NITROGEN TRANSFORMATIONS IN SEDIMENTS AS AFFECTED BY CHEMICAL AMENDMENTS1

ABSTRACT: A study was conducted to elucidate some of the chemical factors affecting the rate and pathways of N transformations in lake sediments. The main emphasis was placed on modifying a noncalcareous sediment with CaCO₃ to approximate the composition of a calcareous sediment. Additionally, the effects of Ca²⁺, CO₃^2-, Mg2⁺ and OH^- were evaluated by using appropriate chemicals. Further, the effect of aluminum sulfate was evaluated with both sediment types. Sediment pH at 7 days was not affected by CaCO₃, but was decreased by aluminum sulfate. The CaCO₃ treatment increased the rate of ammonification, nitrification, reduction of acetylene to ethylene and methane formation, while with few exceptions the other treatments decreased the rate of the transformations studied. Aluminum sulfate, which has been proposed as a lake restoration treatment, increased ammonification but decreased most of the other transformations.