outflows and mining ponds (2635, 2643 and 2650) showed fewer numbers and types of endocrine disrupting chemicals as well as a smaller number of families in the microbial community. These findings improve our understanding of how land use affects both water chemistry and the abundance of organisms responsible for biogeochemical cycles.
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Margalef-Marti R, Carrey R, Soler A, Otero N. Evaluating the potential use of a dairy industry residue to induce denitrification in polluted water bodies: A flow-through experiment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 245:86-94. [PMID: 31150913 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.03.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Improving the effectiveness and economics of strategies to remediate groundwater nitrate pollution is a matter of concern. In this context, the addition of whey into aquifers could provide a feasible solution to attenuate nitrate contamination by inducing heterotrophic denitrification, while recycling an industry residue. Before its application, the efficacy of the treatment must be studied at laboratory-scale to optimize the application strategy in order to avoid the generation of harmful intermediate compounds. To do this, a flow-through denitrification experiment using whey as organic C source was performed, and different C/N ratios and injection periodicities were tested. The collected samples were analyzed to determine the chemical and isotopic composition of N and C compounds. The results proved that whey could promote denitrification. Nitrate was completely removed when using either a 3.0 or 2.0 C/N ratio. However, daily injection with C/N ratios from 1.25 to 1.5 seemed advantageous, since this strategy decreased nitrate concentration to values below the threshold for water consumption while avoiding nitrite accumulation and whey release with the outflow. The isotopic results confirmed that nitrate attenuation was due to denitrification and that the production of DIC was related to bacterial whey oxidation. Furthermore, the isotopic data suggested that when denitrification was not complete, the outflow could present a mix of denitrified and nondenitrified water. The calculated isotopic fractionation values (ε15NNO3/N2 and ε18ONO3/N2) might be applied in the future to quantify the efficiency of the bioremediation treatments by whey application at field-scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanna Margalef-Marti
- Grup MAiMA, SGR Mineralogia Aplicada, Geoquímica I Geomicrobiologia, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia I Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Raúl Carrey
- Grup MAiMA, SGR Mineralogia Aplicada, Geoquímica I Geomicrobiologia, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia I Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Soler
- Grup MAiMA, SGR Mineralogia Aplicada, Geoquímica I Geomicrobiologia, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia I Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neus Otero
- Grup MAiMA, SGR Mineralogia Aplicada, Geoquímica I Geomicrobiologia, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia I Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain; Serra Húnter Fellowship, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain
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6
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Nitrogen and Organics Removal during Riverbank Filtration along a Reclaimed Water Restored River in Beijing, China. WATER 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/w10040491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Carrey R, Rodríguez-Escales P, Soler A, Otero N. Tracing the role of endogenous carbon in denitrification using wine industry by-product as an external electron donor: Coupling isotopic tools with mathematical modeling. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2018; 207:105-115. [PMID: 29154003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2017.10.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Nitrate removal through enhanced biological denitrification (EBD), consisting of the inoculation of an external electron donor, is a feasible solution for the recovery of groundwater quality. In this context, liquid waste from wine industries (wine industry by-products, WIB) may be feasible for use as a reactant to enhance heterotrophic denitrification. To address the feasibility of WIB as electron donor to promote denitrification, as well as to evaluate the role of biomass as a secondary organic C source, a flow-through experiment was carried out. Chemical and isotopic characterization was performed and coupled with mathematical modeling. Complete nitrate attenuation with no nitrite accumulation was successfully achieved after 10 days. Four different C/N molar ratios (7.0, 2.0, 1.0 and 0) were tested. Progressive decrease of the C/N ratio reduced the remaining C in the outflow and favored biomass migration, producing significant changes in dispersivity in the reactor, which favored efficient nitrate degradation. The applied mathematical model described the general trends for nitrate, ethanol, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations. This model shows how the biomass present in the system is degraded to dissolved organic C (DOCen) and becomes the main source of DOC for a C/N ratio between 1.0 and 0. The isotopic model developed for organic and inorganic carbon also describes the general trends of δ13C of ethanol, DOC and DIC in the outflow water. The study of the evolution of the isotopic fractionation of organic C using a Rayleigh distillation model shows the shift in the organic carbon source from the WIB to the biomass and is in agreement with the isotopic fractionation values used to calibrate the model. Isotopic fractionations (ε) of C-ethanol and C-DOCen were -1‰ and -5‰ (model) and -3.3‰ and -4.8‰ (Rayleigh), respectively. In addition, an inverse isotopic fractionation of +10‰ was observed for biomass degradation to DOCen. Overall, WIB can efficiently promote nitrate reduction in EBD treatments. The conceptual model of the organic C cycle and the developed mathematical model accurately described the chemical and isotopic transformations that occur during this induced denitrification.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Carrey
- Grup d'Mineralogia Aplicada i Medi Ambient, Dep. Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/ Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - P Rodríguez-Escales
- Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Associated Unit: Hydrogeology Group (UPC-CSIC), Spain
| | - A Soler
- Grup d'Mineralogia Aplicada i Medi Ambient, Dep. Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/ Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - N Otero
- Grup d'Mineralogia Aplicada i Medi Ambient, Dep. Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/ Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain; Serra Hunter Fellowship, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain
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8
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Grau-Martínez A, Torrentó C, Carrey R, Rodríguez-Escales P, Domènech C, Ghiglieri G, Soler A, Otero N. Feasibility of two low-cost organic substrates for inducing denitrification in artificial recharge ponds: Batch and flow-through experiments. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2017; 198:48-58. [PMID: 28131436 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Anaerobic batch and flow-through experiments were performed to assess the capacity of two organic substrates to promote denitrification of nitrate-contaminated groundwater within managed artificial recharge systems (MAR) in arid or semi-arid regions. Denitrification in MAR systems can be achieved through artificial recharge ponds coupled with a permeable reactive barrier in the form of a reactive organic layer. In arid or semi-arid regions, short-term efficient organic substrates are required due to the short recharge periods. We examined the effectiveness of two low-cost, easily available and easily handled organic substrates, commercial plant-based compost and crushed palm tree leaves, to determine the feasibility of using them in these systems. Chemical and multi-isotopic monitoring (δ15NNO3, δ18ONO3, δ34SSO4, δ18OSO4) of the laboratory experiments confirmed that both organic substrates induced denitrification. Complete nitrate removal was achieved in all the experiments with a slight transient nitrite accumulation. In the flow-through experiments, ammonium release was observed at the beginning of both experiments and lasted longer for the experiment with palm tree leaves. Isotopic characterisation of the released ammonium suggested ammonium leaching from both organic substrates at the beginning of the experiments and pointed to ammonium production by DNRA for the palm tree leaves experiment, which would only account for a maximum of 15% of the nitrate attenuation. Sulphate reduction was achieved in both column experiments. The amount of organic carbon consumed during denitrification and sulphate reduction was 0.8‰ of the total organic carbon present in commercial compost and 4.4% for the palm tree leaves. The N and O isotopic fractionation values obtained (εN and εO) were -10.4‰ and -9.0‰ for the commercial compost (combining data from both batch and column experiments), and -9.9‰ and -8.6‰ for the palm tree column, respectively. Both materials showed a satisfactory capacity for denitrification, but the palm tree leaves gave a higher denitrification rate and yield (amount of nitrate consumed per amount of available C) than commercial compost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Grau-Martínez
- Grup de Mineralogia Aplicada i Geoquímica de Fluids, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, SIMGEO UB-CSIC, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/ Martí i Franquès, s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Clara Torrentó
- Grup de Mineralogia Aplicada i Geoquímica de Fluids, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, SIMGEO UB-CSIC, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/ Martí i Franquès, s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Centre for Hydrogeology and Geothermics, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Raúl Carrey
- Grup de Mineralogia Aplicada i Geoquímica de Fluids, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, SIMGEO UB-CSIC, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/ Martí i Franquès, s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Rodríguez-Escales
- Hydrogeology Group (GHS), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), c/Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Domènech
- Grup de Mineralogia Aplicada i Geoquímica de Fluids, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, SIMGEO UB-CSIC, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/ Martí i Franquès, s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giorgio Ghiglieri
- Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Trentino 51, 09127 Cagliari, Italy; Desertification Research Center-NRD, University of Sassari, Viale Italia 39, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Albert Soler
- Grup de Mineralogia Aplicada i Geoquímica de Fluids, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, SIMGEO UB-CSIC, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/ Martí i Franquès, s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neus Otero
- Grup de Mineralogia Aplicada i Geoquímica de Fluids, Departament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, SIMGEO UB-CSIC, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), C/ Martí i Franquès, s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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Xu S, Kang P, Sun Y. A stable isotope approach and its application for identifying nitrate source and transformation process in water. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:1133-1148. [PMID: 26541149 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5309-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Nitrate contamination of water is a worldwide environmental problem. Recent studies have demonstrated that the nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) isotopes of nitrate (NO3(-)) can be used to trace nitrogen dynamics including identifying nitrate sources and nitrogen transformation processes. This paper analyzes the current state of identifying nitrate sources and nitrogen transformation processes using N and O isotopes of nitrate. With regard to nitrate sources, δ(15)N-NO3(-) and δ(18)O-NO3(-) values typically vary between sources, allowing the sources to be isotopically fingerprinted. δ(15)N-NO3(-) is often effective at tracing NO(-)3 sources from areas with different land use. δ(18)O-NO3(-) is more useful to identify NO3(-) from atmospheric sources. Isotopic data can be combined with statistical mixing models to quantify the relative contributions of NO3(-) from multiple delineated sources. With regard to N transformation processes, N and O isotopes of nitrate can be used to decipher the degree of nitrogen transformation by such processes as nitrification, assimilation, and denitrification. In some cases, however, isotopic fractionation may alter the isotopic fingerprint associated with the delineated NO3(-) source(s). This problem may be addressed by combining the N and O isotopic data with other types of, including the concentration of selected conservative elements, e.g., chloride (Cl(-)), boron isotope (δ(11)B), and sulfur isotope (δ(35)S) data. Future studies should focus on improving stable isotope mixing models and furthering our understanding of isotopic fractionation by conducting laboratory and field experiments in different environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiguo Xu
- Institute of Water and Environmental Research, Faculty of Infrastructure Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Room 432, Experimental Building No. 3, Linggong Road, Gaoxinyuan District, Dalian City, 116024, Liaoning Prov., China.
| | - Pingping Kang
- Institute of Water and Environmental Research, Faculty of Infrastructure Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Room 432, Experimental Building No. 3, Linggong Road, Gaoxinyuan District, Dalian City, 116024, Liaoning Prov., China.
| | - Ya Sun
- Institute of Water and Environmental Research, Faculty of Infrastructure Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Room 432, Experimental Building No. 3, Linggong Road, Gaoxinyuan District, Dalian City, 116024, Liaoning Prov., China
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10
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Gómez-Alday JJ, Carrey R, Valiente N, Otero N, Soler A, Ayora C, Sanz D, Muñoz-Martín A, Castaño S, Recio C, Carnicero A, Cortijo A. Denitrification in a hypersaline lake-aquifer system (Pétrola Basin, Central Spain): the role of recent organic matter and Cretaceous organic rich sediments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 497-498:594-606. [PMID: 25169874 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.07.129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Revised: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural regions in semi-arid to arid climates with associated saline wetlands are one of the most vulnerable environments to nitrate pollution. The Pétrola Basin was declared vulnerable to NO3(-) pollution by the Regional Government in 1998, and the hypersaline lake was classified as a heavily modified body of water. The study assessed groundwater NO3(-) through the use of multi-isotopic tracers (δ(15)N, δ(34)S, δ(13)C, δ(18)O) coupled to hydrochemistry in the aquifer connected to the eutrophic lake. Hydrogeologically, the basin shows two main flow components: regional groundwater flow from recharge areas (Zone 1) to the lake (Zone 2), and a density-driven flow from surface water to the underlying aquifer (Zone 3). In Zones 1 and 2, δ(15)NNO3 and δ(18)ONO3 suggest that NO3(-) from slightly volatilized ammonium synthetic fertilizers is only partially denitrified. The natural attenuation of NO3(-) can occur by heterotrophic reactions. However, autotrophic reactions cannot be ruled out. In Zone 3, the freshwater-saltwater interface (down to 12-16 m below the ground surface) is a reactive zone for NO3(-) attenuation. Tritium data suggest that the absence of NO3(-) in the deepest zones of the aquifer under the lake can be attributed to a regional groundwater flow with long residence time. In hypersaline lakes the geometry of the density-driven flow can play an important role in the transport of chemical species that can be related to denitrification processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Gómez-Alday
- Hydrogeology Group, Institute for Regional Development (IDR), University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain.
| | - R Carrey
- Grup d'Mineralogia Aplicada i Medi Ambient, Dep. Cristal·lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - N Valiente
- Hydrogeology Group, Institute for Regional Development (IDR), University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain.
| | - N Otero
- Grup d'Mineralogia Aplicada i Medi Ambient, Dep. Cristal·lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - A Soler
- Grup d'Mineralogia Aplicada i Medi Ambient, Dep. Cristal·lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - C Ayora
- Grup d'Hidrologia Subterrània (GHS), Institut de Diagnóstic Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua (IDAEA-CSIC), C/Jordi Girona 18, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - D Sanz
- Hydrogeology Group, Institute for Regional Development (IDR), University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - A Muñoz-Martín
- Applied Tectonophysics Group, Departamento de Geodinámica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - S Castaño
- Hydrogeology Group, Institute for Regional Development (IDR), University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
| | - C Recio
- Stable Isotope Laboratory, University of Salamanca, Plz. De los Caídos s/n, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
| | - A Carnicero
- Stable Isotope Laboratory, University of Salamanca, Plz. De los Caídos s/n, 37008 Salamanca, Spain
| | - A Cortijo
- Hydrogeology Group, Institute for Regional Development (IDR), University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Campus Universitario s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain
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