title: Nitrate levels and the age of groundwater from the Upper Devonian sandstone aquifer in Fife, Scotland.
abstract: The tritium concentrations in 13 groundwater samples from boreholes throughout the Upper Devonian sandstone aquifer of Fife have been measured. Due to atmospheric variations in tritium concentrations over the last century, this radioactive tracer can be used as a groundwater age indicator. In this study, the groundwater tritium concentrations have allowed for the area to be divided into three zones, and the variable chemistry of the groundwater samples, including the problem of recent elevated nitrate levels in the Fife Aquifer, has been interpreted in terms of their relative ages.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Tracers Laboratory, School of Civil Engineering, Queen's University, Belfast, BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland. g.mcneill@qub.ac.uk
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: McNeill
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Elliot
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D055593:Geological Phenomena; D005844:Geology; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis*; D012606:Scotland; D012987:Soil; D013997:Time Factors; D014316:Tritium / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D012987:Soil; D014867:Water; D014316:Tritium