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Contribution of nitrogen sources to streams in mixed-use watershed varies seasonally in a temperate region

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Abstract

The Beiyun river flows through a hot spot region of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei in China that serves a majority of occupants. However, the region experiences severe nitrate pollution, posing a threat to human health due to inadequate self-purification capacity. In that context, there is an urgent need to assess nitrate levels in this region. Herein, we used δ15N-NO3, δ18O-NO3 isotopes analysis, and stable isotope analysis model to evaluate the nitrate source apportionment in the Beiyun river. A meta-analysis was then used to compare the potential similarity of nitrate sources among the Beiyun riverine watershed and other watersheds. Results of nitrate source apportionment revealed that nitrate originated from the manure and sewage (contribution rate: 89.6%), soil nitrogen (5.9%), and nitrogen fertilizer (3.9%) in the wet season. While in the dry season, nitrate mainly originated from manure and sewage (91.6%). Furthermore, different land-use types exhibited distinct nitrate compositions. Nitrate in urban and suburban areas mostly was traced from manure and sewage (90.5% and 78.8%, respectively). Notably, the different nitrate contribution in the rural-urban fringe and plant-covered areas were manure and sewage (44.3% and 32.8%), soil nitrogen (26.9% and 35.7%), nitrogen fertilizer (23.5% and 29.4%), and atmospheric deposition (5.3% and 2.0%). Through a meta-analysis, we found nitrogen fertilizer, soil nitrogen, and manure and sewage as the main nitrate sources in the Beiyun riverine watershed or the other similar complexed watersheds in the temperate regions. Thus, this study provides a scientific basis for nitrate source apportionment and nitrate pollution preventive management in watersheds with complexed land-use types in temperate regions.

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All data is provided in full in the results section of this manuscript.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by the Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment (No. 2018ZX07111003) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41977142).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Research Centre for Resource and Environment, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, People’s Republic of China

    Zuhong Lin, Yong Xiao, Chaojie Yu, Jinlan Zhang & Tingting Zhang

  2. Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, People’s Republic of China

    Junchi Liu

Authors
  1. Zuhong Lin
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  2. Junchi Liu
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  3. Yong Xiao
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  4. Chaojie Yu
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  5. Jinlan Zhang
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  6. Tingting Zhang
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Contributions

Zuhong Lin: experiment, software, writing-original draft preparation. Junchi Liu: experiment, data curation, editing. Yong Xiao: funding acquisition, supervision. Chaojie Yu: experiment, software. Jinlan Zhang: experiment. Tingting Zhang: funding acquisition, writing-review and editing.

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Correspondence to Yong Xiao or Tingting Zhang.

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Responsible Editor: Xianliang Yi

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Lin, Z., Liu, J., Xiao, Y. et al. Contribution of nitrogen sources to streams in mixed-use watershed varies seasonally in a temperate region. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 20357–20369 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16930-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16930-8

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