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A comparison of various approaches used in source apportionments for precipitation nitrogen in a mountain region of southwest China

  • Jian Cui
  • , Fengwu Zhou
  • , Min Gao
  • , Liuyi Zhang
  • , Leiming Zhang
  • , Ke Du
  • , Qiangmei Leng
  • , Yuanzhu Zhang
  • , Dongyi He
  • , Fumo Yang
  • , Andy Chan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Six different approaches are applied in the present study to apportion the sources of precipitation nitrogen making use of precipitation data of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN, including NO3− and NH4+), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and δ15N signatures of DIN collected at six sampling sites in the mountain region of Southwest China. These approaches include one quantitative approach running a Bayesian isotope mixing model (SIAR model) and five qualitative approaches based on in-situ survey (ISS), ratio of NH4+/NO3− (RN), principal component analysis (PCA), canonical-correlation analysis (CCA) and stable isotope approach (SIA). Biomass burning, coal combustion and mobile exhausts in the mountain region are identified as major sources for precipitation DIN while biomass burning and volatilization sources such as animal husbandries are major ones for DON. SIAR model results suggest that mobile exhausts, biomass burning and coal combustion contributed 25.1 ± 14.0%, 26.0 ± 14.1% and 27.0 ± 12.6%, respectively, to NO3− on the regional scale. Higher contributions of both biomass burning and coal combustion appeared at rural and urban sites with a significant difference between Houba (rural) and the wetland site (p 
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)810-820
Number of pages11
JournalEnvironmental Pollution
Volume241
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 14 Jun 2018
Externally publishedYes

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