Source identification and potential health risks of fluoride and nitrate in groundwater of a typical alluvial plain

Abstract

A comprehensive understanding of the role of natural and anthropogenic factors in groundwater pollution is essential for sustainable groundwater resource management, especially in alluvial plains with intensive anthropogenic activities. Numerous studies have focused on the contribution of individual factors on groundwater pollution in alluvial aquifers, but distinguishing the effects of natural and anthropogenic factors is limited. In this study, 64 wells were sampled in different seasons from the Yellow River alluvial plain in China for hydrochemical and isotopic analysis to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution, sources and health risks of fluoride and nitrate in alluvial aquifers. Results showed that fluoride contamination was widely distributed without significant seasonal variation, and 78.1 % of the dry season samples and 65.6 % of the wet season samples showed fluoride concentrations above the permissible limit (1.5 mg/L). High-F− groundwater was generally accompanied by Na-HCO3 and Na-HCO3·SO4 water types. Fluoride was from a natural origin mainly associated with mineral dissolution, competitive adsorption, cation exchange, and evaporation. Groundwater nitrate contamination was spatially sporadic and showed significant seasonal differences. Only 13.6 % of the dry season samples and 3.2 % of the wet season samples had NO3− concentrations exceeded the permissible limit of 50 mg/L. The hydrochemical phase evolved from bicarbonate or sulfate type to chloride type with increasing nitrate concentration. Manure and sewage attributed to agricultural activities contributed the most nitrogen to groundwater, followed by soil organic nitrogen and chemical fertilizers, revealing the anthropogenic origin of nitrate. Nitrification was the dominant nitrogen transformation process in the wet season, and denitrification was prevalent in the dry season. Oral ingestion of high fluoride groundwater was a major threat to human health, especially for infants. This study provided a significant reference for water resources management in alluvial aquifers.