Effect of Groundwater Age and Recharge Source on Nitrate Concentrations in Domestic Wells in the San Joaquin Valley
Abstract
Nitrate is one of the most abundant contaminants in groundwater globally, in the United States, and in California (CA). We studied well construction information, water chemistry, stable isotopes, and noble gases to understand how groundwater travel time and recharge source and mechanism control nitrate concentrations in domestic wells in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), CA, a large semiarid, irrigated agricultural region. Using nonparametric statistics, we find a decreasing trend in nitrates with groundwater travel time and well depth. Samples collected from wells that are closer to rivers and that show indications of river water recharge, either low recharge temperature or low δ18O signature, have lower concentrations of nitrates than samples with isotopic signatures indicating mixed source or local precipitation recharge. The curbing effect of river water recharge on nitrate concentrations in domestic wells is similar for direct river recharge and water applied as irrigation. This suggests that irrigation with river water also has a diluting effect that reduces the concentration of nitrate found in groundwater. This conclusion supports the idea that flood-managed aquifer recharge may be considered for remediation of groundwater nitrate when designing replenishment of aquifers.
- Authors:
-
[1]
- Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1765814
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1785904
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-816698
Journal ID: ISSN 0013-936X
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Environmental Science and Technology
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 55; Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-936X
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Anions; Aquifers; Irrigation; Precipitation; Groundwaters
Citation Formats
Castaldo, Giovanni, Visser, Ate, Fogg, Graham E., and Harter, Thomas. Effect of Groundwater Age and Recharge Source on Nitrate Concentrations in Domestic Wells in the San Joaquin Valley. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1021/acs.est.0c03071.
Castaldo, Giovanni, Visser, Ate, Fogg, Graham E., & Harter, Thomas. Effect of Groundwater Age and Recharge Source on Nitrate Concentrations in Domestic Wells in the San Joaquin Valley. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c03071
Castaldo, Giovanni, Visser, Ate, Fogg, Graham E., and Harter, Thomas. Thu .
"Effect of Groundwater Age and Recharge Source on Nitrate Concentrations in Domestic Wells in the San Joaquin Valley". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c03071. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1765814.
@article{osti_1765814,
title = {Effect of Groundwater Age and Recharge Source on Nitrate Concentrations in Domestic Wells in the San Joaquin Valley},
author = {Castaldo, Giovanni and Visser, Ate and Fogg, Graham E. and Harter, Thomas},
abstractNote = {Nitrate is one of the most abundant contaminants in groundwater globally, in the United States, and in California (CA). We studied well construction information, water chemistry, stable isotopes, and noble gases to understand how groundwater travel time and recharge source and mechanism control nitrate concentrations in domestic wells in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), CA, a large semiarid, irrigated agricultural region. Using nonparametric statistics, we find a decreasing trend in nitrates with groundwater travel time and well depth. Samples collected from wells that are closer to rivers and that show indications of river water recharge, either low recharge temperature or low δ18O signature, have lower concentrations of nitrates than samples with isotopic signatures indicating mixed source or local precipitation recharge. The curbing effect of river water recharge on nitrate concentrations in domestic wells is similar for direct river recharge and water applied as irrigation. This suggests that irrigation with river water also has a diluting effect that reduces the concentration of nitrate found in groundwater. This conclusion supports the idea that flood-managed aquifer recharge may be considered for remediation of groundwater nitrate when designing replenishment of aquifers.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.0c03071},
journal = {Environmental Science and Technology},
number = 4,
volume = 55,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 28 00:00:00 EST 2021},
month = {Thu Jan 28 00:00:00 EST 2021}
}
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