『Abstract
Contamination of shallow groundwater by NO3-
from manure may occur under fields where manure is spread as fertilizer
and for disposal. Attenuation of NO3-
in groundwater occurs through denitrification under certain conditions,
or NO3--contaminated younger groundwater
may mix with older groundwater, lowering the NO3-
concentration. In this study, δ15N and δ18O
values of NO3-, and δ18O
and δ2H values in groundwater under a manured field
were evaluated to determine if groundwater NO3-
concentrations were influenced through mixing of shallow, manure-impacted
groundwater with older groundwater, or if denitrification was
reducing NO3- concentrations.
The younger groundwater showed clear evidence of manure impact
with elevated Cl- (〜85 mg L-1) and NO3- concentrations (〜50 mg NO3-N
L-1, and δ15N and δ18O values
of NO3- consistent with a manure
source. Vertical hydraulic gradients and δ18O and δ2H
values in groundwater suggest older, more reduced groundwater
is upwelling locally and mixing with the shallow groundwater.
Decreasing NO3:Cl ratios, decreasing dissolved
O2 concentrations, and increasing δ15N
and δ18O values of NO3-
suggest that denitrification occurs locally in the aquifer. The
extent of denitrification is proportional to the fraction of deeper
groundwater in the aquifer. Denitrification apparently does not
proceed in the younger, manure-impacted groundwater in the absence
of mixing.』
1. Introduction
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Study site
2.2. Sampling and analysis
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Groundwater mixing
3.2. denitrification
4. Conclusions
Acknowledgements
References