Ammonium and nitrate sources and transformation mechanism in the Quaternary sediments of Jianghan Plain, China

Liqun Sun; Xing Liang; Menggui Jin; Bin Ma; Xin Zhang; Chen Song

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145131

Ammonium and nitrate sources and transformation mechanism in the Quaternary sediments of Jianghan Plain, China

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Jun 20:774:145131. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145131. Epub 2021 Feb 9.

Authors

Liqun Sun¹, Xing Liang², Menggui Jin³, Bin Ma¹, Xin Zhang¹, Chen Song¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China.
² School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China. Electronic address: xliang@cug.edu.cn.
³ School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China; State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China.

PMID: 33610997
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145131

Abstract

Excessive inorganic nitrogen (IN) compound content in groundwater is generally attributed to anthropogenic activities. Here, natural nitrogen sources in Quaternary sediments from aquifers and aquitards of Jianghan Plain (JHP), China were identified. Ammonium and nitrate content in groundwater samples collected from 129 well sites were determined through chemical analysis. Subsequent 4 boreholes were drilled at areas with high nitrogen concentration in the Quaternary aquifer. Indicators from hydrochemistry and soil geochemistry analysis, as well as optically stimulated luminescence dating and various of radioactive isotope δ¹⁴C-CO₂ and stable isotopes including δ¹⁵N-NH₄⁺, δ¹⁵N-total organic nitrogen (TON), δ¹⁵N-NO₃^-, δ¹⁸O-NO₃^-, δ¹⁸O-H₂O, δD-H₂O, and δ¹³C-total organic carbon (TOC) were used to identify high-concentration N compound sources and transformation mechanisms (NO₃^-: 0.02-770 mg L^-1; NH₄-N: 0-30.5 mg L^-1) in the porous media. The thick clay layer protected the underlying media. Paleo-precipitation characteristics were preserved in the porewater; that is, it had not been affected by anthropogenic activities. The high nitrate concentration in the shallow oxidized aquifer was mostly attributed to manure and sewage (δ¹⁵N-NO₃^- was 14‰). The ammonium-N in the deep strata and part of ammonium-N in the shallow strata (aquifers and aquitards) were from natural sources, mainly from natural TON mineralization. Adsorption was an auxiliary factor for ammonium enrichment in the shallow strata, as were dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) and low ammonia volatilization. Organic matter (OM) involved in mineralization was a mixture of lacustrine algae and terrigenous clastic sediments (from river upstream). The algae were traced to lake formation and frequent evolutionary changes in river environments, as indicated by alterations in sedimentary facies. The present findings may encourage researchers to consider natural IN sources' contribution to N contamination using quantitative models. They also serve as a valuable reference for understanding other pollutants' transformation mechanism in similar environments and provide research ideas for similar areas.

Keywords: Groundwater; Human activities; Isotope; Natural sources; Porewater; Sediments.