Determination of Nitrate and Nitrite levels in Soil and Groundwater in Al Hassa Area, Saudi Arabia

(Mohamed Mohamed Jarwani, Mohammed bin Heb)

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Abstract

The levels of nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) contents in soil and groundwater in Al Hassa area, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were determined. Water samples were collected from shallow groundwater at about 3 meters, and deep groundwater of three aquifers at different depths: Neogene (25-150 m), Dammam (260 m) and Umm er Radhuma (450-480 m). Values of NO3- were higher than NO2- in both water and soil samples. Nitrate values were 5.9 and 273.4 ppm in both deep and shallow groundwater, respectively. Significant differences in NO3- contents were found between shallow groundwater and aquifer water samples and also between the three aquifers. However, water samples of soil which received organic farmyard manure fertilized (OM) had an NO3- content of (61.8 ppm) which is significantly less than that which received OM+ urea (104.3 ppm). Four types of nitrogen fertilized soil were employed, (virgin soil (V), organic farmyard manure (OM), urea (U) and organic farmyard manure + urea (OM+U)). Soil samples were collected from three depths (0-25, 25-50 and 50-75 cm). Data showed that, the concentrations of NO3- have increased in the following order: VOMUOM+U. The mean values were 3.93, 21.9, 26.6 and 45.2 ppm for V, OM, U and OM+U soils, respectively. The highest value was recorded in the third depth of V, U, and OM+U soils.
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