Assessment of nitrogen contamination of groundwater in paddy and upland fields |
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| Authors: | Y H Kao C-W Liu C S Jang S W Zanh K H Lin |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Bioenvironmental Systerms Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan;(2) Department of Leisure and Recreation Management, Kainan University, Luzhu, Taoyuan, 338, Taiwan;(3) Department Irrigation and Engineering, Council of Agriculture, Taipei, 100, Taiwan; |
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| Abstract: | This study aims to assess the nitrogen contamination of groundwater in paddy and upland fields. A reactive chemical transport
model PHREEQC and a variable saturated groundwater flow and transport model FEMWATER were used to evaluate the vertical transport
of nitrogen compound in various soil types of paddy and upland. The shallow groundwater quality monitoring data of 2003, 2006,
2009 in the Choushui river alluvial fan, the major agriculture production area in Taiwan, were applied to support the validity
of the numerical simulation findings. Results from PHREEQC and FEMWATER simulations showed that the organic-rich impermeable
plow sole layer underneath the muddy layer of rice paddy can effectively reduce NO3
− and N2 to NH4
+ and retard the movement of NH4
+. However, in the upland field which has no plow sole layer, the NH4
+ can move easily to the shallow aquifer and contaminate the groundwater. The spatiotemporal distribution of NO3
−–N and NH4
+–N in the Choushui river alluvial fan revealed that high nitrate–N contamination areas were located mainly in the upland field
of the proximal fan, where the granular unconfined aquifer was vulnerable to surface contaminants. Moreover, the unconfined
nature of the aquifer allows the oxidization of NH4
+ to NO3
− and accelerates the plume movement. High ammonium–N concentration areas were mostly dispersed in the distal-fan area where
upland planting and aquacultural farming were prevailed. The high NH4
+–N found in the northern Choushui river alluvial fan was attributed to the alternative planting of rice and upland crops,
and the plow sole layer was broken to maintain the quick drainage upland crop needs. |
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| Keywords: | |
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