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Xia Y, Xiao J, Wang W, Li Z. Nitrate dynamics in the streamwater-groundwater interaction system: Sources, fate, and controls. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 918:170574. [PMID: 38311085 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Nitrate (NO3-) pollution has attracted widespread attention as a threat to human health and aquatic ecosystems; however, elucidating the controlling factors behind nitrate dynamics under the context of changeable hydrological processes, particularly the interactions between streamwater and groundwater (SW-GW), presents significant challenges. A multi-tracer approach, integrating physicochemical and isotopic tracers (Cl-, δ2H-H2O, δ18O-H2O, δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-), was employed to identify the response of nitrate dynamics to SW-GW interaction in the Fen River Basin. The streamwater and groundwater NO3- concentrations varied greatly with space and time. Sewage and manure (28 %-73 %), fertilizer (14 %-36 %) and soil organic nitrogen (12 %-28 %) were the main NO3- sources in water bodies. Despite the control of land use type on streamwater nitrate dynamics in losing sections, SW-GW interactions drove NO3- dynamics in both streamwater and groundwater under most circumstances. In gaining streams, streamwater nitrate dynamics were influenced either by groundwater dilution or microbial nitrification, depending on whether groundwater discharge ratios exceeded or fell below 25 %, respectively. In losing streams, groundwater nitrate content increased with streamwater infiltration time, but the influence was mainly limited within 3 km from the river channel. This study provides a scientific basis for the effective management of water nitrate pollution at the watershed scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jun Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Wanzhou Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Zhi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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Qiu Y, Felix JD, Murgulet D, Wetz M, Abdulla H. Isotopic compositions of organic and inorganic nitrogen reveal processing and source dynamics at septic influenced and undeveloped estuary sites. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 925:171749. [PMID: 38494009 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Historically, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) has not been characterized in the nitrogen profiles of most estuaries despite its significant contribution to total nitrogen and projected increase in loading. The characterization of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and DON processing from groundwater to surface water also remains unconstrained. This study attempts to fill in these knowledge gaps by quantifying the DON pool and potential sources in a semiarid, low inflow estuary (Baffin Bay, Texas) using stable isotope techniques. High NO3- and DON concentrations, and high δ15N-NH4+ (+55.0 ± 56.7 ‰), δ15N-NO3- (+23.9 ± 8.6 ‰) and δ15N-DON (+22.3 ± 6.5 ‰) were observed in groundwaters of a septic-influenced estuarine area, indicating coupled septic contamination and nitrification/denitrification. In contrast, groundwater of an undeveloped area provided evidence of inundation by bay water through high NH4+ concentrations and δ15N-NH4+ (+8.4 ± 3.0 ‰) resembling estuary porewater. NH4+ was the dominant nitrogen species in porewater of both areas and δ15N-NH4+ indicated production via organic nitrogen mineralization and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. Surface water had similar nitrogen profiles (DON constituted ∼98 % of dissolved nitrogen pool) and potential source contributions, despite distinct nitrogen processing and profiles found in each water table. This was attributed to low nitrogen removal rates and prolonged mixing associated with long residence time. This study emphasizes the importance of DON in a low-inflow estuary and the isotopic approach to comprehensively examine both inorganic and organic N processing and sources serving as a guide to investigate N cycling in high DON estuaries globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixi Qiu
- Center for Water Supply Studies, Department of Physical and Environmental Science, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - J David Felix
- Center for Water Supply Studies, Department of Physical and Environmental Science, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
| | - Dorina Murgulet
- Center for Water Supply Studies, Department of Physical and Environmental Science, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
| | - Michael Wetz
- Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
| | - Hussain Abdulla
- Center for Water Supply Studies, Department of Physical and Environmental Science, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA
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Qiao Z, Sheng Y, Wang G, Chen X, Liao F, Mao H, Zhang H, He J, Liu Y, Lin Y, Yang Y. Deterministic factors modulating assembly of groundwater microbial community in a nitrogen-contaminated and hydraulically-connected river-lake-floodplain ecosystem. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 347:119210. [PMID: 37801950 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
The river-lake-floodplain system (RLFS) undergoes intensive surface-groundwater mass and energy exchanges. Some freshwater lakes are groundwater flow-through systems, serving as sinks for nitrogen (N) entering the lake. Despite the threat of cross-nitrogen contamination, the assembly of the microbial communities in the RLFS was poorly understood. Herein, the distribution, co-occurrence, and assembly pattern of microbial community were investigated in a nitrogen-contaminated and hydraulically-connected RLFS. The results showed that nitrate was widely distributed with greater accumulation on the south than on the north side, and ammonia was accumulated in the groundwater discharge area (estuary and lakeshore). The heterotrophic nitrifying bacteria and aerobic denitrifying bacteria were distributed across the entire area. In estuary and lakeshore with low levels of oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and high levels of total organic carbon (TOC) and ammonia, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) bacteria were enriched. The bacterial community had close cooperative relationships, and keystone taxa harbored nitrate reduction potentials. Combined with multivariable statistics and self-organizing map (SOM) results, ammonia, TOC, and ORP acted as drivers in the spatial evolution of the bacterial community, coincidence with the predominant deterministic processes and unique niche breadth for microbial assembly. This study provides novel insight into the traits and assembly of bacterial communities and potential nitrogen cycling capacities in RLFS groundwater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Qiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environment Evolution, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China; School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Yizhi Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environment Evolution, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China.
| | - Guangcai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environment Evolution, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China; School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China.
| | - Xianglong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environment Evolution, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China; School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Fu Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environment Evolution, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China; School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Hairu Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environment Evolution, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China; School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Hongyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environment Evolution, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China; School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Jiahui He
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environment Evolution, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China; School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Yingxue Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environment Evolution, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China; School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Yilun Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environment Evolution, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China; School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China
| | - Ying Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology & MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation and Environment Evolution, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China; School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, PR China
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Harris EK, Montagna PA, Douglas AR, Vitale L, Buzan D. Influence of an industrial discharge on long-term dynamics of abiotic and biotic resources in Lavaca Bay, Texas, USA. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 195:40. [PMID: 36301373 PMCID: PMC9613729 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10665-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The current study seeks to identify possible anthropogenic and/or natural environmental stressors that may account for the long-term decline of ecosystem health in Lavaca Bay, Texas, USA. The Formosa Plastics Corporation instituted monitoring of an industrial discharge into the bay with 16 fixed point stations and quarterly sampling from 1993 to 2020. Comprehensive measurements included organic and inorganic solutes in surface water, porewater and sediment, sediment content, plankton, nekton, and infaunal benthos. All parameter trends changed over time due to climate, freshwater inflow events, and/or seasonal changes. Biological community structure and sediment changed with distance from the discharge site. Dominance characterized community structure because three to four taxa comprised > 70% of individuals for nekton (trawl and gill net), phytoplankton, zooplankton, and ichthyoplankton samples. Sediment became sandier over time (48 to 75%) and away from the discharge. Surface water and porewater at reference (R) stations and stations near the discharge site had similar hydrographical and biological trends over time, indicating no long-term impact due to the discharge. However, 99.9% of 424,671 measurements of organic contaminants were non-detectable because the methods were insensitive to ambient concentrations. Thus, it is still not known if contaminants play a role in the long-term decline of ecosystem health in Lavaca Bay. Furthermore, only four R stations were sampled and were all 3810 m from the discharge site, so it is possible that trends in R stations do not represent the natural background. Future studies should include more R stations and lower detection limits for contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth K. Harris
- Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Unit 5869, Corpus Christi, TX 78412 USA
| | - Paul A. Montagna
- Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Unit 5869, Corpus Christi, TX 78412 USA
| | - Audrey R. Douglas
- Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Unit 5869, Corpus Christi, TX 78412 USA
| | - Lisa Vitale
- Freese and Nichols, Inc, 10431 Morado Circle, Bldg. 5, Suite 300, Austin, TX 78759 USA
| | - David Buzan
- Freese and Nichols, Inc, 10431 Morado Circle, Bldg. 5, Suite 300, Austin, TX 78759 USA
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Zhang T, Zhuang X, Ahmad S, Lee T, Cao C, Ni SQ. Investigation of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in urban river network along the Huangpu River, China: rates, abundances, and microbial communities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:23823-23833. [PMID: 34820753 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17475-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) is an essential intermediate step in the nitrogen cycle, and different sediment physicochemical properties can affect the DNRA process. But the detailed research on the environmental nitrogen cycling in urban river networks based on DNRA communities and the functional gene nrfA is lacking. In this study, the flow line of the Huangpu River in Shanghai was analyzed using isotope tracer, quantitative real-time PCR, and high-throughput sequencing techniques to evaluate the role of DNRA on the stability of the river network and marine. The significant positive correlation between the rate of DNRA and sediment organic carbon was identified. At the genus level, Anaeromyxobacter is the most dominant. Notably, both heterotrophic and autotrophic DNRA species were discovered. This study added diversity to the scope of urban freshwater river network ecosystem studies by investigating the distribution of DNRA bacteria along the Huangpu River. It provided new insights into the biological nitrogen cycle of typical urban inland rivers in eastern China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, Shandong, China
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China
- Institute of Light Textile and Medicial Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, Shandong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Xuming Zhuang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, Shandong, China
| | - Shakeel Ahmad
- Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Taeho Lee
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pusan National University, Pusan, 609-735, Republic of Korea
| | - Chengbo Cao
- Institute of Light Textile and Medicial Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, Shandong, China.
| | - Shou-Qing Ni
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, Shandong, China.
- Suzhou Research Institute, Shandong University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai, 200241, China.
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Soares M, Campos C, Carneiro P, Barroso H, Marins R, Teixeira C, Menezes M, Pinheiro L, Viana M, Feitosa C, Sánchez-Botero J, Bezerra L, Rocha-Barreira C, Matthews-Cascon H, Matos F, Gorayeb A, Cavalcante M, Moro M, Rossi S, Belmonte G, Melo V, Rosado A, Ramires G, Tavares T, Garcia T. Challenges and perspectives for the Brazilian semi-arid coast under global environmental changes. Perspect Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
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Wang X, Zhang Y, Luo M, Xiao K, Wang Q, Tian Y, Qiu W, Xiong Y, Zheng C, Li H. Radium and nitrogen isotopes tracing fluxes and sources of submarine groundwater discharge driven nitrate in an urbanized coastal area. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 763:144616. [PMID: 33385844 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The quantitative evaluations of nutrients delivered by submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) have been widely conducted worldwide, but sources of nutrients in the discharged submarine groundwater remain unclear. Identifying these sources of nutrients is essential to the protection and management of marine ecological environments. This study aims to evaluate the magnitudes of SGD and the associated nitrate in the Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GHM Greater Bay Area), China, and identify the sources of SGD-driven nitrate in this region using radioactive radium (Ra) isotopes (223Ra, 224Ra, and 228Ra) and stable nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) isotope composition of nitrate (δ15N-NO3- and δ18O-NO3-). The results of the Ra mixing model show that the estimated SGD and the associated nitrate fluxes into the Greater Bay Area are (9.15 ± 1.26) × 108 m3/d and (3.77 ± 0.52) × 107 mol/d, respectively, both of which are comparable to the contributions from the Pearl River. Combing NO3- dual isotopic signatures of sampled coastal groundwater and five kinds of potential nitrate sources, we found that ammonium (NH4+) fertilizer and natural soil N are the two main sources of nitrate in discharged submarine groundwater and rivers. No anthropogenic inputs from manure or sewage waste were identified. This study provides significant insights into the establishment of effective management strategies for controlling SGD-nutrients into the bay and protecting the marine ecological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejing Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Yan Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation & Environment Evolution and School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Manhua Luo
- MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation & Environment Evolution and School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
| | - Kai Xiao
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qianqian Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yong Tian
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wenhui Qiu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ying Xiong
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Chunmiao Zheng
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Hailong Li
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Groundwater Circulation & Environment Evolution and School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China.
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