Spatial-Temporal Distribution, Morphological Transformation, and Potential Risk of Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen in the Contaminated Unconfined Aquifer from a Retired Nitrogenous Fertilizer Plant

Kunhua Yang, Dengdeng Jiang, Yun Chen, Jing Wei, Feiyang Xia, Wenyi Xie, Yan Zhou, Xuwei Li and Shaopo Deng
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Kunhua Yang: Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
Dengdeng Jiang: Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
Yun Chen: Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
Jing Wei: Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
Feiyang Xia: Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
Wenyi Xie: Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
Yan Zhou: Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
Xuwei Li: Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China
Shaopo Deng: Nanjing Institute of Environmental Science, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-15

Abstract: The accumulation of nitrogen in groundwater in the industrial plots, especially the high ammonium, can result in a serious threat to the groundwater system in the urban area. This study monitored the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) of the polluted groundwater four times in one year in a retired nitrogenous fertilizer plant site with a production history of nearly 40 years, to analyze the spatial-temporal characteristics of DIN species (NH 4 + -N, NO 3 − -N, and NO 2 − -N) and the effects of groundwater environment on their transfer and transformation. The results showed that NH 4 + -N (<0.025 to 1310 mg/L) was the main DIN species (61.38–76.80%) with low mobility, whereas the concentration of NO 3 − -N and NO 2 − -N was 0.15–146 mg/L and <0.001–12.4 mg/L, accounting for 22.34–36.07% and 0.53–2.83% of total DIN, respectively. The concentration and proportion of NO 3 − -N and NO 2 − -N showed an upward trend with time, posing a threat to the safety of surrounding groundwater, and their high spatial-temporal variation was related to the morphological transformation and the transport. In the wet season, the pH and redox condition benefited the nitrification, and NO 3 − -N easily migrated from the deep soil solution to groundwater, hence the NO 3 − -N can be accumulated. Therefore, the analysis of species and behaviors of DIN in shallow groundwater is indispensable for environmental risk assessment.

Keywords: inorganic nitrogen; environmental behavior; transformation and transport; water quality; groundwater (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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