Gaseous nitrogen as evidence for denitrification in groundwater

By investigating the nitrate, oxygen, nitrogen and argon concentrations and 15N 14N ratios in artesian groundwater with radiocarbon ages ranging up to 27,000 yr. a process of very slow denitrification in a confined aquifer is demonstrated. The calculated nitrogenisotope fractionation factor associated with this reaction is comparable to that reported for bacterial cultures in vitro and in vivo. © 1981.