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Assessment of groundwater contamination by NO3 − using geographical information system in the Zhangye Basin, Northwest China

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Abstract

Geographical information system (GIS) technology was used to investigate NO3 − concentration of groundwater in the Zhangye Basin, Northwest China. Thematic information and NO3 − data of groundwater from the Zhangye Basin were analyzed in a GIS environment to study the extent and variation of NO3 − concentration and to establish spatial relationships with corresponding land use types. About 38.8% of groundwater samples showed NO3 − concentration above the human affected value (13 mg/l NO3 −), while more than 10.2% exceeded the maximum acceptable level (50 mg/l NO3 −) according to WHO regulations. The spatial distribution of NO3 − of groundwater in the Zhangye Basin showed an obvious character of zonation; the high NO3 − concentration was mainly located in the city seat areas, and Zhangye City was the high-value center. The probability of over 90% for NO3 − concentration exceeding 13 mg/l was found in urban seat areas. The spatial analyses indicated that groundwater contamination by NO3 − was closely related to one specific land use class, the urban. The NO3 − concentration of groundwater under urban was significantly higher than that under irrigation land or sand dune. Most of the unacceptable NO3 − levels were found in groundwater samples assigned to urban area, but a few were also found allotted to irrigation land class. Therefore, urban source was considered the principal source of NO3 − contamination of groundwater in the Zhangye Basin, while irrigation land source was still a possible source of NO3 − contamination.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Chinese National Natural Sciences Foundation (Grant No. 40601016). The authors wish to thank the anonymous reviewers for their reading of the manuscript, and for their suggestions and critical comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hehei Laboratory of Ecohydrology and Integrated River Basin Science, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Rd 320, 730000, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, People’s Republic of China

    Jing Fang & Yong-jian Ding

  2. Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Lanzhou, China

    Jing Fang & Yong-jian Ding

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  1. Jing Fang
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  2. Yong-jian Ding
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Correspondence to Jing Fang.

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Fang, J., Ding, Yj. Assessment of groundwater contamination by NO3 − using geographical information system in the Zhangye Basin, Northwest China. Environ Earth Sci 60, 809–816 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-009-0218-y

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