Spatiotemporal Variation of Groundwater Nitrate Concentration Controlled by Groundwater Flow in a Large Basin: Evidence From Multi‐Isotopes (15N, 11B, 18O, and 2H)

Abstract Elevated and increasing NO3− concentration in groundwater affect groundwater supplies in China and elsewhere. However, how groundwater flow affects NO3− concentration in groundwater has yet to be fully understood. Herein, multi‐isotopes (15N, 11B, 18O, and 2H) and local indicators of spatia...

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Main Authors: Hairu Mao, Guangcai Wang, Fu Liao, Zheming Shi, Zhi Rao, Hongyu Zhang, Zhiyuan Qiao, Yunfei Bai, Xianglong Chen, Xin Yan, Chenyu Wang, Yang Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-01-01
Series:Water Resources Research
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035299
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author Hairu Mao
Guangcai Wang
Fu Liao
Zheming Shi
Zhi Rao
Hongyu Zhang
Zhiyuan Qiao
Yunfei Bai
Xianglong Chen
Xin Yan
Chenyu Wang
Yang Yang
author_facet Hairu Mao
Guangcai Wang
Fu Liao
Zheming Shi
Zhi Rao
Hongyu Zhang
Zhiyuan Qiao
Yunfei Bai
Xianglong Chen
Xin Yan
Chenyu Wang
Yang Yang
author_sort Hairu Mao
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Elevated and increasing NO3− concentration in groundwater affect groundwater supplies in China and elsewhere. However, how groundwater flow affects NO3− concentration in groundwater has yet to be fully understood. Herein, multi‐isotopes (15N, 11B, 18O, and 2H) and local indicators of spatial association (LISA) were used to elucidate the spatiotemporal variation, sources, and patterns of NO3− and its response to groundwater flow in Poyang Lake Basin where agriculture, industry and urban coexist. The location of NO3− hotspots identified by LISA tended to move from the middle to lower reaches of Ganfu Plain with groundwater flow, and hotspots area expanded in the upper reaches of Xin River Basin and northwest of the study area during the transition from dry season to wet season. Our results revealed that variations of regional NO3− concentration were controlled by groundwater recharge or flow mode (vertical or lateral), biogeochemical processes and sources (sewage and manure). In some areas with the single stratigraphic structure (unconfined aquifer), spatiotemporal variation of NO3− concentration was influenced by local pollution sources and vertical recharge of current precipitation (vertical flow). In some areas with binary structures (confined aquifer), groundwater was mainly recharged by lateral flow and NO3− concentration was mainly affected by mixing effect of upstream groundwater, reflecting human activities in the upper reaches rather than local human activities. In lakeside floodplain, groundwater NO3− was attenuated by the dissimilatory NO3− reduction to NH4+. This study provides a novel insight into groundwater flow controlling on spatiotemporal distribution of NO3− concentration in the regional scale.
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spelling doaj-art-7a33a0b0cf794c0bb3d8ad1e40e1eb6f2025-08-20T03:22:12ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732024-01-01601n/an/a10.1029/2023WR035299Spatiotemporal Variation of Groundwater Nitrate Concentration Controlled by Groundwater Flow in a Large Basin: Evidence From Multi‐Isotopes (15N, 11B, 18O, and 2H)Hairu Mao0Guangcai Wang1Fu Liao2Zheming Shi3Zhi Rao4Hongyu Zhang5Zhiyuan Qiao6Yunfei Bai7Xianglong Chen8Xin Yan9Chenyu Wang10Yang Yang11State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution China University of Geosciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution China University of Geosciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution China University of Geosciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution China University of Geosciences Beijing ChinaGeological Environment Monitoring Institute of Jiangxi Geological Survey and Exploration Institute Nanchang ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution China University of Geosciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution China University of Geosciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution China University of Geosciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution China University of Geosciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution China University of Geosciences Beijing ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environmental Evolution China University of Geosciences Beijing ChinaGeological Environment Monitoring Institute of Jiangxi Geological Survey and Exploration Institute Nanchang ChinaAbstract Elevated and increasing NO3− concentration in groundwater affect groundwater supplies in China and elsewhere. However, how groundwater flow affects NO3− concentration in groundwater has yet to be fully understood. Herein, multi‐isotopes (15N, 11B, 18O, and 2H) and local indicators of spatial association (LISA) were used to elucidate the spatiotemporal variation, sources, and patterns of NO3− and its response to groundwater flow in Poyang Lake Basin where agriculture, industry and urban coexist. The location of NO3− hotspots identified by LISA tended to move from the middle to lower reaches of Ganfu Plain with groundwater flow, and hotspots area expanded in the upper reaches of Xin River Basin and northwest of the study area during the transition from dry season to wet season. Our results revealed that variations of regional NO3− concentration were controlled by groundwater recharge or flow mode (vertical or lateral), biogeochemical processes and sources (sewage and manure). In some areas with the single stratigraphic structure (unconfined aquifer), spatiotemporal variation of NO3− concentration was influenced by local pollution sources and vertical recharge of current precipitation (vertical flow). In some areas with binary structures (confined aquifer), groundwater was mainly recharged by lateral flow and NO3− concentration was mainly affected by mixing effect of upstream groundwater, reflecting human activities in the upper reaches rather than local human activities. In lakeside floodplain, groundwater NO3− was attenuated by the dissimilatory NO3− reduction to NH4+. This study provides a novel insight into groundwater flow controlling on spatiotemporal distribution of NO3− concentration in the regional scale.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035299nitrategroundwater flowspatiotemporal variationstable isotopes
spellingShingle Hairu Mao
Guangcai Wang
Fu Liao
Zheming Shi
Zhi Rao
Hongyu Zhang
Zhiyuan Qiao
Yunfei Bai
Xianglong Chen
Xin Yan
Chenyu Wang
Yang Yang
Spatiotemporal Variation of Groundwater Nitrate Concentration Controlled by Groundwater Flow in a Large Basin: Evidence From Multi‐Isotopes (15N, 11B, 18O, and 2H)
Water Resources Research
nitrate
groundwater flow
spatiotemporal variation
stable isotopes
title Spatiotemporal Variation of Groundwater Nitrate Concentration Controlled by Groundwater Flow in a Large Basin: Evidence From Multi‐Isotopes (15N, 11B, 18O, and 2H)
title_full Spatiotemporal Variation of Groundwater Nitrate Concentration Controlled by Groundwater Flow in a Large Basin: Evidence From Multi‐Isotopes (15N, 11B, 18O, and 2H)
title_fullStr Spatiotemporal Variation of Groundwater Nitrate Concentration Controlled by Groundwater Flow in a Large Basin: Evidence From Multi‐Isotopes (15N, 11B, 18O, and 2H)
title_full_unstemmed Spatiotemporal Variation of Groundwater Nitrate Concentration Controlled by Groundwater Flow in a Large Basin: Evidence From Multi‐Isotopes (15N, 11B, 18O, and 2H)
title_short Spatiotemporal Variation of Groundwater Nitrate Concentration Controlled by Groundwater Flow in a Large Basin: Evidence From Multi‐Isotopes (15N, 11B, 18O, and 2H)
title_sort spatiotemporal variation of groundwater nitrate concentration controlled by groundwater flow in a large basin evidence from multi isotopes 15n 11b 18o and 2h
topic nitrate
groundwater flow
spatiotemporal variation
stable isotopes
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035299
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