Denitrification in the shallow ground water of a tile-drained, agricultural watershed.

Nonpoint-source pollution of surface water by N is considered a major cause of hypoxia. Because Corn Belt watersheds have been identified as major sources of N in the Mississippi River basin, the fate and transport of N from midwestern agricultural watersheds have received considerable interest. The fate and transport of N in the shallow ground water of these watersheds still needs additional research. Our purpose was to estimate denitrification in the shallow ground water of a tile-drained, Corn Belt watershed with fine-grained soils. Over a 3-yr period, N was monitored in the surface and ground water of an agricultural watershed in central Illinois. A significant amount of N was transported past the tile drains and into shallow ground water. The ground water nitrate was isotopically heavier than tile drain nitrate, which can be explained by denitrification in the subsurface. Denitrifying bacteria were found at depths to 10 m throughout the watershed. Laboratory and push-pull tests showed that a significant fraction of nitrate could be denitrified rapidly. We estimated that the N denitrified in shallow ground water was equivalent to 0.3 to 6.4% of the applied N or 9 to 27% of N exported via surface water. These estimates varied by water year and peaked in a year of normal precipitation after 2 yr of below average precipitation. Three years of monitoring data indicate that shallow ground water in watersheds with fine-grained soils may be a significant N sink compared with N exported via surface water.

Arsenic in glacial aquifers: sources and geochemical controls.

A total of 176 wells in sand-and-gravel glacial aquifers in central Illinois were sampled for arsenic (As) and other chemical parameters. The results were combined with archived and published data from several hundred well samples to determine potential sources of As and the potential geochemical controls on its solubility and mobility. There was considerable spatial variability in the As concentrations. High concentrations were confined to areas smaller than 1 km in diameter. Arsenic and well depth were uncorrelated. Arsenic solubility appeared to be controlled by oxidation-reduction (redox) conditions, especially the presence of organic matter. Geochemical conditions in the aquifers are typically reducing, but only in the most reducing water does As accumulate in solution. In wells in which total organic carbon (TOC) was below 2 mg/L and sulfate (SO4(2-)) was present, As concentrations were low or below the detection limit (0.5 microg/L). Arsenic concentrations >10 microg/L were almost always found in wells where TOC was >2 mg/L and SO4(2-) was absent or at low concentrations, indicating post-SO4 (2-)reducing conditions. Iron (Fe) is common in the aquifer sediments, and Fe oxide reduction appears to be occurring throughout the aquifers. Arsenic is likely released from the solid phase as Fe oxide is reduced.