Experimental Investigation of Potassium and Nitrate Dynamics in A Headwater Stream in Mid-Wales

Potassium and nitrate were added experimentally to a small moorland stream in the headwaters of the River Wye, mid-Wales, during summer and winter low-flow conditions. Nutrient losses at three downstream sampling locations were calculated using concentrations of an added bromide tracer to correct for dilution effects. During the summer experiment, approximately 18% of the added nitrate and 58% of the potassium were removed from the stream water between the point of addition and the catchment outlet. During the winter experiment, nitrate depletion was not observed and the added nitrate travelled along the stream at the same rate as the bromide tracer, while approximately 93% of the added potassium passed through the stream but, at a slower rate than the bromide and nitrate. the results show that in-stream processes, probably related to biological activity of macrophytes and microflora, can regulate stream water concentrations of nitrate and potassium in the summer under stable flow conditions. During the winter, no removal of nitrate or potassium was observed but ion exchange processes involving biofilms, Sphagnum and/or stream sediment may explain the temporary retention of potassium within the stream channel. If similar ion exchange processes operate at high flows, they may account for the hysteresis relationship observed between potassium and discharge during storm events in many upland streams.     

Assessment of the sources and transformations of nitrogen in a plain river network region using a stable isotope approach

The great spatial and temporal variability in hydrological conditions and nitrogen(N)processing introduces large uncertainties to the identification of N sources and quantifying N cycles in plain river network regions. By combining isotopic data with chemical and hydrologic measurements, we determined the relative importance of N sources and biogeochemical N processes in the Taige River in the East Plain Region of China. The river was polluted more seriously by anthropogenic inputs in winter than in summer. Manure and urban sewage effluent were the main nitrate(NO-3) sources, with the nitrification of N-containing organic materials serving as another important source of NO-3. In the downstream, with minor variations in hydrological conditions, nitrification played a more important role than assimilation for the decreasing ammonium(NH+4-N) concentrations.The N isotopic enrichment factors(ε) during NH+4utilization ranged from- 13.88‰ in March to- 29.00‰ in July. The ratio of the increase in δ18O and δ15N of river NO-3in the downstream was 1.04 in January and 0.92 in March. This ratio indicated that NO-3assimilation by phytoplankton was responsible for the increasing δ15N and δ18O values of NO-3in winter. The relationships between δ15N of particulate organic nitrogen and isotopic compositions of dissolved inorganic nitrogen indicated that the phytoplankton in the Taige River probably utilized NH+4preferentially and mainly in summer, while in winter, NO-3assimilation by phytoplankton was dominant.     

Evolutionary processes and sources of high-nitrate haze episodes over Beijing, Spring

Rare and consecutive high-nitrate haze pollution episodes were observed in Beijing in spring2012. We present detailed characterization of the sources and evolutionary mechanisms of this haze pollution, and focus on an episode that occurred between 15 and 26 April. Submicron aerosol species were found to be substantially elevated during haze episodes, and nitrates showed the largest increase and occupation(average: 32.2%) in non-refractory submicron particles(NR-PM_1), which did not occur in other seasons as previously reported. The haze episode(HE) was divided into three sub-episodes, HEa, HEb, and HEc. During HEa and HEc, a shallow boundary layer, stagnant meteorological conditions, and high humidity favored the formation of high-nitrate concentrations, which were mainly produced by three different processes —daytime photochemical production, gas-particle partitioning, and nighttime heterogeneous reactions — and the decline in visibility was mainly induced by NR-PM_1.However, unlike HEa and HEc, during HEb, the contribution of high nitrates was partly from the transport of haze from the southeast of Beijing — the transport pathway was observed at ~800–1000 m by aerosol Lidar —and the decline in visibility during HEb was primarily caused by PM_(2.5). Our results provide useful information for air quality improvement strategies in Beijing during Spring.     

Reconnecting crop and cattle farming to reduce nitrogen losses to river water of an intensive agricultural catchment (Seine basin,France): past,present and future

Nitrate and pesticide contamination of surface and groundwater has become a major problem in intensive farming regions in Europe, with nitrate concentrations reaching values above the standard defined in 2000 by the European Water Framework Directive. In the Seine basin, a major issue is the closure and abandonment of drinking-water wells, which force water managers and drinking-water producers to explore solutions for water resource protection. Organic farming has appeared as a credible alternative to conventional farming, and this study explores the potential of organic farming to reconcile agricultural production and water quality. On the basis of agricultural statistics, survey questionnaires and experimental data, the nitrogen soil surface balance (N-SSB) has been established at the scale of a small 104-km² catchment (The Orgeval sub-basin), representative of the intensive cash crop farming in the Seine basin. The N-surplus for arable land in specialized organic cash crop systems has been found to be half that of current conventional systems (15 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ versus 30 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, respectively). The N-yield in organic systems is 21% lower than in conventional systems, but total fertilization (mostly symbiotic N fixation) is also 26% lower. Whereas 2–3 years of forage legume (e.g., alfalfa) as a starter crop of the typical 7- to 10-year diversified rotation builds up N soil fertility and helps prevent weeds without pesticides, the existence of an outlet for this fodder production is a limiting factor for the economic sustainability and the environmental benefits of these farming systems. Therefore, we explored the possibility of a reconnection of livestock and crop farming systems in the Orgeval catchment, a traditional dairy farming and Brie cheese production region. We calculated the N-SSB for this type of a reconnected livestock and cropping system and found a value very close to the specialized organic cash crop system with full utilization of fodder production, leading to profitable animal production, essentially as milk in this farm design. This reconnected system is compared with the estimated situation in 1955 before separation of plant and livestock production. Furthermore, the N-SSB values were converted into infiltrating sub-root concentrations and used as a boundary condition to a biogeochemical model. Organic cropping and organic reconnected livestock cropping systems result in a 50% reduction of surface water nitrate concentrations, a surface water quality 20% better than that reconstructed for 1955, with an overall higher protein production.     

North East Scotland River Catchment Nitrate Loading in Relation to Agricultural Intensity

Modern agricultural practices have been strongly linked with increased NO₃-N loadings in surface waters. Nitrate leaching increases as land use progresses from forest and moorland through grassland, to arable agriculture. There are, within the UK, few studies on a regional scale capable of displaying a relationship between land cover (agricultural intensity) and water quality. This relationship can be investigated using computer manipulation of spatial geographic information together with conventional river and agricultural census data.

Simple regression analysis against primary land cover suggests that agriculture is reponsible for annual losses of nitrate in North East Scotland river catchments. Further multi-linear regression analysis, using the GIS data and agricultural census returns indicate that most of the outstanding variation can be accounted for if the agricultural variable is related to agricultural practice, such as spring, winter and grass cropping.     

Nitrate Status of Two Major Rivers in N. E. Scotland with Respect to Land Use and Fertiliser Additions

Land Use and the influence it has upon river water nitrate levels is discussed, for two large relatively unpopulated river systems in the N.E. of Scotland. the catchment areas for the rivers Dee and Don have been further subdivided into a number of sub catchments. Substantial differences in land use and agricultural potential exist both within and between the two areas. Greater agricultural production down stream is associated with increased river nitrate concentrations.     

Distribution of nitrogen species in groundwater aquifers of an industrial area in alluvial Indo-Gangetic Plains—a case study

The groundwater samples collected from the shallow and deep groundwater aquifers of an industrial area of the Kanpur city (Uttar Pradesh, India) were analyzed for the concentration levels and distribution pattern of nitrogenous species, such as nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N), nitrite-nitrogen (NO₂-N), ammonical-nitrogen (NH₄-N), organic-nitrogen (Org-N) and total Kjeldahl-nitrogen (TKN) to identify the possible contamination source. Geo-statistical approach was adopted to determine the distribution and extent of the contaminant plume. In the groundwater aquifers NO₃-N, NO₂-N, NH₄-N, TKN, Org-N and Total-N ranged from 0.10 to 64.10, BDL (below detection limit)-6.57, BDL-39.00, 7.84–202.16, 1.39–198.97 and 8.89–219.43 mg l⁻¹, respectively. About 42% and 26% of the groundwater samples of the shallow and deep groundwater aquifers, respectively, exceeded the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) guideline value of 10 mg l⁻¹ for NO₃-N and may pose serious health hazards to the people of the area. The results of the study revealed that the groundwater aquifers of the study area are highly contaminated with the nitrate and indicates point source pollution of nitrate in the study area.     

Seasonal dynamics of labile soil nitrogen from four plantations at the western edge of the Sichuan Basin北大核心CSCD

The objective of this study was to investigate the soil nitrogen components of four native artificial plantations at the western edge of the Sichuan Basin. Soil samples from two layers (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) were collected from 4 plantations (Cryptomeria fortunei, Michelia wilsonii, Phoebe zhennan, and Quercus acutissima) during March, June, September, and December 2015 at the western edge of Sichuan Basin, to perform a comparative analysis on seasonal dynamics. Soil ammonium, nitrate, microbial biomass nitrogen, and environmental factors were synchronously monitored. The results showed that soil inorganic nitrogen was mainly the result of nitrate. The components of labile soil nitrogen showed significant seasonal dynamics. Soil ammonium during the growing season (June and September) was higher than that during the non-growing season (March and December), but soil nitrate, microbial biomass nitrogen, and inorganic nitrogen showed the opposite pattern. Labile nitrogen components in the 0-20 cm layer were generally higher than those in the 20-40 cm layer. Labile soil nitrogen was significantly affected by forest type, which was dependent on season and soil layer. In general, there were significant correlations between the soil nitrogen pools and labile soil nitrogen and the environmental factors, including soil temperature, water content, and monthly rainfall. In conclusion, the variation of labile soil nitrogen was influenced more by season than forest type or soil layer. Compared to the biological effects of tree species, the environmental factors had a stronger effect on labile soil nitrogen. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Multi-criteria decision analysis for the optimal management of nitrate contamination of aquifers

We present an integrated methodology for the optimal management of nitrate contamination of ground water combining environmental assessment and economic cost evaluation through multi-criteria decision analysis. The proposed methodology incorporates an integrated physical modeling framework accounting for on-ground nitrogen loading and losses, soil nitrogen dynamics, and fate and transport of nitrate in ground water to compute the sustainable on-ground nitrogen loading such that the maximum contaminant level is not violated. A number of protection alternatives to stipulate the predicted sustainable on-ground nitrogen loading are evaluated using the decision analysis that employs the importance order of criteria approach for ranking and selection of the protection alternatives. The methodology was successfully demonstrated for the Sumas-Blaine aquifer in Washington State. The results showed the importance of using this integrated approach which predicts the sustainable on-ground nitrogen loadings and provides an insight into the economic consequences generated in satisfying the environmental constraints. The results also show that the proposed decision analysis framework, within certain limitations, is effective when selecting alternatives with competing demands.     

Non-Point-Source Impacts on Stream Nutrient Concentrations Along a Forest to Urban Gradient

We conducted statistical analyses of a 10-year record of stream nutrient and sediment concentrations for 17 streams in the greater Seattle region to determine the impact of urban non-point-source pollutants on stream water quality. These catchments are dominated by either urban (22–87%) or forest (6–73%) land cover, with no major nutrient point sources. Stream water phosphorus concentrations were moderately strongly (r²=0.58) correlated with catchment land-cover type, whereas nitrogen concentrations were weakly (r²=0.19) and nonsignificantly (at < 0.05) correlated with land cover. The most urban streams had, on average, 95% higher total phosphorus (TP) and 122% higher soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and 71% higher turbidity than the most forested streams. Nitrate (NO₃), ammonium (NH₄), and total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations did not vary significantly with land cover. These results suggest that urbanization markedly increased stream phosphorus concentrations and modestly increased nitrogen concentrations. However, nutrient concentrations in Seattle region urban streams are significantly less than those previously reported for agricultural area streams.