Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Key factors controlling nitrogen transformation and efflux at the sediment–water interface: a comparative study from different trophic reservoirs

  • Sediments, Sec 2 • Physical and Biogeochemical Processes • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Dam construction can impact nitrogen accumulation in reservoir sediments and may potentially lead to internal release due to intricate nitrogen cycling at the sediment–water interface (SWI), exacerbating nitrogen loading in the water body. This study aims to clarify the transformation and transportation processes and key influencing factors of nitrogen species at the SWI in deep reservoirs.

Methods

Two consecutive sediment cores were collected from Baihua Reservoir (BHR) and Hongjiadu Reservoir (HJD) in July 2019 and were stratified on-site. Pore water was extracted via centrifugation for water-soluble inorganic nitrogen measurement. Adsorbed inorganic nitrogen was extracted using 2 mol L−1 KCl. Inorganic nitrogen forms were measured by an analytical continuous flow analyzer (SEAL Analytical Limited, Germany). Particulate organic nitrogen (PON) samples were obtained after the removal of inorganic carbon and inorganic nitrogen with 2 mol L−1 KCl and 0.5 mol L−1 HCl. Stable isotopes (δ15N-PON) and the ratios of C/N were measured via a stable isotopic mass spectrometer (MAT-253) and an elemental analyzer (Elementar, Rhine main, Germany). Fick’s First Law and Grey correlation analysis (GCA) were employed to estimate the diffusion fluxes and controlling factors.

Results

The sediment nitrogen concentrations in BHR were influenced by higher-level anthropogenic activities, as indicated by the comparison of nitrogen concentrations and δ15N-PON values (averaging 9.13‰ and 5.39‰ in BHR and HJD, respectively). Dissolved oxygen (DO) was the key factor affecting nitrogen transformation processes at the SWI. Mineralization and nitrification were dominant in HJD, while BHR exhibited mineralization, denitrification, and potential anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox). Livestock waste and soil organic matter were common sources of PON in both reservoirs. Moreover, the contribution of phytoplankton in BHR was also significant due to high-level eutrophication. Evaluations of diffusion fluxes revealed that both sediments in BHR and HJD acted as sources of water-soluble ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4+-N) for internal release (0.97 and 0.27 mg m−2 day−1 in BHR and HJD, respectively). Additionally, adsorbed NH4+-N exhibited high-level diffusion fluxes in both BHR (15.81 m−2 day−1) and HJD (3.37 m−2 day−1). Furthermore, GCA revealed that pH, T, and DO trigger the desorption of adsorbed nitrogen, leading to an increase in the nitrogen load in the overlying water.

Conclusion

Sediments in eutrophic reservoirs experience high-level nitrogen inputs. Complex nitrogen cycling processes at the SWI and environmental factors (pH, DO, and T) may lead to significant internal releases. Further studies on the fate of nitrogen at the SWI in different eutrophic-level reservoirs are still necessary.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Data available on request from the corresponding author.

References

  • Aalto SL, Saarenheimo J, Ropponen J, Juntunen J, Rissanen AJ, Tiirola M (2018) Sediment diffusion method improves wastewater nitrogen removal in the receiving lake sediments. Water Res 138:312–322

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chowdhury M, Bakri DA (2006) Diffusive nutrient flux at the sediment—water interface in Suma park reservoir. Australia Hydrol Sci J 51(1):144–156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cubas FJ, Holbrook RD, Novak JT, Godrej AN, Grizzard TJ (2019) Effective depth controls the nitrate removal rates in a water supply reservoir with a high nitrate load. Sci Total Environ 673:44–53

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Deng J-L (1982) Control problems of grey systems. Syst Control Lett 1(5):288–294

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Deng X (2019) Correlations between water quality and the structure and connectivity of the river network in the southern Jiangsu plain, eastern China. Sci Total Environ 664:583–594

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Feng X, Foucher D, Hintelmann H, Yan H, He T, Qiu G (2010) Tracing mercury contamination sources in sediments using mercury isotope compositions. Environ Sci Technol 44(9):3363–3368

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Feng X, Jiang H, Qiu G, Yan H, Li G, Li Z (2009) Geochemical processes of mercury in Wujiangdu and Dongfeng reservoirs, Guizhou. China Environ Pollut 157(11):2970–2984

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gao Y, Wang B, Liu X, Wang Y, Zhang J, Jiang Y, Wang F (2013) Impacts of river impoundment on the riverine water chemistry composition and their response to chemical weathering rate. Front Earth Sci 7(3):351–360

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hardison AK, Algar CK, Giblin AE, Rich JJ (2015) Influence of organic carbon and nitrate loading on partitioning between dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) and n2 production. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 164:146–160

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison JA, Maranger RJ, Alexander RB, Giblin AE, Jacinthe P-A, Mayorga E, Seitzinger SP, Sobota DJ, Wollheim WM (2009) The regional and global significance of nitrogen removal in lakes and reservoirs. Biogeochemistry 93(1):143–157

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • He J, Deng W, Chen C, Xu X, Wang S, Liu W, Wu X (2015) Ammonia nitrogen adsorption and release characteristics of surface sediments in Dianchi Lake. China Environ Earth Sci 74(5):3917–3927

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hong Y, Wu J, Guan F, Yue W, Long A (2019) Nitrogen removal in the sediments of the pearl river estuary, China: evidence from the distribution and forms of nitrogen in the sediment cores. Mar Pollut Bull 138:115–124

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hou Y, Liu X, Chen S, Ren J, Bai L, Li J, Gu Y, Wei L (2021) Effects of seasonal thermal stratification on nitrogen transformation and diffusion at the sediment-water interface in a deep canyon artificial reservoir of wujiang river basin. Water 13(22):3194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kendall C, Grim E (1990) Combustion tube method for measurement of nitrogen isotope ratios using calcium oxide for total removal of carbon dioxide and water. Anal Chem 62(5):526–529

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lavery PS, Oldham CE, Ghisalberti M (2001) The use of Fick’s First Law for predicting porewater nutrient fluxes under diffusive conditions. Hydrol Processes 15(13):2435–2451

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lei P, Zhu J, Zhong H, Pan K, Zhang L, Zhang H (2021) Distribution of nitrogen and phosphorus in pore water profiles and estimation of their diffusive fluxes and annual loads in Guanting Reservoir (GTR). Northern China Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 106(1):10–17

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li C, Li S-L, Yue F-J, Liu J, Zhong J, Yan Z-F, Zhang R-C, Wang Z-J, Xu S (2019) Identification of sources and transformations of nitrate in the Xijiang River using nitrate isotopes and Bayesian model. Sci Total Environ 646:801–810

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li S, Jiang Z, Ji G (2022) Effect of sulfur sources on the competition between denitrification and DNRA. Environ Pollut 305:119322

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liu B, Yan H, Wang C, Li Q, Guédron S, Spangenberg JE, Feng X, Dominik J (2012) Insights into low fish mercury bioaccumulation in a mercury-contaminated reservoir, Guizhou, China. Environ Pollut 160:109–117

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liu C-Q, Li S-L, Lang Y-C, Xiao H-Y (2006) Using δ15n- and δ18o-values to identify nitrate sources in karst ground water, Guiyang. Southwest China Environ Sci Technol 40(22):6928–6933

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liu S, Forrest JYL (2010) Grey systems: Theory and applications, Springer Science & Business Media

  • Liu X-L, Han G, Zeng J, Liu M, Li X-Q, Boeckx P (2021a) Identifying the sources of nitrate contamination using a combined dual isotope, chemical and Bayesian model approach in a tropical agricultural river: case study in the Mun River. Thailand Sci Total Environ 760:143938

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liu X-L, Liu C-Q, Li S-L, Wang F-S, Wang B-L, Wang Z-L (2011) Spatiotemporal variations of nitrous oxide (n2o) emissions from two reservoirs in SW China. Atmos Environ 45(31):5458–5468

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Han G, Zeng J, Liu J, Li X, Boeckx P (2021b) The effects of clean energy production and urbanization on sources and transformation processes of nitrate in a subtropical river system: insights from the dual isotopes of nitrate and Bayesian model. J Cleaner Prod 325:129317

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Z, Wang X, Jia S, Mao B (2023) Multi-methods to investigate spatiotemporal variations of nitrogen-nitrate and its risks to human health in China’s largest fresh water lake (Poyang Lake). Sci Total Environ 863:160975

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maavara T, Chen Q, Van Meter K, Brown LE, Zhang J, Ni J, Zarfl C (2020) River dam impacts on biogeochemical cycling. Nat Rev Earth Environ 1(2):103–116

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Matiatos I, Wassenaar LI, Monteiro LR, Venkiteswaran JJ, Gooddy DC, Boeckx P, Sacchi E, Yue FJ, Michalski G, Alonso-Hernández C, Biasi C, Bouchaou L, Edirisinghe NV, Fadhullah W, Fianko JR, García-Moya A, Kazakis N, Li S-L, Luu MTN, Priyadarshanee S, Re V, Rivera DS, Romanelli A, Sanyal P, Tamooh F, Trinh DA, Walters W, Welti N (2021) Global patterns of nitrate isotope composition in rivers and adjacent aquifers reveal reactive nitrogen cascading. Communications Earth & Environment 2(1):52

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • McIlvin MR, Altabet MA (2005) Chemical conversion of nitrate and nitrite to nitrous oxide for nitrogen and oxygen isotopic analysis in freshwater and seawater. Anal Chem 77(17):5589–5595

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mulligan M, van Soesbergen A, Sáenz L (2020) Goodd, a global dataset of more than 38,000 georeferenced dams. Sci Data 7(1):31

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ni Z, Zhang L, Yu S, Jiang Z, Zhang J, Wu Y, Zhao C, Liu S, Zhou C, Huang X (2017) The porewater nutrient and heavy metal characteristics in sediment cores and their benthic fluxes in Daya Bay, south China. Mar Pollut Bull 124(1):547–554

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Qu R, Han G, Zeng J (2024) New tracer for anthropogenic pollution in the atmosphere: stable potassium isotopes in rainwater. J Cleaner Prod 435:140574

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ran X, Bouwman L, Yu Z, Beusen A, Chen H, Yao Q (2017) Nitrogen transport, transformation, and retention in the Three Gorges Reservoir: a mass balance approach. Limnol Oceanogr 62(5):2323–2337

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rao AMF, Malkin SY, Hidalgo-Martinez S, Meysman FJR (2016) The impact of electrogenic sulfide oxidation on elemental cycling and solute fluxes in coastal sediment. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 172:265–286

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ren J, Han G, Liu X (2023) Controlling processes and key factors of nitrogen efflux at the sediment–water interface in a mesotrophic artificial reservoir. J Soils Sediments

  • Saunders DL, Kalff J (2001) Nitrogen retention in wetlands, lakes and rivers. Hydrobiologia 443:205–212

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shimeta J, Starczak VR, Ashiru OM, Zimmer CA (2001) Influences of benthic boundary-layer flow on feeding rates of ciliates and flagellates at the sediment-water interface. Limnol Oceanogr 46(7):1709–1719

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Stanford G, Smith SJ (1972) Nitrogen mineralization potentials of soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 36(3):465–472

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang D, Han G, Hu M, Wang Y, Liu J, Zeng J, Li X (2021) Evaporation processes in the upper river water of the Three Gorges Reservoir: evidence from triple oxygen isotopes. ACS Earth Space Chem 5(10):2807–2816

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Gao Y, Han Y (2022) Determining the main controlling factors of nitrogen diffusion fluxes at sediment-water interface by grey correlation analysis. Water Resour Manag 36(13):4951–4964

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang H, Han Y, Pan L (2020) Spatial–temporal variation of nitrogen and diffusion flux across the water–sediment interface at the hydro-fluctuation belt of Danjiangkou Reservoir in China. Water Supply 20(4):1241–1252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Tang X, Gong C, Huang C, Wu X, Li F, Zhou Z (2023) Effect of controlling nitrogen and phosphorus release from sediment using a biological aluminum–based P-inactivation agent (ba-pia). Environ Sci Pollut Res

  • Xia X, Zhang S, Li S, Zhang L, Wang G, Zhang L, Wang J, Li Z (2018) The cycle of nitrogen in river systems: sources, transformation, and flux. Environ Sci: Processes Impacts 20(6):863–891

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao H-Y, Liu C-Q (2010) Identifying organic matter provenance in sediments using isotopic ratios in an urban river. Geochem J 44(3):181–187

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yan H, Li Q, Meng B, Wang C, Feng X, He T, Dominik J (2013) Spatial distribution and methylation of mercury in a eutrophic reservoir heavily contaminated by mercury in Southwest China. Appl Geochem 33:182–190

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang Y, Chen C, Wang J, Xu T (2022) Characterizing free-living and particle-attached bacterial communities of a canyon river reservoir on the Yungui Plateau, China. Front Microbiol 13

  • Yao X, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Zhang B, Zhao Z, Zhang Y, Li M, Jiang X (2018) Nitrogen fixation occurring in sediments: contribution to the nitrogen budget of Lake Taihu. China J Geophys Res: Biogeosci 123(9):2661–2674

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu N, Qin Y, Hao F, Lang Y, Wang F (2019) Using seismic surveys to investigate sediment distribution and to estimate burial fluxes of OC, N, and P in a canyon reservoir. Acta Geochim 38(6):785–795

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yue Y, Wang F, Fu Z, Tang Y, Ma J, Qin Y, Li M, Yang M, Chen X-P (2021) Differential response of microbial diversity and abundance to hydrological residual time and age in cascade reservoirs. J Soils Sediments 21(2):1290–1301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng J, Yue F-J, Li S-L, Wang Z-J, Qin C-Q, Wu Q-X, Xu S (2020) Agriculture driven nitrogen wet deposition in a karst catchment in Southwest China. Agric, Ecosyst Environ 294:106883

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zeng L, Luo G, He T, Guo Y, Qian X (2016) Effects of sulfate-reducing bacteria on methylmercury at the sediment–water interface. J Environ Sci 46:214–219

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao H, Zhang L, Wang S, Jiao L (2018) Features and influencing factors of nitrogen and phosphorus diffusive fluxes at the sediment-water interface of Erhai Lake. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25(2):1933–1942

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Yongbo Gu, Lai Wei, Yongmei Hou, and Yusi Wang from Tianjin Normal University for assistance with field sampling and laboratory analysis.

Funding

This work was supported by the “Deep-time Digital Earth” Science and Technology Leading Talents Team Funds for the Central Universities for the Frontiers Science Center for Deep-time Digital Earth, China University of Geosciences (Beijing) (Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities; Grant NO. 2652023001); National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41661144029, 41672351); and Science and Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program of China (Grant No. 2021FY101000).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Jie Ren, Guilin Han, Rui Qu & Ziyang Ding

  2. Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Jie Ren, Guilin Han, Rui Qu & Ziyang Ding

  3. Frontiers Science Center for Deep-Time Digital Earth, Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Jie Ren, Guilin Han, Rui Qu & Ziyang Ding

  4. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387, China

    Xiaolong Liu

Authors
  1. Jie Ren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Guilin Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xiaolong Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rui Qu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ziyang Ding
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Jie Ren: conceptualization, methodology, writing—original draft, writing—review, and editing; Guilin Han: conceptualization, project administration, funding acquisition, writing—review, and editing; Xiaolong Liu: funding acquisition, writing—review, and editing; Rui Qu: writing–review and editing; Ziyang Ding: writing—review and editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guilin Han.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Xia Liang

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ren, J., Han, G., Liu, X. et al. Key factors controlling nitrogen transformation and efflux at the sediment–water interface: a comparative study from different trophic reservoirs. J Soils Sediments (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-024-03764-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-024-03764-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation