Occurrences and health risks of high-nitrate groundwater in typical piedmont areas of the North China Plain

doi:10.13745/j.esf.sf.2023.2.53

Abstract

Abstract:

Nitrate pollution in groundwater is a global concern, yet the distribution characteristics of high-nitrate groundwater and its health risks to different populations in the agricultural intensive piedmont alluvial fans are not fully understood. In this study, we carried out comprehensive hydrogeochemical analysis on 144 groundwater samples collected from two sets of piedmont aquifers (Beijing and Shijiazhuang areas) in the North China Plain to determine the distribution pattern, formation mechanism, and health risks of high-nitrate groundwater in the region. The regional groundwater was neutral to slightly alkaline, and 84% of the samples had nitrate concentrations exceeding the national standard (10 mg/L) for drinking water. The average nitrate concentration in groundwater was higher in Beijing than in Shijiazhuang areas, and in both areas higher in shallow than in deep aquifers. Planarly, high-nitrate groundwater was more commonly distributed in the southwestern region as compared to the eastern and northern regions. High-nitrate groundwater was mainly characterized by HCO₃-Ca-Mg hydrochemical facies, controlled mainly by mineral dissolution, rock weathering, and evaporative crystallization, according to ion ratio and principal component analyses. Agricultural activities, ion exchange, and nitrification were the main causes of nitrate enrichment in groundwater. Water quality of deep groundwater was better compared to shallow groundwater, with EWQI values mostly between 1 and 2. According to health risks assessments of four population groups (infants, children, women, and men) using HHRA model, the potential non-carcinogenic risk of high-nitrate groundwater was high for infants, and shallow groundwater posed a greater health risk in both areas. Overall, the potential non-carcinogenic risks were lower in Shijiazhuang than in Beijing where high-nitrate groundwater posed a health risk to all populations. In Beijing, the high risk areas were mainly located in the southwest and central part, and the east was at relative low risk. In Shijiazhuang, the potential health risk was high in the west and low in the east, and most of the groundwater in the east was suitable for drinking by all populations. We concluded, therefore, that controlling nitrate input from shallow groundwater, selecting drinking water sources according to population groups, and providing deep groundwater to infants were crucial for ensuring safe drinking water for local residents.

Key words: nitrogen cycle, water-rock interaction, groundwater pollution, North China Plain, human health risk assessment

CLC Number:

ZHANG Guanglu, LIU Haiyan, GUO Huaming, SUN Zhanxue, WANG Zhen, WU Tonghang. Occurrences and health risks of high-nitrate groundwater in typical piedmont areas of the North China Plain[J]. Earth Science Frontiers, 2023, 30(4): 485-503.

Figures/Tables 18

Fig.1 Map of the study area and sampling locations

Fig.2 Hydrogeological cross-sections along AA' line in Beijing (BJ) and BB' line in Shijiazhuang (SJZ) areas (profile locations see Fig.1)

Table 1 HHRA model parameters

人群分类	暴露参数
人群分类	IR/(L·d^-1)	EF/(d·a^-1)	ED/a	BW/kg
婴儿	0.65	365	0.5	6.94
儿童	21.5	365	6	25.9
成年男性	3.62	365	30	73.0
成年女性	2.66	365	30	64.0

Table 2 Hydrochemical parameters for regional groundwater

Fig.3 Distribution of nitrate concentrations in regional groundwater

Fig.4 Piper plots for groundwater samples in the study area

Fig.5 Vertical distribution of nitrate concentrations

Fig.6 Spatial distribution of nitrate concentrations in (a) BJ and (b) SJZ areas

Table 3 Rotated principal components

初始变量	各主成分中变量的载荷量
初始变量	PC1	PC2	PC3
pH	-0.73	0.12	-0.37
ORP	-0.04	0.26	0.67
组分浓度
TDS	0.92	0.32	0.17
Cl^-	0.75	0.38	0.38
SO₄^2-	0.77	0.37	-0.26
HCO₃^-	0.74	0.15	0.41
Ca²⁺	0.96	-0.06	-0.03
K⁺	0.04	0.86	0.00
Mg²⁺	0.76	0.34	0.22
Na⁺	0.44	0.71	0.26
NO₃^-	0.82	0.11	0.04
Mn	0.18	-0.07	0.61
特征值	5.47	1.86	1.49
方差贡献率/%	45.6	15.5	12.5
累积贡献率/%	45.6	61.1	73.6

Fig.7 Correlation matrix for hydrochemical parameters for groundwater

Fig.8 Correlation plots for ionic species in regional groundwater

Fig.9 Gibbs diagrams identifying the main processes controlling high-nitrate groundwater in the study area

Fig.10 Bivariate plots of mole fraction ratios Ca2+/Na+ vs. Mg2+/Na+ (a) and HCO3-/Na+ (b)

Fig.11 Scatter plots of (Ca2++Mg2++Na++K+-Cl--SO42-) vs. HCO3- (a) and SO42-/Ca2+ vs. NO3-/Ca2+ (mole fraction ratios) (b)

Fig.12 Scatter plots of NO3- vs. ORP (a), and NO3- vs. EWQI (b)

Fig.13 Box plots comparing nitrate hazard quotient ( H Q N O 3 - ) values in deep and shallow groundwater for different population groups in BJ (a) and SJZ (b) areas

Fig.14 Spatial distributions of H Q N O 3 - values for different population groups in BJ area. (a) Infants; (b) Children; (c) Women; (d) Men.

Fig.15 Spatial distributions of H Q N O 3 - values for different population groups in SJZ area. (a) Infants; (b) Children; (c) Women; (d) Men.

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