Identification of anthropogenic and natural inputs of sulfate and chloride into the karstic ground water of Guiyang, SW China: combined delta37Cl and delta34S approach

Because of active exchange between surface and groundwater of a karstic hydrological system, the groundwater of Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou Province, southwest China, has been seriously polluted by anthropogenic inputs of NO3-, SO4(2-), Cl-, and Na+. In this work, delta37Cl of chloride and delta34S variations of sulfate in the karstic surface/groundwater system were studied, with a main focus to identify contaminant sources, including their origins. The surface, ground, rain, and sewage water studied showed variable delta37Cl and delta34S values, in the range of -4.1 to +2.0 per thousand, and -20.4 to +20.9 per thousand for delta37Cl and delta34S (SO4(2-)), respectively. The rainwater samples yielded the lowest delta37Cl values among those observed to date for aerosols and rainwater. Chloride in the Guiyang area rain waters emanated from anthropogenic sources rather than being of marine origin, probably derived from HCl (g) emitted by coal combustion. By plotting 1/SO4(2-) vs delta34S and 1/Cl- vs delta37Cl, respectively, we were able to identify some clusters of data, which were assigned as atmospheric deposition (acid rain component), discharge from municipal sewage, paleo-brine components in clastic sedimentary rocks, dissolution of gypsum mainly in dolomite, oxidation of sulfide minerals in coal-containing clastic rocks, and possibly degradation of chlorine-containing organic matter. We conclude that human activities give a significant input of sulfate and chloride ions, as well as other contaminants, into the studied groundwater system through enhanced atmospheric deposition and municipal sewage, and that multiple isotopic tracers constitute a powerful tool to ascertain geochemical characteristics and origin of complex contaminants in groundwater.     

Using trace elements in particulate matter to identify the sources of semivolatile organic contaminants in air at an alpine site

An approach using trace elements in particulate matter (PM) to identify the geographic sources of atmospherically transported semivolatile organic contaminants (SOCs) was investigated. Daily samples of PM and SOCs were collected with high-volume air samplers from 16 January to 16 February 2009 at Temple Basin, a remote alpine site in New Zealand's Southern Alps. The most commonly detected pesticides were dieldrin, trans-chlordane, endosulfan I, and chlorpyrifos. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls were also detected. For each sampling day, the relative contribution of PM from regional New Zealand versus long-range Australian sources was determined using trace element profiles and a binary mixing model. The PM approach indicated that endosulfan I, indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene, and benzo[g,h,i]perylene found at Temple Basin were largely of Australian origin. Local wind observations indicated that the chlorpyrifos found at Temple Basin primarily came from the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand.     

Perchlorate uptake in spinach as related to perchlorate, nitrate, and chloride concentrations in irrigation water

Several studies have reported on the detection of perchlorate (ClO(4)(-)) in edible leafy vegetables irrigated with Colorado River water. However, there is no information on spinach as related to ClO(4)(-) in irrigation water nor on the effect of other anions on ClO(4)(-) uptake. A greenhouse ClO(4)(-) uptake experiment using spinach was conducted to investigate the impact of presence of chloride (Cl(-)) and nitrate (NO(3)(-)) on ClO(4)(-) uptake under controlled conditions. We examined three concentrations of ClO(4)(-), 40, 220, and 400 nmol(c)/L (nanomoles of charge per liter of solution), three concentrations of Cl(-), 2.5, 13.75, and 25 mmol(c)/L, and NO(3)(-) at 2, 11, and 20 mmol(c)/L. The results revealed that ClO(4)(-) was taken up the most when NO(3)(-) and Cl(-) were lowest in concentration in irrigation water. More ClO(4)(-) was detected in spinach leaves than that in the root tissue. Relative to lettuces, spinach accumulated more ClO(4)(-) in the plant tissue. Perchlorate was accumulated in spinach leaves more than reported for outer leaves of lettuce at 40 nmol(c)/L of ClO(4)(-) in irrigation water. The results also provided evidence that spinach selectively took up ClO(4)(-) relative to Cl(-). We developed a predictive model to describe the ClO(4)(-) concentration in spinach as related to the Cl(-), NO(3)(-), and ClO(4)(-) concentration in irrigation water.     

Hydrodynamic and microbial processes controlling nitrate in a fissured-porous karst aquifer of the Franconian Alb, southern Germany

Concentrations and stable isotope compositions of nitrate from 11 karst springs in the Franconian Alb (southern Germany) were determined during low flow and high flow conditions to assess sources and processes affecting groundwater nitrate. During low flow, nitrate concentrations in groundwater were around 0.10 mM in springs draining forested catchments, whereas in agricultural areas nitrate concentrations were typically higher reaching up to 0.93 mM. The isotopic composition of groundwater nitrate during low flow (delta15N values of -3.1 to 6.7% per hundred, delta180 values of +2.1 to 4.0% per hundred) in concert with concentration data suggests that nitrate is formed by nitrification in forest and agricultural soils. In addition, synthetic fertilizer N that has undergone immobilization and subsequent remineralization likely constitutes an additional nitrate source in agriculturally used catchments. During recharge conditions, concentrations and delta15N values of groundwater nitrate changed little, but delta18O values were significantly elevated (up to 24.5%o per hundred suggesting that around 25% of the nitrate was directly derived from atmospheric deposition. Groundwater dating revealed that low nitrate concentrations in groundwater (_> or =0 years) are consistent with a mixture of old low nitrate-containing and young water, the latter being affected by anthropogenic N inputs predominantly in the agriculturally used catchment areas during the last few decades. Thermodynamic and hydrogeological evidence also suggests that denitrification may have occurred in the porous rock matrix of the karst aquifer. This study demonstrates that a combination of hydrodynamic, chemical, and isotopic approaches provides unique insights into the sources and the biogeochemical history of nitrate in karst aquifers, and therefore constitutes a valuable tool for assessing the vulnerability of karst aquifers to nitrate pollution in dependence on land use and assessing their self-purification capacity.     

2-Dodecylcyclobutanone as an irradiation dose indicator to identify and estimate original dose in irradiated ground beef

2-Dodecylcyclobutanone (2-DCB), as a chemical marker of irradiated lipid-containing foods, was used to detect whether ground beef patties were irradiated and to estimate the original absorbed dose. The ground beef patties (70/30) were irradiated at five targeted absorbed doses of 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, and 7.0?kGy and stored for 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28?days, respectively at 4?°C. A rapid analytical method based on direct solvent extraction (DSE)/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was developed to analyze 2-DCB in γ-ray irradiated ground beef patties. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile via DSE using a tissue-mashing instrument, and then purified with a 1-g silica cartridge and analyzed via GC–MS. The results indicate a linear relationship between irradiation dose and the amount of 2-DCB produced in the irradiated samples (y?=?0.0608x–0.0004, R2?=?0.9899). In addition, a linear relationship was observed between the loss (%) of 2-DCB and storage time (L?=?1.958d–1.6596, R2?=?0.9597). Thus, a method for estimating the initial dose of irradiated food was developed based on these two line equations; this method explored the establishment of a determination model of the original irradiation dose of lipid-containing foods. The method was used to successfully estimate 2–7?kGy irradiated beef samples within 28?days with minimal deviation within ±15?%.     

Use of 87Sr/86Sr and delta11B to identify slag-affected sediment in southern Lake Michigan

Slag is a ubiquitous byproduct of the iron-smelting industry and influences geochemistry and water quality in adjacent geologic units, ground and surface water. Despite extensive slag deposition along the Indiana shoreline of Lake Michigan, definitive evidence that slag has affected lakebed sediments has not been established. Concerns for the protection of water and ecosystem resources in the Great Lakes motivated this study to determine if strontium and boron isotopes could be used to identify and delineate slag-affected bed sediment in Lake Michigan. Sixty-five samples of bed sediment were acquired from the southern lobe of Lake Michigan and analyzed for 87Sr/86Sr and deltat11B. Samples immediately offshore from Indiana steel mills and slag-disposal sites contained higher median 87Sr/86Sr values (0.70881) than shoreline sediments collected elsewhere in the basin (0.70847) and uniquely decreased with increasing distance from the shoreline. The highest delta11B values occurred in sediments from the Indiana shoreline (+12.9 to 16.4/1000) but were also elevated in sediments collected offshore from three Lake Michigan cities (+11.7 to 12.7/1000). Contoured isotope data indicated that 82-154 km2 of bed sediment along the Indiana shoreline had elevated 87Sr/86Sr and delta11B values relative to shoreline sediments elsewhere in southern Lake Michigan.     

我国南北不同地域自备水源水质指标及微生物群落结构特征比较

目的 比较我国南北不同地域自备水源的水质指标及微生物群落结构特征,评价其安全性。方法 本研究对我国南北5省边远散地域(北京郊区、黑龙江边境地域、内蒙古偏远地域、广西边境地域和云南边境地域)的317个自备水源进行采样,对浑浊度、总硬度和pH等水质指标进行分析,以高通量测序法对水样的微生物群落结构进行解析。结果 不同地域自备水源的水质和微生物群落结构存在较大的差异性,内蒙古偏远地域的阴离子指标最大值超标严重,在内蒙古-东和内蒙古-西两组水样中SO₄^2-最大浓度值分别为543.12和666.33 mg/L, Cl^-与NO₃^-也存在超标情况。变形菌门(Proteobacteria)是5省自备水源水样的第一优势菌门,其相对丰度为56.87%-99.38%。具有一定致病性的短波单胞菌(Brevundimonas)在各个样品中广泛分布(1.50%-27.27%)。反硝化过程的典型菌株假单胞菌(Pseudomonas)存在于北京、黑龙江和内蒙古水样中(2.96%-38.41%),广西和云南并未检出。北京、黑龙江和内蒙古水样中各种功能表达基因的数量远高于广西和云南水样。结论 我国南北5省自备水源在水质和微生物群落特征方面均存在差异;较之南方自备水源,北方自备水源普遍受到了人类活动的影响。     

VOCs,pesticides, nitrate,and their mixtures in groundwater used for drinking water in the United States

Samples of untreated groundwater from 1255 domestic drinking-water wells and 242 public supply wells were analyzed as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey between 1992 and 1999. Wells were sampled to define the regional quality of the groundwater resource and, thus, were distributed geographically across large aquifers, primarily in rural areas. For each sample, as many as 60 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 83 pesticides, and nitrate were analyzed. On the basis of previous studies, nitrate concentrations as nitrogen > or = 3 mg/L were considered to have an anthropogenic origin. VOCs were detected more frequently (44%) than pesticides (38%) or anthropogenic nitrate (28%). Seventy percent of the samples contained at least one VOC, pesticide, or anthropogenic nitrate; 47% contained at least two compounds; and 33% contained at least three compounds. The combined concentrations of VOCs and pesticides ranged from about 0.001 to 100 microg/L, with a median of 0.02 microg/L. Water from about 12% of the wells contained one or more compounds that exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standards or human health criteria, primarily because of nitrate concentrations exceeding the maximum contaminant level in domestic wells. A mixture is defined as a unique combination of two or more particular compounds, regardless of the presence of other compounds that may occur in the same sample. There were 100 mixtures (significantly associated with agricultural land use) that had a detection frequency between 2% and 19%. There were 302 mixtures (significantly associated with urban land use) that had a detection frequency between 1% and <2%. Only 14 compounds (seven VOCs, six pesticides, and nitrate) contributed over 95% of the detections in these 402 mixtures; however, most samples with these mixtures also contain a variety of other compounds.     

On-line NIR analysis of fat, water and protein in industrial scale ground meat batches

Fat, water and protein contents in industrial scale meat batches were determined on-line by near infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy. The NIR instrument was mounted at the outlet of a large meat grinder, and the measurements were performed in an industrial environment. Beef and pork samples, with chemical compositions of 7-26% fat, 58-75% water and 15-21% protein, were processed with hole diameters of 13mm in the grinder plate. Calibrations were made both for a combined set of beef and pork samples, and for separate sets of beef and pork samples. Validations were either done by full cross validation of the calibration set, or by bias corrected prediction of a test set. Prediction errors for the two sample sets, expressed as root mean square errors of cross validation or standard error of prediction, were in the ranges 0.82-1.49% fat, 0.94-1.33% water and 0.35-0.70% protein, depending of sample set and species of animal. The presented application is an improvement to the existing manual meat standardisation procedure, and has been implemented for regular use in a Norwegian meat manufacturing plant.     

A survey of microbial levels for incoming raw beef,environmental sources,and ground beef in a red meat processing plant

A microbial survey was performed for a midwestern red meat processing plant that produces retail cuts and ground beef. Samples were obtained from incoming ingredients, beef during processing, finished product, food contact and environmental surfaces, and the air. Aerobic plate count (APC), coliform count (CC), andEscherichia colicount (ECC) were determined for each sample. Product samples (25 g) were taken from beef carcasses, boxed beef, and ground beef. Swab samples (10 cm²) were obtained from food surfaces, food contact surfaces, floors, and walls. All samples were plated on aerobic plate count Petrifilm (for APC) andE. coliPetrifilm (for CC and ECC). Average log₁₀APC for product samples ranged from 3 cfu g⁻¹for retail cuts to nearly 7 cfu g⁻¹for boxed beef and the brisket and flank areas of beef carcasses. Average log₈APC for ground beef samples was 4.6 cfu g⁻¹. Average log₁₀CC for product samples ranged from 1.4–2.3 cfu g⁻¹. Highest CC was usually obtained from the brisket area of the beef carcass. Average log₁₀ECC ranged from <1–2 cfu g⁻¹and ECC was usually highest in finished ground beef. Average surface counts for log₁₀APC ranged from <1 cfu cm⁻²on sanitized processing equipment to 5 cfu cm⁻²on processing floors. Coliforms andE. coliwere rarely recovered from food contact surfaces or from food surfaces. Airborne log₁₀APC was generally low (0.6 cfu m⁻³), except for the carcass receiving area where counts were 2.4 cfu m⁻³. The most important factor contributing to source and level of microbial contamination for ground beef and retail cuts was from incoming raw materials obtained from different suppliers of beef. Microbial testing for beef products and the environment is an important tool for identifying and monitoring potential hazards as part of HACCP and GMP program development.     

Inter-zonal tradable discharge permit system to control water pollution in Tianjin, China

In recent years, Chinese environmental authorities have expressed interest in the use of Tradable Discharge Permits (TDP) as a regulatory instrument to control pollutant emissions. Environmental professionals still have not had enough experience, however, in designing and managing TDP systems, especially for non-uniformly dispersed pollutants. As an empirical study, this paper proposes an interzonal TDP system and analyzes its effectiveness in cost savings and environmental protection for reducing water pollutant COD (chemical oxygen demand) in Tianjin, China. Zonal permit system (ZPS) and emission permit system (EPS) are discussed for comparison. The inter-zonal TDP system is demonstrated to improve cost efficiency by allowing permit trades between zones, as long as water quality constraints are satisfied. The transactions are assumed to proceed in a multilateral sequential way and are simulated with a circularly running linear programming (LP) model. The simulation of permit transactions among 20 firms shows that to reach the same COD removal target, ZPS, interzonal TDP system, and EPS lowered the total reduction cost by 12.8%, 14.6%, and 15.8%, respectively. EPS, however, brought about "hot spots" problem. Finally, the transaction costs and the sensitivity of the three TDP systems to changes in both COD reduction rate and the initial permit allocation are discussed, and policy implications are addressed.     

双系统离子色谱同时测定饮用水中氨氮、亚硝酸盐和硝酸盐的含量

建立准确、快速测定饮用水中氨氮、亚硝酸盐和硝酸盐含量的方法。方法 水样经0.22μm微孔滤膜过滤后,部分含盐量高的水样采用固相萃取柱净化,通过阴、阳离子双系统离子色谱仪,分别以氢氧化钾和甲烷磺酸作为流动相,高容量阴、阳离子交换色谱柱分离,抑制型电导检测器检测得到数据。结果 对水样进行6次平行测定,加标回收率为89.6%～101.5%,RSD为5.7%～8.0%,方法检出限为0.001～0.002mg/L。结论 该方法操作简便、快速、选择性好,检测限可满足饮用水水质分析的要求。     

Effect of water,fat, and salt contents on heating uniformity and color of ground beef subjected to radio frequency thawing process

The comminuted meat products are popular and important in the global market. Radio frequency (RF) heating has been proposed as a new alternative method for thawing bulk frozen comminuted meat products with the main advantages of rapid and volumetric heating. However, the temperature non-uniformity is the main obstacle for its industrial applications. In the present study, effects of the level of added water (15–25%), fat (15–25%) and salt (0.1–1.0%) on the heating uniformity and color of ground beef were investigated using a 6 kW 27.12 MHz RF system during thawing process. The results showed that added water had a negative impact on the RF heating uniformity, and a positive impact on beef color. Fat had a major negative effect on the RF heating uniformity and a positive impact on the lightness of the beef sample. The high salt content had a positive influence on the RF heating uniformity, and a significant negative effect on L* value of beef samples. The results may provide some potential methods to improve the RF heating uniformity and quality of food during RF thawing processing.     

Effect of the application of cow slurry to grassland on nitrate levels in soil and soil water contents

The effect of a single heavy dressing of unamended cow slurry, applied to grassland in early spring (March), on nitrate levels and moisture contents in the soil profile have been examined for a 12 month period after the application. The slurry was allowed to remain on the soil surface until late autumn, when it was cultivated and a pasture re-established. Nitrate accumulated in the slurry and surface soil over spring, summer and autumn: the amount found in the slurry and 0–20 cm depth of soil in October (172 kg N/ha) accounted for 9% of the total-N originally added in the slurry. Significant leaching of nitrate into the subsoil did not occur until the soil was subsequently rewetted to field capacity in late autumn and winter. The layer of slurry on the soil surface restricted moisture losses from the soil during summer to less than one half of those under untreated grassland. Restricted aeration under the slurry is considered to be an important factor in delaying nitrification and stimulating anaerobic activity in the soil so that deep leaching of nitrate may not be likely for several months after a heavy application.     

Microbial respiration and diffusive transport of O2, 16O2, and 18O15O in unsaturated soils and geologic sediments

Molecular oxygen (O2) in unsaturated geologic sediments plays an important role in soil respiration, biodegradation of organic contaminants, metal oxidation, and global oxygen and carbon cycling, yet little is known about oxygen isotope fractionation during the consumption and transport of O2 in unsaturated zones. We used a laboratory kinetic cell technique to quantify isotope fractionation due to respiration and a numerical model to quantify both consumptive and diffusive fractionation of O2 isotopes at a field site comprised of unsaturated lacustrine sandy materials. The combined use of laboratory-based kinetic cell experiments and field-based isotope transport modeling provided an effective tool to characterize microbial respiration in unsaturated media. Based on results from the closed-system kinetic cells, O2 consumption and isotope fractionation were attributed to the alternative cyanide-resistant respiration pathway. At the field site, the modeled depth profiles for O2 and delta18O matched the measured in situ data and confirmed that the consumption of O2 was via the alternative respiration pathway. If the cyanide-resistant respiration pathway is indeed widespread in soils, its high oxygen isotope enrichment factor could help to explain the discrepancy between the predicted present-day Dole effect (+20.8/1000) and the observed Dole effect (+23.5/1000). Thus, further soil O2 isotope studies are needed to better characterize and model the fractionation of oxygen isotopes during subsurface respiration and the potential impact on the isotopic content of atmospheric O2.     

Factors associated with sources, transport, and fate of chloroform and three other trihalomethanes in untreated groundwater used for drinking water

Multiple lines of evidence for indicating factors associated with the sources, transport, and fate of chloroform and three other trihalomethanes (THMs) in untreated groundwater were revealed by evaluating low-level analytical results and logistic regression results for THMs. Samples of untreated groundwater from wells used for drinking water were collected from 1996-2007 from 2492 wells across the United States and analyzed for chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform by a low-level analytical method implemented in April 1996. Using an assessment level of 0.02 μg/L, chloroform was detected in 36.5% of public-well samples and 17.6% of domestic-well samples, with most concentrations less than 1 μg/L. Brominated THMs occurred less frequently than chloroform but more frequently in public-well samples than domestic-well samples. For both public and domestic wells, THMs occurred most frequently in urban areas. Logistic regression analyses showed that the occurrence of THMs was related to nonpoint sources such as urban land use and to point sources like septic systems. The frequent occurrence and concentration distribution pattern of THMs, as well as their frequent co-occurrence with other organic compounds and nitrate, all known to have anthropogenic sources, and the positive associations between THM occurrence and dissolved oxygen and recharge indicate the recycling of water that contains THMs and other anthropogenic contaminants.     

Concentrated animal feeding operations, row crops, and their relationship to nitrate in eastern Iowa Rivers

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) and fertilizer application to row crops may contribute to poor water quality in surface waters. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated nutrient concentrations and fluxes in four Eastern Iowa watersheds sampled between 1996 and 2004. We found that these watersheds contribute nearly 10% of annual nitrate flux entering the Gulf of Mexico, while representing only 1.5% of the contributing drainage basin. Mass budget analysis shows streamflow to be a major loss of nitrogen (18% of total N output), second only to crop harvest (63%). The major watershed inputs of nitrogen include applied fertilizer for corn (54% of total N input) and nitrogen fixation by soybeans (26%). Despite the relatively small input from animal manure (approximately 5%), the results of spatial analysis indicate that row crop and CAFO densities are significantly and independently correlated to higher nitrate concentration in streams. Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.59 and 0.89 were found between nitrate concentration and row crop and CAFO density, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis produced a correlation for nitrate concentration with an R2 value of 85%. High spatial density of row crops and CAFOs are linked to the highest river nitrate concentrations (up to 15 mg/L normalized over five years).     

Attributing human foodborne illness to food sources and water in Latin America and the Caribbean using data from outbreak investigations

Foodborne pathogens are responsible for an increasing burden of disease worldwide. Knowledge on the contribution of different food sources and water for disease is essential to prioritize food safety interventions and implement appropriate control measures. Source attribution using outbreak data utilizes readily available data from outbreak surveillance to estimate the contribution of different sources to human disease. We developed a probabilistic model based on outbreak data that attributes human foodborne disease by various bacterial pathogens to sources in Latin America and the Caribbean (LA&C). Foods implicated in outbreaks were classified by their ingredients as simple foods (i.e. belonging to one single food category), or complex foods (i.e. belonging to multiple food categories). For each agent, the data from simple-food outbreaks were summarized, and the proportion of outbreaks caused by each category was used to define the probability that an outbreak was caused by a source. For the calculation of the number of outbreaks attributed to each source, simple-food outbreaks were attributed to the single food category in question, and complex-food outbreaks were partitioned to each category proportionally to the estimated probability. We analysed all bacterial pathogens together, focused on important bacterial pathogens separately, and, when data were sufficient, performed analyses by country, decade and location. Between 1993 and 2010, 6313 bacterial outbreaks were reported by 20 countries. In general, the most important sources of bacterial disease were meat, dairy products, water and vegetables in the 1990s, and eggs, vegetables, and grains and beans in the 2000s. We observed fluctuations of the most important sources of disease for each pathogen between decades and countries, which may be a consequence of changes in the control of zoonotic disease over the years, of changes in food consumption habits, or of changes in public health focus and availability of data of different pathogens. This study identified data gaps in the region and highlighted the importance of effective surveillance systems to identify sources of disease. Still, the application of this method for source attribution in the LA&C region was successful, and we concluded that this approach can be used to attribute disease to food sources and water in other regions, including developing regions with limited data on the public health impact of foodborne diseases.     

Verifiable metamodels for nitrate losses to drains and groundwater in the Corn Belt, USA

Nitrate leaching in the unsaturated zone poses a risk to groundwater, whereas nitrate in tile drainage is conveyed directly to streams. We developed metamodels (MMs) consisting of artificial neural networks to simplify and upscale mechanistic fate and transport models for prediction of nitrate losses by drains and leaching in the Corn Belt, USA. The two final MMs predicted nitrate concentration and flux, respectively, in the shallow subsurface. Because each MM considered both tile drainage and leaching, they represent an integrated approach to vulnerability assessment. The MMs used readily available data comprising farm fertilizer nitrogen (N), weather data, and soil properties as inputs; therefore, they were well suited for regional extrapolation. The MMs effectively related the outputs of the underlying mechanistic model (Root Zone Water Quality Model) to the inputs (R(2) = 0.986 for the nitrate concentration MM). Predicted nitrate concentration was compared with measured nitrate in 38 samples of recently recharged groundwater, yielding a Pearson's r of 0.466 (p = 0.003). Predicted nitrate generally was higher than that measured in groundwater, possibly as a result of the time-lag for modern recharge to reach well screens, denitrification in groundwater, or interception of recharge by tile drains. In a qualitative comparison, predicted nitrate concentration also compared favorably with results from a previous regression model that predicted total N in streams.