Quantification of nitrate sources and fates in rivers in an irrigated agricultural area using environmental isotopes and a Bayesian isotope mixing model

Abstract

Nitrate (NO3−) pollution in rivers caused by intensive human activities is becoming a serious problem in irrigated agricultural areas. To identify NO3− sources and reveal the impact of irrigation projects on NO3− pollution in rivers, the hydrochemistry and isotopes of irrigation water from the Yellow River (IW) and river water (RW), and potential source samples were analyzed. The mean NO3− concentrations in the IW and RW were 24.4 mg/L and 49.9 mg/L, respectively. Approximately 45.2% of RW samples (n = 31) exceeded the Chinese drinking water standard for NO3− (45 mg/L). The δ15N and δ18O values, combined with the Cl−/Na+, SO42−/Ca2+ ratio distributions, indicate that the NO3− in the RW mainly originated from chemical fertilizers, manure and sewage. A Bayesian model showed that manure and sewage contributed the most to the overall NO3− levels of the IW. In the RW, chemical fertilizers and IW contributed the most to the overall NO3− levels. The mean nitrate contribution to the RW from the combination of chemical fertilizers and IW is estimated to be 51.6%. Nitrogen from manure and sewage, soil N and precipitation also contributed. The NO3− pollution in rivers was largely influenced by the irrigation regime, with a large amount of nitrogen in chemical fertilizer lost because of low utilization efficiency and subsequent transfer, via irrigation runoff, into the rivers. This study suggests that with a detailed assessment of the sources and fate of NO3−, effective reduction strategies and better management practices can be implemented to control NO3− pollution in rivers.