Hydrochemical characteristics, groundwater nitrate sources and potential health risks in a typical alluvial plain of northwest China

IF 3 3区 地球科学 Q2 GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Hao Liang , Peiyue Li , Vetrimurugan Elumalai , Yan Tian , Xiaomei Kou
{"title":"Hydrochemical characteristics, groundwater nitrate sources and potential health risks in a typical alluvial plain of northwest China","authors":"Hao Liang ,&nbsp;Peiyue Li ,&nbsp;Vetrimurugan Elumalai ,&nbsp;Yan Tian ,&nbsp;Xiaomei Kou","doi":"10.1016/j.pce.2025.103903","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Due to anthropogenic pressures and the unpredictable impacts of climate change, groundwater quality issue has emerged as a critical concern. This study was carried out to investigate the evolving geochemical profile, identify the nitrate sources and transformation mechanisms, and assess the associated health hazards of phreatic groundwater in the Hua District, China. To achieve this goal, 65 and 37 phreatic water samples were collected in in October 2018 and March 2023, respectively, and analyzed for main water quality parameters and stable isotopes (δ<sup>18</sup>O-H<sub>2</sub>O, δ<sup>2</sup>H-H<sub>2</sub>O, δ<sup>15</sup>N-NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>, and δ<sup>18</sup>O-NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>). Piper diagram and ionic ratios were used for understanding the hydrochemical types and its evolution, stable isotopes were employed for tracing nitrate source, and human health risk assessment was also conducted to quantify the human health risk caused by exposure to groundwater NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>. The results showed that main ion composition of groundwater hydrochemistry is controlled by the rock weathering and dissolution of carbonates and sulfate minerals. The chemical types of groundwater present an evolution trend from SO<sub>4</sub>•Cl-Ca•Mg to HCO<sub>3</sub>-Ca•Mg. Severe nitrate pollution was detected particularly in the central and southern regions, with peak nitrate concentrations reaching 442 and 271 mg/L in 2018 and 2023, respectively. Nitrate sources include sewage, soil organic nitrogen, and fertilizers. A shift from single (M&amp;S) to multiple nitrate sources in groundwater was observed, with nitrification as the primary transformation process. The non-carcinogenic risks for children and adults declined from 0.245–3.455 to 0.039–2.586 and from 0.236–2.392 to 0.031–1.469, respectively, from 2018 to 2023. Additionally, these risky regions are shifting northward. Hence, individuals in the north-central part should heighten their vigilance towards groundwater quality to reduce the threats of nitrate pollution to human health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54616,"journal":{"name":"Physics and Chemistry of the Earth","volume":"139 ","pages":"Article 103903"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Physics and Chemistry of the Earth","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1474706525000531","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

Due to anthropogenic pressures and the unpredictable impacts of climate change, groundwater quality issue has emerged as a critical concern. This study was carried out to investigate the evolving geochemical profile, identify the nitrate sources and transformation mechanisms, and assess the associated health hazards of phreatic groundwater in the Hua District, China. To achieve this goal, 65 and 37 phreatic water samples were collected in in October 2018 and March 2023, respectively, and analyzed for main water quality parameters and stable isotopes (δ18O-H2O, δ2H-H2O, δ15N-NO3-, and δ18O-NO3-). Piper diagram and ionic ratios were used for understanding the hydrochemical types and its evolution, stable isotopes were employed for tracing nitrate source, and human health risk assessment was also conducted to quantify the human health risk caused by exposure to groundwater NO3. The results showed that main ion composition of groundwater hydrochemistry is controlled by the rock weathering and dissolution of carbonates and sulfate minerals. The chemical types of groundwater present an evolution trend from SO4•Cl-Ca•Mg to HCO3-Ca•Mg. Severe nitrate pollution was detected particularly in the central and southern regions, with peak nitrate concentrations reaching 442 and 271 mg/L in 2018 and 2023, respectively. Nitrate sources include sewage, soil organic nitrogen, and fertilizers. A shift from single (M&S) to multiple nitrate sources in groundwater was observed, with nitrification as the primary transformation process. The non-carcinogenic risks for children and adults declined from 0.245–3.455 to 0.039–2.586 and from 0.236–2.392 to 0.031–1.469, respectively, from 2018 to 2023. Additionally, these risky regions are shifting northward. Hence, individuals in the north-central part should heighten their vigilance towards groundwater quality to reduce the threats of nitrate pollution to human health.
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 求助全文
来源期刊
Physics and Chemistry of the Earth
Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 地学-地球科学综合
CiteScore
5.40
自引率
2.70%
发文量
176
审稿时长
31.6 weeks
期刊介绍: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth is an international interdisciplinary journal for the rapid publication of collections of refereed communications in separate thematic issues, either stemming from scientific meetings, or, especially compiled for the occasion. There is no restriction on the length of articles published in the journal. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth incorporates the separate Parts A, B and C which existed until the end of 2001. Please note: the Editors are unable to consider submissions that are not invited or linked to a thematic issue. Please do not submit unsolicited papers. The journal covers the following subject areas: -Solid Earth and Geodesy: (geology, geochemistry, tectonophysics, seismology, volcanology, palaeomagnetism and rock magnetism, electromagnetism and potential fields, marine and environmental geosciences as well as geodesy). -Hydrology, Oceans and Atmosphere: (hydrology and water resources research, engineering and management, oceanography and oceanic chemistry, shelf, sea, lake and river sciences, meteorology and atmospheric sciences incl. chemistry as well as climatology and glaciology). -Solar-Terrestrial and Planetary Science: (solar, heliospheric and solar-planetary sciences, geology, geophysics and atmospheric sciences of planets, satellites and small bodies as well as cosmochemistry and exobiology).
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
确定
请完成安全验证×
copy
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
右上角分享
点击右上角分享
0
联系我们:info@booksci.cn Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。 Copyright © 2023 布克学术 All rights reserved.
京ICP备2023020795号-1
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术官方微信