Stable isotopes of dissolved nitrate and boron as indicators of the origin and fate of nitrate contamination in groundwater: results from the western Po Plain (Northern Italy).

Stable isotopes of dissolved nitrates and boron represent a powerful tool, complementary to existing monitoring data, enabling the identification of nitrate sources, the assessment of their relative contribution to nitrate pollution and the quantification of nitrate transport and removal processes. This contribution aims to present groundwater isotope data obtained in an area of 15 000 km2 of the western Po plain. Nitrate isotope data show that synthetic fertilisers and anthropogenic organic matter are the main sources of contamination. δ11B allows the discrimination between manure derived and sewage derived contamination. Results indicate that even in agricultural areas, contamination from sewage exists. Samples from the suburban area of Milan, where sewage was considered the most likely source of contamination, show instead a δ11B typical for cattle manure. This study demonstrates that the attribution of the contamination to a source based solely on present-day land use may lead to inappropriate conclusions.