Application of (15)N- (18)O double stable isotope tracer technique in an agricultural nonpoint polluted river of the Yangtze Delta Region

Abstract

One strategy to combat nitrate (NO3-N) contamination in rivers is to understand its sources. NO3-N sources in the East Tiaoxi River of the Yangtze Delta Region were investigated by applying a (15)N-(18)O dual isotope approach. Water samples were collected from the main channel and from the tributaries. Results show that high total N and NO3-N are present in both the main channel and the major tributaries, and NO3-N was one of the most important N forms in water. Analysis of isotopic compositions (δ (18)O, δD) of water suggests that the river water mainly originated from three tributaries during the sampling period. There was a wide range of δ (15)N-NO3 (-1.4 to 12.4 ‰) and a narrow range of δ (18)O-NO3 (3.7 to 9.0 ‰) in the main channel waters. The δ (15)N and δ (18)O-NO3 values in the upper, middle, and lower channels along the river were shifted as 8.2, 3.5, and 9.5 ‰, and 9.0, 4.2, and 6.0 ‰, respectively. In the tributary South Tiao, the δ (15)N and δ (18)O-NO3 values were as high as 9.5 and 7.0 ‰, while in the tributaries Mid Tiao and North Tiao, NO3-N in most of the samples had relatively low δ (15)N and δ (18)O-NO3 values from 2.3 to 7.5 ‰ and 4.7 to 7.0 ‰, separately. Our results also suggest that the dual isotope approach can help us develop the best management practice for relieving NO3-N pollution in the rivers at the tributary scale.