| Citation: | Kewen Luo, Teng Ma, Shuai Shen. Distribution and Source of Nitrate in Groundwater in the Hilly-Plain Transition Area of Jianghan Plain Using Dual N and O Isotopes of Nitrate. Journal of Earth Science, 2026, 37(2): 763-774. doi: 10.1007/s12583-023-1851-1
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Nitrogen contamination of groundwater in the Jianghan Plain (JHP) in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River is widespread, but the sources and fate of nitrate (NO3-) in the transitional area between plains and hills are poorly understood. This paper characterized the distribution, sources and transformation processes of NO3- in groundwater in the hilly-plain transition area of JHP through hydrogeochemistry and dual isotopes (δ15N and δ18O-NO3-). The hydrogeochemical results showed that the NO3- in the plain and hilly areas is heterogeneous and controlled by topography. From plain to hilly areas in summer, NO3- in groundwater has a general trend of decreasing with the direction of groundwater flow. The groundwater in the plain area is strongly affected by anthropogenic activities, and the NO3- in the multi-level aquifer gradually decreases with increasing depth. Changes in redox conditions caused by river erosion may be responsible for higher NO3- in groundwater along the eroded banks. The isotopic results showed that NO3- in the hilly area mainly comes from soil organic nitrogen, which is a natural source. While, groundwater NO3- in the plain area is strongly affected by livestock manure and domestic sewage, which may be owing to the high density of residents and the impact of anthropogenic activities.
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