Non-agricultural sources of groundwater nitrate: a review and case study.
Nitrate is often seen as an agricultural pollutant of groundwater and so is expected to be at higher concentrations in the groundwaters surrounding a city than in those beneath it. However the difference between rural and urban nitrate concentrations is often small, due to the non-agricultural sources of nitrogen that are concentrated in cities. This paper illustrates the source and significance of non-agricultural nitrogen for groundwater and presents a case study of nitrate loading in the city of Nottingham. Major sources of nitrogen in urban aquifers are related to wastewater disposal (on-site systems and leaky sewers), solid waste disposal (landfills and waste tips). The major sources of nitrogen in the Nottingham area are mains leakage and contaminated land with approximately 38% each of a total load of 21 kg N ha(-1) year(-1).
Wakida
Fernando T
FT
Facultad de Ciencias Químicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Calzada Universidad, Mesa de Otay, Tijuana, Baja California, México. fwakida@uabc.mx
Lerner
David N
DN
D000393:Air Pollutants; D000818:Animals; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005243:Feces; D005308:Fertilizers; D006801:Humans; D007220:Industrial Waste; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis*; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D006113:United Kingdom; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
D000393:Air Pollutants; D005308:Fertilizers; D007220:Industrial Waste; D009566:Nitrates; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical