The stable isotopic compositions of nitrate dissolved in 49 brands of bottled drinking water collected worldwide were measured, to trace the fate of atmospheric nitrate (NO<sub>3<sup>−</sup> atm</sub>) that had been deposited into subaerial ecosystems, using the <sup>17</sup>O anomalies (Δ<sup>17</sup>O) of nitrate as tracers. The use of bottled water enables collection of groundwater recharged at natural, background watersheds. The nitrate in groundwater had small Δ<sup>17</sup>O values ranging from −0.2‰ to +4.5‰ <i>n</i> = 49). The average Δ<sup>17</sup>O value and average mixing ratio of atmospheric nitrate to total nitrate in the groundwater samples were estimated to be 0.8‰ and 3.1%, respectively. These findings indicated that the majority of atmospheric nitrate had undergone biological processing before being exported from the surface ecosystem to the groundwater. Moreover, the concentrations of atmospheric nitrate were estimated to range from less than 0.1 μmol L<sup>−1</sup> to 8.5 μmol L<sup>−1</sup> with higher NO<sub>3<sup>−</sup>atm</sub> concentrations being obtained for those recharged in rocky, arid or elevated areas with little vegetation and lower NO<sub>3<sup>−</sup>atm</sub> concentrations being obtained for those recharged in forested areas with high levels of vegetation. Additionally, many of the NO<sub>3<sup>−</sup>atm</sub>-depleted samples were characterized by elevated δ<sup>15</sup>N values of more than +10‰. Uptake by plants and/or microbes in forested soils subsequent to deposition and the progress of denitrification within groundwater likely plays a significant role in the removal of NO<sub>3<sup>−</sup>atm</sub>.