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Origins of Particulate Organic Matter Determined from Nitrogen Isotopic Composition and C/N Ratio in the Highly Eutrophic Danshuei Estuary, Northern Taiwan

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Abstract

The Danshuei River flows through the heavily populated metropolitan area of Taipei and New Taipei cities, which causes remarkable additions of nutrient elements. In spite of the rather short residence time of water, the Danshuei estuary is distinctive for the very high ammonium concentration and extensive hypoxia in its lower reach. Because particulate organic matter (POM) is potentially the culprit of hypoxia, we investigate the isotopic characteristics of POM collected in February and July 2009 at a fixed station over four semidiurnal tidal cycles. By using nitrogen isotopic composition and C/N ratio of POM, we derive the relative contributions of POM from different sources. One potential source that combines dead and living phytoplankton, phytodetritus, has δ15N values that can be predicted by the δ15N of ammonium and the isotope effect during ammonium uptake; however, the isotope effect is concentration dependent. We employ a three-end-member mixing model based on δ15N and C/N ratio to calculate the fractional contributions from three major POM sources, i.e., phytodetritus, soil, and sediment. Sensitivity test was conducted for the derivations from both carbon and nitrogen basis. For February 2009 we found the three fractions (in terms of contribution to the particulate organic carbon) to be 45 ± 19, 10 ± 11 and 45 ± 13 %, respectively; for July 2009, 71 ± 18, 11 ± 10 and 18 ± 13 %, respectively. The results imply that phytodetritus is probably the major culprit for the hypoxic conditions in the estuary, especially, in summer.

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Acknowledgments

The main support of this study came from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan and National Science Foundation, China (U1305233, 41176059). This is NCU-IHS contribution no. 283.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Hydrological and Oceanic Sciences, National Central University, Jungli, Taiwan

    Po-Chao Wu, Jun-Shiang Cheng & Kon-Kee Liu

  2. Institute of Marine Environmental Chemistry and Ecology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan

    Gwo-Ching Gong

  3. State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China

    Shuh-Ji Kao

Authors
  1. Po-Chao Wu
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  2. Gwo-Ching Gong
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  3. Jun-Shiang Cheng
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  4. Kon-Kee Liu
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  5. Shuh-Ji Kao
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Correspondence to Shuh-Ji Kao.

Additional information

K. K. Liu: Deceased on 12 August 2015.

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Wu, PC., Gong, GC., Cheng, JS. et al. Origins of Particulate Organic Matter Determined from Nitrogen Isotopic Composition and C/N Ratio in the Highly Eutrophic Danshuei Estuary, Northern Taiwan. Aquat Geochem 22, 291–311 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-016-9288-0

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