Nitrate Addition Increases the Activity of Microbial Nitrogen Removal in Freshwater Sediment

Denitrification and anammox occur widely in aquatic ecosystems serving vital roles in nitrogen pollution removal. However, small waterbodies are sensitive to external influences; stormwater runoff carrying nutrients and oxygen, flows into waterbodies resulting in a disruption of geochemical and microbial processes. Nonetheless, little is known about how these short-term external inputs affect the microbial processes of nitrogen removal in small waterbodies. To investigate the effects of NO3-, NH4+, dissolved oxygen (DO) and organic C on microbial nitrogen removal in pond sediments, regulation experiments have been conducted using slurry incubation experiments and N-15 tracer techniques in this study. It was demonstrated the addition of NO3- (50 to 800 mu mol L-1) significantly promoted denitrification rates, as expected by Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Ponds with higher NO3- concentrations in the overlying water responded more greatly to NO3- additions. Moreover, N2O production was also promoted by such an addition of NO3-. Denitrification was significantly inhibited by the elevation of DO concentration from 0 to 2 mg L-1, after which no significant increase in inhibition was observed. Denitrification rates increased when organic C was introduced. Due to the abundant NH4+ in pond sediments, the addition demonstrated little influence on nitrogen removal. Moreover, anammox rates showed no significant changes to any amendment.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effects of NO3-, NH4+, dissolved oxygen (DO), and organic C on microbial nitrogen removal in pond sediments using slurry incubation experiments and N-15 tracer techniques. The addition of NO3- significantly promoted denitrification rates, while elevated DO concentrations inhibited denitrification. Organic C increased denitrification rates, but had little influence on nitrogen removal due to abundant NH4+ in pond sediments.