Soil and hydrologic effects on fate and horizontal transport in the capillary fringe of surface-applied nitrate

Substantial horizontal solute transport has been demonstrated to occur in the capillary fringe (CF) above a flowing ground water, yet the importance of the CF for solute movement has generally been ignored. This study was conducted to evaluate the fate and horizontal transport of surface-applied nitrate (NO3−) in the CF under simulated hydrologic conditions that varied flow rates. Two soils of different organic carbon content were packed in separate 240-cm long, 60-cm high and 25-cm thick flow cells. A simulated water table (WT) was established at 20 cm above the bottom of each flow cell and different pore-water velocities across the flow cell were simulated while a solution containing NO3− and bromide (Br−) was continuously applied over a small area on the surface of the soil in the flow cell. Soil solution samples were collected from two depths below the WT and two depths within the CF above the WT at four locations along the flow cell. Subsurface horizontal transport of surface-applied NO3− tended to occur exclusively in the CF as the pore-water velocity was increased. In the flow cell with soil having a small amount of organic carbon (0.3 g kg− 1), normalized concentration of NO3− and Br− remained very comparable at all monitoring locations above and below the WT. Nitrate loss via denitrification in this case was not observed as conditions were oxidizing. In flow cells with soils having an organic carbon content of 35 g kg− 1, some Br− was detected below the WT while NO3− was essentially absent. Conditions below the WT favored NO3− loss via denitrification as reflected by very low redox potentials (< 250 mV). These results suggest that collection of samples from the CF should be considered when monitoring subsurface fate and transport of surface-applied NO3− in locations with laterally moving shallow ground water.

► Surface-applied NO3− may be transported horizontally in the capillary fringe (CF).
► Faster horizontal flow promotes horizontal transport of NO3− in the CF.
► Oxic condition in CF limits denitrification and allows farther NO3− transport in it.
► With enough organic carbon, conditions below the water table encourage NO3− loss.