Factors affecting denitrification during infiltration of river water into a sand and gravel aquifer in Saxony, Germany

River infiltration into a sand and gravel aquifer was investigated to assess the importance of dentrification in maintaining low-NO3- groundwater supplies. Samples from the River Elbe and groundwater sampling points along a section of the aquifer were analysed for dissolved organic carbon, major ions and the N-15/N-14 isotopic ratio of dissolved NO3-. Input of NO3- to the aquifer is influenced by seasonal, temperature-dependent denitrification in the river bed sediments. Along an upper flowpath in the aquifer from the River Elbe to a sampling point at a distance of 55 m, the median NO3- concentration decreased by 4.8 mg litre(-1) and the delta(15)N composition increased by + 9.0%, consistent with denitrification. Similar isotopic enrichment was demonstrated in a laboratory column experiment with a reduction in NO3- of 10.5 mg litre(-1) for an increase in delta(15)N of + 9.8%, yielding an isotopic enrichment factor of -14.6%. A mass balance for denitrification shows that oxidizable organic carbon required for denitrification is derived from both the infiltrating river water and solid organic matter fixed in the river bed sediments and aquifer material. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.