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The present situation and evaluation of nitrate pollution in soil in a regional aeration zone: using the proluvial fan agriculture irrigation district of Hunhe River in northeast China as an example

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Abstract

The nitrate concentration in groundwater is associated with the nitrate content in soil. However, nitrate is not in the current list of soil security standards, which makes it difficult to study nitrate pollution in soil. Because the nitrate content in the soil may affect human and ecological health, the evaluation of nitrate pollution in the soil and its current situation are both particularly important. In this study, the background value of nitrate in soil in the proluvial fan agriculture irrigation district of Hunhe River in northeast China was estimated by analyzing the factors influencing the vertical and horizontal, spatial distribution characteristics of soil nitrate. Evaluation and analysis were also carried out on the pollution of soil by nitrate using the single factor index evaluation method along with the Nermero pollution index evaluation method. Results of the study showed that the estimated background value of soil nitrate in this area was 2.58 mg/kg, and the soil was moderately polluted by nitrate.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Environmental Protection Research Special Fund for Public Welfare Projects (No. 201009009). The authors thank the Key Lab of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University for providing excellent testing instruments, and the many students of the Institute of Water Resource and Environment of Jilin University who contributed to the sample tests and graphics drawing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Water Resource and Environment, Jilin University, No. 2519 Jiefang Road, Changchun, China

    Xiaosi Su, Huang Wang & Yuling Zhang

  2. College of Environment and Resource, Jilin University, No. 2519 Jiefang Road, Changchun, China

    Xiaosi Su, Huang Wang, Yuling Zhang & Huanchi Jin

  3. Key Lab of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130026, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaosi Su & Yuling Zhang

Authors
  1. Xiaosi Su
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  2. Huang Wang
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  3. Yuling Zhang
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  4. Huanchi Jin
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Correspondence to Yuling Zhang.

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Su, X., Wang, H., Zhang, Y. et al. The present situation and evaluation of nitrate pollution in soil in a regional aeration zone: using the proluvial fan agriculture irrigation district of Hunhe River in northeast China as an example. Environ Earth Sci 71, 1881–1891 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2590-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2590-x

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