Abstract
Nitrogen pollution is a severe problem in the Songhua River Basin (SHR) in China. Samples were collected from 36 sections of the SHR during the high, low, and flat seasons of the river, and the main sources of nitrogen in the water were qualitatively analyzed with isotope data for nitrogen and oxygen of nitrate. The contribution rates of each major pollution source were quantitatively analyzed using the Iso Source mass balance model. The results from these experiments indicate that the values for δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3 in the flat flow season range from 1.52‰ to 14.55‰ and −14.26‰ to 2.03‰, respectively. The values for δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3 in the low flow season range from 6.66‰ to 15.46‰ and −5.82‰ to 65.70‰, respectively. In the low flow season, nitrogen comes from the input of domestic and manure sewage (53%) and soil organic N (45%). The values of δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3 in the high flow season range from 2.07‰ to 14.24‰ and −3.99‰ to 8.03‰, respectively. In the high flow season, nitrogen comes from soil organic nitrogen (41%), domestic and manure sewage (32%), and nitrogen fertilizer (27%), which are the main sources of nitrogen pollution in the SHR. The conclusions from the qualitative and quantitative analysis of nitrogen sources in the SHR can provide a scientific basis for the source control and treatment of nitrogen pollution.
Highlights
The Songhua River Basin (SHR), one of the seven river basins in China, is located in Northeast China, which is an important commodity grain base and industrial base inChina
Soil organic nitrogen is the primary source of nitrogen, with an average contribution rate of 60%, concentrated in the Nen River, Yinma River, and Mudan River Basins
The average contribution rate of domestic and manure sewage is 53%, which is the primary source of nitrogen in low flow season, and is concentrated in the urban river region, including the Yitong River and the main stream of the Harbin region
Summary
Agriculture and industry play a major role in the basin, and agricultural cultivation, industrial production, and urban development have important effects on the river nitrogen concentrations. China attaches great importance to water pollution in the SHR, and carries out effective large-scale pollution prevention and control in the SHR. The water quality in the SHR has been improved [1,2]. With the continuous development of economy and society, the environmental pressure on water in the SHR is still increasing, and the carrying capacity is decreasing [3]. Water quality is greatly affected by the low flow season, and the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants in the water is higher than standard guidelines [4,5,6,7]
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