Accurate source identification/apportionment is essential for optimizing water NO3--N pollution control strategies. This study conducted a meta-analysis based on data from 167 rivers across China from 2000 to 2022 to analyze the spatial and temporal variation patterns of nitrate pollution in seven major river systems and to quantitatively identify the source composition of riverine nitrate. The average ρ（NO3--N） in the seven major river systems was （4.54±3.99） mg·L-1， with 9.6% of river ρ（NO3--N） exceeding 10 mg·L-1. The riverine ρ（NO3--N） in eastern China were higher than that in western China， and the highest concentration was observed in the Haihe River system. Additionally， tributaries experienced more serious NO3--N pollution than that in the main stream. The ρ（NO3--N） in most river systems in the dry season was higher than that in the wet season， except in the Yellow River system. There was significant nitrification in the Pearl River system， the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River system， the middle reaches of the Liaohe River system， the Songhua River system， and the Haihe River system， whereas there was significant denitrification in the Yangtze River system， the Huaihe River system， and the lower reaches of the Pearl River system. Based on the dual stable isotopes-based MixSIAR model， the major NO3--N source was sewage/manure （ > 50%） in the Yangtze River system， Haihe River system， Liaohe River system， and Southeast River system. Soil nitrogen was the main NO3--N source in the Songhua River system （56.4%）， and the contribution of fertilizer nitrogen， soil nitrogen， and sewage/manure to NO3--N pollution in the Pearl River system， Huai River system， and Yellow River system was 20%-40%. The contribution rate of sewage/manure to NO3--N in the tributaries was higher than that in the main stream， whereas the contribution rate of soil nitrogen to NO3--N in the main stream was higher than that in the tributaries. The contribution rate of soil nitrogen， fertilizer nitrogen， and atmospheric deposition nitrogen to nitrate nitrogen in the wet season was higher than that in the dry season， whereas the contribution rate of sewage/manure to NO3--N pollution in the dry season was higher than that in the wet season. Therefore， point source pollution such as domestic and production sewage discharge should be controlled in the Haihe River system， the Yangtze River system， the Liaohe River system， the tributaries and the downstream main stream areas of Yellow River system， and the downstream area of the Pearl River system， whereas non-point source pollution caused by the loss of fertilizer and soil nitrogen should be controlled in the Huaihe River system， the Songhua River system， the middle reaches of the main stream area of the Yellow River system， and the middle and upper reaches of the Pearl River system. The results can provide a scientific basis for the effective control of nitrate pollution in the river systems in China.
Keywords: nitrate; nitrogen and oxygen isotopes; non-point source pollution; point source pollution; river; source identification.