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Contribution of bedrock nitrogen to high nitrate concentrations in stream water

Nature volume 395, pages 785–788 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

Concentrations of nitrate in stream water throughout the world are reported to be elevated relative to natural background levels. This enrichment is commonly attributed to anthropogenic activities such as atmospheric emissions1, livestock feeding2, agricultural runoff3,4, timber harvesting practices5 and domestic/industrial effluent discharge4,6. Here we show that bedrock containing appreciable concentrations of fixed nitrogen contribute a surprisingly large amount of nitrate to surface waters in certain California watersheds,o an extent that even small areas of these rocks have a profound influence on water quality. As 75% of the rocks now exposed at the Earth's surface are sedimentary in origin7, and as these rocks contain about 20% of the global nitrogen inventory8, ‘geological’ nitrogen may be a large and hitherto unappreciated source of nitrate to surface waters. Such a natural nitrate source may be especially significant given that nitrate contamination at very low levels can contribute to surface water eutrophication9, may cause infant methaemoglobinaemia (‘blue baby’ syndrome)6 and has been implicated in certain cancers6. In addition, geological nitrogen may be a source of the ‘missing’ nitrogen noted in several biogeochemical studies of ecosystem nitrogen budgets1.

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Figure 1: Surficial geology of the Mokelumne River watershed.
Figure 2: Streamwater nitrate concentrations.
Figure 3: Stream discharge and trate concentrations during storm events.
Figure 4: Mineral nitrogen (NO3− + NH4+) concentrations for C horizon soils.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Georgia Pacific for helicopter access to high-elevation watersheds during the winter; East Bay Municipal Utilities District, Georgia Pacific, and the US Forest Service for the loan of streamwater autosamplers; J. Munn, B. McGurk, L. Costock, J. Pierner, B. Smith and the Mokelumne River Water Quality Monitoring Committee for logistical support; and J. Jimenez, D. Levine, R. Northup, G. Pauly, J. Shaw, E. Suzuki and D. Walsh for assistance with field work and analysis. This work was supported by the California Dept of Forestry and Fire Protection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, 95616, California, USA

    J. M. Holloway, R. A. Dahlgren & W. H. Casey

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Aarhus, Ny Munkegade, Building 520, DK-800, Aarhus C, Denmark

    B. Hansen

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Correspondence to R. A. Dahlgren.

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Holloway, J., Dahlgren, R., Hansen, B. et al. Contribution of bedrock nitrogen to high nitrate concentrations in stream water. Nature 395, 785–788 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/27410

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