Porewater Nitrate Concentrations Research Articles

Spatial distribution, sources, and human health risk assessment of elevated nitrate levels in groundwater of an agriculture-dominant coastal area in Hainan Island, China

In order to comprehend the groundwater nitrate contamination in Hainan Island, which is recognized as China's sole “tropical agricultural production base,” the distribution characteristics of nitrate in different aquifers and land-use types were elucidated through hydrochemical and geostatistical analysis methods. Principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) were employed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the nitrate source. The results showed that NO3−-high (>88.57 mg/L) groundwater accounted for about 10 % of the total distribution area of the western coastal area in Hainan Island. Moreover, the proportions of NO3−-high groundwater in pore water and fissure water were 10 % and 7 %, respectively. The order of groundwater nitrate concentration in different land-use types was as follows: bare land, cultivated land, construction land, grassland, and woodland. The main sources of elevated nitrate concentrations in pore water were animal feces and nitrogen/potassium fertilizers, accounting for 45.4 % of the overall contribution. These substances infiltrated through the vadose zone, leaching out and mobilizing selenium within this zone, ultimately leading to the characteristic enrichment patterns observed in pore water, including nitrate, arsenic, potassium, and selenium. Furthermore, the occurrence of high nitrate in fissure water was mainly attributed to the leaching of cultured manure, septic tank leakage, and infiltration of domestic sewage, accounting for a contribution rate of 32.9 %. Simultaneously, under oxidizing conditions, selenium became activated and entered groundwater through water flow, thereby exhibiting common enrichment characteristics with nitrate and potassium in fissure water. In addition, the assessment of human health risks revealed that 16 % and 40 % of groundwater samples posed unacceptable non-carcinogenic risks to adults and children respectively, with a higher risk for local children. The study recommends the reasonable application of chemical fertilizers, as well as the strengthening of sewage treatment capacity and standardized disposal of manure and feces, to reduce nitrate contamination of groundwater at source and ensure the safety of drinking water.

Rye–vetch residue quality and plastic mulch affect soil nitrogen dynamics in vegetable production systems

AbstractCover crops can be an important source of nitrogen (N) for organic vegetable production, but N availability depends on the characteristics of the cover crop residues and crop management practices following termination. A 2‐year field experiment in Michigan investigated (1) how the proportion of cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) sown in a cover crop mixture (seven treatments ranging from 100% rye to 100% vetch plus a no‐cover‐crop control) influences cover crop residue quantity and quality and (2) how rye–vetch residue characteristics and the use of black polyethylene mulch (PM) interact to affect soil N dynamics, crop quality, and yield in bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and slicing cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) production. Positive correlations among pepper marketable yield, leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD), and average soil inorganic N support that N fertility was a key driver of treatment effects. Higher sown proportions of vetch and the use of PM were generally associated with higher vegetable yields and soil N. The magnitude of yield response to PM was greater in a year with higher precipitation and greater for pepper than cucumber. Percentage of nonmarketable fruit decreased (pepper) and increased (cucumber) with PM. Pore water nitrate concentration below the root zone reflected plow layer N under PM but was more responsive to precipitation under bare ground. Our results demonstrate that PM can be an important tool for preserving N fertility benefits from high N cover crop residues for vegetable production, particularly on sandy soils.

Fall cover crop nitrogen uptake drives reductions in winter-spring leaching.

Cover crops can reduce nitrate leaching after cash crop harvest. Despite widespread cover crop implementation, there has been a limited effect on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. We hypothesize that typical timing for Maryland cover crop planting after cash crop harvest is too late to allow roots to take up substantial nitrate from the soil profile before it is leached by winter drainage water. Across four site-years (including sandy and silty soils), we compared various planting dates for a radish (Raphanus sativus L.)-crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.)-triticale (Triticosecale) cover crop mixture. Also, across two site-years we compared early-planted pure rye, radish, and a three-species mixture with no cover. We measured cover crop biomass and N content and used tension lysimeters to measure deep soil porewater nitrate concentrations. Cumulative nitrate leaching was calculated from these concentrations and weather-based drainage estimates. Cover crops were planted on four dates over a 6-wk period. Overall, cover crops planted first, second, third, fourth, and no cover crop (just weeds) resulted in 3,340, 3,160, 1,600, 303, and 164kg ha-1 of biomass; biomass N accumulation of 65.5, 68.6, 44.0, 9.88, and 4.79kg N ha-1 ; and mean porewater concentrations of 2.71, 2.57, 4.72, 10.0, 17.1mg L-1 of nitrate-N, respectively. Over two site-years, the three-species mix performed as well or better than pure rye or radish. Early planting altered cover crop species proportions, increased cover crop productivity, and reduced nitrate leaching from agricultural fields.

Denitrification by benthic foraminifera and their contribution to N-loss from a fjord environment

Abstract. Oxygen and nitrate availabilities impact the marine nitrogen cycle at a range of spatial and temporal scales. Here, we demonstrate the impact of denitrifying foraminifera on the nitrogen cycle at two oxygen and nitrate contrasting stations in a fjord environment (Gullmar Fjord, Sweden). Denitrification by benthic foraminifera was determined through the combination of specific density counting per microhabitat and specific nitrate respiration rates obtained through incubation experiments using N2O microsensors. Benthic nitrate removal was calculated from submillimeter chemical gradients extracted from 2D porewater images of the porewater nitrate concentration. These were acquired by combining the DET technique (diffusive equilibrium in thin film) with chemical colorimetry and hyperspectral imagery. Sediments with high nitrate concentrations in the porewater and oxygenated overlying water were dominated by the non-indigenous species (NIS) Nonionella sp. T1. Denitrification by this species could account for 50 %–100 % of the nitrate loss estimated from the nitrate gradients. In contrast sediments below hypoxic bottom waters had low inventories of porewater nitrate, and denitrifying foraminifera were rare. Their contribution to benthic nitrate removal was negligible (< 5 %). Our study showed that benthic foraminifera can be a major contributor to nitrogen mitigation in oxic coastal ecosystems and should be included in ecological and diagenetic models aiming to understand biogeochemical cycles coupled to nitrogen.

Influence of Crude Oil on Denitrification in Subtidal Sediments in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

In this study the impact of hydrocarbons on nitrogen cycling in intertidal sediments from a barrier island in the north central Gulf of Mexico was investigated. Initial total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations of the sediments averaged 49 ± 27 mg kg−1 in June and 75 ± 48 mg kg−1 in November. Following the addition of crude oil, TPH concentrations increased to 340 ± 73 and 296 ± 50 mg kg−1 in June and November, respectively. Sediment oxygen demand (SOD), inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus fluxes, and denitrification capacity, measured with the isotope pairing technique (IPT) within a week of oiling, were consistently higher in June compared to rates in November when temperatures were 10°C lower. Despite significantly higher TPH concentrations in the oiled treatments, SOD, nutrient fluxes, nitrogen fixation, denitrification, and anammox, did not differ between the treatments. Potential denitrification rates, measured in the presence of excess nitrate (100 μM), were similar between the control and oil treatments, but significantly higher than rates measured with the IPT. The elevated rates of potential denitrification suggest the presence of an active extant microbial community capable of significant attenuation of porewater nitrate concentrations. The insignificant changes in nitrogen cycling in response to petroleum hydrocarbon additions at a site with hydrocarbons present, albeit at low concentrations, suggests resiliency in nitrogen cycling in response to additional hydrocarbon inputs in ranges investigated in this study.

Nitrogen transformations and removal efficiency enhancement of a constructed wetland in subtropical Taiwan

Urbanization condenses reactive nitrogen into cities leaving threats of nitrogen pollution onto nearby environments when sewage is not properly treated. Constructed wetland is an ecological and economical way to remove reactive nitrogen. We investigated the seasonal nitrogen transformations and removal pathways in a surface-flow constructed wetland (93,000m2 with five treatment cells), which treats domestic wastewater in subtropical Taiwan. By using isotopic pairing technique, we found denitrification exceeds anammox dominated the nitrogen removal pathway throughout seasons. The potential denitrification (0.09 to 2.84gNm−2d−1) in the overlying water was in the same magnitude relative to that in sediments (1.26 to 4.14gNm−2d−1). The denitrification rates in sediments were highest in summer followed by autumn and winter. The concentration removal efficiencies of ammonium and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) were both highest in summer, then decreased significantly in autumn and winter. Temperature is a significant regulator for seasonal nitrogen removal. However, a positive correlation was observed between the potential denitrification rates and the amount of 15NO3− addition, indicating that nitrate addition may still stimulate denitrification under low temperature condition in winter (15.2–16.3°C). Since nitrate concentrations in porewater were much lower than that in water column for autumn and winter, we speculated NOx−-N (nitrite and nitrate) supply to the sediments was a limiting factor for low DIN removal efficiency. We proposed to enhance nitrate removal efficiency via denitrification by physically promoting NOx−-N and oxygen exchanges through the sediment-water interface.

Nitrate fluctuations at the water table: implications for recharge processes and solute transport in the Chalk aquifer

AbstractThis study investigates fluctuations in nitrate concentration at the water table to improve understanding of unsaturated zone processes in the Chalk aquifer. Sampling was conducted using a novel multi‐level sampler during periods of water table rise over 5 years at a vertical resolution of 0.05 m. Nitrate concentration increased as the water table seasonally recovered, with similar inter‐annual trends with depth. The rising water table activated horizontal fractures facilitating the delivery of water elevated by up to 10 mg/l of nitrate with respect to the adjacent groundwater below. These fractures are considered to activate via piston displacement of water from the adjoining matrix. Hydrograph analysis identified 16 events which significantly perturbed the water table within 24–48 h of rainfall. Consistent nitrate concentrations indicate recharge through persistent fracture flow from the surface was not generally the primary driver of the rapid water table response during these events. Instead, the response was attributed to the piston displacement of porewater immediately above the water table. However, a single event in November 2012 delivered relatively dilute recharge indicating rapid persistent fracture flow following rainfall was possible to a depth of 14–15 m. Decreases in porewater nitrate concentration around fracture horizons and the dilution of many groundwater samples with respect to porewaters indicate a fresher source of water at depth. This was considered most likely to be a result of near surface water bypassing the matrix because of widespread mineralization on fracture surfaces, which retard water and solute exchange. Therefore, persistent fracture flow maybe considered a frequent process, operating independently of the matrix, and is not necessarily event driven. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recreational clam harvesting affects sediment nutrient remineralization and the growth of the green macroalga Ulva lactuca

Recreational clam harvesters at Northwest Penn Cove leave pools in the sediments that fill with porewater before being inundated by the incoming tide. We hypothesized that this nutrient-rich porewater may affect ulvoid algal growth. To test this, we measured nutrient concentrations in seawater, tidepools, shellfishers' pools, and in porewater from the top 9 cm of the sediment. On average, sediment porewater was 4495% higher in ammonium, 772% higher in nitrite, and 3238% higher in phosphate than nearby seawater; nitrate concentrations in porewater were 35% of the seawater concentrations. Water in shellfishers' pools was 291% higher in ammonium and 122% higher in nitrite than seawater. Nitrate and phosphate concentrations in shellfishers' pools and seawater did not differ significantly. We then transplanted Ulva lactuca around shellfishers' pools, tidepools, and onto the mudflat. Transplanted algae did not differ significantly in tissue carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations after 2 days. However, the algae transplanted around shellfishers' pools grew 20% more over two weeks than the algae transplanted around tidepools and onto mud flats. Our results suggest that the nutrient-rich water in shellfishers' pools enhances algal growth near the pools and may contribute to the formation and persistence of the Ulva bloom at this site.

Nitrate concentration changes at the groundwater‐surface water interface of a small Cumbrian river

AbstractFor an experimental field site at the River Leith, United Kingdom, the spatial and temporal distribution of nitrate was observed along the upwelling flow path from groundwater to surface water. The study was carried out during baseflow conditions for two successive years. For two contrasting stream reaches, the physical and chemical characteristics of streambed sediment cores were analysed together with observations of hydraulic head, dissolved oxygen, redox and nitrogen speciation using an array of nested streambed piezometers.Pressure head gradients in the streambed piezometers showed that upwelling flows dominated the exchange between groundwater and surface water throughout the observation period. Infiltration of surface water into the streambed was not evident at depths below 10 cm. Pore water collected from sediment cores and streambed piezometers showed spatially variable redox conditions and nitrogen speciation within up to 100 cm depth in the streambed. In particular, nitrate concentrations along upwelling flow paths appeared to follow two opposite trends, with both decreasing and increasing nitrate concentrations being observed at different points in the experimental reach. The observed changes of nitrate concentrations in the upwelling groundwater are restricted to the loose superficial sediments that overlay the sandstone bedrock and do not appear to coincide with surface water–groundwater mixing in the streambed. The magnitude of variation in nitrate concentration along the upwelling flow path to the streambed appears to be governed by the sediment structure and characteristics in the two contrasting field sites.The results suggest that changes in redox status and pore water nitrate concentrations in the hyporheic may occur at depths greater than surface water infiltration into the streambed and may call for new conceptual understanding of hyporheic nutrient transformations. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Spatial and temporal variability of streambed hydraulic conductivity in West Bear Creek, North Carolina, USA

Summary The hydraulic conductivity ( K ) of the streambed is an important variable influencing water and solute exchange between streams and surrounding groundwater systems. However, there are few detailed data on spatial variability in streambed K and almost none on temporal variability. The spatial and temporal variability of streambed K in a North Carolina stream were investigated with 487 field measurements of K over a 1-year period. Measurements were made bimonthly from December 2005 to December 2006 at 46 measurement locations in a 262.5 m reach (the “large reach”). To give a more detailed picture of spatial variability, closely-spaced one-time measurements were made in two 62.5 m reaches (the “small reaches”, one investigated in July 2006 and the other in August 2006) that were part of the large reach. Arithmetic mean K for the large reach was ∼16 m/day (range was 0.01 to 66 m/day). Neither K nor ln K was normally distributed, and K distributions appeared somewhat bimodal. There was significant spatial variability over horizontal length scales of a few m. Perhaps the clearest feature within this variability was the generally higher K in the center of the channel. This feature may be an important control on water and chemical fluxes through the streambed (e.g., other measurements show generally higher water seepage velocity, but lower porewater nitrate concentration, in the center of the streambed). Grain size analysis of streambed cores showed that layers of elevated fines (silt + clay) content were less common in the center of the channel (overall, the streambed was about 94% sand). Results also suggest a modest but discernable difference in average streambed K upstream and downstream of a small beaver dam: K was about 23% lower upstream, when the dam was present during the first few months of the study. This upstream/downstream difference in K disappeared after the dam collapsed, perhaps in response to re-mobilization of fine sediments or leaf matter that had accumulated in quiet waters ponded on the upstream side of the dam. Temporal variability was significant and followed a variety of different patterns at the 46 measurement locations in the large reach. Temperature data show that variation in streambed and groundwater temperature was not an important cause of the observed temporal variability in K . Measurements of changes in the elevation of the streambed surface suggest erosion and deposition played an important role in causing the observed temporal variability in streambed K (of which the change described above following collapse of the beaver dam was a special case), though other potentially time-varying factors (e.g., gas content, bioturbation, or biofilms in the streambed) were not explicitly addressed and cannot be ruled out as contributors to the temporal variability in streambed K . Temporal variability in streambed K merits additional study as a potentially important control on temporal variability in the magnitudes and spatial patterns of water and solute fluxes between groundwater and surface water. From the data available it seems appropriate to view streambed K as a dynamic attribute, variable in both space and time.

Nitrogen processing in the hyporheic zone of a pastoral stream

The distribution of nitrogen-transforming processes, and factors controlling their rates, were determined within the hyporheic zone of a lowland stream draining agricultural land. In the field, physicochemical parameters were measured along a 10 m-long hyporheic flow line between downwelling and upwelling zones. Sediment cores were retrieved from the stream bed surface, and from 20, 40 and 60 cm deep in each zone, and in the laboratory, water from the corresponding depth was percolated through each core at the natural flow rate. Concentrations of nitrogen species and oxygen were measured before and after flow through each core. Denitrification was measured using a 15N-nitrate tracer. Shallow and downwelling zone samples were clearly distinct from deeper and upwelling zone samples in terms of physicochemical conditions, microbial processes and factors controlling nitrogen processing. Denitrification was highest in surface and downwelling zone cores, despite high oxygen levels, probably due to high pore-water nitrate concentrations in these cores and isolation of the denitrifying bacteria from oxygen in the bulk water by the hyporheic biofilms. Denitrification was limited by oxygen inhibition in the downwelling group, and by nitrate availability in the upwelling group. Strong evidence indicated that dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium, occurred in almost all cores, and outcompeted denitrification for nitrate. In contrast, nitrification was undetectable in all but two cores, probably because of intense competition for oxygen. Field patterns and lab experiments indicated that the hyporheic zone at this moderately N-rich site is a strong sink for nitrate, fitting current theories that predict where hyporheic zones are nitrate sinks or nitrate sources.

The Influence of Tidal Action on Porewater Nitrate Concentration and Dynamics in Intertidal Sediments of the Sado Estuary

The change in porewater nitrate (NO2 − + NO3 −) concentrations during exposure of intertidal sediment was studied at a fixed location in the Sado estuary, southwest Portugal, in November 1994. In order to follow nitrate concentration and dynamics from pre-ebb to post flood, during the day, high vertical resolution profiles (0.2 cm) were studied. As a complement, in February 1995, potential nitrification rates in the sediment were measured by laboratory incubations, with high vertical resolution (0.2 cm) up to 3 cm depth. Oxygen penetration was measured with polarographic mini-electrodes. The sediment’s texture as well as the organic matter composition in carbon and nitrogen were studied in deeper (30 cm) cores. In February 1993,210Pb activity depth profiles were measured in a core sampled at the beginning of exposure, in order to evaluate the possibility of nonlocal particle exchange. C:N ratios and210Pb activity profiles show evidence of nonlocal exchange of solid phase particles between the surface and deeper sediment, most likely due to macrofaunal activity. As a consequence, fresh organic matter is brought from the surface to 7–9 cm depth, causing enhancement of nutrient concentrations. Results of this study suggest nitrate dynamics in intertidal sediments of the Sado estuary are strongly influenced by tidal action. Periodic submersion and exposure allow for the diversification of pathways of oxygen supply to the sediment. Tidal stress at the sediment-water interface during the arrival (flooding) and departure (exposure) of the tidal front at the site has an important bearing on the effective depth of the nitrification zone. A denitrification rate of 2.16 μmol N dm−5 h−1 was measured directly from the nitrate inventory in the 1.5–6 cm depth layer. The schematic model of N cycling in these sediments suggests that 20% of the N pool is denitrified during exposure, and that this process is limited by O2 availability for nitrification.

Distribution of estuarine benthic diatom species along salinity and nutrient gradients

Changes in relative abundance of estuarine epipelic microalgae along an estuarine gradient were investigated, and population densities of different species along a small-scale nutrient gradient generated by a sewage treatment outfall and in laboratory mesocosms enriched with ammonium were also studied. The relative abundance of certain species of epipelic diatoms was related to location along the estuarine salinity and nutrient gradient: Navicula gregaria and N. phyllepta were abundant at oligo- and mesohaline sites respectively, and Pleurosigma angulatum and Plagiotropis vitrea were abundant at polyhaline sites. On a smaller spatial scale, though there were no significant patterns in microalgal biomass in relation to nutrient enrichment, there were significant differences in the population densities of different epipelic species along a multivariate nutrient gradient (decreasing concentrations of ammonium, nitrite, silicate, organic content, and increasing salinity and pore-water nitrate concentrations) away from a sewage outfall along a saltmarsh creek. The diatoms Nitzschia sigma and Gyrosigma limosum and the cyanobacteria Oscillatoria limosa and O. princeps had significantly higher population densities near the outfall, and Navicula phyllepta, N. pargemina, Nitzschia frustulum, Cylindrotheca signata and Pleurosigma angulatum were significantly more abundant at the seaward end of the gradient. In laboratory tidal mesocosms, sediment cores from along the gradient had their pore-water ammonium concentrations increased to 380–450 μM NH4 +. After 26 days, the population densities of Gyrosigma fasciola, G. littorale, P. angulatum, N. phyllepta, Cylindrotheca signata, C. closterium and Niztschia apiculata were significantly reduced, while those of G. limosum, N. sigma, Scolioneis tumida and O. limosa were unaffected, or were significantly higher compared with control cores. Laboratory manipulations of ammonium concentrations supported the observed field distributions, indicating that epipelic species do have different trophic preferences and ammonium concentration may be a significant factor in determining estuarine species composition of epipelic algae.

Increased macrophyte nitrate reductase activity as a consequence of groundwater input of nitrate through sandy beaches

While most marine macrophytes preferentially assimilate ammonium to meet growth demand for nitrogen, some also utilize nitrate and exhibit high nitrate reductase activity (NRA). Although nitrate concentrations are often low in coastal waters during the summer and sandy beaches are generally considered to be low nutrient-input habitats, we have observed elevated NRA in leaves of some eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) plants growing immediately adjacent to the shoreline. We postulated that nitrate may become available to eelgrass and macroalgae via groundwater inputs that enter the nearshore water column. To address this possibility, we investigated the availability of groundwater nitrate for the induction of NRA in the leaves of eelgrass and in the macroalgaeSargassum filipendula C. Agardh (Phaeophyceae) andEnteromorpha intestinalis L. Link (Chlorophyceae) collected adjacent to two sandy beaches in the vicinity of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. Induction of NRA was determined in the laboratory for eelgrass collected from one of the beach sites and from an offshore site, Lackey's Bay, which is isolated from groundwater input. At the two beach locations, pore water nitrate concentrations were 100 to 400µM within a few meters inland from the waterline. Nitrate efflux into the nearshore water column was quite high and variable (2160±660µmol m−2 h−1) when associated with rapid percolation (37±11 1 m−2 h−1) of nitrate-enriched pore water. Turbulent wave mixing rapidly diluted the nitrate. Macroalgae and eelgrass growing adjacent to a beach with high nitrate efflux had NR activities three- to sevenfold higher than those of algae and eelgrass growing along a beach section with low nitrate efflux. NRA of eelgrass plants from Lackey's Bay and Great Harbor increased in response to low daily nitrate additions (10 to 25µM) in the laboratory, with higher nitrate additions (50 to 200µM) yielding less dramatic responses. The increase in NRA was roughly three times higher for Great Harbor than for Lackey's Bay eelgrass. It appears that groundwater input of nitrate is sufficient to induce NRA in marine macrophytes growing near some beaches, including those with turbulent wave mixing.

Denitrification and nitrous oxide in the North Sea

In situ sediment denitrification rates were determined in the major areas of deposition of the North Sea, using the acetylene block technique. In addition, nitrous oxide profiles of the water column were determined. Nitrous oxide production generally occurred in the photic zone possibly due to nitrification; and throughout the water column in the German Bight region. Consumption at depth was possibly due to reduction in the anoxic microzones of faecal pellets, concentrated at the thermocline. Saturation of surface waters was 102.2% compared to 130.3% in the German Bight region. Calculated flux of nitrous oxide to the atmosphere was 9.5 × 10 6 kg yr −1, over half of which was produced in the German Bight. Sediment denitrification rates varied through three orders of magnitude; the highest value of 150 μmol m −2 d −1 was recorded in the Norwegian Trench. Nitrous oxide production by the sediments was low (1.1 μmol m −2 d −1 max.), and was undetectable at half of the sites. Sediment nutrient profiles exhibited porewater nitrate concentrations exceeding that of the overlying water suggesting that denitrification was fuelled by nitrification, which, in turn was related to other environmental variables. A significant positive relationship existed between in situ denitrification rate and the nitrate content of the upper sediment. Extrapolation of the rate to the total area of deposition in the North Sea suggests that denitrification is responsible for a minimum loss of 7.5–12% of the total annual nitrogen contaminant input.

Interstitial Nitrate Profiles and Oxidation of Sedimentary Organic Matter in the Eastern Equatorial Atlantic

Pore-water nitrate concentrations in six pelagic eastern equatorial Atlantic cores increase from bottom water values (22 micromolar) to 40 micromolar at a depth of about 5 centimeters, then decrease to undetectable levels at depths as shallow as 40 centimeters. These nitrate concentrations and concentration gradients reflect zones of oxygen reduction, nitrate reduction, and sulfate reduction in the sediments. The estimated benthic flux of nitrate to the ocean from our data is much less than the total globalflux of nitrate to deep waters, even though these equatorial sediments underlie a productive upwelling zone. The estimated denitrification rate in our study area suggests that pelagic sediments may be important sites of marine denitrification.