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Hydrogeochemical Environmental Research in Nitrate Contamination in Alluvial Fan Area Groundwater in Tsukui, Central Japan  

Okazaki, Masanori (Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology)
Ham, Young-Sik (Graduate School of Bio-Applications and Systems Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, (Present Address) Faculty of Environmental and Information Studies, The Musashi Insutitute of Technology)
Publication Information
Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment / v.37, no.4, 2004 , pp. 431-435 More about this Journal
Abstract
A nitrate-contaminated groundwater was hydrogeochemically investigated to estimate the factors controlling groundwater quality in an alluvial fan area. Even though monthly groundwater levels increased with monthly rainfalls, the monthly $NO_3^--N$ concentrations in groundwater showed a small variation, mostly exceeding a maximum contaminant level of 10 mg $L^{-1}$ in environmental quality standards for groundwater during 2003. The 2003 annual groundwater recharge was 1,730 mm =20,056 mm-18,326 mm. Where 20,056 mm and 18,326 mm are annual sum of daily increase and decrease in ground water level. However, the annual sum of increase in ground water level (20,056 mm) was approximately 10 times higher than annual rainfall. Moreover, the annual sum of daily ground water level decrease (-18,326mm) showed that a large amount of groundwater was discharged with $NO_3^-$-contamination. Hydrogeochemically, a large amount of groundwater input and output through the alluvial fan area were observed after rainfall with a considerably high concentration of $NO_3^-$. Consequently, this alluvial fan area including forest area reflects on the evidence under the condition of 'nitrogen excess' or 'nitrogen saturation'. In addition, such a large amount of groundwater outflow can cause environmental damage in surface water, associated with $NO_3^-$- contamination. This study also expects that this hydrogeochemical data will be useful for water management.
Keywords
nitrate-contaminated groundwater; groundwater recharge; rainfall;
Citations & Related Records
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