Evaluation of nitrate source in surface water of southwestern China based on stable isotopes

Stable isotope tracing and analysis play an important role in interpretation of hydrological and ecological processes at the watershed scale and can provide information regarding the flow path, water source, nutrient loss and biogeochemical cycles of a system. In this study, environmental isotopes (δ18O-H2O, δD, δ15N-NO3−, δ18O-NO3−) and chemical compositions of surface water in Guizhou Province, China, were measured to evaluate the primary sources of nitrate and characterize the processes affecting nitrate as well as its correlation with vegetation cover in karstic areas. The δ15N and δ18O-NO3− levels ranged from +1.3 to +9.8 ‰ and +4.7 to +16.9 ‰, respectively, which indicated that nitrate in water from the investigated area primarily originated from nitrification of soil organic matter during the sampling period. There was also a wide range of isotopes in the water and high contents of nitrate in karstic areas with poor vegetation cover, indicating that water and nutrient loss were serious problems hindering plant growth in the study areas. For example, there was a positive relationship between isotopic composition and nitrate content in the natural forest and negative relationship in Libo County nearby, which suggested that the nitrate fate was affected by land use and human disturbance.