Impact of groundwater nitrogen legacy on water quality
Utrecht University · Deltares · +4 more institutions
Abstract
Abstract The loss of agricultural nitrogen (N) is a leading cause of global eutrophication and freshwater and coastal hypoxia. Despite regulatory efforts, such as the European Union’s Nitrogen Directive, high concentrations of N persist in freshwaters. Excessive N leaching and accumulation in groundwater has created a substantial N reservoir as groundwater travel times are orders-of-magnitude slower than those of surface waters. In this study we reconstructed past and projected future N dynamics in groundwater for four major river basins, the Rhine, Mississippi, Yangtze and Pearl, showcasing different N trajectories. The Rhine and Mississippi river basins have accumulated N since the 1950s and although…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 23.97
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 44
Authors
8Topics & keywords
- Groundwater
- Environmental science
- Eutrophication
- Agriculture
- Water resource management
- Hydrology (agriculture)
- Water quality
- Leaching (pedology)
- Zero hunger