Effects of Nitrogen Input and Aeration on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Pollutants in Agricultural Drainage Ditches

Abstract

Understanding the patterns of greenhouse gas emissions and the changes in pollution load in terrestrial freshwater systems is crucial for accurately assessing the global carbon cycle and overall greenhouse gas emissions. However, current research often focuses on wetlands and rivers, with few studies on agricultural drainage ditches, which are an important part of the agricultural ecosystem. Investigating the greenhouse gas emission patterns and pollution load changes in agricultural drainage ditches can help accurately assess the greenhouse effect of agricultural systems and improve fertilization measures in farmlands. This study explored the effects of nitrogen input and aeration on the pollution load and greenhouse gas emission processes in paddy field drainage ditches. The results showed that aeration significantly reduced the concentration of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+) in the water, decreased the emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4), and slightly increased the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), resulting in an overall reduction of the global warming potential (GWP) by 34.02%. Nitrogen input significantly increased the concentration of ammonium nitrogen in the water, slightly reduced the emissions of N2O and CH4, and increased the CO2 emissions by 46.60%, thereby increasing the GWP by 15.24%. The drainage ditches reduced the pollution load in both the water and sediment, with the overall GWP downstream being 9.34% lower than upstream.