Nitrogen and phosphorus flux rates from sediment in the lower St. Johns River estuary

Internal cycling of nutrients from the sediment and water column can be an important contribution to the total nutrient load of an aquatic ecosystem. Our objective was to estimate the internal nutrient loading of the Lower St. Johns River (LSJR). Dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and ammonium (NH(4)-N) flux from sediments were measured under aerobic and anaerobic water column conditions using intact cores, to estimate the overall contribution of the sediments to P and N loading to the LSJR. The DRP flux under aerobic water column conditions averaged 0.13 mg m(-2) d(-1), approximately 37 times lower than that under anaerobic conditions (4.77 mg m(-2) d(-1)). The average NH(4)-N released from the anaerobic cores (18.03 mg m(-2) d(-1)) was also significantly greater than in the aerobic cores for all sites and seasons, indicating the strong relationship between nutrient fluxes and oxygen availability in the water column. The mean annual internal DRP load was estimated to be 330 metric tons (Mg) yr(-1), 21% of the total P load to the river, while the mean annual internal load of NH(4)-N was determined to be 2066 Mg yr(-1), 28% of the total N load to the LSJR estuary. As water resource managers reduce external loading to the LSJR the frequency of anaerobic events should decline, thereby reducing nutrient fluxes from the sediment to the water column, reducing the internal loading of DRP and NH(4)-N. Results from this study demonstrate that the internal flux of nutrients from sediments may be a significant portion of the total load and should be accounted for in the total nutrient budget of the river for successful restoration.     

Phosphorus flux from bottom sediments in Lake Eucha, Oklahoma

Phosphorus inputs into reservoirs include external sources from the watershed and internal sources from the reservoir bottom sediments. This study quantified sediment P flux in Lake Eucha, northeastern Oklahoma, USA, and evaluated the effectiveness of chemical treatment to reduce sediment P flux. Six intact sediment-water columns were collected from three sites in Lake Eucha near the reservoir channel at depths of 10 to 15 m. Three intact sediment and water columns from each site were incubated for 21 d at approximately 22 degrees C under aerobic conditions, and three were incubated under anaerobic conditions (N2 with 300 ppm CO2); sediment P flux was estimated over the 21 d for each core. The overlying water in the cores was bubbled with air for approximately 1 wk and then treated with aluminum sulfate (alum). The cores were incubated at approximately 22 degrees C for an additional 14 d under aerobic or anaerobic conditions, and sediment P flux after alum treatment was estimated for each core. Sediment P flux was approximately four times greater under anaerobic conditions compared with aerobic conditions. Alum treatment of the intact sediment-water columns reduced (8x) sediment P flux under anaerobic conditions. Internal P flux (1.03 and 4.40 mg m(-2) d(-1) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, respectively) was greater than external P flux (0.13 mg m(-2) d(-1)). The internal P load (12 Mg yr(-1)) from reservoir bottom sediments was almost 25% of the external P load (approximately 48 Mg yr(-1)) estimated using a calibrated watershed model.     

Microcosm studies on anaerobic phosphate flux and mineralization of lake sediment organic carbon

Lake sediment has long been recognized as an important source of nutrients such as phosphorus. To gain a better understanding of phosphorus flux at the sediment-water interface, it is crucial to investigate the sediment porewater. There is also growing concern and interest in identifying whether organic-rich sediment is an important source of greenhouse gases such as CO(2) and CH(4). In the present study, we took sediment samples from West Lake, a shallow hypereutrophic lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China and incubated subsamples under anaerobic conditions at 25 degrees C for 182 d using a specially designed microcosm that permits repeated extraction of sediment porewater and sampling of headspace gases. Anaerobic phosphate fluxes and mineralization of sediment organic carbon were measured. Average diffusive flux of soluble phosphorus was 0.81 mg P m(-2) d(-1) during the initial 18 d of incubation. Decomposition of sediment organic C followed zero-order reaction kinetics and methane accounted for about 50% of the mineralization products. The results suggest that organic-rich sediments can be important sources of P and methane under anaerobic conditions. Laboratory studies simulating field conditions and field studies are necessary to determine the contribution of sediment as a source of P and greenhouse gases.     

Gas dynamics in eutrophic lake sediments affected by oxygen, nitrate, and sulfate

In many freshwater ecosystems, the contents of NO3- and SO4(2-) have increased, whereas O2 has been depleted due to the increased acid and nutrient loads. These changes may affect carbon turnover and the dynamics of the major greenhouse gases CO2, CH4, and N2O. We studied the effects of O2, NO3-, and SO4(2-) availability on carbon mineralization, and fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O in the sediments of hyper-eutrophic Lake Kev?t?n, Finland. Undisturbed sediment cores from the deep (9 m) and shallow (4 m) profundal were incubated in a laboratory microcosm with oxic and anoxic water flows with NO3- or SO4(2-) concentrations of 0, 30, 100, 300, and 2000 microM. The carbon mineralization rate (i.e., the sum of released CO2-C and CH4-C) was not affected by the oxidants. However, the oxidants did change the pathways of carbon degradation and the release of CH4. All of the oxidants depressed CH4 fluxes in the shallow profundal sediments, which had low organic matter content. In the deep profundal sediments rich in organic matter, the CH4 release was reduced by O2 but was not affected by SO4(2-) (the effect of NO3- was not studied). There was an increase in N2O release as the overlying water NO3- concentration increased. Anoxia and highly elevated NO3- concentrations, associated with eutrophication, increased drastically the global warming potential (GWP) of the sedimentary gases in contrast to the SO4(2-) load, which had only minor effects on the GWP.     

Leachability and phytoavailability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from different bio-composts under chloride- and sulfate-dominated irrigation water

Concerns over increased phosphorus (P) application with nitrogen (N)-based compost application have shifted the trend to P-based composed application, but focusing on one or two nutritional elements does not serve the goals of sustainable agriculture. The need to understand the nutrient release and uptake from different composts has been further aggravated by the use of saline irrigation water in the recent scenario of fresh water shortage. Therefore, we evaluated the leachability and phytoavailability of P, N, and K from a sandy loam soil amended with animal, poultry, and sludge composts when applied on a total P-equivalent basis (200 kg ha(-1)) under Cl(-) (NaCl)- and SO4(2-) (Na2SO4)-dominated irrigation water. Our results showed that the concentration of dissolved reactive P (DRP) was higher in leachates under SO(4)(2-) than Cl(-) treatments. Compost amendments differed for DRP leaching in the following pattern: sludge > animal > poultry > control. Maize (Zea mays L.) growth and P uptake were severely suppressed under Cl(-) irrigation compared with SO4(2-) and non-saline treatments. All composts were applied on a total P-equivalent basis, but maximum plant (shoot + root) P uptake was observed under sludge compost amendment (73.4 mg DW(-1)), followed by poultry (39.3 mg DW(-1)), animal (15.0 mg DW(-1)), and control (1.2 mg DW(-1)) treatment. Results of this study reveal that irrigation water dominated by SO4(2-) has greater ability to replace/leach P, other anions (NO3(-)), and cations (K+). Variability in P release from different bio-composts applied on a total P-equivalent basis suggested that P availability is highly dependent on compost source.     

Field-scale remediation of a metolachlor-contaminated spill site using zerovalent iron

Pesticide spills are common occurrences at agricultural cooperatives and farmsteads. When inadvertent spills occur, chemicals normally beneficial can become point sources of ground and surface water contamination. We report results from a field trial where approximately 765 m3 of soil from a metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl) acetamide] spill site was treated with zerovalent iron (Fe0). Preliminary laboratory experiments confirmed metolachlor dechlorination by Fe0 in aqueous solution and that this process could be accelerated by adding appropriate proportions of Al2(SO4)3 or acetic acid (CH3COOH). The field project was initiated by moving the stockpiled, contaminated soil into windrows using common earth-moving equipment. The soil was then mixed with water (0.35-0.40 kg H2O kg(-1)) and various combinations of 5% Fe0 (w/w),2% Al2(SO4)3 (w/w), and 0.5% acetic acid (v/w). Windrows were covered with clear plastic and incubated without additional mixing for 90 d. Approximately every 14 d, the plastic sheeting was removed for soil sampling and the surface of the windrows rewetted. Metolachlor concentrations were significantly reduced and varied among treatments. The addition of Fe0 alone decreased metolachlor concentration from 1789 to 504 mg kg(-1) within 90 d, whereas adding Fe0 with Al2(SO4)3 and CH3COOH decreased the concentration from 1402 to 13 mg kg(-1). These results provide evidence that zerovalent iron can be used for on-site, field-scale treatment of pesticide-contaminated soil.     

Aluminum output fluxes from forest ecosystems in Europe: a regional assessment

Data from 89 forested catchments and plots across Europe were used to define empirical relationships between aluminum leaching and input fluxes of major ions, output fluxes of major ions, ecosystem parameters such as soil pH, and combinations of these. Forests that release dissolved Al to seepage or surface waters are located primarily in areas receiving the highest loading of acid rain, and the output flux of Al shows the highest correlations to the throughfall flux of inorganic nitrogen, the output fluxes of NO3-, H+, and SO4(2-), and the mineral soil pH. If the speciation of Al is taken to be Al3+ (an overestimate), Al is released in a nearly 1:1 molar charge ratio with the sum of NO3- and SO4(2-) in runoff or seepage water over a wide range of basepoor bedrock types and acid deposition across Europe. The empirical data point to a threshold range of N deposition of 80 to 150 mmolc N m(-2) yr(-1) and a (less clearly defined) range of S deposition of 100 to 200 mmolc SO4(-2) m(-2) yr(-1) above which Al released from forests exceeds 100 mmolc Al m(-2) yr(-1). Within this threshold range, the sites that release little or no dissolved Al are those that continue to assimilate input N and/or have high soil pH (>4.5).     

Metolachlor dechlorination by zerovalent iron during unsaturated transport

Permeable zerovalent iron (Fe0) barriers have become an established technology for remediating contaminated ground water. This same technology may be applicable for treating pesticides amenable to dehalogenation as they move downward in the vadose zone. By conducting miscible displacement experiments in the laboratory with metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide; a chloroacetanilide herbicide] under unsaturated flow, we provide proof-of-concept for such an approach. Transport experiments were conducted in repacked, unsaturated soil columns attached to vacuum chambers and run under constant matrix potential (-30 kPa) and Darcy flux (approximately 2 cm d(-1)). Treatments included soil columns equipped with and without a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) consisting of a Fe0-sand (50:50) mixture supplemented with Al2(SO4)3. A continuous pulse of 14C-labeled metolachlor (1.45 mM) and tritiated water (3H2O) was applied to top of the columns for 10 d. Results indicated complete (100%) metolachlor destruction, with the dehalogenated product observed as the primary degradate in the leachate. Similar results were obtained with a 25:75 Fe0-sand barrier but metolachlor destruction was not as efficient when unannealed iron was used or Al2(SO4)3 was omitted from the barrier. A second set of transport experiments used metolachlor-contaminated soil in lieu of a 14C-metolachlor pulse. Under these conditions, the iron barrier decreased metolachlor concentration in the leachate by approximately 50%. These results provide initial evidence that permeable iron barriers can effectively reduce metolachlor leaching under unsaturated flow.     

Phosphate release from seasonally flooded soils: a laboratory microcosm study

Phosphorus derived from agricultural practices has been targeted as a leading cause of water quality degradation in Lake Champlain. Mobilization of P from seasonally flooded agricultural soils is a concern. Using 14 soils from a research farm in New York's Champlain Valley, we characterized the available P status, extractable Fe and Al, P sorption capacities, and soluble phosphate release in flooded laboratory microcosms. Quantities of NH4-acetate available P ranged from 3 to 100 mg kg(-1) and fluoride-extractable P from 10 to 211 mg kg(-1). Flooding soils induced significant release of phosphate to the porewater over a 60- to 90-d period in 13 of the 14 soils studied. Porewater phosphate increases ranged from 2.2 to 27.0 times the initial phosphate concentrations. However, floodwater phosphate increases were much lower, with a maximum of 3.6 times the initial concentration. Average porewater phosphate concentrations over the flooding period ranged from 0.046 to 7.0 mg L(-1) and average floodwater P from 0.032 to 3.70 mg L(-1). Ammonium-acetate P and the degree of phosphorus saturation (DPS) were highly correlated with the average porewater and floodwater phosphate concentration. Average ratio of porewater to floodwater phosphate concentrations ranged from 1.0 to 3.3. Five soils that were lower in fluoride-extractable P had increasing porewater phosphate accompanied by increasing porewater Fe2+ and decreasing floodwater phosphate. Results suggest that P solubility and mobility were a function of both the available P status and redox cycling.     

Matrix based fertilizers reduce nitrogen and phosphorus leaching in three soils

We compared the efficacy of matrix based fertilizers (MBFs) formulated to reduce NO3-, NH4+, and total phosphorus (TP) leaching, with Osmocoate 14-14-14, a conventional commercial slow release fertilizer (SRF) and an unamended control in three different soil textures in a greenhouse column study. The MBFs covered a range of inorganic N and P in compounds that are relatively loosely bound (MBF 1) to more moderately bound (MBF 2) and more tightly bound compounds (MBF 3) mixed with Al(SO4)3H2O and/or Fe2(SO4)3 and with high ionic exchange compounds starch, chitosan and lignin. When N and P are released, the chemicals containing these nutrients in the MBF bind N and P to a Al(SO4)3H2O and/or Fe2(SO4)3 starch-chitosan-lignin matrix. One milligram (8000 spores) of Glomus intradices was added to all formulations to enhance nutrient uptake. In all three soil textures the SRF leachate contained a higher amount of NH4+, NO3- and TP than leachate from all other fertilizers. In all three soils there were no consistent differences in the amount of NH4+, NO3- and TP in the MBF leachates compared to the control leachate. Plants growing in soils receiving SRF had greater shoot, root and total biomass than all MBFs regardless of Al(SO4)3H2O or Fe2(SO4)3 additions. Arbuscular mycorrhizal infection in plant roots did not consistently differ among plants growing in soil receiving SRF, MBFs and control treatments. Although the MBFs resulted in less plant growth in this experiment they may be applied to soils growing plants in areas that are at high risk for nutrient leaching to surface waters.     

The impact of alum addition on organic P transformations in poultry litter and litter-amended soil

Poultry litter treatment with alum (Al(2)(SO(4))(3) . 18H(2)O) lowers litter phosphorus (P) solubility and therefore can lower litter P release to runoff after land application. Lower P solubility in litter is generally attributed to aluminum-phosphate complex formation. However, recent studies suggest that alum additions to poultry litter may influence organic P mineralization. Therefore, alum-treated and untreated litters were incubated for 93 d to assess organic P transformations during simulated storage. A 62-d soil incubation was also conducted to determine the fate of incorporated litter organic P, which included alum-treated litter, untreated litter, KH(2)PO(4) applied at 60 mg P kg(-1) of soil, and an unamended control. Liquid-state (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance indicated that phytic acid was the only organic P compound present, accounting for 50 and 45% of the total P in untreated and alum-treated litters, respectively, before incubation and declined to 9 and 37% after 93 d of storage-simulating incubation. Sequential fractionation of litters showed that alum addition to litter transformed 30% of the organic P from the 1.0 mol L(-1) HCl to the 0.1 mol L(-1) NaOH extractable fraction and that both organic P fractions were more persistent in alum-treated litter compared with untreated litter. The soil incubation revealed that 0.1 mol L(-1) NaOH-extractable organic P was more recalcitrant after mixing than was the 1.0 mol L(-1) HCl-extractable organic P. Thus, adding alum to litter inhibits organic P mineralization during storage and promotes the formation of alkaline extractable organic P that sustains lower P solubility in the soil environment.     

Effect of sampling frequency on estimates of cumulative nitrous oxide emissions

It is generally recognized that soil N(2)O emissions can exhibit pronounced day-to-day variations; however, measurements of soil N(2)O flux with soil chambers typically are done only at discrete points in time. This study evaluated the impact of sampling frequency on the precision of cumulative N(2)O flux estimates calculated from field measurements. Automated chambers were deployed in a corn/soybean field and used to measure soil N(2)O fluxes every 6 h from 25 Feb. 2006 through 11 Oct. 2006. The chambers were located in two positions relative to the fertilizer bands-directly over a band or between fertilizer bands. Sampling frequency effects on cumulative N(2)O-N flux estimation were assessed using a jackknife technique where populations of N(2)O fluxes were constructed from the average daily fluxes measured in each chamber. These test populations were generated by selecting measured flux values at regular time intervals ranging from 1 to 21 d. It was observed that as sampling interval increased from 7 to 21 d, variances associated with cumulative flux estimates increased. At relatively frequent sampling intensities (i.e., once every 3 d) N(2)O-N flux estimates were within +/-10% of the expected value at both sampling positions. As the time interval between sampling was increased, the deviation in estimated cumulative N(2)O flux increased, such that sampling once every 21 d yielded estimates within +60% and -40% of the actual cumulative N(2)O flux. The variance of potential fluxes associated with the between-band positions was less than the over-band position, indicating that the underlying temporal variability impacts the efficacy of a given sampling protocol.     

Organic agriculture and nitrous oxide emissions at sub-zero soil temperatures

In the Red River Valley of the upper midwestern United States, soil temperatures often remain below freezing during winter and N2O emissions from frozen cropland soils is assumed to be negligible. This study was conducted to determine the strength of N2O emissions and denitrification when soil temperatures were below zero for a manure-amended, certified organic field (T2O) compared with an unamended, conventionally managed field (T2C). Before manure application, both fields were similar with respect to autotrophic and heterotrophic N2O production and N2O flux at the soil surface (0.15+/-0.05 mg N2O-N m-2 d-1 for T2O and 0.12+/-0.06 mg N2O-N m-2 d-1 for T2C). After application of pelletized, dehydrated manure, average daily flux (based on time-integrated fluxes from 20 November to 8 April), was 1.19+/-0.34 mg N2O-N m-2 d-1 for T2O and 0.47+/-0.37 mg N2O-N m-2 d-1 for T2C. Denitrification for intact cores measured in the laboratory at -2.5 degrees C was greater for organically managed soils, although only marginally significant (p<0.1). Cumulative emissions for all winter measurements (from 16 November to 8 April) averaged 1.63 kg N2O-N ha-1 for T2O and 0.64 kg N2O-N ha-1 for T2C. Biological N2O production was evident at sub-zero soil temperatures, with winter emissions exceeding those measured in late summer. Late autumn manure application enhanced cumulative N2O-N emissions by 0.9 kg ha-1.     

Nutrient and hydrology effects on soil respiration in a northern Everglades marsh

Microbial respiration in peat and overlying plant litter, as influenced by water level and phosphorus enrichment, was evaluated for an Everglades (Florida, USA) marsh ecosystem by measuring CO2 and CH4 release from soil-water microcosms. Intact cores of peat, overlying plant litter, and surface water were collected at seven locations in cattail (Typha domingensis Pers.) and sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense Crantz) stands along a phosphorus (P) enrichment gradient in Water Conservation Area 2A (WCA-2A). Each soil-water microcosm was outfitted with a controlled air circulation system whereby outflow gas from the headspace could be analyzed for CO2 and CH4 to determine flux of C from the soil-water column to the atmosphere. Gaseous C flux was determined for flooded conditions (10-cm water depth) and for water levels of 0, 5, 10, and 15 cm below the peat surface. Overall, decreasing water level resulted in significantly increased C flux, although rates were significantly higher under flooded conditions than under nonflooded, saturated-soil conditions, presumably due to O2 availability associated with algal photosynthesis within the litter layer in the water column. Carbon flux decreased significantly for sites increasingly distant from the primary hydrologic and nutrient inflows to WCA-2A. The microcosm study demonstrated that the C turnover rate was significantly increased by accelerated nutrient loading to the marsh, and was further enhanced by decreasing water level under drained conditions. Our results also demonstrated that photosynthesis within the water column is a potentially important regulator of C mineralization rate in the litter layer of the marsh system.     

Phosphorus sequestration by chemical amendments to reduce leaching from wastewater applications

Phosphorus-immobilizing amendments can be useful in minimizing P leaching from high P soils that may be irrigated with wastewater. This study tested the P-binding ability of various amendment materials in a laboratory incubation experiment and then tested the best amendment in a field setup using drainage lysimeters. The laboratory experiment involved incubating 100-g samples of soil (72 mg kg(-1) water-extractable phosphorus, WEP) with various amendments at different rates for 63 d at field moisture capacity and 25 degrees C. The amendments tested were alum [Al2SO4)3.14H2O], ferric chloride (FeCl3), calcium carbonate (CaCO3), water treatment residual (WTR), and sugarbeet lime (SBL). Ferric chloride and alum at rates of 1.5 and 3.9 g kg(-1), respectively, were the most effective amendments that decreased WEP to 20 mg kg(-1), below which leaching has previously been shown to be low. Alum (1.3 kg m(-2)), which is less sensitive to redox conditions, was subsequently tested under field conditions, where it reduced WEP concentration in the 0- to 0.15-m layer from 119 mg kg(-1) on Day 0 to 36.1 mg kg(-1) (85% decrease) on Day 41. Lysimeter breakthrough tests using tertiary-treated potato-processing wastewater (mean total phosphorus [TP] = 3.4 mg L(-1)) showed that alum application reduced leachate TP and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations by 27 and 25%, respectively. These results indicate that alum application may be an effective strategy to immobilize P in high P coarse-textured soils. The relatively smaller decreases in TP and SRP in the leachate compared to WEP suggest some of the P may be coming from depths below 0.2 m. Thus, to achieve higher P sequestration, deeper incorporation of the alum may be necessary.     

Nitrous oxide emission from riparian buffers in relation to vegetation and flood frequency

The nitrate (NO(3)(-)) removal capacity of riparian zones is well documented, but information is lacking with regard to N(2)O emission from riparian ecosystems and factors controlling temporal dynamics of this potent greenhouse gas. We monitored N(2)O fluxes (static chambers) and measured denitrification (C(2)H(2) block using soil cores) at six riparian sites along a fourth-order stretch of the White River (Indiana, USA) to assess the effect of flood regime, vegetation type, and forest maturity on these processes. The study sites included shrub/grass, aggrading (<15 yr-old), and mature (>80 yr) forests that were flooded either frequently (more than four to six times per year), occasionally (two to three times per year), or rarely (every 20 yr). While the effect of forest maturity and vegetation type (0.52 and 0.65 mg N(2)O-m(-2) d(-1) in adjacent grassed and forested sites) was not significant, analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant effect ( < 0.01) of flood regime on N(2)O emission. Among the mature forests, mean N(2)O flux was in this order: rarely flooded (0.33) < occasionally flooded (0.99) < frequently flooded (1.72). Large pulses of N(2)O emission (up to 80 mg N(2)O-m(-2) d(-1)) occurred after flood events, but the magnitude of the flux enhancement varied with flood event, being higher after short-duration than after long-duration floods. This pattern was consistent with the inverse relationship between soil moisture and mole fraction of N(2)O, and instances of N(2)O uptake near the river margin after flood events. These results highlight the complexity of N(2)O dynamics in riparian zones and suggest that detailed flood analysis (frequency and duration) is required to determine the contribution of riparian ecosystems to regional N(2)O budget.     

Distribution of uranium contamination in weathered fractured saprolite/shale and ground water

The objective of this study was to determine how structure, stratigraphy, and weathering influence fate and transport of contaminants (particularly U) in the ground water and geologic material at the Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Remediation Sciences Department (ERSD) Field Research Center (FRC). Several cores were collected near four former unlined adjoining waste disposal ponds. The cores were collected, described, analyzed for U, and compared with ground water geochemistry from surrounding multilevel wells. At some locations, acidic U-contaminated ground water was found to preferentially flow in small remnant fractures weathering the surrounding shale (nitric acid extractable U [U(NA)] usually < 50 mg kg(-1)) into thin (<25 cm) Fe oxide-rich clayey seams that retain U (U(NA) 239 to 375 mg kg(-1)). However, greatest contaminant transport occurs in a 2 to 3 m thick more permeable stratigraphic transition zone located between two less permeable, and generally less contaminated zones consisting of (i) overlying unconsolidated saprolite (U(NA) < 0.01 to 200 mg kg(-1)) and (ii) underlying less-weathered bedrock (U(NA) generally < 0.01 to 7 mg kg(-1)). In this transition zone, acidic (pH < 4) U-enriched ground water (U of 38 mg L(-1)) has weathered away calcite veins resulting in greater porosity, higher hydraulic conductivity, and higher U contamination (U(NA) 106 to 745 mg kg(-1)) of the weathered interbedded shale and sandstone. These characteristics of the transition zone produce an interval with a high flux of contaminants that could be targeted for remediation.     

Development of environmental thresholds for nitrogen and phosphorus in streams

Inputs of nutrients (P and N) to freshwaters can cause excessive aquatic plant growth, depletion of oxygen, and deleterious changes in diversity of aquatic fauna. As part of a "National Agri-Environmental Standards Initiative," the Government of Canada committed to developing environmental thresholds for nutrients to protect ecological condition of agricultural streams. Analysis of data from >200 long-term monitoring stations across Canada and detailed ecological study at ~70 sites showed that agricultural land cover was associated with increased nutrient concentrations in streams and this, in turn, was associated with increased sestonic and benthic algal abundance, loss of sensitive benthic macroinvertebrate taxa, and an increase in benthic diatom taxa indicative of eutrophication. Chemical thresholds for N and P were defined by applying five approaches, employing either a predetermined percentile to a water chemistry data set or a relationship between water chemistry and land cover, to identify boundaries between minimally disturbed and impaired conditions. Comparison of these chemical thresholds with biological thresholds (derived from stressor-response relationships) produced an approach for rationalizing these two types of thresholds and deriving nutrient criteria. The resulting criteria were 0.01 to 0.03 mg L(-1) total P and 0.87-1.2 mg L(-1) total N for the Atlantic Maritime, 0.02 mg L(-1) total P and 0.21 mg L(-1) total N for the Montane Cordillera, ~0.03 mg L(-1) total P and ~1.1 mg L(-1) total N for the Mixedwood Plains, and ~0.10 mg L(-1) total P and 0.39-0.98 mg L(-1) total N for the interior prairies of Canada. Adoption of these criteria should result in greater likelihood of good ecological condition with respect to benthic algal abundance, diatom composition, and macroinvertebrate composition.     

Dissolved organic carbon dynamics in a riparian aquifer: effects of hydrology and nitrate enrichment

The capacity of riparian soils to remove nitrate (NO3) from ground water is well established, but the effects of ground water NO3(-)-enrichment on C dynamics are not well studied. We incubated horizontal cores of aquifer material extracted from beneath moderately well-drained (MWD) and poorly drained (PD) soils in a riparian forest in Rhode Island, USA for 132 d, and dosed (flow rate, 170 mL d(-1); dissolved O2, 2 in PD and 5 mg L(-1) in MWD cores) with ground water amended with either Br-, Br(-)+ NO3- (10 mg N L(-1)), or Br(-) + NO3(-) + DOC (20 mg C L(-1)). The DOC was extracted from forest floor material and added during the first 56 d of the experiment. Addition of NO3- had limited effect on CO2 production while DOC amendment had a significant effect in the PD but not in the MWD mesocosms. Total CO2 production (mg CO2-C kg(-1) soil) was 6.3, 7.0, and 10.1 in the PD and 3.6, 4.0, and 4.5 in the MWD cores amended with Br-, Br(-) + NO3-, and Br(-) + NO3(-) + DOC, respectively. Carbon balance (C(bal) = DOC(in) - (DOC(out) + CO2-C) showed a net C retention of 8.0 mg C kg(-1) soil in the DOC-amended MWD cores (equivalent to 50% of the DOC added), and a net C loss of 8.3 mg C kg(-1) soil in similarly treated PD cores. The lack of C retention in the PD cores was ascribed to reductive dissolution of minerals implicated in DOC sorption. These findings underscore that there is marked variation in C dynamics in riparian aquifers that has the potential to influence the fate of NO3- and DOC in the landscape.     

Methane emissions of rice increased by elevated carbon dioxide and temperature

Methane (CH4) effluxes by paddy-culture rice (Oryza sativa L.) contribute about 16% of the total anthropogenic emissions. Since radiative forcing of CH4 at current atmospheric concentrations is 21 times greater on a per mole basis than that of carbon dioxide (CO2), it is imperative that the impact of global change on rice CH4 emissions be evaluated. Rice (cv. IR72) was planted in sunlit, closed-circulation, controlled-environment chambers in which CH4 efflux densities were measured daily. The CO2 concentration was maintained at either 330 or 660 micromol mol(-1). Air temperatures were controlled to daily maxima and minima of 32/23, 35/26, and 38/29 degrees C at each CO2 treatment. Emissions of CH4 each day were determined during a 4-h period after venting and resealing the chambers at 0800 h. Diurnal CH4 effluxes on 77, 98, and 119 d after planting (DAP) were obtained similarly at 4-h intervals. Emissions over four-plant hills and over flooded bare soil were measured at 53, 63, and 100 DAP. Emissions were negligible before 40 DAP. Thereafter, emissions were observed first in high-CO2, high-temperature treatments and reached a sustained maximum efflux density of about 7 mg m(-2) h(-1) (0.17 g m(-2) d(-1)) near the end of the growing season. Total seasonal CH4 emission was fourfold greater for high-CO2, high-temperature treatments than for the low-CO2, low-temperature treatment, probably due to more root sloughing or exudates, since about sixfold more acetate was found in the soil at 71 DAP. Both rising CO2 and increasing temperatures could lead to a positive feedback on global warming by increasing the emissions of CH4 from rice.