Nitrate　pollution　in　groundwater　is　now　one　of　the　most　important　environmental　problems　all　over　the　world.　For　this　purpose,　a　new　framework　for　risk　screening　and　assessment　of　groundwater　nitrate　was　proposed　according　to　source-pathway-receptor-response　model　to　provide　basic　for　defining　environmental　management　strategies.　The　framework　is　composed　of　groundwater　relative　risk　model　(RRM),　groundwater　contamination　risk　assessment　(CRA),　and　human　health　risk　assessment　(HHRA).　The　framework　is　applied　in　the　lower　Liaohe　river　basin　plain,　northeast　of　China.　The　results　showed　that　the　priority　area　with　high　groundwater　relative　risk　in　study　areawas　successfully　screened　by　RRM.　Furthermore,　the　siteswith　high　human　health　risk　for　public　by　groundwater　nitrate　were　selected　as　hazardous　areas.　This　framework　promotes　systematic　integration　of　risk　assessment　of　groundwater　nitrate　and　expands　traditional　research　on　groundwater　management　from　a　scale-based　approach　to　crucial　insights　into　pollution.　(C)　2019　Elsevier　B.V.　All　rights　reserved.