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Wang S, Chen J, Zhang S, Bai Y, Zhang X, Chen D, Hu J. Groundwater hydrochemical signatures, nitrate sources, and potential health risks in a typical karst catchment of North China using hydrochemistry and multiple stable isotopes. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2024; 46:173. [PMID: 38592592 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-01964-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Nitrate pollution in aquatic ecosystems has received growing concern, particularly in fragile karst basins. In this study, hydrochemical compositions, multiple stable isotopes (δ2H-H2O, δ18Ο-Η2Ο, δ15Ν-ΝΟ3-, and δ18Ο-ΝΟ3-), and Bayesian stable isotope mixing model (MixSIAR) were applied to elucidate nitrate pollution sources in groundwater of the Yangzhuang Basin. The Durov diagram identified the dominant groundwater chemical face as Ca-HCO3 type. The NO3- concentration ranged from 10.89 to 90.45 mg/L (average 47.34 mg/L), showing an increasing trend from the upstream forest and grassland to the downstream agricultural dominant area. It is worth noting that 47.2% of groundwater samples exceeded the NO3- threshold value of 50 mg/L for drinking water recommended by the World Health Organization. The relationship between NO3-/Cl- and Cl- ratios suggested that most groundwater samples were located in nitrate mixed endmember from agricultural input, soil organic nitrogen, and manure & sewage. The Self-Organizing Map (SOM) and Pearson correlations analysis further indicated that the application of calcium fertilizer, sodium fertilizer, and livestock and poultry excrement in farmland elevated NO3- level in groundwater. The output results of the MixSIAR model showed that the primary sources of NO3- in groundwater were soil organic nitrogen (55.3%), followed by chemical fertilizers (28.5%), sewage & manure (12.7%), and atmospheric deposition (3.4%). Microbial nitrification was a dominant nitrogen conversion pathway elevating NO3- levels in groundwater, while the denitrification can be neglectable across the study area. The human health risk assessment (HHRA) model identified that about 88.9%, 77.8%, 72.2%, and 50.0% of groundwater samples posing nitrate's non-carcinogenic health hazards (HQ > 1) through oral intake for infants, children, females, and males, respectively. The findings of this study can offer useful biogeochemical information on nitrogen pollution in karst groundwater to support sustainable groundwater management in similar human-affected karst regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shou Wang
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No. 8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Chen
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No. 8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Shuxuan Zhang
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No. 8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yanjie Bai
- Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Hydrology Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No. 8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dan Chen
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No. 8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiahong Hu
- Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of CAS, Shijiazhuang, 050021, Hebei, China
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Wang S, Chen J, Zhang S, Bai Y, Zhang X, Chen D, Tong H, Liu B, Hu J. Hydrogeochemical characterization, quality assessment, and potential nitrate health risk of shallow groundwater in Dongwen River Basin, North China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:19363-19380. [PMID: 38355859 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32426-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Assessing groundwater geochemical formation processes and pollution circumstances is significant for sustainable watershed management. In the present study, 58 shallow groundwater samples were taken from the Dongwen River Basin (DRB) to comprehensively assess the hydrochemical sources, groundwater quality status, and potential risks of NO3- to human health. Based on the Box and Whisker plot, the cation's concentration followed the order of Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Na+ > K+, while anions' mean levels were HCO3- > SO42- > NO3- > Cl-. The NO3- level in groundwater samples fluctuated between 4.2 and 301.3 mg/L, with 67.2% of samples beyond the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria (50 mg/L) for drinking. The Piper diagram indicated the hydrochemical type of groundwater and surface water were characterized as Ca·Mg-HCO3 type. Combining ionic ratio analysis with principal component analysis (PCA) results, agricultural activities contributed a significant effect on groundwater NO3-, with soil nitrogen input and manure/sewage inputs also potential sources. However, geogenic processes (e.g., carbonates and evaporite dissolution/precipitation) controlled other ion compositions in the study area. The groundwater samples with higher NO3- values were mainly found in river valley regions with intense anthropogenic activities. The entropy weight water quality index (EWQI) model identified that the groundwater quality rank ranged from excellent (70.7%) and good (25.9%) to medium (3.4%). However, the hazard quotient (HQ) used in the human health risk assessment (HHRA) model showed that above 91.38% of groundwater samples have a NO3- non-carcinogenic health risk for infants, 84.48% for children, 82.76% for females, and 72.41% for males. The findings of this study could provide a scientific basis for the rational development and usage of groundwater resources as well as for the preservation of the inhabitants' health in DRB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shou Wang
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No.8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Chen
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No.8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Shuxuan Zhang
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No.8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yanjie Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Hydrology Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No.8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dan Chen
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No.8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hao Tong
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No.8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bingxiao Liu
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, No.8 Focheng West Road, Nanjing, 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiahong Hu
- Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of CAS, Shijiazhuang, 050021, Hebei, China
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