Eutrophication Of Surface Waters Research Articles

Picoplanktonic methane production in eutrophic surface waters

Abstract. Over the past decade, extensive research has delved into the methane (CH4) paradox, which involves aerobic CH4 production. We present noteworthy observations of CH4 oversaturation within the surface layer of the central Chile upwelling zone (36° S, 73° W) over two consecutive seasonal cycles (2018–2021). Complementing these observations, CH4 cycling experiments were conducted, utilizing distinct plankton fractions (encompassing the natural planktonic community, fractions < 150, < 3 and < 0.2 µm), in different productivity periods of phytoplanktonic production and composition throughout the year. Our findings underscore the pivotal role of picoplankton (< 3 µm) in CH4 production on the ocean surface, contrasting with the limited contribution of larger microorganisms (< 150 µm). Notably, incubations with methylated substrates, such as methylphosphonic acid (MPn) and trimethylamine (TMA), induce heightened CH4 production within the picoplanktonic fraction. This phenomenon is consistently observed during both upwelling (austral spring–summer) and non-upwelling (winter) seasons, with significance in the latter period, when Synechococcus sp. exhibits notably high relative abundance. Long-term microcosm experiments highlight the crucial roles played by heterotrophic bacteria and cyanobacteria in methylotrophic methanogenesis. This process enhances CH4 production, facilitated by the recycling of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Picoplankton emerges as a pivotal factor influencing the recycling of methylated substrates, and it is responsible for maintaining CH4 supersaturation. These findings provide valuable insights into the biogeochemical processes driving CH4 dynamics, particularly in highly productive upwelling areas.

The Effects of Annual Compost Addition to Agricultural Green Roofs on Runoff Water Quality

Space availability is one of the largest barriers to urban agriculture. One way around this issue that urban farmers in some parts of the world are exploring is moving their farming activities to building rooftops. One method of rooftop farming in use is row agriculture using green roof technology. Vegetable crop plants, which typically require more water and more nutrients than the ornamental species found on green roofs, require irrigation and the use of fertilizers. One nutrient management practice that some rooftop farmers are using is the addition of compost, which could lead to changes over time in the water-holding capacity, organic matter content, and weight of green roof media. This practice and its long-term implications have not been well-studied. Green roof platforms were created to examine how the annual additions of compost in quantities of 0, 0.33, 0.66, and 1 kg/m2 affect runoff water quality and green roof media properties. Runoff water samples were collected and analyzed for pH, conductivity, color, turbidity, and nitrate nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus, and potassium contents. Compost treatment had no effect on any water quality metric except for color, which had slightly different changes over time in the different compost treatments. The lack of difference among the treatments may be attributed to the low nutrient content of the compost and continued use of fertilizers to provide nutrients. Most samples observed in this study exceeded the US Environmental Protection Agency water quality guidelines for nitrate nitrogen and phosphorus and were similar to values observed in the green roof literature regarding agricultural and ornamental green roofs. This has potential implications for surface water quality and eutrophication, especially as green roof agriculture increases.

Phosphorus removal from agricultural tile drainage effluent with activated alumina in novel adsorption reactors.

Subsurface tile drains under agricultural field crops are a major source of phosphorus (P) discharge to aquatic ecosystems, contributing to the eutrophication of surface waters. Adsorption reactors for P removal from drainage water (P-reactors) could reduce P outflow from agricultural land but were rarely studied in cold, temperate climates. In our study, four low-cost P-reactors were installed in agricultural fields in south-central Québec, Canada. Activated alumina (AA) beads were used as P-adsorptive material, and the reactors were connected to tile drain outlets. Paired water samples (39 events) from reactor inlets and outlets were analyzed for P species and other physicochemical parameters during one calendar year to assess the P removal from tile drain effluent in the P-reactors. Collectively, the P-reactors retained approximately half (48%) of the total mass of P flowing through the tile drains, mostly (92%) as particulate P. The mass of AA beads adsorbed 11% of the dissolved-P fractions. Results are interpreted in the context of the field drainage area and will require adjustments to the P-reactor design to accommodate larger fields. The P-reactors remained structurally intact throughout all four seasons in a cold temperate climate, showing the potential of simple, inexpensive P-reactors to reduce P concentration in tile drain effluent.

A short history of the phosphorus index and Andrew Sharpley's contributions from inception through development and implementation.

In the 1980s, growing recognition of agricultural phosphorus (P) sources to surface water eutrophication led to scrutiny of animal feeding operations. In 1990, the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) invited prominent scientists to find a solution. It was at an initial meeting that Dr. Andrew Sharpley suggested that P assessment could be modeled after the Universal Soil Loss Equation, where a matrix of factors influencing P loss would be associated with farm nutrient management recommendations. After codifying the P assessment into the USDA-NRCS 590 Nutrient Management Standard some 10years later, 48 states chose to develop their own P Index. Sharpley, working with many others, helped develop several state P Indices. In 2000, Sharpley secured funding from the USDA-Agricultural Research Service to support the National P Research Project, which conducted in-field P runoff assessments using standardized rainfall simulated studies across 20 states; this allowed individual trials to be aggregated for agroecological regions that were then incorporated into specific state P Indices. Eventually, comparison of P Indices across state boundaries led to a white paper at the behest of USDA-NRCS that resulted in three regional projects evaluating modeling approaches to support or replace P Indices. Sharpley's national umbrella project pointed to shortcomings in water quality models, such as APEX or TBET, as a replacement for state P Indices, which remain a key part of the USDA-590 standard. As a selfless leader, capable of attracting and assembling diverse, productive interdisciplinary teams, Sharpley was essential to the inception, development, and implementation of the P Index.

The threat of groundwater pollution for petrifying springs; defining nutrient threshold values for an endangered bryophyte dominated habitat

Eutrophication by human activities is increasingly affecting ecosystem functioning and plant community composition. So far, studies mainly focus on the effects of atmospheric nitrogen deposition, surface water eutrophication or soil nutrient accumulation. Groundwater pollution of spring habitats, however, has received much less attention, although numerous papers report groundwater nutrient enrichment worldwide. This study presents a survey on groundwater pollution (with emphasis on nitrate and phosphate) and bryophyte composition in 51 ambient petrifying springs in 5 NW European countries, which were compared to published data from 173 other sites in 11 European countries.The reviewed dataset covers a broad range of unpolluted to heavily polluted springs with nitrate concentrations between 0.7 and 3227 μmol l−1. Most petrifying springs in the rural lowlands of NW Europe were found to have elevated concentrations of nitrate and phosphate with the most polluted springs occurring in The Netherlands.The cover of individual characteristic bryophyte species significantly correlates with groundwater nutrient concentrations indicating that nutrient pollution of spring waters affects bryophyte composition. Palustriella commutata, Eucladium verticillatum and Brachythecium rivulare prefer unpolluted petrifying springs whereas Cratoneuron filicinum and Pellia endiviifolia show a much broader tolerance to groundwater pollution. In order to sustain at least the basic conditions for the typical bryophyte composition of petrifying springs habitats, threshold values of 288 μmol (18 mg l−1) NO3− l−1 and 0.42 μmol (0.04 mg l−1) ortho-PO43- l−1 were defined.Data analysis of the spring water composition indicates that the main source for nutrient and nutrient induced base cation enrichment are nitrate losses from intensively used agricultural fields. The anthropogenically induced but regionally different chemical processes in subsoil and aquifers can result in different levels of nutrient pollution in springs.Further regulations for nitrate and phosphate application are required to conserve and restore groundwater fed ecosystems in Europe.

Interpretable CEEMDAN-FE-LSTM-transformer hybrid model for predicting total phosphorus concentrations in surface water

The complexity of the biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus in lakes makes it challenging to produce efficient and accurate predictions of total phosphorus (TP) concentrations. In this study, a hybrid model is developed for TP predictions. This model combines the Complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise, Fuzzy entropy, Long short-term memory, and Transformer (CF-LT). The introduction of data split-frequency reconstruction effectively solves the problems of over- and underfitting suffered by previous machine learning models in the face of high-dimensional data, while an attention mechanism overcomes the inability of these models to establish long-term dependencies between data when making long-term predictions. The CF-LT model is applied to predict TP concentrations from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2020, at Yaoxiangqiao, Zhihugang, and Guanduqiao, three national water quality monitoring stations at the inlet of Taihu Lake, China. Moreover, the Shapley additive explanations are used to interpret the CF-LT model and identify the essential input features. The prediction results demonstrate that the CF-LT model achieves a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.37–0.87 on the test dataset, representing an improvement of 0.05–0.17 (6%-85%) over the control models. In addition, the CF-LT model provides the best peak value predictions. The model interpretation results indicate that the turbidity and total nitrogen are the essential factors influencing TP predictions. This demonstrates that the TP concentrations at the inlet of Taihu Lake are closely related to the non-point pollution discharge and the status of aquatic plants. It's worth noting that these two indicators exert a more significant influence on the prediction of TP during wet season. This work provides a viable modeling strategy for predicting TP concentrations and guidance for early warning and treatment of surface water eutrophication in the Taihu Lake basin.

Influences of dietary-reduced nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) on chemical body composition, N and P retention and health traits of contemporary barrows

ABSTRACT Farmgate balances are used as a tool for monitoring nutrient surpluses at farm level. In Germany, preparation of farmgate balances is legally mandatory and also requires data on chemical body composition, especially concentration of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), of farm animals. It is well known that increased N and P efficiency results in lowered N and P excretions with the manure and therefore mitigates negative consequences of high N and P release into the environment (e.g. eutrophication of surface waters), especially in areas with high livestock density. In this context, feeding N- and P-reduced diets can be a strategy for increasing N and P efficiency in fattening pigs. To investigate the influence of N- and P-reduced diets on chemical body composition of barrows and to update current used data basis, 8 barrows were slaughtered after a balance trial and their bodies were subjected to full body analysis. During the balance trial, pigs received the control diet (CON) meeting common nutrient requirements or the N- and P-reduced diet (NPred) in a three-phased feeding regimen (n = 4/diet, 3 weeks/phase). Pigs were slaughtered with an average live weight (LW) of 123.3 ± 7.5 kg and carcasses were manually dissected in four fractions. Fractions were analysed for nutrient concentration. Furthermore, organs were weighed individually and blood serum was sampled during exsanguination. Serum samples were analysed for clinical-chemical traits. Chemical body composition did not significantly differ between NPred- and CON-fed pigs. N concentration was 23.3 ± 0.3 and 24.5 ± 1.0 g/kg, P concentration was 5.2 ± 0.1 and 5.5 ± 0.4 g/kg in the empty body of NPred- and CON-fed pigs (p = 0.073, 0.164). N and P retention between the experiment’s start and slaughter did not differ between the feeding groups (p = 0.641, 0.240). Variables related to liver integrity, energy metabolism and electrolytes were similar between CON- and NPred-fed pigs. Traits related to protein metabolism showed significantly reduced concentrations of urea and albumin in NPred-fed pigs (p = 0.013, 0.025), but no hypoalbuminaemia. Results suggest that N- and P-reduced feeding does not significantly affect chemical body composition of contemporary barrows.

Analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from the surface of the reservoir

The article examines the relationship between the release of greenhouse gases and the level of eutrophication and toxicity of a water body by monitoring the spatiotemporal level of eutrophication of surface waters of the Pavlovsk reservoir, and determines the eutrophication coefficient, which considers the combined influence of eutrophication and toxicity. The article is devoted to testing the developed method for determining the eutrophication coefficient of surface rivers. The laboratory experiment was carried out in accordance with the approved methodology for determining the toxicity of various water bodies and solutions of chemical substances PND F T 14.1: 2: 4.19-20131. The developed methodology was tested on water bodies experiencing the maximum impact of anthropogenic and technogenic factors. Mathematical processing of data on the content of climatically active gases obtained from field measurements was carried out. It is shown that the proposed method can be used to study the integral toxicity of not only surface and groundwater, but also wastewater. It can record the dynamics of their toxicity in space and time.

Green synthesis of CaxLa1-xMnO3 with modulation of mesoporous and vacancies for efficient low concentration phosphate adsorption

Phosphate concentrations in eutrophic surface waters are usually low, and efficient removal of low concentration phosphate remains a challenge. In this study, Ca-doped LaMnO3 synthesized at doping ratios, designated as CaxLa1-xMnO3 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.7), were compared. It was found that, the adsorption capacity of Ca0.4La0.6MnO3 material reached 63.01 mg/g at pH = 5, increased by 63.6% over the undoped LaMnO3 perovskite. For long-term adsorption, Ca0.4La0.6MnO3 could constantly adsorb phosphate to avoid phosphate accumulation (<0.05 mg/L). This proves that Ca0.4La0.6MnO3 has the ability to control dynamic water eutrophication. Characterization and density functional theory results confirmed that CaxLa1-xMnO3 can increase the content of mesopores and oxygen vacancies, providing additional active sites. This reduces the adsorption energy of the La site, promotes electron transfer, and increases its affinity. It provides a new method for removing low-concentration phosphates.

State of the Art and New Technologies to Recycle the Fertigation Effluents in Closed Soilless Cropping Systems Aiming to Maximise Water and Nutrient Use Efficiency in Greenhouse Crops

Inappropriate fertilisation results in the pollution of groundwater with nitrates and phosphates, eutrophication in surface water, emission of greenhouse gasses, and unwanted N deposition in natural environments, thereby harming the whole ecosystem. In greenhouses, the cultivation in closed-loop soilless culture systems (CLSs) allows for the collection and recycling of the drainage solution, thus minimising contamination of water resources by nutrient emissions originating from the fertigation effluents. Recycling of the DS represents an ecologically sound technology as it can reduce water consumption by 20–35% and fertiliser use by 40–50% in greenhouse crops, while minimising or even eliminating losses of nutrients, thereby preventing environmental pollution by NO3− and P. The nutrient supply in CLSs is largely based on the anticipated ratio between the mass of a nutrient absorbed by the crop and the volume of water, expressed as mmol L−1, commonly referenced to as “uptake concentration” (UC). However, although the UCs exhibit stability over time under optimal climatic conditions, some deviations at different locations and different cropping stages can occur, leading to the accumulation or depletion of nutrients in the root zone. Although these may be small in the short term, they can reach harmful levels when summed up over longer periods, resulting in serious nutrient imbalances and crop damage. To prevent large nutrient imbalances in the root zone, the composition of the supplied nutrient solution must be frequently readjusted, taking into consideration the current nutrient status in the root zone of the crop. The standard practice to estimate the current nutrient status in the root zone is to regularly collect samples of drainage solution and determine the nutrient concentrations through chemical analyses. However, as results from a chemical laboratory are available several days after sample selection, there is currently intensive research activity aiming to develop ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) for online measurement of the DS composition in real-time. Furthermore, innovative decision support systems (DSSs) fed with the analytical results transmitted either offline or online can substantially contribute to timely and appropriate readjustments of the nutrient supply using as feedback information the current nutrient status in the root zone. The purpose of the present paper is to review the currently applied technologies for nutrient and water recycling in CLSs, as well as the new trends based on ISEs and novel DSSs. Furthermore, a specialised DSS named NUTRISENSE, which can contribute to more efficient management of nutrient supply and salt accumulation in closed-loop soilless cultivations, is presented.

The fate of nitrogen from different sources in a rice-wheat rotation system – A 15N labeling study

High loss and low nitrogen (N) efficiency in agricultural production is severe. Also, ammonia volatilization and N leaching aggravated environmental pollution. The eutrophication of surface water and the emissions of N2O increased, hence green fertilization management urgently needs to be rationalized. Coordinating N supply from different sources has been shown to reduce environmental pollution. Therefore, this study was dedicated to clarifying the transport of N sources in the rice-wheat rotation system. The stable isotope tracer technology was used to label fertilizer (F), soil (T), and straw (J) with 15N, respectively. The utilization of N by crops (the N ratio in organs), as well as the residual N in soil and loss status, were measured. According to the potential of response to N, all the wheat cultivars were divided into groups with high (HNV) and low efficiency (LNV). The N contribution ratio showed that 43.28%~45.70% of total N accumulation was from T, while 30.11%~41.73% and 13.82%~24.19% came from F and J. The trend in soil N residue (T &amp;gt; F &amp;gt; J) was consistent with the above, while it was the opposite in N loss (T&amp;lt; F&amp;lt; J). The seasonal effectiveness showed that T achieved the highest N utilization efficiency (31.83%~44.69%), followed by F (21.05%~39.18%) and J (11.02%~16.91%). The post-season sustainability showed that T decreased the most in soil N residue (2.08%~12.53%), and F decreased the most in N accumulation (9.64%~18.13%). However, J showed an increase in N recovery rate (2.87%~5.89%). N translocation and distribution showed that N from different sources in grains was significantly higher than that in stems, glumes, and leaves. The ratio of HNV (75.14%~79.62%) was higher than that of LNV (71.90%~74.59%) in grain, while it was the opposite in other organs. Plant N accumulation, soil N supply, and straw N transformation were determined jointly by the three N sources, thus reducing N loss and N2O production. Therefore, the results will highlight the insights for constructing local N and emission reduction models.

Significant floral changes across the Permian-Triassic and Triassic-Jurassic transitions induced by widespread wildfires

Wildfires are a major source of perturbations to the Earth’s system and have important implications for understanding long-term interactions between the global environment, climate, and organisms. In this study, current evidence for global warming, wildfires, and floral changes across the Permian-Triassic (P-T) and Triassic-Jurassic (T-J) transitions were reviewed, and their relationships were discussed. Available evidence suggests that global plant community turnover and the decline in plant diversity across the P-T and T-J boundaries were primarily driven by widespread wildfires. The Siberian Large Igneous Province and Central Atlantic Magmatic Province released large amounts of isotopically light CO2 into the atmospheric system, contributing to global warming and increased lightning activity. This ultimately led to an increase in the frequency and destructiveness of wildfires, which have significantly contributed to the deterioration of terrestrial ecosystems, the turnover of plant communities, and the decline in plant diversity. Furthermore, frequent wildfires also constitute an important link between land and ocean/lake crises. Large amounts of organic matter particles and nutrients from the weathering of bedrock after wildfires are transported to marine/lake systems through runoff, contributing to the eutrophication of surface water and the disappearance of aerobic organisms, as well as hindering the recovery of aquatic ecosystems. These wildfire feedback mechanisms provide an important reference point for environmental and climatic changes in the context of current global warming. Therefore, the interplay between global warming, wildfires, and biological changes and their feedback mechanisms needs to be fully considered when assessing current and future risks to the Earth’s surface systems.

Acidification increases efficiency of Lemna minor N and P recovery from diluted cattle slurry

Livestock slurry is high in N and P and as such is a valuable fertiliser, however, poorly timed or overapplication can result in the eutrophication of surface water. As a result, the agricultural industry is subject to increasingly stringent slurry management regulations, leading to interest in novel methods of recovering nutrients from wastewater. This study investigated the potential for using Lemna minor to recover N and P from slurry over a five-week trial, assessing whether previously reported increased growth on acidified wastewater translates into greater nutrient removal. It was hypothesised that acidifying diluted slurry with H2SO4 would lead to greater (i) reductions in total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and PO43- concentrations and (ii) cumulative N and P uptake by L. minor, relative to unamended diluted slurry (control). Consistent with previous studies, L. minor growth was significantly higher in the acidified treatment relative to the control, with greater reductions in PO43- concentrations also observed in the acidified treatment. Contrary to the first hypothesis, the same was not observed for TAN, where final concentrations were lowest in the control despite poor growth on this medium. Consistent with the second hypothesis, greater cumulative L. minor N uptake over the five-week trial was observed from the acidified treatment, with L. minor uptake accounting for 94.8 % of the reduction in inorganic N concentration, relative to 7.5 % in the control. Cumulative P recovery from the acidified treatment was also significantly higher than in the control, with L. minor uptake accounting for 99.5 % of the reduction in the inorganic P concentration of the acidified diluted slurry, relative to only 18 % in the control. Our findings have important implications for the operation of duckweed growing systems in practice. We show that lowering pH enabled efficient PO43- recovery, to the point where its concentrations may have been limiting to growth. Lowering pH also increased the proportion of N and P removal directly attributable to L. minor uptake, increasing the efficiency of the nutrient recovery process whilst also minimising the amount of N lost via other pathways such as gaseous emissions.

Agritech to Tame the Nitrogen Cycle.

While the Haber-Bosch process for N-fixation has enabled a steady food supply for half of humanity, substantial use of synthetic fertilizers has caused a radical unevenness in the global N-cycle. The resulting increases in nitrate production and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have contributed to eutrophication of both ground and surface waters, the growth of oxygen minimum zones in coastal regions, ozone depletion, and rising global temperatures. As stated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, agriculture releases ∼9.3 Gt CO2 equivalents per year, of which methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) account for 5.3 Gt CO2 equivalents. N-pollution and slowing the runaway N-cycle requires a combined effort to replace chemical fertilizers with biological alternatives, which after a 10-yr span of usage could eliminate a minimum of 30% of ag-related GHG emissions (∼1.59 Gt), protect waterways from nitrate pollution, and protect soils from further deterioration. Agritech solutions include bringing biological fertilizers and biological nitrification inhibitors to the marketplace to reduce the microbial conversion of fertilizer nitrogen into GHGs and other toxic intermediates. Worldwide adoption of these plant-derived molecules will substantially elevate nitrogen use efficiency by crops while blocking the dominant source of N2O to the atmosphere and simultaneously protecting the biological CH4 sink. Additional agritech solutions to curtail N-pollution, soil erosion, and deterioration of freshwater supplies include soil-free aquaponics systems that utilize improved microbial inocula to enhance nitrogen use efficiency without GHG production. With adequate and timely investment and scale-up, microbe-based agritech solutions emphasizing N-cycling processes can dramatically reduce GHG emissions on short time lines.

Action Mechanism of Bacillus on Microalgae During Nitrogen Metabolism in Urban Tailwater

To improve deep denitrification of black and odorous water and improve the quality of surface water, we studied the characteristics of nitrogen metabolism and denitrification of urban tailwater by microalgae (Z), Bacillus (Y), and Bacillus microalgae (ZY). The results showed that there was a good removal effect of ammonia nitrogen of group Z and group ZY in urban tailwater. The degradation rate of both groups reached 95%. The best effect on the removal of nitrite nitrogen was of group Z in urban tailwater. The combined action of Bacillus and Micrococcus played a relatively strong and stable effect on the conversion of nitrite nitrogen to nitrate nitrogen in the nitrogen cycle reaction. Bacillus could effectively remove nitrate nitrogen and improve the removal efficiency of nitrate nitrogen by microalgae. Best removal effect of nitrate nitrogen was observed in group ZY in urban tailwater, with a degradation rate as high as 99%, in which the nitrate nitrogen was removed almost completely. The Bacteria with high proportions in Z were Chroococcidiopsis_PCC_7203 (24.38%), uncultured_bacterium-g_norank_f_A4b (23.65%), Exiguobacteriu (7.09%), Leptolyngbya_PCC-6306(9.41%), and Bacillus (1.99%). The bacteria with high proportions in ZY were Brevibacillus (22.94%), Clostridium (8.78%), and Bacillus (4.88%), and the proportion of Chroococcidiopsis_PCC_7203 was only 7.84% in ZY, which was considerably lower than that in Z samples. The conclusions were as follows:microalgae could effectively remove ammonia nitrogen in the system. Bacillus and microalgae had very good removal effect of ammonia nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen. During the nitrogen removal of black and odorous water by algae, the Bacillus inhibited the excessive growth of microalgae and prevented eutrophication and black odor in water. This study can provide data support for the deep treatment of urban tail water and prevention of surface water eutrophication.

Effects of benthic bioturbation on anammox in nitrogen removal at the sediment-water interface in eutrophic surface waters.

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) significantly contributes to nitrogen loss in freshwater ecosystems. The sediment-water interface (SWI), known as a "hot spot" for anammox, also harbors numerous macroinvertebrates. However, the impact of their bioturbation on anammox has generally been overlooked. This study compared the effects of three representative macroinvertebrates (i.e., Propsilocerus akamusi, Branchiura sowerbyi and Radix swinhoei) with different bioturbation modes on anammox and the N-removal processes at the SWI by using a microcosmic system. The results demonstrated that all three benthic macroinvertebrates promoted anammox in addition to denitrification processes. The highest N-removal was achieved in the presence of P. akamusi considered as a gallery-diffuser, where the relative abundance of Planctomycetes (to which the anammox bacteria belong) increased by 70%. P. akamusi increased the abundance of anammox hzsB gene by 2.58-fold and promoted potential anammox rate by 12.79nmol N g-1 h-1, which in turn facilitated total N-removal mass increased by 2.42-fold. In the presence of B. sowerbyi and R. swinhoei, the potential anammox rates increased by 4.81 and 5.57nmol N g-1 h-1, respectively. These results underscore the substantial impact of macroinvertebrates on anammox and N-removal processes, highlighting their crucial role in N pollution control, and sustaining the overall health and stability of eutrophic water bodies.

Nitrogen removal performance in roadside stormwater bioretention cells amended with drinking water treatment residuals.

Bioretention cells, a type of green stormwater infrastructure, have been shown to reduce runoff volumes and remove a variety of pollutants. The ability of bioretention cells to remove nitrogen and phosphorus, however, is variable, and bioretention soil media can act as a net exporter of nutrients. This is concerning as excess loading of nitrogen and phosphorus can lead to eutrophication of surface waters, which green stormwater infrastructure is intended to ameliorate. Drinking water treatment residuals (DWTR), metal (hydr)oxide-rich by-products of the drinking water treatment process, have been studied as an amendment to bioretention soil media due to their high phosphorus sorption capacity. However, very few studies have specifically addressed the effects that DWTRs may have on nitrogen removal performance within bioretention cells. Here, we investigated the effects of DWTR amendment on nitrogen removal in bioretention cells treating stormwater in a roadside setting. We tested the capacity of three different DWTRs to either retain or leach dissolved inorganic nitrogen in the laboratory and also conducted a full-scale field experiment where DWTR-amended bioretention cells and experimental controls were monitored for influent and effluent nitrogen concentrations over two field seasons. We found that DWTRs alone exhibit some capacity to leach nitrate and ammonium, but when integrated into sand- and compost-based bioretention soil media, DWTRs have little to no effect on the removal of nitrogen in bioretention cells. These results suggest that DWTRs can be used in bioretention media for enhanced phosphorus retention without the risk of contributing to nitrogen export in bioretention effluent.

Factors Affecting Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE): Meta Analysis

Nitrogen (N) is an essential and limiting nutrient for crop production, as it is a structural part of plants and is involved in various processes. Worldwide, agricultural soils lack one or more essential nutrients, and nitrogen is one of them. Adding a sufficient amount of N will increase production. However, the overuse of N and loss of N from the soil-plant system is detrimental to the environment and results in economic losses. Nitrogen has reactive forms like ammonia, ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, nitric oxide, and nitrous oxide. Some reactive forms of N are harmful to humans, animals, plants, and microbial ecology. Nitrate can cause the eutrophication of surface water and contamination of groundwater. Drinking nitrate-contaminated water can cause methemoglobinemia and other health issues. Nitrous oxide emission depletes the ozone layer and contributes to climate change. Ammonia emissions contribute to acid rain and are also responsible for nitrous oxide emissions. This review addresses different factors/pathways/circumstances that contribute to the loss of N from the soil-plant system and reduce nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Different factors influence NUE like ammonia volatilization, nitrification, denitrification, immobilization, leaching, runoff, temperature, soil pH, soil texture, rainfall and irrigation, soil salinity, tillage, weeds, pests, diseases, N loss from plants, fires, crop rotation, crop nutrition, crop varieties, and nitrogen management (right time, right source, right place, and right rate/amount).

Conventional soil test phosphorus failed to accurately predict dissolved phosphorus release in agricultural hydromorphic soils in Brittany, Western France

Researches have proved that agricultural phosphorus (P) loss contributes significantly to surface water eutrophication. Various soil test P (STP) methods have been developed to assess the P loss risk from agricultural soils. In the intensively-cultivated Brittany region of Western France, hydromorphic soils in wetland domains exhibit high risks of leaching and transferring dissolved P - the most bio-available form of P - to surface waters. It remains unclear whether STP conventionally developed for well-drained soils can accurately predict the risk of dissolved P release from these hydromorphic soils. In this study, we measured the dissolved reactive P (DRP) concentrations in soil solutions sampled in situ from 26 hydromorphic soils in the Brittany region and examined their relationship with several STPs available on the corresponding soils, such as the degree of soil P saturation, the equilibrium soil P concentration, or the soil Olsen P, Dyer P, and water extractable P contents. DRP concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 0.310 mg P l−1 (mean = 0.075 mg P l−1), highlighting the potential of hydromorphic soils as hotspots for DRP release in agricultural landscapes. Correlations between DRP concentrations and STPs were relatively weak (0.09 < r2 < 0.64), indicating that conventional STPs are generally unable to accurately predict the DRP release risks in hydromorphic soils. Tentatively, Olsen P showed promises as a useful risk indicator, with a relatively high r2 value of 0.6 and wide inclusion in the current STP database, especially in the Brittany region. Nevertheless, this hypothesis requires further evaluation with additional data. This study confirms the high risk of dissolved P release from hydromorphic soils in agricultural wetland domains and emphasizes the need for developing specific risk assessment tools to these hydromorphic soils.

Effect of depositional evolution on phosphorus enrichment in aquifer sediments of alluvial-lacustrine plain

Groundwater with high geogenic phosphorus (P) is increasingly concerned as a potential risk to surface water eutrophication. Although hydrogeochemical processes responsible for P mobilization in groundwater systems have been studied, the burial characteristics of P and the effect of depositional evolution on P enrichment in aquifer sediments remain unclear. In this study, aquifer sediments were collected from the Dongting Lake Plain (DTP) within the central Yangtze River Basin, a high P groundwater area, and the effect of depositional evolution on P enrichment was elucidated by comprehensively analyzing the lithology, grain size, geochronology, and geochemistry of the sediments, coupled with groundwater chemistry and sediment incubation experiments. The results showed that the contents of total organic carbon (TOC), iron (Fe), and P (the relative content of bioavailable phosphorus (BAP)) were higher in lacustrine sediments deposited under a warm-wet climate, but lower in fluvial sediments deposited under a cold-dry climate. During depositional evolution, the sedimentary facies mainly controlled the content of organic phosphorus (OP), while the paleo-climate controlled the content of both OP and Fe-bound inorganic P (FeP), which jointly affected total P content in aquifer sediments. Under the interaction of groundwater and sediment, the reductive dissolution of P-rich Fe (oxyhydr)oxides and the mineralization of OP in sediment continuously release P into groundwater. Notably, the rapid accumulation of alluvial sediments after the Last Glacial Maximum in the DTP and rapid evolution of Dongting Lake during the Holocene led to a large amount of organic matter (OM) and P buried in sediments, providing materials for P release in aquifers, which seriously threatens groundwater quality. This exploration can provide a new understanding of the enrichment of geogenic P in groundwater from the perspective of depositional evolution.