Nitrogen plays a vital role in biological activities as the basic element of organic molecules and the main nutrient of soil. In the study of nitrogen pollution, the first step is to understand the transformation mechanism of various nitrogen forms. Based on the transformation process and the mechanism of nitrogen in the ecosystem, this review summarizes the research methods of nitrogen source analysis and nitrogen isotope fractionation in soil and water, and categorically reviews the applications of nitrogen source identification in surface water and groundwater. We showed that it is more effective to identify the sources of soil and water nitrogen pollution by combining hydrochemical methods with the multi-isotope approach. The importance of primary nitrogen sources should also be quantified to study groundwater pollution. A new approach to determine the source of oxygen atoms during nitrosation was also presented, and the enrichment principle of δ18O-NO3- during secondary oxidation was explained. Finally, the contribution of primary ammonium nitrogen to groundwater pollution was discussed, and innovative research ideas were provided.
Keywords: N; identification; nitrate; nitrogen isotopes; primary pollution; water and soil.