WorldWideScience

Sample records for sedimentary organic nitrogen

  1. Seasonal variations and sources of sedimentary organic carbon in Tokyo Bay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubo, Atsushi; Kanda, Jota

    2017-01-01

    Total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) contents, their stable C and N isotope ratio (δ 13 C and δ 15 N), and chlorophyll a ([Chl a] sed ) of surface sediments were investigated monthly to identify the seasonal variations and sources of organic matter in Tokyo Bay. The sedimentary TOC (TOC sed ) and TN (TN sed ) contents, and the sedimentary δ 13 C and δ 15 N (δ 13 C sed and δ 15 N sed ) values were higher in summer than other seasons. The seasonal variations were controlled by high primary production in the water column and hypoxic water in the bottom water during summer. The fraction of terrestrial and marine derived organic matter was estimated by Bayesian mixing model using stable isotope data and TOC/TN ratio. Surface sediments in Tokyo Bay are dominated by marine derived organic matter, which accounts for about 69 ± 5% of TOC sed . - Highlights: • High values of sedimentary organic carbon and nitrogen were observed in summer. • Surface sediments in Tokyo Bay were dominated by marine derived organic matter which was estimated by Bayesian mixing model. • The most amount of terrestrial POC was deposited and degraded in Tokyo Bay before being discharged to the open ocean.

  2. The complete genome of Zunongwangia profunda SM-A87 reveals its adaptation to the deep-sea environment and ecological role in sedimentary organic nitrogen degradation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhou Bai-Cheng

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Zunongwangia profunda SM-A87, which was isolated from deep-sea sediment, is an aerobic, gram-negative bacterium that represents a new genus of Flavobacteriaceae. This is the first sequenced genome of a deep-sea bacterium from the phylum Bacteroidetes. Results The Z. profunda SM-A87 genome has a single 5 128 187-bp circular chromosome with no extrachromosomal elements and harbors 4 653 predicted protein-coding genes. SM-A87 produces a large amount of capsular polysaccharides and possesses two polysaccharide biosynthesis gene clusters. It has a total of 130 peptidases, 61 of which have signal peptides. In addition to extracellular peptidases, SM-A87 also has various extracellular enzymes for carbohydrate, lipid and DNA degradation. These extracellular enzymes suggest that the bacterium is able to hydrolyze organic materials in the sediment, especially carbohydrates and proteinaceous organic nitrogen. There are two clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats in the genome, but their spacers do not match any sequences in the public sequence databases. SM-A87 is a moderate halophile. Our protein isoelectric point analysis indicates that extracellular proteins have lower predicted isoelectric points than intracellular proteins. SM-A87 accumulates organic osmolytes in the cell, so its extracelluar proteins are more halophilic than its intracellular proteins. Conclusion Here, we present the first complete genome of a deep-sea sedimentary bacterium from the phylum Bacteroidetes. The genome analysis shows that SM-A87 has some common features of deep-sea bacteria, as well as an important capacity to hydrolyze sedimentary organic nitrogen.

  3. Spatial sedimentary distribution, seasonality and the characteristics of organic matter on Fernando de Noronha insular shelf

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto Lima Barcellos

    Full Text Available Abstract The present study was conducted in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago (4°S/32°W. The objective is the evaluation of the spatial distribution and seasonal variations in the sediments and sedimentary organic matter in the northern insular shelf of Fernando de Noronha ("Mar de Dentro". Nineteen surface sediment samples were collected between December 2013, July 2014 and November 2014. The studied methods included analysis of the grain size, coarse fraction, morphoscopy, total organic matter content, calcium carbonate, organic carbon, total nitrogen, sedimentary phosphorus (organic, inorganic and total, elemental ratios (C/N, C/P and stable isotopic ratios (δ13C-δ15N. The results allowed to infer that there is no seasonal variation in sediment distribution. Whereas, the shelf sediments present a calcareous sandy sedimentary cover (CaCO3≈ 88.3%, predominantly of well-sorted fine sands, with low organic matter content (TOM3.0%; TN>0.4% of mixed origin (δ13C= -24.5 to -23.0%PDB, which were related to anthropogenic impacts and the biotic and abiotic local processes.

  4. Effects of Hypoxia on Sedimentary Nitrogen Cycling in the Pensacola Bay Estuary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eutrophic-induced hypoxic events pose a serious threat to estuaries in coastal systems. Hypoxic events are becoming more intense and widespread with changes in land use and increased anthropogenic pressures. Microbial communities involved in sedimentary nitrogen (N) cycling may h...

  5. Organic carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in the intertidal sediments from the Yangtze Estuary, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, M. . E-mail mliu@geo.ecnu.edu.cn; Hou, L.J.; Xu, S.Y.; Ou, D.N.; Yang, Y.; Yu, J.; Wang, Q.

    2006-01-01

    The natural isotopic compositions and C/N elemental ratios of sedimentary organic matter were determined in the intertidal flat of the Yangtze Estuary. The results showed that the ratios of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were respectively -29.8 per mille to - 26.0 per mille and 1.6 per mille -5.5 per mille in the flood season (July), while they were -27.3 per mille to - 25.6 per mille and 1.7 per mille -7.8 per mille in the dry season (February), respectively. The δ 13 C signatures were remarkably higher in July than in February, and gradually increased from the freshwater areas to the brackish areas. In contrast, there were relatively complex seasonal and spatial changes in stable nitrogen isotopes. It was also reflected that δ 15 N and C/N compositions had been obviously modified by organic matter diagenesis and biological processing, and could not be used to trace the sources of organic matter at the study area. In addition, it was considered that the mixing inputs of terrigenous and marine materials generally dominated sedimentary organic matter in the intertidal flat. The contribution of terrigenous inputs to sedimentary organic matter was roughly estimated according to the mixing balance model of stable carbon isotopes

  6. DOE workshop: Sedimentary systems, aqueous and organic geochemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-07-01

    A DOE workshop on sedimentary systems, aqueous and organic geochemistry was held July 15-16, 1993 at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Papers were organized into several sections: Fundamental Properties, containing papers on the thermodynamics of brines, minerals and aqueous electrolyte solutions; Geochemical Transport, covering 3-D imaging of drill core samples, hydrothermal geochemistry, chemical interactions in hydrocarbon reservoirs, fluid flow model application, among others; Rock-Water Interactions, with presentations on stable isotope systematics of fluid/rock interaction, fluid flow and petotectonic evolution, grain boundary transport, sulfur incorporation, tracers in geologic reservoirs, geothermal controls on oil-reservoir evolution, and mineral hydrolysis kinetics; Organic Geochemistry covered new methods for constraining time of hydrocarbon migration, kinetic models of petroleum formation, mudstones in burial diagenesis, compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of petroleums, stability of natural gas, sulfur in sedimentary organic matter, organic geochemistry of deep ocean sediments, direct speciation of metal by optical spectroscopies; and lastly, Sedimentary Systems, covering sequence stratigraphy, seismic reflectors and diagenetic changes in carbonates, geochemistry and origin of regional dolomites, and evidence of large comet or asteroid impacts at extinction boundaries

  7. DOE workshop: Sedimentary systems, aqueous and organic geochemistry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-07-01

    A DOE workshop on sedimentary systems, aqueous and organic geochemistry was held July 15-16, 1993 at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Papers were organized into several sections: Fundamental Properties, containing papers on the thermodynamics of brines, minerals and aqueous electrolyte solutions; Geochemical Transport, covering 3-D imaging of drill core samples, hydrothermal geochemistry, chemical interactions in hydrocarbon reservoirs, fluid flow model application, among others; Rock-Water Interactions, with presentations on stable isotope systematics of fluid/rock interaction, fluid flow and petotectonic evolution, grain boundary transport, sulfur incorporation, tracers in geologic reservoirs, geothermal controls on oil-reservoir evolution, and mineral hydrolysis kinetics; Organic Geochemistry covered new methods for constraining time of hydrocarbon migration, kinetic models of petroleum formation, mudstones in burial diagenesis, compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of petroleums, stability of natural gas, sulfur in sedimentary organic matter, organic geochemistry of deep ocean sediments, direct speciation of metal by optical spectroscopies; and lastly, Sedimentary Systems, covering sequence stratigraphy, seismic reflectors and diagenetic changes in carbonates, geochemistry and origin of regional dolomites, and evidence of large comet or asteroid impacts at extinction boundaries.

  8. Nitrogen isotopes from terrestrial organic matter as a new paleoclimatic proxy for pre-quaternary time

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tramoy, romain; Schnyder, johann; thuy Nguyen Tu, thanh; Yans, johan; Storme, jean yves; Sebilo, mathieu; Derenne, sylvie; Jacob, jérémy; Baudin, françois

    2014-05-01

    Marine and lacustrine sedimentary organic matter is often dominated by algal-bacterial production. Its nitrogen isotopic composition (δ15Norg) is frequently used to reconstruct biogeochemical processes involved in the nitrogen cycle, such as N utilization by organisms (e.g. Altabet et al., 1995), denitrification and diagenesis processes (e.g. Altabet et al., 1995; Sebilo et al., 2003; Gälman et al., 2009) or to evidence N sources variability (e.g. Hodell and Schelske, 1998; Vreca and Muri, 2006) . However, all these parameters and processes make N isotopic signals in marine and lacustrine environments often very complex to interpret. After pioneer studies, Mariotti et al. (1981), Austin and Vitousek (1998), Amundson et al. (2003), Swap et al. (2004), and Liu and Wang (2008) have shown that the δ15Norg of modern or quaternary terrestrial plants seem to be positively correlated with temperature and negatively correlated with precipitations. Therefore, δ15Norg of terrestrial OM might be a better record for paleoclimatic studies than δ15Norg of sedimentary OM dominated by algal-bacterial production. Recently, promising organic nitrogen isotopic data (δ15Norg) have been published on lignites from the Dieppe-Hampshire Basin (Paleocene-Eocene transition, Normandy (Storme et al., 2012). Authors suggest that the δ15Norg recorded local paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental conditions. Following these results, the aim of this work is to test the use of stable nitrogen isotopes in terrestrial OM as a new paleoclimatic marker for pre-quaternary geological series. Does δ15Norg constitute a valuable tool to reconstruct past climates? What are the limits in the use of this proxy and possible methodological bias related to organic sources or diagenetic processes? To address these questions, δ15Norg must be measured in samples from periods associated with large and well documented climate change. We therefore selected a Liassic continental sedimentary succession from

  9. Chemistry of decomposition of freshwater wetland sedimentary organic material during ramped pyrolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, E. K.; Rosenheim, B. E.

    2011-12-01

    Ramped pyrolysis methodology, such as that used in the programmed-temperature pyrolysis/combustion system (PTP/CS), improves radiocarbon analysis of geologic materials devoid of authigenic carbonate compounds and with low concentrations of extractable authochthonous organic molecules. The approach has improved sediment chronology in organic-rich sediments proximal to Antarctic ice shelves (Rosenheim et al., 2008) and constrained the carbon sequestration potential of suspended sediments in the lower Mississippi River (Roe et al., in review). Although ramped pyrolysis allows for separation of sedimentary organic material based upon relative reactivity, chemical information (i.e. chemical composition of pyrolysis products) is lost during the in-line combustion of pyrolysis products. A first order approximation of ramped pyrolysis/combustion system CO2 evolution, employing a simple Gaussian decomposition routine, has been useful (Rosenheim et al., 2008), but improvements may be possible. First, without prior compound-specific extractions, the molecular composition of sedimentary organic matter is unknown and/or unidentifiable. Second, even if determined as constituents of sedimentary organic material, many organic compounds have unknown or variable decomposition temperatures. Third, mixtures of organic compounds may result in significant chemistry within the pyrolysis reactor, prior to introduction of oxygen along the flow path. Gaussian decomposition of the reaction rate may be too simple to fully explain the combination of these factors. To relate both the radiocarbon age over different temperature intervals and the pyrolysis reaction thermograph (temperature (°C) vs. CO2 evolved (μmol)) obtained from PTP/CS to chemical composition of sedimentary organic material, we present a modeling framework developed based upon the ramped pyrolysis decomposition of simple mixtures of organic compounds (i.e. cellulose, lignin, plant fatty acids, etc.) often found in sedimentary

  10. Gross Nitrogen Mineralization in Surface Sediments of the Yangtze Estuary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Min; Li, Xiaofei; Yin, Guoyu; Zheng, Yanling; Deng, Fengyu

    2016-01-01

    Nitrogen mineralization is a key biogeochemical process transforming organic nitrogen to inorganic nitrogen in estuarine and coastal sediments. Although sedimentary nitrogen mineralization is an important internal driver for aquatic eutrophication, few studies have investigated sedimentary nitrogen mineralization in these environments. Sediment-slurry incubation experiments combined with 15N isotope dilution technique were conducted to quantify the potential rates of nitrogen mineralization in surface sediments of the Yangtze Estuary. The gross nitrogen mineralization (GNM) rates ranged from 0.02 to 5.13 mg N kg-1 d-1 in surface sediments of the study area. The GNM rates were generally higher in summer than in winter, and the relative high rates were detected mainly at sites near the north branch and frontal edge of this estuary. The spatial and temporal distributions of GNM rates were observed to depend largely on temperature, salinity, sedimentary organic carbon and nitrogen contents, and extracellular enzyme (urease and L-glutaminase) activities. The total mineralized nitrogen in the sediments of the Yangtze Estuary was estimated to be about 6.17 × 105 t N yr-1, and approximately 37% of it was retained in the estuary. Assuming the retained mineralized nitrogen is totally released from the sediments into the water column, which contributed 12–15% of total dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) sources in this study area. This result indicated that the mineralization process is a significant internal nitrogen source for the overlying water of the Yangtze Estuary, and thus may contribute to the estuarine and coastal eutrophication. PMID:26991904

  11. Atmospheric methane from organic carbon mobilization in sedimentary basins — The sleeping giant?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kroeger, K. F.; di Primio, R.; Horsfield, B.

    2011-08-01

    The mass of organic carbon in sedimentary basins amounts to a staggering 10 16 t, dwarfing the mass contained in coal, oil, gas and all living systems by ten thousand-fold. The evolution of this giant mass during subsidence and uplift, via chemical, physical and biological processes, not only controls fossil energy resource occurrence worldwide, but also has the capacity for driving global climate: only a tiny change in the degree of leakage, particularly if focused through the hydrate cycle, can result in globally significant greenhouse gas emissions. To date, neither climate models nor atmospheric CO 2 budget estimates have quantitatively included methane from thermal or microbial cracking of sedimentary organic matter deep in sedimentary basins. Recent estimates of average low latitude Eocene surface temperatures beyond 30 °C require extreme levels of atmospheric CO 2. Methane degassing from sedimentary basins may be a mechanism to explain increases of atmospheric CO 2 to values as much as 20 times higher than pre-industrial values. Increased natural gas emission could have been set in motion either by global tectonic processes such as pulses of activity in the global alpine fold belt, leading to increased basin subsidence and maturation rates in the prolific Jurassic and Cretaceous organic-rich sediments, or by increased magmatic activity such as observed in the northern Atlantic around the Paleocene-Eocene boundary. Increased natural gas emission would have led to global warming that was accentuated by long lasting positive feedback effects through temperature transfer from the surface into sedimentary basins. Massive gas hydrate dissociation may have been an additional positive feedback factor during hyperthermals superimposed on long term warming, such as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). As geologic sources may have contributed over one third of global atmospheric methane in pre-industrial time, variability in methane flux from sedimentary

  12. Rare earth elements and neodymium isotopes in sedimentary organic matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freslon, Nicolas; Bayon, Germain; Toucanne, Samuel; Bermell, Sylvain; Bollinger, Claire; Chéron, Sandrine; Etoubleau, Joel; Germain, Yoan; Khripounoff, Alexis; Ponzevera, Emmanuel; Rouget, Marie-Laure

    2014-09-01

    We report rare earth element (REE) and neodymium (Nd) isotope data for the organic fraction of sediments collected from various depositional environments, i.e. rivers (n = 25), estuaries (n = 18), open-ocean settings (n = 15), and cold seeps (n = 12). Sedimentary organic matter (SOM) was extracted using a mixed hydrogen peroxide/nitric acid solution (20%-H2O2-0.02 M-HNO3), after removal of carbonate and oxy-hydroxide phases with dilute hydrochloric acid (0.25 M-HCl). A series of experimental tests indicate that extraction of sedimentary organic compounds using H2O2 may be complicated occasionally by partial dissolution of sulphide minerals and residual carbonates. However, this contamination is expected to be minor for REE because measured concentrations in H2O2 leachates are about two-orders of magnitude higher than in the above mentioned phases. The mean REE concentrations determined in the H2O2 leachates for samples from rivers, estuaries, coastal seas and open-ocean settings yield relatively similar levels, with ΣREE = 109 ± 86 ppm (mean ± s; n = 58). The organic fractions leached from cold seep sediments display even higher concentration levels (285 ± 150 ppm; mean ± s; n = 12). The H2O2 leachates for most sediments exhibit remarkably similar shale-normalized REE patterns, all characterized by a mid-REE enrichment compared to the other REE. This suggests that the distribution of REE in leached sedimentary organic phases is controlled primarily by biogeochemical processes, rather than by the composition of the source from which they derive (e.g. pore, river or sea-water). The Nd isotopic compositions for organic phases leached from river sediments are very similar to those for the corresponding detrital fractions. In contrast, the SOM extracted from marine sediments display εNd values that typically range between the εNd signatures for terrestrial organic matter (inferred from the analysis of the sedimentary detrital fractions) and marine organic matter

  13. Virtual Nitrogen Losses from Organic Food Production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cattell Noll, L.; Galloway, J. N.; Leach, A. M.; Seufert, V.; Atwell, B.; Shade, J.

    2015-12-01

    Reactive nitrogen (Nr) is necessary for crop and animal production, but when it is lost to the environment, it creates a cascade of detrimental environmental impacts. The nitrogen challenge is to maximize the food production benefits of Nr, while minimizing losses to the environment. The first nitrogen footprint tool was created in 2012 to help consumers learn about the Nr losses to the environment that result from an individual's lifestyle choices. The nitrogen lost during food production was estimated with virtual nitrogen factors (VNFs) that quantify the amount of nitrogen lost to the environment per unit nitrogen consumed. Alternative agricultural systems, such as USDA certified organic farms, utilize practices that diverge from conventional production. In order to evaluate the potential sustainability of these alternative agricultural systems, our team calculated VNFs that reflect organic production. Initial data indicate that VNFs for organic grains and organic starchy roots are comparable to, but slightly higher than conventional (+10% and +20% respectively). In contrast, the VNF for organic vegetables is significantly higher (+90%) and the VNF for organic legumes is significantly lower (-90%). Initial data on organic meat production shows that organic poultry and organic pigmeat are comparable to conventional production (both <5% difference), but that the organic beef VNF is significantly higher (+30%). These data show that in some cases organic and conventional production are comparable in terms of nitrogen efficiency. However, since conventional production relies heavily on the creation of new reactive nitrogen (Haber-Bosch, biological nitrogen fixation) and organic production primarily utilizes already existing reactive nitrogen (manure, crop residue, compost), the data also show that organic production contributes less new reactive nitrogen to the environment than conventional production (approximately 70% less). Therefore, we conclude that on a local

  14. Evidence for indigenous nitrogen in sedimentary and aeolian deposits from the Curiosity rover investigations at Gale crater, Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stern, Jennifer C.; Sutter, Brad; Freissinet, Caroline; Navarro-González, Rafael; McKay, Christopher P.; Archer, P. Douglas; Buch, Arnaud; Brunner, Anna E.; Coll, Patrice; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L.; Fairen, Alberto G.; Franz, Heather B.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Kashyap, Srishti; McAdam, Amy C.; Ming, Douglas W.; Steele, Andrew; Szopa, Cyril; Wray, James J.; Martín-Torres, F. Javier; Zorzano, Maria-Paz; Conrad, Pamela G.; Mahaffy, Paul R.; Kemppinen, Osku; Bridges, Nathan; Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Minitti, Michelle; Cremers, David; Bell, James F.; Edgar, Lauren; Farmer, Jack; Godber, Austin; Wadhwa, Meenakshi; Wellington, Danika; McEwan, Ian; Newman, Claire; Richardson, Mark; Charpentier, Antoine; Peret, Laurent; King, Penelope; Blank, Jennifer; Weigle, Gerald; Schmidt, Mariek; Li, Shuai; Milliken, Ralph; Robertson, Kevin; Sun, Vivian; Baker, Michael; Edwards, Christopher; Ehlmann, Bethany; Farley, Kenneth; Griffes, Jennifer; Grotzinger, John; Miller, Hayden; Newcombe, Megan; Pilorget, Cedric; Rice, Melissa; Siebach, Kirsten; Stack, Katie; Stolper, Edward; Brunet, Claude; Hipkin, Victoria; Léveillé, Richard; Marchand, Geneviève; Sánchez, Pablo Sobrón; Favot, Laurent; Cody, George; Steele, Andrew; Flückiger, Lorenzo; Lees, David; Nefian, Ara; Martin, Mildred; Gailhanou, Marc; Westall, Frances; Israël, Guy; Agard, Christophe; Baroukh, Julien; Donny, Christophe; Gaboriaud, Alain; Guillemot, Philippe; Lafaille, Vivian; Lorigny, Eric; Paillet, Alexis; Pérez, René; Saccoccio, Muriel; Yana, Charles; Armiens-Aparicio, Carlos; Rodríguez, Javier Caride; Blázquez, Isaías Carrasco; Gómez, Felipe Gómez; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Hettrich, Sebastian; Malvitte, Alain Lepinette; Jiménez, Mercedes Marín; Martínez-Frías, Jesús; Martín-Soler, Javier; - Torres, F. Javier Martín; Jurado, Antonio Molina; Mora-Sotomayor, Luis; Caro, Guillermo Muñoz; López, Sara Navarro; Peinado-González, Verónica; Pla-García, Jorge; Manfredi, José Antonio Rodriguez; Romeral-Planelló, Julio José; Fuentes, Sara Alejandra Sans; Martinez, Eduardo Sebastian; Redondo, Josefina Torres; Urqui-O'Callaghan, Roser; Mier, María-Paz Zorzano; Chipera, Steve; Lacour, Jean-Luc; Mauchien, Patrick; Sirven, Jean-Baptiste; Manning, Heidi; Fairén, Alberto; Hayes, Alexander; Joseph, Jonathan; Squyres, Steven; Sullivan, Robert; Thomas, Peter; Dupont, Audrey; Lundberg, Angela; Melikechi, Noureddine; Mezzacappa, Alissa; DeMarines, Julia; Grinspoon, David; Reitz, Günther; Prats, Benito; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Genzer, Maria; Harri, Ari-Matti; Haukka, Harri; Kahanpää, Henrik; Kauhanen, Janne; Kemppinen, Osku; Paton, Mark; Polkko, Jouni; Schmidt, Walter; Siili, Tero; Fabre, Cécile; Wray, James; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Poitrasson, Franck; Patel, Kiran; Gorevan, Stephen; Indyk, Stephen; Paulsen, Gale; Gupta, Sanjeev; Bish, David; Schieber, Juergen; Gondet, Brigitte; Langevin, Yves; Geffroy, Claude; Baratoux, David; Berger, Gilles; Cros, Alain; d’Uston, Claude; Forni, Olivier; Gasnault, Olivier; Lasue, Jérémie; Lee, Qiu-Mei; Maurice, Sylvestre; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Pallier, Etienne; Parot, Yann; Pinet, Patrick; Schröder, Susanne; Toplis, Mike; Lewin, Éric; Brunner, Will; Heydari, Ezat; Achilles, Cherie; Oehler, Dorothy; Sutter, Brad; Cabane, Michel; Coscia, David; Israël, Guy; Szopa, Cyril; Dromart, Gilles; Robert, François; Sautter, Violaine; Le Mouélic, Stéphane; Mangold, Nicolas; Nachon, Marion; Buch, Arnaud; Stalport, Fabien; Coll, Patrice; François, Pascaline; Raulin, François; Teinturier, Samuel; Cameron, James; Clegg, Sam; Cousin, Agnès; DeLapp, Dorothea; Dingler, Robert; Jackson, Ryan Steele; Johnstone, Stephen; Lanza, Nina; Little, Cynthia; Nelson, Tony; Wiens, Roger C.; Williams, Richard B.; Jones, Andrea; Kirkland, Laurel; Treiman, Allan; Baker, Burt; Cantor, Bruce; Caplinger, Michael; Davis, Scott; Duston, Brian; Edgett, Kenneth; Fay, Donald; Hardgrove, Craig; Harker, David; Herrera, Paul; Jensen, Elsa; Kennedy, Megan R.; Krezoski, Gillian; Krysak, Daniel; Lipkaman, Leslie; Malin, Michael; McCartney, Elaina; McNair, Sean; Nixon, Brian; Posiolova, Liliya; Ravine, Michael; Salamon, Andrew; Saper, Lee; Stoiber, Kevin; Supulver, Kimberley; Van Beek, Jason; Van Beek, Tessa; Zimdar, Robert; French, Katherine Louise; Iagnemma, Karl; Miller, Kristen; Summons, Roger; Goesmann, Fred; Goetz, Walter; Hviid, Stubbe; Johnson, Micah; Lefavor, Matthew; Lyness, Eric; Breves, Elly; Dyar, M. Darby; Fassett, Caleb; Blake, David F.; Bristow, Thomas; DesMarais, David; Edwards, Laurence; Haberle, Robert; Hoehler, Tori; Hollingsworth, Jeff; Kahre, Melinda; Keely, Leslie; McKay, Christopher; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Bleacher, Lora; Brinckerhoff, William; Choi, David; Conrad, Pamela; Dworkin, Jason P.; Eigenbrode, Jennifer; Floyd, Melissa; Freissinet, Caroline; Garvin, James; Glavin, Daniel; Harpold, Daniel; Jones, Andrea; Mahaffy, Paul; Martin, David K.; McAdam, Amy; Pavlov, Alexander; Raaen, Eric; Smith, Michael D.; Stern, Jennifer; Tan, Florence; Trainer, Melissa; Meyer, Michael; Posner, Arik; Voytek, Mary; Anderson, Robert C; Aubrey, Andrew; Beegle, Luther W.; Behar, Alberto; Blaney, Diana; Brinza, David; Calef, Fred; Christensen, Lance; Crisp, Joy A.; DeFlores, Lauren; Ehlmann, Bethany; Feldman, Jason; Feldman, Sabrina; Flesch, Gregory; Hurowitz, Joel; Jun, Insoo; Keymeulen, Didier; Maki, Justin; Mischna, Michael; Morookian, John Michael; Parker, Timothy; Pavri, Betina; Schoppers, Marcel; Sengstacken, Aaron; Simmonds, John J.; Spanovich, Nicole; Juarez, Manuel de la Torre; Vasavada, Ashwin R.; Webster, Christopher R.; Yen, Albert; Archer, Paul Douglas; Cucinotta, Francis; Jones, John H.; Ming, Douglas; Morris, Richard V.; Niles, Paul; Rampe, Elizabeth; Nolan, Thomas; Fisk, Martin; Radziemski, Leon; Barraclough, Bruce; Bender, Steve; Berman, Daniel; Dobrea, Eldar Noe; Tokar, Robert; Vaniman, David; Williams, Rebecca M. E.; Yingst, Aileen; Lewis, Kevin; Leshin, Laurie; Cleghorn, Timothy; Huntress, Wesley; Manhès, Gérard; Hudgins, Judy; Olson, Timothy; Stewart, Noel; Sarrazin, Philippe; Grant, John; Vicenzi, Edward; Wilson, Sharon A.; Bullock, Mark; Ehresmann, Bent; Hamilton, Victoria; Hassler, Donald; Peterson, Joseph; Rafkin, Scot; Zeitlin, Cary; Fedosov, Fedor; Golovin, Dmitry; Karpushkina, Natalya; Kozyrev, Alexander; Litvak, Maxim; Malakhov, Alexey; Mitrofanov, Igor; Mokrousov, Maxim; Nikiforov, Sergey; Prokhorov, Vasily; Sanin, Anton; Tretyakov, Vladislav; Varenikov, Alexey; Vostrukhin, Andrey; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Clark, Benton; Wolff, Michael; McLennan, Scott; Botta, Oliver; Drake, Darrell; Bean, Keri; Lemmon, Mark; Schwenzer, Susanne P.; Anderson, Ryan B.; Herkenhoff, Kenneth; Lee, Ella Mae; Sucharski, Robert; Hernández, Miguel Ángel de Pablo; Ávalos, Juan José Blanco; Ramos, Miguel; Kim, Myung-Hee; Malespin, Charles; Plante, Ianik; Muller, Jan-Peter; Navarro-González, Rafael; Ewing, Ryan; Boynton, William; Downs, Robert; Fitzgibbon, Mike; Harshman, Karl; Morrison, Shaunna; Dietrich, William; Kortmann, Onno; Palucis, Marisa; Sumner, Dawn Y.; Williams, Amy; Lugmair, Günter; Wilson, Michael A.; Rubin, David; Jakosky, Bruce; Balic-Zunic, Tonci; Frydenvang, Jens; Jensen, Jaqueline Kløvgaard; Kinch, Kjartan; Koefoed, Asmus; Madsen, Morten Bo; Stipp, Susan Louise Svane; Boyd, Nick; Campbell, John L.; Gellert, Ralf; Perrett, Glynis; Pradler, Irina; VanBommel, Scott; Jacob, Samantha; Owen, Tobias; Rowland, Scott; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Savijärvi, Hannu; Boehm, Eckart; Böttcher, Stephan; Burmeister, Sönke; Guo, Jingnan; Köhler, Jan; García, César Martín; Mueller-Mellin, Reinhold; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert; Bridges, John C.; McConnochie, Timothy; Benna, Mehdi; Franz, Heather; Bower, Hannah; Brunner, Anna; Blau, Hannah; Boucher, Thomas; Carmosino, Marco; Atreya, Sushil; Elliott, Harvey; Halleaux, Douglas; Rennó, Nilton; Wong, Michael; Pepin, Robert; Elliott, Beverley; Spray, John; Thompson, Lucy; Gordon, Suzanne; Newsom, Horton; Ollila, Ann; Williams, Joshua; Vasconcelos, Paulo; Bentz, Jennifer; Nealson, Kenneth; Popa, Radu; Kah, Linda C.; Moersch, Jeffrey; Tate, Christopher; Day, Mackenzie; Kocurek, Gary; Hallet, Bernard; Sletten, Ronald; Francis, Raymond; McCullough, Emily; Cloutis, Ed; ten Kate, Inge Loes; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Arvidson, Raymond; Fraeman, Abigail; Scholes, Daniel; Slavney, Susan; Stein, Thomas; Ward, Jennifer; Berger, Jeffrey; Moores, John E.

    2015-01-01

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover has detected oxidized nitrogen-bearing compounds during pyrolysis of scooped aeolian sediments and drilled sedimentary deposits within Gale crater. Total N concentrations ranged from 20 to 250 nmol N per sample. After subtraction of known N sources in SAM, our results support the equivalent of 110–300 ppm of nitrate in the Rocknest (RN) aeolian samples, and 70–260 and 330–1,100 ppm nitrate in John Klein (JK) and Cumberland (CB) mudstone deposits, respectively. Discovery of indigenous martian nitrogen in Mars surface materials has important implications for habitability and, specifically, for the potential evolution of a nitrogen cycle at some point in martian history. The detection of nitrate in both wind-drifted fines (RN) and in mudstone (JK, CB) is likely a result of N2 fixation to nitrate generated by thermal shock from impact or volcanic plume lightning on ancient Mars. Fixed nitrogen could have facilitated the development of a primitive nitrogen cycle on the surface of ancient Mars, potentially providing a biochemically accessible source of nitrogen. PMID:25831544

  15. Evidence for indigenous nitrogen in sedimentary and aeolian deposits from the Curiosity rover investigations at Gale crater, Mars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stern, Jennifer C; Sutter, Brad; Freissinet, Caroline; Navarro-González, Rafael; McKay, Christopher P; Archer, P Douglas; Buch, Arnaud; Brunner, Anna E; Coll, Patrice; Eigenbrode, Jennifer L; Fairen, Alberto G; Franz, Heather B; Glavin, Daniel P; Kashyap, Srishti; McAdam, Amy C; Ming, Douglas W; Steele, Andrew; Szopa, Cyril; Wray, James J; Martín-Torres, F Javier; Zorzano, Maria-Paz; Conrad, Pamela G; Mahaffy, Paul R

    2015-04-07

    The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover has detected oxidized nitrogen-bearing compounds during pyrolysis of scooped aeolian sediments and drilled sedimentary deposits within Gale crater. Total N concentrations ranged from 20 to 250 nmol N per sample. After subtraction of known N sources in SAM, our results support the equivalent of 110-300 ppm of nitrate in the Rocknest (RN) aeolian samples, and 70-260 and 330-1,100 ppm nitrate in John Klein (JK) and Cumberland (CB) mudstone deposits, respectively. Discovery of indigenous martian nitrogen in Mars surface materials has important implications for habitability and, specifically, for the potential evolution of a nitrogen cycle at some point in martian history. The detection of nitrate in both wind-drifted fines (RN) and in mudstone (JK, CB) is likely a result of N2 fixation to nitrate generated by thermal shock from impact or volcanic plume lightning on ancient Mars. Fixed nitrogen could have facilitated the development of a primitive nitrogen cycle on the surface of ancient Mars, potentially providing a biochemically accessible source of nitrogen.

  16. Distribution and sources of sedimentary organic matter in a tropical estuary, south west coast of India (Cochin estuary): A baseline study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gireeshkumar, T.R.; Deepulal, P.M.; Chandramohanakumar, N.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► We report δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of sedimentary organic matter from the Cochin estuary. ► δ 13 C and δ 15 N values ranged from −27.5‰ to −21.7‰ and δ 15 N 3.1–6.7‰ respectively. ► Organic matter is found to be mixture terrestrial and marine derived materials. ► The δ 15 N values displayed a complex behavior in the study region. ► The fraction of terrestrial derived organic matter was estimated. -- Abstract: Surface sediments samples were collected from 9 stations of the Cochin estuary during the monsoon, post-monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons and were analyzed for grain size, total organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN) and stable isotopic ratios of carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) to identify major sources of organic matter in surface sediments. Sediment grain size is found to be the key factor influencing the organic matter accumulation in surface sediments. The δ 13 C values ranges from −27.5‰ to −21.7‰ in surface sediments with a gradual increase from inner part of the estuary to the seaward side that suggest an increasing contribution of marine autogenous organic matter towards the seaward side. The δ 15 N value varies between 3.1‰ and 6.7‰ and it exhibits complex spatial and seasonal distributions in the study area. It is found that the dynamic cycling of nitrogen through various biogeochemical and organic matter degradation processes modifies the OC/TN ratios and δ 15 N to a considerable degree. The fraction of terrestrial organic matter in the total organic matter pool ranges from 13% to 74% in the surface sediments as estimated by δ 13 C based two end member mixing model

  17. Organic carbon and nitrogen in the surface sediments of world oceans and seas: distribution and relationship to bottom topography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Premuzic, E.T.

    1980-06-01

    Information dealing with the distribution of organic carbon and nitrogen in the top sediments of world oceans and seas has been gathered and evaluated. Based on the available information a master chart has been constructed which shows world distribution of sedimentary organic matter in the oceans and seas. Since organic matter exerts an influence upon the settling properties of fine inorganic particles, e.g. clay minerals and further, the interaction between organic matter and clay minerals is maximal, a relationship between the overall bottom topography and the distribution of clay minerals and organic matter should be observable on a worldwide basis. Initial analysis of the available data indicates that such a relationship does exist and its significance is discussed.

  18. Nitrogen in rock: Occurrences and biogeochemical implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holloway, J.M.; Dahlgren, R.A.

    2002-01-01

    There is a growing interest in the role of bedrock in global nitrogen cycling and potential for increased ecosystem sensitivity to human impacts in terrains with elevated background nitrogen concentrations. Nitrogen-bearing rocks are globally distributed and comprise a potentially large pool of nitrogen in nutrient cycling that is frequently neglected because of a lack of routine analytical methods for quantification. Nitrogen in rock originates as organically bound nitrogen associated with sediment, or in thermal waters representing a mixture of sedimentary, mantle, and meteoric sources of nitrogen. Rock nitrogen concentrations range from trace levels (>200 mg N kg -1) in granites to ecologically significant concentrations exceeding 1000 mg N kg -1 in some sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks. Nitrate deposits accumulated in arid and semi-arid regions are also a large potential pool. Nitrogen in rock has a potentially significant impact on localized nitrogen cycles. Elevated nitrogen concentrations in water and soil have been attributed to weathering of bedrock nitrogen. In some environments, nitrogen released from bedrock may contribute to nitrogen saturation of terrestrial ecosystems (more nitrogen available than required by biota). Nitrogen saturation results in leaching of nitrate to surface and groundwaters, and, where soils are formed from ammonium-rich bedrock, the oxidation of ammonium to nitrate may result in soil acidification, inhibiting revegetation in certain ecosystems. Collectively, studies presented in this article reveal that geologic nitrogen may be a large and reactive pool with potential for amplification of human impacts on nitrogen cycling in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

  19. Ecology of Thioploca spp.: Nitrate and sulfur storage in relation to chemical microgradients and influence of Thioploca spp. on the sedimentary nitrogen cycle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zopfi, J.; Kjaer, T.; Nielsen, LP

    2001-01-01

    Microsensors, including a recently developed NO(3)(-) biosensor, were applied to measure O(2) and NO(3)(-) profiles in marine sediments from the upwelling area off central Chile and to investigate the influence of Thioploca spp. on the sedimentary nitrogen metabolism. The studies were performed...

  20. Sources and distribution of sedimentary organic matter along the Andong salt marsh, Hangzhou Bay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Hong-Wei; Chen, Jian-Fang; Ye, Ying; Lou, Zhang-Hua; Jin, Ai-Min; Chen, Xue-Gang; Jiang, Zong-Pei; Lin, Yu-Shih; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur; Loh, Pei Sun

    2017-10-01

    Lignin oxidation products, δ13C values, C/N ratios and particle size were used to investigate the sources, distribution and chemical stability of sedimentary organic matter (OM) along the Andong salt marsh located in the southwestern end of Hangzhou Bay, China. Terrestrial OM was highest at the upper marshes and decreased closer to the sea, and the distribution of sedimentary total organic carbon (TOC) was influenced mostly by particle size. Terrestrial OM with a C3 signature was the predominant source of sedimentary OM in the Spartina alterniflora-dominated salt marsh system. This means that aside from contributions from the local marsh plants, the Andong salt marsh received input mostly from the Qiantang River and the Changjiang Estuary. Transect C, which was situated nearer to the Qiantang River mouth, was most likely influenced by input from the Qiantang River. Likewise, a nearby creek could be transporting materials from Hangzhou Bay into Transect A (farther east than Transect C), as Transect A showed a signal resembling that of the Changjiang Estuary. The predominance of terrestrial OM in the Andong salt marsh despite overall reductions in sedimentary and terrestrial OM input from the rivers is most likely due to increased contributions of sedimentary and terrestrial OM from erosion. This study shows that lower salt marsh accretion due to the presence of reservoirs upstream may be counterbalanced by increased erosion from the surrounding coastal areas.

  1. Characterisation and quantification of organic phosphorus and organic nitrogen components in aquatic systems: A Review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Worsfold, Paul J. [School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL48AA (United Kingdom)], E-mail: pworsfold@plymouth.ac.uk; Monbet, Philippe [School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL48AA (United Kingdom); Water Studies Centre, School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria (Australia); Tappin, Alan D.; Fitzsimons, Mark F.; Stiles, David A. [School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL48AA (United Kingdom); McKelvie, Ian D. [Water Studies Centre, School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Victoria (Australia)

    2008-08-22

    This review provides a critical assessment of knowledge regarding the determination of organic phosphorus (OP) and organic nitrogen (ON) in aquatic systems, with an emphasis on biogeochemical considerations and analytical challenges. A general background on organic phosphorus and organic nitrogen precedes a discussion of sample collection, extraction, treatment/conditioning and preconcentration of organic phosphorus/nitrogen from sediments, including suspended particulate matter, and waters, including sediment porewaters. This is followed by sections on the determination of organic phosphorus/nitrogen components. Key techniques covered for organic phosphorus components are molecular spectrometry, atomic spectrometry and enzymatic methods. For nitrogen the focus is on the measurement of total organic nitrogen concentrations by carbon hydrogen nitrogen analysis and high temperature combustion, and organic nitrogen components by gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, X-ray techniques and enzymatic methods. Finally future trends and needs are discussed and recommendations made.

  2. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures and nitrogen profile to identify adulteration in organic fertilizers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verenitch, Sergei; Mazumder, Asit

    2012-08-29

    Recently it has been shown that stable isotopes of nitrogen can be used to discriminate between organic and synthetic fertilizers, but the robustness of the approach is questionable. This work developed a comprehensive method that is far more robust in identifying an adulteration of organic nitrogen fertilizers. Organic fertilizers of various types (manures, composts, blood meal, bone meal, fish meal, products of poultry and plant productions, molasses and seaweed based, and others) available on the North American market were analyzed to reveal the most sensitive criteria as well as their quantitative ranges, which can be used in their authentication. Organic nitrogen fertilizers of known origins with a wide δ(15)N range between -0.55 and 28.85‰ (n = 1258) were characterized for C and N content, δ(13)C, δ(15)N, viscosity, pH, and nitrogen profile (urea, ammonia, organic N, water insoluble N, and NO3). A statistically significant data set of characterized unique organic nitrogen fertilizers (n = 335) of various known origins has been assembled. Deliberately adulterated samples of different types of organic fertilizers mixed with synthetic fertilizers at a wide range of proportions have been used to develop the quantitative critical characteristics of organic fertilizers as the key indicators of their adulteration. Statistical analysis based on the discriminant functions of the quantitative critical characteristics of organic nitrogen fertilizers from 14 different source materials revealed a very high average rate of correct classification. The developed methodology has been successfully used as a source identification tool for numerous commercial nitrogen fertilizers available on the North American market.

  3. A Three-Dimensional Model of the Marine Nitrogen Cycle during the Last Glacial Maximum Constrained by Sedimentary Isotopes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher J. Somes

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Nitrogen is a key limiting nutrient that influences marine productivity and carbon sequestration in the ocean via the biological pump. In this study, we present the first estimates of nitrogen cycling in a coupled 3D ocean-biogeochemistry-isotope model forced with realistic boundary conditions from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM ~21,000 years before present constrained by nitrogen isotopes. The model predicts a large decrease in nitrogen loss rates due to higher oxygen concentrations in the thermocline and sea level drop, and, as a response, reduced nitrogen fixation. Model experiments are performed to evaluate effects of hypothesized increases of atmospheric iron fluxes and oceanic phosphorus inventory relative to present-day conditions. Enhanced atmospheric iron deposition, which is required to reproduce observations, fuels export production in the Southern Ocean causing increased deep ocean nutrient storage. This reduces transport of preformed nutrients to the tropics via mode waters, thereby decreasing productivity, oxygen deficient zones, and water column N-loss there. A larger global phosphorus inventory up to 15% cannot be excluded from the currently available nitrogen isotope data. It stimulates additional nitrogen fixation that increases the global oceanic nitrogen inventory, productivity, and water column N-loss. Among our sensitivity simulations, the best agreements with nitrogen isotope data from LGM sediments indicate that water column and sedimentary N-loss were reduced by 17–62% and 35–69%, respectively, relative to preindustrial values. Our model demonstrates that multiple processes alter the nitrogen isotopic signal in most locations, which creates large uncertainties when quantitatively constraining individual nitrogen cycling processes. One key uncertainty is nitrogen fixation, which decreases by 25–65% in the model during the LGM mainly in response to reduced N-loss, due to the lack of observations in the open ocean most

  4. Natural abundances of /sup 15/N as a source indicator for near-shore marine sedimentary and dissolved nitrogen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sweeney, R E; Kaplan, I R [California Univ., Los Angeles (USA). Inst. of Geophysics and Planetary Physics

    1980-04-01

    The nitrogen isotope ratios of 42 sediment samples of total nitrogen and 38 dissolved pore-water ammonium samples from Santa Barbara Basin sediment cores were measured. The range of delta/sup 15/N values for total nitrogen was +2.89 to +9.4 per thousand with a mean of +6.8 per thousand and for pore water ammonium, +8.2 to +12.4 per thousand with a mean of 10.2 per thousand. The results suggest that the dissolved ammonium in the pore water is produced from bacterial degradation of marine organic matter. The range of delta /sup 15/N values for total nitrogen in the sediment is interpreted as resulting from an admixture of nitrogen derived from marine (+10 per thousand) and terrestrial (+2 per thousand) cores. The marine component of this mixture, composed principally of calcium carbonate with smaller amounts of opal and organic matter, contains approximately 1.0% nitrogen. The terrestrial component, which comprises over 80% of the sediment, contains approximately 0.1% organically bound nitrogen and accounts for > 25% of the total nitrogen in Santa Barbara Basin sediment.

  5. Assessing the potential of amino acid 13C patterns as a carbon source tracer in marine sediments: effects of algal growth conditions and sedimentary diagenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, T.; Bach, L. T.; Salvatteci, R.; Wang, Y. V.; Andersen, N.; Ventura, M.; McCarthy, M. D.

    2015-08-01

    Burial of organic carbon in marine sediments has a profound influence in marine biogeochemical cycles and provides a sink for greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4. However, tracing organic carbon from primary production sources as well as its transformations in the sediment record remains challenging. Here we examine a novel but growing tool for tracing the biosynthetic origin of amino acid carbon skeletons, based on naturally occurring stable carbon isotope patterns in individual amino acids (δ13CAA). We focus on two important aspects for δ13CAA utility in sedimentary paleoarchives: first, the fidelity of source diagnostic of algal δ13CAA patterns across different oceanographic growth conditions, and second, the ability of δ13CAA patterns to record the degree of subsequent microbial amino acid synthesis after sedimentary burial. Using the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, we tested under controlled conditions how δ13CAA patterns respond to changing environmental conditions, including light, salinity, temperature, and pH. Our findings show that while differing oceanic growth conditions can change macromolecular cellular composition, δ13CAA isotopic patterns remain largely invariant. These results emphasize that δ13CAA patterns should accurately record biosynthetic sources across widely disparate oceanographic conditions. We also explored how δ13CAA patterns change as a function of age, total nitrogen and organic carbon content after burial, in a marine sediment core from a coastal upwelling area off Peru. Based on the four most informative amino acids for distinguishing between diatom and bacterial sources (i.e., isoleucine, lysine, leucine and tyrosine), bacterially derived amino acids ranged from 10 to 15 % in the sediment layers from the last 5000 years, and up to 35 % during the last glacial period. The greater bacterial contributions in older sediments indicate that bacterial activity and amino acid resynthesis progressed, approximately as a

  6. Stable Isotopes of Nitrogen in Fossil Cladoceran Exoskeletons: Implications for Nitrogen Sources in the Central Baltic Sea During the Past Century

    Science.gov (United States)

    Struck, Ulrich; Voss, Maren; von Bodungen, Bodo; Mumm, Nicolai

    The ratios of stable nitrogen isotopes were analysed in zooplankton exoskeletons extracted from dated sediment cores from the Gotland Basin of the central Baltic Sea. Combined with results on δ15N of bulk sediment, organic carbon concentrations, and abundances of exoskeletons of Bosminalongispinamaritima in the sediment, the data are used to evaluate significant sources of nitrogen in the food web over the past century. Nitrogen isotopic composition of bulk sediments ranges from 2.5 to 4.5ö, that of exokeletons varies between 0.4 and 6.2ö. The two are positively correlated. A marked increase in the abundance of Bosmina since 1965 (from less than 500 specimen to more than 5000 specimencm3 of sediment) is correlated with a significant increase in sedimentary organic carbon concentrations (from 4% to more than 10%). The isotopic data do not identify increased land-derived nitrate as the dominant nitrogen source fuelling the increase. Instead, we postulate that nitrogen fixation by diazotrophic bacteria has been one of the larger sources of nitrogen in the Baltic Sea, as it is today.

  7. Geochemical isotope compartment model of the nitrogen cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weise, G.; Wetzel, K.; Stiehl, G.

    1981-01-01

    A model of the global cycle of nitrogen and its isotopes is described. It takes into account geochemical reservoirs (nitrogen in magmatic metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks and in the atmosphere) and the nitrogen exchange between magmatic rocks and the outer mantle, the transition of nitrogen exchange between sedimentary rocks and the atmosphere. With the aid of the mathematical formalisms of the compartment theory and on the basis of all available delta 11 N values assumptions regarding the isotope effects in forming these nitrogen fluxes data have been obtained on the degree of the nitrogen exchange between the earth crust and the outer mantle and on other nitrogen fluxes characterizing the global nitrogen cycle. (author)

  8. Rapid estimation of organic nitrogen in oil shale waste waters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jones, B.M.; Daughton, C.G.; Harris, G.J.

    1984-04-01

    Many of the characteristics of oil shale process waste waters (e.g., malodors, color, and resistance to biotreatment) are imparted by numerous nitrogenous heterocycles and aromatic amines. For the frequent performance assessment of waste treatment processes designed to remove these nitrogenous organic compounds, a rapid and colligative measurement of organic nitrogen is essential. Quantification of organic nitrogen in biological and agricultural samples is usually accomplished using the time-consuming, wet-chemical Kjeldahl method. For oil shale waste waters, whose primary inorganic nitorgen constituent is amonia, organic Kjeldahl nitrogen (OKN) is determined by first eliminating the endogenous ammonia by distillation and then digesting the sample in boiling H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/. The organic material is oxidized, and most forms of organically bound nitrogen are released as ammonium ion. After the addition of base, the ammonia is separated from the digestate by distillation and quantified by acidimetric titrimetry or colorimetry. The major failings of this method are the loss of volatile species such as aliphatic amines (during predistillation) and the inability to completely recover nitrogen from many nitrogenous heterocycles (during digestion). Within the last decade, a new approach has been developed for the quantification of total nitrogen (TN). The sample is first combusted, a

  9. Chitin: 'Forgotten' Source of Nitrogen: From Modern Chitin to Thermally Mature Kerogen: Lessons from Nitrogen Isotope Ratios

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schimmelmann, A.; Wintsch, R.P.; Lewan, M.D.; DeNiro, M.J.

    1998-01-01

    Chitinous biomass represents a major pool of organic nitrogen in living biota and is likely to have contributed some of the fossil organic nitrogen in kerogen. We review the nitrogen isotope biogeochemistry of chitin and present preliminary results suggesting interaction between kerogen and ammonium during thermal maturation. Modern arthropod chitin may shift its nitrogen isotope ratio by a few per mil depending on the chemical method of chitin preparation, mostly because N-containing non-amino-sugar components in chemically complex chitin cannot be removed quantitatively. Acid hydrolysis of chemically complex chitin and subsequent ion-chromatographic purification of the "deacetylated chitin-monomer" D-glucosamine (in hydrochloride form) provides a chemically well-defined, pure amino-sugar substrate for reproducible, high-precision determination of ??15N values in chitin. ??15N values of chitin exhibited a variability of about one per mil within an individual's exoskeleton. The nitrogen isotope ratio differed between old and new exoskeletons by up to 4 per mil. A strong dietary influence on the ??15N value of chitin is indicated by the observation of increasing ??15N values of chitin from marine crustaceans with increasing trophic level. Partial biodegradation of exoskeletons does not significantly influence ??15N values of remaining, chemically preserved amino sugar in chitin. Diagenesis and increasing thermal maturity of sedimentary organic matter, including chitin-derived nitrogen-rich moieties, result in humic compounds much different from chitin and may significantly change bulk ??15N values. Hydrous pyrolysis of immature source rocks at 330??C in contact with 15N-enriched NH4Cl, under conditions of artificial oil generation, demonstrates the abiogenic incorporation of inorganic nitrogen into carbon-bound nitrogen in kerogen. Not all organic nitrogen in natural, thermally mature kerogen is therefore necessarily derived from original organic matter, but may

  10. Rapid estimation of organic nitrogen in oil shale wastewaters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jones, B.M.; Harris, G.J.; Daughton, C.G.

    1984-03-01

    Many of the characteristics of oil shale process wastewaters (e.g., malodors, color, and resistance to biotreatment) are imparted by numerous nitrogen heterocycles and aromatic amines. For the frequent performance assessment of waste treatment procsses designed to remove these nitrogenous organic compounds, a rapid and colligative measurement of organic nitrogen is essential.

  11. Effect of organic manure on nitrogen mineralization, nitrogen accumulation, nitrogen use efficiency and apparent nitrogen recovery of cauliflower (Braccica oleracea L., var. Botrytis)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beah, A.A.; Norman, P.E.; Scholberg, J.M.S.; Lantinga, E.A.; Conteh, A.R.

    2015-01-01

    Aims: The main aim of the study was to assess the effects of organic manure on nitrogen mineralization, uptake, use and recovery of cauliflower.
    Methodology: Nitrogen is one of the major yield limiting nutrients in cauliflower production. However, organic manure is applied to supplement soil

  12. State factor relationships of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen losses from unpolluted temperate forest watersheds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perakis, S.S.; Hedin, L.O.

    2007-01-01

    We sampled 100 unpolluted, old-growth forested watersheds, divided among 13 separate study areas over 5 years in temperate southern Chile and Argentina, to evaluate relationships among dominant soil-forming state factors and dissolved carbon and nitrogen concentrations in watershed streams. These watersheds provide a unique opportunity to examine broad-scale controls over carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) biogeochemistry in the absence of significant human disturbance from chronic N deposition and land use change. Variations in the ratio dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to nitrogen (DON) in watershed streams differed by underlying soil parent material, with average C:N = 29 for watersheds underlain by volcanic ash and basalt versus C:N = 73 for sedimentary and metamorphic parent materials, consistent with stronger adsorption of low C:N hydrophobic materials by amorphous clays commonly associated with volcanic ash and basalt weathering. Mean annual precipitation was related positively to variations in both DOC (range: 0.2-9.7 mg C/L) and DON (range: 0.008-0.135 mg N/L) across study areas, suggesting that variations in water volume and concentration may act synergistically to influence C and N losses across dry to wet gradients in these forest ecosystems. Dominance of vegetation by broadleaf versus coniferous trees had negligible effects on organic C and N concentrations in comparison to abiotic factors. We conclude that precipitation volume and soil parent material are important controls over chemical losses of dissolved organic C and N from unpolluted temperate forest watersheds. Our results raise the possibility that biotic imprints on watershed C and N losses may be less pronounced in naturally N-poor forests than in areas impacted by land use change and chronic N deposition. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

  13. Improvements to the Characterization of Organic Nitrogen Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Excess atmospheric nitrogen deposition can cause significant harmful effects to ecosystems. Organic nitrogen deposition can be an important contributor to the total nitrogen budget, contributing 10-30%, however there are large uncertainties in the chemistry and deposition of thes...

  14. Uptake of organic nitrogen by plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torgny Nasholm; Knut Kielland; Ulrika. Ganeteg

    2009-01-01

    Languishing for many years in the shadow of plant inorganic nitrogen (N) nutrition research, studies of organic N uptake have attracted increased attention during the last decade. The capacity of plants to acquire organic N, demonstrated in laboratory and field settings, has thereby been well established. Even so, the ecological significance of organic N uptake for...

  15. Identifying organic nitrogen compounds in Rocky Mountain National Park aerosols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beem, K. B.; Desyaterik, Y.; Ozel, M. Z.; Hamilton, J. F.; Collett, J. L.

    2010-12-01

    Nitrogen deposition is an important issue in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). While inorganic nitrogen contributions to the ecosystems in this area have been studied, the sources of organic nitrogen are still largely unknown. To better understand the potential sources of organic nitrogen, filter samples were collected and analyzed for organic nitrogen species. Samples were collected in RMNP using a Thermo Fisher Scientific TSP (total suspended particulate) high-volume sampler with a PM2.5 impactor plate from April - November of 2008. The samples presented the opportunity to compare two different methods for identification of individual organic nitrogen species. The first type of analysis was performed with a comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) system using a nitrogen chemiluminescence detector (NCD). The filter samples were spiked with propanil in dichloromethane to use as an internal standard and were then extracted in water followed by solid phase extraction. The GCxGC system was comprised of a volatility based separation (DB5 column) followed by a polarity based separation (RXI-17 column). A NCD was used to specifically detect nitrogen compounds and remove the complex background matrix. Individual standards were used to identify peaks by comparing retention times. This method has the added benefit of an equimolar response for nitrogen so only a single calibration is needed for all species. In the second analysis, a portion of the same filter samples were extracted in DI water and analyzed with liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy (LC/MS). The separation was performed using a C18 column and a water-methanol gradient elution. Electrospray ionization into a time of flight mass spectrometer was used for detection. High accuracy mass measurement allowed unambiguous assignments of elemental composition of resulting ions. Positive and negative polarities were used since amines tend to show up in positive mode and nitrates in

  16. Sedimentary records of δ{sup 13}C, δ{sup 15}N and organic matter accumulation in lakes receiving nutrient-rich mine waters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Widerlund, Anders, E-mail: Anders.Widerlund@ltu.se; Chlot, Sara; Öhlander, Björn

    2014-07-01

    Organic C and total N concentrations, C/N ratios, δ{sup 15}N and δ{sup 13}C values in {sup 210}Pb-dated sediment cores were used to reconstruct historical changes in organic matter (OM) accumulation in three Swedish lakes receiving nutrient-rich mine waters. Ammonium-nitrate-based explosives and sodium cyanide (NaCN) used in gold extraction were the major N sources, while lesser amounts of P originated from apatite and flotation chemicals. The software IsoSource was used to model the relative contribution of soil, terrestrial and littoral vegetation, and phytoplankton detritus in the lake sediments. In one lake the IsoSource modelling failed, suggesting the presence of additional, unknown OM sources. In two of the lakes sedimentary detritus of littoral vegetation and phytoplankton had increased by 15–20% and 20–35%, respectively, since ∼ 1950, when N- and P-rich mine waters began to reach the lakes. Today, phytoplankton is the dominating OM component in these lake sediments, which appears to be a eutrophication effect related to mining operations. Changes in the N isotopic composition of biota, lake water, and sediments related to the use of ammonium-nitrate-based explosives and NaCN were evident in the two studied systems. However, N isotope signals in the receiving waters (δ{sup 15}N ∼ + 9‰ to + 19‰) were clearly shifted from the primary signal in explosives (δ{sup 15}N–NO{sub 3} = + 3.4 ± 0.3‰; δ{sup 15}N–NH{sub 4} = − 8.0 ± 0.3‰) and NaCN (δ{sup 15}N = + 1.1 ± 0.5‰), and direct tracing of the primary N isotope signals in mining chemicals was not possible in the receiving waters. Systems where mine waters with a well known discharge history are a major point source of N with well-defined isotopic composition should, however, be suitable for further studies of processes controlling N isotope signatures and their transformation in aquatic systems receiving mine waters. - Highlights: • Historical mining-related changes in organic

  17. Biogeochemistry and nitrogen cycling in an Arctic, volcanic ecosystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fogel, M. L.; Benning, L.; Conrad, P. G.; Eigenbrode, J.; Starke, V.

    2007-12-01

    As part of a study on Mars Analogue environments, the biogeochemistry of Sverrefjellet Volcano, Bocfjorden, Svalbard, was conducted and compared to surrounding glacial, thermal spring, and sedimentary environments. An understanding of how nitrogen might be distributed in a landscape that had extinct or very cold adapted, slow- growing extant organisms should be useful for detecting unknown life forms. From high elevations (900 m) to the base of the volcano (sea level), soil and rock ammonium concentrations were uniformly low, typically less than 1- 3 micrograms per gm of rock or soil. In weathered volcanic soils, reduced nitrogen concentrations were higher, and oxidized nitrogen concentrations lower. The opposite was found in a weathered Devonian sedimentary soil. Plants and lichens growing on volcanic soils have an unusually wide range in N isotopic compositions from -5 to +12‰, a range rarely measured in temperate ecosystems. Nitrogen contents and isotopic compositions of volcanic soils and rocks were strongly influenced by the presence or absence of terrestrial herbivores or marine avifauna with higher concentrations of N and elevated N isotopic compositions occurring as patches in areas immediately influenced by reindeer, Arctic fox ( Alopex lagopus), and marine birds. Because of the extreme conditions in this area, ephemeral deposition of herbivore feces results in a direct and immediate N pulses into the ecosystem. The lateral extent and distribution of marine- derived nitrogen was measured on a landscape scale surrounding an active fox den. Nitrogen was tracked from the bones of marine birds to soil to vegetation. Because of extreme cold, slow biological rates and nitrogen cycling, a mosaic of N patterns develops on the landscape scale.

  18. Organic nitrogen storage in mineral soil: Implications for policy and management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bingham, Andrew H., E-mail: drew_bingham@nps.gov [Air Resources Division, National Park Service, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, CO 80225 (United States); Cotrufo, M. Francesca [Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and Natural Resources Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, 200 West Lake Street, Fort Collins, CO 80523 (United States)

    2016-05-01

    Nitrogen is one of the most important ecosystem nutrients and often its availability limits net primary production as well as stabilization of soil organic matter. The long-term storage of nitrogen-containing organic matter in soils was classically attributed to chemical complexity of plant and microbial residues that retarded microbial degradation. Recent advances have revised this framework, with the understanding that persistent soil organic matter consists largely of chemically labile, microbially processed organic compounds. Chemical bonding to minerals and physical protection in aggregates are more important to long-term (i.e., centuries to millennia) preservation of these organic compounds that contain the bulk of soil nitrogen rather than molecular complexity, with the exception of nitrogen in pyrogenic organic matter. This review examines for the first time the factors and mechanisms at each stage of movement into long-term storage that influence the sequestration of organic nitrogen in the mineral soil of natural temperate ecosystems. Because the factors which govern persistence are different under this newly accepted paradigm we examine the policy and management implications that are altered, such as critical load considerations, nitrogen saturation and mitigation consequences. Finally, it emphasizes how essential it is for this important but underappreciated pool to be better quantified and incorporated into policy and management decisions, especially given the lack of evidence for many soils having a finite capacity to sequester nitrogen. - Highlights: • We review the current framework for long-term nitrogen stabilization in soils. • We highlight the most important factors according to this framework. • We discuss how these factors may influence management and policy decisions.

  19. Sedimentary organic matter variations in the Chukchi Borderland over the last 155 kyr

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rella, S. F.; Uchida, M.

    2011-03-01

    Knowledge on past variability of sedimentary organic carbon in the Arctic Ocean is important to assess natural carbon cycling and transport processes related to global climate changes. However, the late Pleistocene oceanographic history of the Arctic is still poorly understood. In the present study we show sedimentary records of total organic carbon (TOC), C/N and CaCO3 from a piston core recovered from the northern Northwind Ridge in the far western Arctic Ocean, a region potentially sensitively responding to past variability in surface current regimes and sedimentary processes such as coastal erosion. An age model based on correlation of our CaCO3 record with the benthic δ18O stack, supplemented by lithological constraints, suggests that the piston core records paleoenvironmental changes of the last 155 kyr. According to this age model, TOC and C/N show orbital-scale increases and decreases that can be respectively correlated to the waxing and waning of large ice sheets dominating the Eurasian Arctic, suggesting advection of fine suspended matter derived from glacial erosion to the Northwind Ridge by eastward flowing intermediate water and/or surface water and sea ice during cold episodes of the last two glacial-interglacial cycles. At millennial scales, increases in TOC and C/N appear to correlate to a suite of Dansgaard-Oeschger Stadials between 120 and 40 ka before present (BP) and thus seem to respond to abrupt northern hemispheric temperature changes. Between 65 and 40 ka BP, closures and openings of the Bering Strait could have additionally influenced TOC and C/N variability. CaCO3 content tends to anti-correlate with TOC and C/N on both orbital and millennial time scales, which we interpret as enhanced sediment advection from the carbonate-rich Canadian Arctic via an extended Beaufort Gyre during warm periods of the last two glacial-interglacial cycles and increased terrestrial organic carbon advection from the Siberian Arctic during cold periods when the

  20. Lipids as paleomarkers to constrain the marine nitrogen cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rush, Darci; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S

    2017-06-01

    Global climate is, in part, regulated by the effect of microbial processes on biogeochemical cycling. The nitrogen cycle, in particular, is driven by microorganisms responsible for the fixation and loss of nitrogen, and the reduction-oxidation transformations of bio-available nitrogen. Within marine systems, nitrogen availability is often the limiting factor in the growth of autotrophic organisms, intrinsically linking the nitrogen and carbon cycles. In order to elucidate the state of these cycles in the past, and help envisage present and future variability, it is essential to understand the specific microbial processes responsible for transforming bio-available nitrogen species. As most microorganisms are soft-bodied and seldom leave behind physical fossils in the sedimentary record, recalcitrant lipid biomarkers are used to unravel microbial processes in the geological past. This review emphasises the recent advances in marine nitrogen cycle lipid biomarkers, underlines the missing links still needed to fully elucidate past shifts in this biogeochemically-important cycle, and provides examples of biomarker applications in the geological past. © 2017 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. 15N/14N variations in Cretaceous Atlantic sedimentary sequences: implication for past changes in marine nitrogen biogeochemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rau, G.H.; Arthur, M.A.; Dean, W.E.

    1987-01-01

    At two locations in the Atlantic Ocean (DSDP Sites 367 and 530) early to middle Cretaceous organic-carbon-rich beds ("black shales") were found to have significantly lower ??15N values (lower 15N/14N ratios) than adjacent organic-carbon-poor beds (white limestones or green claystones). While these lithologies are of marine origin, the black strata in particular have ??15N values that are significantly lower than those previously found in the marine sediment record and most contemporary marine nitrogen pools. In contrast, black, organic-carbon-rich beds at a third site (DSDP Site 603) contain predominantly terrestrial organic matter and have C- and N-isotopic compositions similar to organic matter of modern terrestrial origin. The recurring 15N depletion in the marine-derived Cretaceous sequences prove that the nitrogen they contain is the end result of an episodic and atypical biogeochemistry. Existing isotopic and other data indicate that the low 15N relative abundance is the consequence of pelagic rather than post-depositional processes. Reduced ocean circulation, increased denitrification, and, hence, reduced euphotic zone nitrate availability may have led to Cretaceous phytoplankton assemblages that were periodically dominated by N2-fixing blue-green algae, a possible source of this sediment 15N-depletion. Lack of parallel isotopic shifts in Cretaceous terrestrially-derived nitrogen (Site 603) argues that the above change in nitrogen cycling during this period did not extend beyond the marine environment. ?? 1987.

  2. The impact of vegetation on sedimentary organic matter composition and PAH desorption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nichols, Elizabeth Guthrie [North Carolina State University, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, 2800 Faucette Drive, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States)], E-mail: elizabeth_nichols@ncsu.edu; Gregory, Samuel T.; Musella, Jennifer S. [North Carolina State University, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, 2800 Faucette Drive, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States)

    2008-12-15

    Relationships between sedimentary organic matter (SOM) composition and PAH desorption behavior were determined for vegetated and non-vegetated refinery distillate waste sediments. Sediments were fractionated into size, density, and humin fractions and analyzed for their organic matter content. Bulk sediment and humin fractions differed more in organic matter composition than size/density fractions. Vegetated humin and bulk sediments contained more polar organic carbon, black carbon, and modern (plant) carbon than non-vegetated sediment fractions. Desorption kinetics of phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, and C{sub 3}-phenanthrene/anthracenes from humin and bulk sediments were investigated using Tenax beads and a two-compartment, first-order kinetic model. PAH desorption from distillate waste sediments appeared to be controlled by the slow desorbing fractions of sediment; rate constants were similar to literature values for k{sub slow} and k{sub veryslow}. After several decades of plant colonization and growth (Phragmites australis), vegetated sediment fractions more extensively desorbed PAHs and had faster desorption kinetics than non-vegetated sediment fractions. - Plants alter sediment organic matter composition and PAH desorption behavior.

  3. The impact of vegetation on sedimentary organic matter composition and PAH desorption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nichols, Elizabeth Guthrie; Gregory, Samuel T.; Musella, Jennifer S.

    2008-01-01

    Relationships between sedimentary organic matter (SOM) composition and PAH desorption behavior were determined for vegetated and non-vegetated refinery distillate waste sediments. Sediments were fractionated into size, density, and humin fractions and analyzed for their organic matter content. Bulk sediment and humin fractions differed more in organic matter composition than size/density fractions. Vegetated humin and bulk sediments contained more polar organic carbon, black carbon, and modern (plant) carbon than non-vegetated sediment fractions. Desorption kinetics of phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, and C 3 -phenanthrene/anthracenes from humin and bulk sediments were investigated using Tenax beads and a two-compartment, first-order kinetic model. PAH desorption from distillate waste sediments appeared to be controlled by the slow desorbing fractions of sediment; rate constants were similar to literature values for k slow and k veryslow . After several decades of plant colonization and growth (Phragmites australis), vegetated sediment fractions more extensively desorbed PAHs and had faster desorption kinetics than non-vegetated sediment fractions. - Plants alter sediment organic matter composition and PAH desorption behavior

  4. The NAA of trace elements and its application in the identification of the type of sedimentary organic matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tong Chunhan; Li Guodong

    1998-01-01

    The type of sedimentary organic matter is an important parameter in evaluating an oil or gas field. Since the conventional organic geochemistry methods for determining the type meet unsurmountable difficulties when the maturity of organic matter is high, a new method to identify the type according to V and Ni contents in soluble organic matter based on NAA has been developed. Details of the method are introduced and an applied example is given

  5. Organic nitrogen components in soils from southeast China*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xian-you; Wu, Liang-huan; Cao, Xiao-chuang; Zhu, Yuan-hong

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the amounts of extractable organic nitrogen (EON), and the relationships between EON and total extractable nitrogen (TEN), especially the amino acids (AAs) adsorbed by soils, and a series of other hydrolyzed soil nitrogen indices in typical land use soil types from southeast China. Under traditional agricultural planting conditions, the functions of EON, especially AAs in the rhizosphere and in bulk soil zones were also investigated. Methods: Pot experiments were conducted using plants of pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.). In the rhizosphere and bulk soil zone studies, organic nitrogen components were extracted with either distilled water, 0.5 mol/L K2SO4 or acid hydrolysis. Results: K2SO4-EON constituted more than 30% of TEN pools. K2SO4-extractable AAs accounted for 25% of EON pools and nearly 10% of TEN pools in rhizosphere soils. Overall, both K2SO4-EON and extractable AAs contents had positive correlations with TEN pools. Conclusions: EON represented a major component of TEN pools in garden and paddy soils under traditional planting conditions. Although only a small proportion of the EON was present in the form of water-extractable and K2SO4-extractable AAs, the release of AAs from soil exchangeable sites might be an important source of organic nitrogen (N) for plant growth. Our findings suggest that the content of most organic forms of N was significantly greater in rhizosphere than in bulk soil zone samples. However, it was also apparent that the TEN pool content was lower in rhizosphere than in bulk soil samples without added N. PMID:23549843

  6. Geological factors of the isotopic distribution of carbon of organic matter in sedimentary rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maass, J.

    1981-01-01

    The isotope ratio of carbon of fossile organic matter can be regarded as a definite criterion of its genetic origin. As the biofacial character of organic matter, especially the chemical composition (H/C-ratio), decisively influences the mode and quantity of the potential hydrocarbon production, isotopic analysis is an essential method for the prognostic evaluation of sedimentary basins with regard to their oil and gas perspectives. The genetic relations to the parent substance continue in the bituminization and coalification products and make it possible to apply the isotopic analysis of carbon to prospection work for hydrocarbons. (author)

  7. Fifty years of eutrophication and lake restoration reflected in sedimentary carbon and nitrogen isotopes of a small, hardwater lake (south Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emanuel Braig

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available This study analyses the response of the carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of sedimentary organic matter to rapid human-induced eutrophication and meromixis as well as subsequent restoration efforts [in-lake phosphorus (P-Precipitation, P-remediation of the well inflow and multiannual destratification] in a 46-yr sediment core sequence (1963-2009 from Fischkaltersee, a small hard-water lake (S-Germany. In addition, the sediment record was compared with detailed data on water column chemistry during almost (1977-2009 the recorded history of eutrophication and trophic recovery of the named lake. While the onset of eutrophication resulted in an abrupt positive excursion (+2.4‰, the overall reaction of δ13CSOM to ongoing eutrophication and meromixis as well as to permanent hypolimnion aeration and trophic recovery is a continous negative trend (-3.7‰ with the most depleted signatures (-38.8‰ present in the youngest part of the core. This negative trend was not influenced by multiannual hypolimnion aeration, which although oxygenating bottom waters (>2 mg O2 L–1, did not reverse the increasing anoxis in the sediment, as is indicated by an declining Mn/Fe ratio. Hence, we conclude that in Fischkaltersee δ13CSOM was controlled by photoautotrophic input only during an early phase in the eutrophication process. The signal of intensifying microbially mediated carbon cycling processes in the sediment, i.e. methanogenesis and methanotrophy, was superimposed on the primary productivity signal by crossing a certain TP threshold (approx. TP=0.04 mg L–1. Sedimentary δ15N values exhibit an overall increase (+3.4‰ in reaction to the eutrophication process, while trophic recovery produces a continous decrease in the signal (-2.7‰. Linear correlation of δ15N to nitrate utilisation in the epilimnion, however, is rather weak (R2=0.33. Comparison between sediment δ15N values and water column data reveals that two negative shifts in the

  8. Intra-annual variability of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in suspended organic matter in waters of the western continental shelf of India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. V. Maya

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Intra-annual variations of δ13C and δ15N of water-column suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM have been investigated to understand the biogeochemical cycling of C and N in the Western Continental Shelf of India (WCSI. The key issues being addressed are: how the δ15N of SPOM is affected by seasonally varying processes of organic matter production and respiration and how it relates to the δ15N of sedimentary organic matter that appears to show a decreasing trend despite an apparent intensification of seasonal oxygen deficiency over the past few decades? A secondary objective was to evaluate the sources of organic carbon. Elemental carbon and nitrogen concentrations, C/N ratios in SPOM, along with ancillary chemical and biological variables including phytoplankton pigment abundance were also determined on a seasonal basis (from March 2007 to September 2008, with the partial exception of the southwest (SW monsoon period. The results reveal significant shifts in isotopic signatures, especially δ15N, of SPOM before and after the onset of SW monsoon. Very low δ15N values, reaching a minimum of −4.17 ‰, are found during the pre-monsoon period. Our results provide the first direct evidence for the addition of substantial amounts of isotopically light nitrogen by the diazotrophs, especially Trichodesmium, in the region. The δ15N of SPOM is generally lower than the mean value (7.38 ‰ for surficial sediments, presumably because of diagenetic enrichment. The results support the view that sedimentary δ15N may not necessarily reflect denitrification intensity in the overlying waters due to diverse sources of nitrogen and variability of its isotopic composition. The observed intra-annual variability of δ13C of SPOM during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods is generally small. Phytoplankton production and probably species

  9. Laboratory simulated hydrothermal alteration of sedimentary organic matter from Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. Ph.D. Thesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leif, Roald N.

    1993-01-01

    High temperature alteration of sedimentary organic matter associated with marine hydrothermal systems involves complex physical and chemical processes that are not easily measured in most natural systems. Many of these processes can be evaluated indirectly by examining the geochemistry of the hydrothermal system in the laboratory. In this investigation, an experimental organic geochemical approach to studying pyrolysis of sedimentary organic matter is applied to the hydrothermal system in the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. A general survey of hydrothermal oils and extractable organic matter (bitumen) in hydrothermally altered sediments identified several homologous series of alkanones associated with a high temperature hydrothermal origin. The alkanones range in carbon number from C11 to C30 with no carbon number preference. Alkan-2-ones are in highest concentrations, with lower amounts of 3-, 4-, 5- (and higher) homologs. The alkanones appear to be pyrolysis products synthesized under extreme hydrothermal conditions. Hydrous pyrolysis and confinement pyrolysis experiments were performed to simulate thermally enhanced diagenetic and catagenetic changes in the immature sedimentary organic matter. The extent of alteration was measured by monitoring the n-alkanes, acyclic isoprenoids, steroid and triterpenoid biomarkers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and alkanones. The results were compared to bitumen extracts from sediments which have been naturally altered by a sill intrusion and accompanied hydrothermal fluid flow. These pyrolysis experiments duplicated many of the organic matter transformations observed in the natural system. Full hopane and sterane maturation occurred after 48 hr in experiments at 330 deg C with low water/rock mass ratios (0.29). A variety of radical and ionic reactions are responsible for the organic compound conversions which occur under extreme hydrothermal conditions. Short duration pyrolysis experiments revealed that a portion of the

  10. Organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents of some tea soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, M.S.; Zamir, M.R.; Sanauallah, A.F.M.

    2005-01-01

    Soil samples were collected from Rungicherra Tea-Estate of Moulvibazar district, Bangladesh. Organic carbon, organic matter, total nitrogen and available phosphorus content of the collected soil of different topographic positions have been determined. The experimental data have been analyzed statistically and plotted against topography and soil depth. Organic carbon and organic matter content varied from 0.79 to 1.24% and 1.37 to 2.14%. respectively. Total nitrogen and available phosphorus content of these soils varied respectively from 0.095 to 0.13% and 2.31 to 4.02 ppm. (author)

  11. Signatures of nitrogen stable isotope and determination of organic food authentication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan Yuwei; Zhang Zhiheng; Yang Guiling; Wang Qiang

    2009-01-01

    Chemical fertilizers were not permitted to be applied in organic agricultural production, so fertilizer as one of agricultural inputs is an important regulatory aspect in the organic food accreditation. Natural stable isotope abundances δ 15 N from different nitrogenous fertilizers are different, the same as in the agricultural products. Natural abundances δ 15 N in the agricultural products using organic fertilizer is higher than those in the products without using any fertilizer, while it is the lowest in the products using chemical nitrogenous fertilizer. Natural abundances δ 15 N are also affected by the ways of fertilizer treatment, the types of the crops and the growth stages as well as the different parts of crops. Generally, natural abundances of δ 15 N are preferred to trace nitrogenous fertilizer for the vegetables with shorter growing period, but not for the crops with longer growing period or nitrogen fixation. The techniques to trace the nitrogen abundances of δ 15 N in the crops play a positive role, which is useful for the determination of organic food authentication, perfecting the system of quality and supervision and protecting public health, therefore it has a theoretical and applied value. (authors)

  12. Stimulation of microbial nitrogen cycling in aquatic ecosystems by benthic macrofauna: mechanisms and environmental implications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stief, P.

    2013-01-01

    (mainly nitrate and ammonium) and the emission of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide are evaluated. Published data indicate that ecosystem engineering by sediment-burrowing macrofauna stimulates benthic nitrification and denitrification, which together allows fixed nitrogen removal. However, the release...... enhance nitrous oxide emission from shallow aquatic ecosystems. The beneficial effect of benthic macrofauna on fixed nitrogen removal through coupled nitrification-denitrification can thus be offset by the concurrent release of (i) ammonium that stimulates aquatic primary production and (ii) nitrous oxide...... of ammonium from sediments is enhanced more strongly than the sedimentary uptake of nitrate. Ecosystem engineering by reef-building macrofauna increases nitrogen retention and ammonium concentrations in shallow aquatic ecosystems, but allows organic nitrogen removal through harvesting. Grazing by macrofauna...

  13. Improvements to the treatment of organic nitrogen chemistry & deposition in CMAQ

    Science.gov (United States)

    Excess atmospheric nitrogen deposition can cause significant harmful effects to ecosystems. Organic nitrogen deposition can be an important contributor to the total nitrogen budget, contributing 10-30%, however there are large uncertainties in the chemistry and deposition of thes...

  14. [Spatial characteristics of soil organic carbon and nitrogen storages in Songnen Plain maize belt].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Chun-Hua; Wang, Zong-Ming; Ren, Chun-Ying; Song, Kai-Shan; Zhang, Bai; Liu, Dian-Wei

    2010-03-01

    By using the data of 382 typical soil profiles from the second soil survey at national and county levels, and in combining with 1:500000 digital soil maps, a spatial database of soil profiles was established. Based on this, the one meter depth soil organic carbon and nitrogen storage in Songnen Plain maize belt of China was estimated, with the spatial characteristics of the soil organic carbon and nitrogen densities as well as the relationships between the soil organic carbon and nitrogen densities and the soil types and land use types analyzed. The soil organic carbon and nitrogen storage in the maize belt was (163.12 +/- 26.48) Tg and (9.53 +/- 1.75) Tg, respectively, mainly concentrated in meadow soil, chernozem, and black soil. The soil organic carbon and nitrogen densities were 5.51-25.25 and 0.37-0.80 kg x m(-2), respectively, and the C/N ratio was about 7.90 -12.67. The eastern and northern parts of the belt had much higher carbon and nitrogen densities than the other parts of the belt, and upland soils had the highest organic carbon density [(19.07 +/- 2.44) kg x m(-2)], forest soils had the highest nitrogen density [(0.82 +/- 0.25) kg x m(-2)], while lowland soils had the lower organic carbon and nitrogen densities.

  15. Nitrogen cycling in organic farming systems with rotational grass-clover and arable crops

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berntsen, Jørgen; Grant, Ruth; Olesen, Jørgen E.

    2006-01-01

    Organic farming is considered an effective means of reducing nitrogen losses compared with more intensive conventional farming systems. However, under certain conditions, organic farming may also be susceptible to large nitrogen (N) losses. This i especially the case for organic .....

  16. Atmospheric nitrogen deposition: Revisiting the question of the importance of the organic component

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cornell, Sarah E.

    2011-01-01

    The organic component of atmospheric reactive nitrogen plays a role in biogeochemical cycles, climate and ecosystems. Although its deposition has long been known to be quantitatively significant, it is not routinely assessed in deposition studies and monitoring programmes. Excluding this fraction, typically 25-35%, introduces significant uncertainty in the determination of nitrogen deposition, with implications for the critical loads approach. The last decade of rainwater studies substantially expands the worldwide dataset, giving enough global coverage for specific hypotheses to be considered about the distribution, composition, sources and effects of organic-nitrogen deposition. This data collation and meta-analysis highlights knowledge gaps, suggesting where data-gathering efforts and process studies should be focused. New analytical techniques allow long-standing conjectures about the nature and sources of organic N to be investigated, with tantalising indications of the interplay between natural and anthropogenic sources, and between the nitrogen and carbon cycles. - Highlights: → Organic-nitrogen deposition is globally ubiquitous. → Geographic patterns can now be seen in the near-global dataset. → Organic N can be formed through interactions of biogenic and anthropogenic compounds. → Neglecting organic N in deposition assessments increases critical loads uncertainty - Routinely including the organic component of atmospheric deposition (known to be around 25-35% worldwide) would make the understanding and prediction of nitrogen biogeochemistry more robust. This paper makes a preliminary global synthesis based on literature reports.

  17. Sedimentary Petrology: from Sorby to the globalization of Sedimentary Geology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alonso-Zarza, A. M.

    2013-01-01

    We describe here the most important milestones and contributions to Sedimentary Petrology compared to other geological disciplines. We define the main aim of our study and the scientific and economic interests involved in Sedimentary Petrology. The body of the paper focuses upon the historical development of this discipline from Henry Sorby's initial work until the present day. The major milestones in its history include: 1) initial descriptive works; 2) experimental studies; 3) the establishment of the different classifications of sedimentary rocks; 4) studies into facies and sedimentary environments; 5) advances in the study of diagenetic processes and their role in hydrocarbon prospection; and 6) the development of Sedimentary Geochemistry. Relationships and coincidences with Sedimentology are discussed. We go on to look at the advances that have taken place over the last 30 years, in which the study of sedimentary rocks is necessarily included in the wider field of Sedimentary Geology as a logical result of the proposal of global models of a changing Earth in which Sedimentary Geology plays a significant part. Finally we mention the notable contributions of Spanish sedimentary petrologists to this whole field of science. (Author) 120 refs.

  18. Organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents of some soils of kaliti tea-estate, Bangladesh

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, M. S.; Shahin, M. M. H.; Sanaullah, A. F. M.

    2005-01-01

    Some soil samples were collected from Kaliti Tea-Estate of Moulvibazar district, Bangladesh. Total nitrogen, organic carbon, organic matter, carbon-nitrogen ratio and available phosphorus content of the collected soil samples of different depths and of different topographic positions have been determined. Total nitrogen was found 0.07 to 0.12 % organic carbon and organic matter content found to vary from 0.79 to 1.25 and 1.36 to 2.15 % respectively. Carbon-nitrogen ratio of these soils varied from 9.84 to 10.69, while available phosphorus content varied from 2.11 to 4.13 ppm. (author)

  19. 210Pb dating of sediments from the central and the northern Adriatic Sea: The deposition and preservation of sedimentary organic carbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamilton, T.; Fowler, S.; Miquel, J.C.; La Rosa, J.

    1996-04-01

    A central goal of the ELNA project is to assess the carbon assimilation capacity of the Northern Adriatic Sea. This requires fundamental quantitative information on budgets and sinks of organic carbon. Any change in carbon production in the water column should be reflected in the underlying sediments. Moreover, the fraction of particulate organic carbon reaching the sea floor which is subsequently preserved in the sediment will be strongly coupled to sediment accumulation and mixing. In this study a series of box cores were collected in order to characterize a hypothetical eutrophication gradient extending from the Po River outflow region in the north down to the shallow meso-Adriatic depression (Jabuka Pit). The main tasks assigned to IAEA-MEL were to provide 210 Pb derived sedimentation and dry-mass accumulation rates and to examine the possible correlations between sedimentary processes, the deposition and preservation of sedimentary organic carbon and pelagic primary productivity

  20. Release of organic nitrogen compounds from Kerogen via catalytic hydropyrolysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bennett B

    2000-12-01

    Full Text Available High hydrogen pressure pyrolysis (hydropyrolysis was performed on samples of solvent extracted Kimmeridge Clay Formation source rock with a maturity equivalent to ca. 0.35% vitrinite reflectance. We describe the types and distributions of organic nitrogen compounds in the pyrolysis products (hydropyrolysates using GC-MS. Compounds identified included alkyl-substituted indoles, carbazoles, benzocarbazoles, quinolines and benzoquinolines. The distributions of the isomers of methylcarbazoles, C2-alkylcarbazoles and benzocarbazoles in the hydropyrolysates were compared to a typical North Sea oil. The hydropyrolysates compared to the North Sea oil, showed increased contributions from alkylcarbazole isomers where the nitrogen group is "exposed" (no alkyl substituents adjacent to the nitrogen functionality and appreciable levels of benzo[b]carbazole relative to benzo[a]- and benzo[c]carbazoles. Hydropyrolysis is found to be an ideal technique for liberating appreciable quantities of heterocyclic organic nitrogen compounds from geomacromolecules. The products released from the immature Kimmeridge Clay are thought to represent a potential source of nitrogen compounds in the bound phase (kerogen able to contribute to the free bitumen phase during catagenesis.

  1. [Studies on nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter in ponds around Chaohu Lake].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Qing-ye; Ma, Xiu-ling; Yang, Gui-de; Chen, Zheng; Wu, Hong-lin; Xuan, Huai-xiang

    2010-07-01

    There are a lot of ponds around Chaohu Lake. According to location and runoff supply of ponds, the ponds are divided into three types: ponds inner vellage (PIV), ponds adjacent vellage (PAV) and ponds outer vellage (POV). The samples of water and sediment were collected from 136 ponds around Chaohu Lake and the contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter in water and sediments were analyzed in this study. The results showed that mean contents of total nitrogen (TN), NH4+ -N, NO3- -N, NO2- -N, total phosphorus (TP), soluble PO4(3-) -P and COD were 2.53, 0.65, 0.18, 0.02, 0.97, 0.38 and 51.58 mg x L(-1) in pond water, respectively; and mean contents of TN, NH4+ -N, NO3- -N, NO2- -N, TP, inorganic phosphorus (IP), organic phosphorus (OP) and loss of ignition (LOI) in pond sediment were 1575.36, 35.73, 13.30, 2.88, 933.19, 490.14, 414.75 mg x kg(-1) and 5.44%, respectively. The ponds of more than 90% presented eutrophication in the contents of total nitrogen and phosphorus in water. The contents of TN and NH4+ -N in water and sediment of PIV were significantly higher than that of POV. And the contents of inorganic nitrogen in pond water and sediment displayed a following order: NH4+ -N > NO3- -N > NO2- -N. Data analysis indicated that there was a significantly positive correlation between organic matter and total nitrogen and phosphorus in water and sediment. The nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter in ponds mainly sourced farmlands and village land surface. The contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter in ponds were affected by location and runoff supply of ponds. By retaining nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter in runoff, the ponds can effectively decrease nutrient content into Chaohu Lake.

  2. Spatial and seasonal contrasts of sedimentary organic matter in floodplain lakes of the central Amazon basin

    OpenAIRE

    Sobrinho, R. L.; Bernardes, M. C.; Abril, G.; Kim, J. H.; Zell, C. I.; Mortillaro, J. M.; Meziane, T.; Moreira Turcq, Patricia; Damste, J. S. S.

    2016-01-01

    In this study, we investigated the seasonal and spatial pattern of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) in five floodplain lakes of the central Amazon basin (Cabaliana, Janauaca, Canaçari, Miratuba, and Curuai) which have different morphologies, hydrodynamics and vegetation coverages. Surface sediments were collected in four hydrological seasons: low water (LW), rising water (RW), high water (HW) and falling water (FW) in 2009 and 2010. We investigated commonly used bulk geochem...

  3. Atmospheric oxygen regulation at low Proterozoic levels by incomplete oxidative weathering of sedimentary organic carbon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daines, Stuart J.; Mills, Benjamin J. W.; Lenton, Timothy M.

    2017-02-01

    It is unclear why atmospheric oxygen remained trapped at low levels for more than 1.5 billion years following the Paleoproterozoic Great Oxidation Event. Here, we use models for erosion, weathering and biogeochemical cycling to show that this can be explained by the tectonic recycling of previously accumulated sedimentary organic carbon, combined with the oxygen sensitivity of oxidative weathering. Our results indicate a strong negative feedback regime when atmospheric oxygen concentration is of order pO2~0.1 PAL (present atmospheric level), but that stability is lost at pO2counterbalancing changes in the weathering of isotopically light organic carbon. This can explain the lack of secular trend in the Precambrian δ13C record, and reopens the possibility that increased biological productivity and resultant organic carbon burial drove the Great Oxidation Event.

  4. Improvements to the characterization of organic nitrogen chemistry and deposition in CMAQ

    Science.gov (United States)

    Excess atmospheric nitrogen deposition can cause significant harmful effects to ecosystems. Organic nitrogen deposition can be an important contributor to the total nitrogen budget, contributing 10-30%, however there are large uncertainties in the chemistry and deposition of thes...

  5. Re-assessing the nitrogen signal in continental margin sediments: New insights from the high northern latitudes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knies, Jochen; Brookes, Steven; Schubert, Carsten J.

    2007-01-01

    Organic and inorganic nitrogen and their isotopic signatures were studied in continental margin sediments off Spitsbergen. We present evidence that land-derived inorganic nitrogen strongly dilutes the particulate organic signal in coastal and fjord settings and accounts for up to 70% of the total nitrogen content. Spatial heterogeneity in inorganic nitrogen along the coast is less likely to be influenced by clay mineral assemblages or various substrates than by the supply of terrestrial organic matter (TOM) within eroded soil material into selected fjords and onto the shelf. The δ15N signal of the inorganic nitrogen ( δ15N inorg) in sediments off Spitsbergen seems to be appropriate to trace TOM supply from various climate- and ecosystem zones and elucidates the dominant transport media of terrigenous sediments to the marine realm. Moreover, we postulate that with the study of sedimentary δ15N inorg in the Atlantic-Arctic gateway, climatically induced changes in catchment's vegetations in high northern latitudes may be reconstructed. The δ15N org signal is primarily controlled by the availability of nitrate in the dominating ocean current systems and the corresponding degree of utilization of the nitrate pool in the euphotic zone. Not only does this new approach allow for a detailed view into the nitrogen cycle for settings with purely primary-produced organic matter supply, it also provides new insights into both the deposition of marine and terrestrial nitrogen and its ecosystem response to (paleo-) climate changes.

  6. Volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen. Further emission reductions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Froste, H [comp.

    1997-12-31

    This report presents the current status in relation to achievement of the Swedish Environmental target set by Parliament to reduce emission of volatile organic compounds by 50 per cent between 1988 and 2000. It also instructed the Agency to formulate proposed measures to achieve a 50 per cent reduction of emission of nitrogen oxides between 1985 and 2005. The report presents an overall account of emission trends for volatile organic compounds (from all sectors) and nitrogen oxides (from the industry sector) and steps proposed to achieve further emission reductions. 43 refs

  7. Volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen. Further emission reductions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Froste, H. [comp.

    1996-12-31

    This report presents the current status in relation to achievement of the Swedish Environmental target set by Parliament to reduce emission of volatile organic compounds by 50 per cent between 1988 and 2000. It also instructed the Agency to formulate proposed measures to achieve a 50 per cent reduction of emission of nitrogen oxides between 1985 and 2005. The report presents an overall account of emission trends for volatile organic compounds (from all sectors) and nitrogen oxides (from the industry sector) and steps proposed to achieve further emission reductions. 43 refs

  8. Epigenetic alterations of sedimentary rocks at deposits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komarova, G.V.; Kondrat'eva, I.A.; Zelenova, O.I.

    1980-01-01

    Notions are explained, and technique for studying epigenetic alterations of sedimentary rocks at uranium deposits is described. Main types of epigenetic transformations and their mineralogic-geochemical characteristics are considered. Rock alterations, accompanying uranium mineralization, can be related to 2 types: oxidation and reduction. The main mineralogic-geochemical property of oxidation transformations is epigenetic limonitization. Stratal limonitization in primary grey-coloured terrigenic rocks and in epigenetically reduced (pyritized) rocks, as well as in rock, subjected to epigenetic gleying, are characterized. Reduction type of epigenetic transformations is subdivided into sulphidic and non-sulphidic (gley) subtypes. Sulphidic transformations in grey-coloured terrigenic rocks with organic substance of carbonic row, in rocks, containing organic substance of oil row, sulphide transformations of sedimentary rocks, as well as gley transformations, are considered

  9. Quantifying manganese and nitrogen cycle coupling in manganese-rich, organic carbon-starved marine sediments : Examples from the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mogollon, J.M.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304823783; Mewes, Konstantin; Kasten, Sabine

    2016-01-01

    Extensive deep-sea sedimentary areas are characterized by low organic carbon contents and thus harbor suboxic sedimentary environments where secondary (autotrophic) redox cycling becomes important for microbial metabolic processes. Simulation results for three stations in the Eastern Equatorial

  10. Dissolved organic nitrogen recalcitrance and bioavailable nitrogen quantification for effluents from advanced nitrogen removal wastewater treatment facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan, Lu; Brett, Michael T.; Jiang, Wenju; Li, Bo

    2017-01-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the composition of nitrogen (N) in the effluents of advanced N removal (ANR) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This study also tested two different experimental protocols for determining dissolved N recalcitrance. An analysis of 15 effluent samples from five WWTPs, showed effluent concentrations and especially effluent composition varied greatly from one system to the other, with total nitrogen (TN) ranging between 1.05 and 8.10 mg L −1 . Nitrate (NO 3 − ) accounted for between 38 ± 32% of TN, and ammonium accounted for a further 29 ± 28%. All of these samples were dominated by dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN; NO 3 −  + NH 4 + ), and uptake experiments indicated the DIN fraction was as expected highly bioavailable. Dissolved organic N (DON) accounted for 20 ± 11% for the total dissolved N in these effluents, and uptake experiments indicated the bioavailability of this fraction varied between 27 ± 26% depending on the WWTP assessed. These results indicate near complete DIN removal should be the primary goal of ANR treatment systems. The comparison of bioavailable nitrogen (BAN) quantification protocols showed that the dissolved nitrogen uptake bioassay approach was clearly a more reliable way to determine BAN concentrations compared to the conventional cell yield protocol. Moreover, because the nitrogen uptake experiment was much more sensitive, this protocol made it easier to detect extrinsic factors (such as biological contamination or toxicity) that could affect the accuracy of these bioassays. Based on these results, we recommend the nitrogen uptake bioassay using filtered and autoclaved samples to quantify BAN concentrations. However, for effluent samples indicating toxicity, algal bioassays will not accurately quantify BAN. - Highlights: • DIN was the dominated N pool for most of the tested effluent samples. • DON bioavailability considerably varied depending on the WWTP assessed.

  11. Different controls on sedimentary organic carbon in the Bohai Sea: River mouth relocation, turbidity and eutrophication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yunping; Zhou, Shangzhe; Hu, Limin; Wang, Yinghui; Xiao, Wenjie

    2018-04-01

    The extractable lipids and bulk organic geochemical parameters in three sediment cores (M-1, M-3 and M-7) from southern, central and northern Bohai Sea were analyzed in order to reconstruct environmental changes since 1900. The C/N ratio and multiple biomarkers (e.g., C27 + C29 + C31n-alkanes, C24 + C26 + C28n-alkanols, branched versus isoprenoid tetraether index) suggest more terrigenous organic carbon (OC) inputs in southern Bohai Sea. The abrupt changes of biomarker indicators in core M-1 are generally synchronous with the Yellow River mouth relocation events (e.g., 1964, 1976 and 1996), suggesting the distance to the river mouth being an important factor for sedimentary OC dispersal in the southern Bohai Sea. However, in cores M-3 and M-7, terrigenous biomarkers (i.e., BIT) show a long-term declining trend, consistent with a continuous reduction of the Yellow River sediment load, whereas marine biomarkers such as cholesterol, brassicasterol and dinosterol dramatically increased post-1980, apparently related to human-induced eutrophication in the Bohai Sea. Our study suggests different controlling factors on sedimentary OC distribution in the southern (high turbidity) and other parts (less turbidity) of the Bohai Sea, which should be considered for interpretation of paleoenvironments and biogeochemical processes in the river dominated margins that are hotspots of the global carbon cycling.

  12. Evidence for the preservation of technogenic tritiated organic compounds in an estuarine sedimentary environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Croudace, Ian W; Warwick, Phillip E; Morris, Jenny E

    2012-06-05

    The macrotidal Severn Estuary (southwestern UK) has received a broad range of industrial discharges since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. A more recent anthropogenic input to the estuary has been technogenic tritium (specifically organically bound tritium, OBT). This was derived from a specialized industrial laboratory producing custom radiolabeled compounds for life science research and diagnostic testing from 1980 until 2008. While it was generally acknowledged that the radiological impact of the tritium discharges into the Estuary was small, public concern motivated the company and regulatory agencies to commission several research studies from 1998 to 2005 to better understand their environmental impact. This study examined OBT interaction with estuarine sediment by acquiring a broad range of geochemical and sedimentological data from a suite of sediment cores collected from the northern side of the Estuary. Two important observations are that the OBT compounds are strongly bound to the clay/silt fraction of sediment and that the down-core OBT profiles in intertidal and subtidal sediments are broadly similar to the discharge record. Geochemical and chronometric methods (Cu, Pb and Zn elemental profiles, (210)Pb, (137)Cs) provide important corroboration of the OBT record. A key additional piece of evidence that firmly authenticated the established chronology was the discovery of a previously unreported sedimentary marker layer that was generated by a major storm surge that occurred on December 13, 1981. Although this study has provided clear evidence of systematic accumulation of OBT in sedimentary sinks of the region, an estimation of its depositional inventory shows it represents only a small fraction of the total discharge. This modest retention in the principal sedimentary sinks of the Severn Estuary system reflects the particular dynamics of this highly macrotidal sediment starved estuary.

  13. Sources of organic nitrogen at the serpentinite-hosted Lost City hydrothermal field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lang, S Q; Früh-Green, G L; Bernasconi, S M; Butterfield, D A

    2013-03-01

    The reaction of ultramafic rocks with water during serpentinization at moderate temperatures results in alkaline fluids with high concentrations of reduced chemical compounds such as hydrogen and methane. Such environments provide unique habitats for microbial communities capable of utilizing these reduced compounds in present-day and, possibly, early Earth environments. However, these systems present challenges to microbial communities as well, particularly due to high fluid pH and possibly the availability of essential nutrients such as nitrogen. Here we investigate the source and cycling of organic nitrogen at an oceanic serpentinizing environment, the Lost City hydrothermal field (30°N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge). Total hydrolizable amino acid (THAA) concentrations in the fluids range from 736 to 2300 nm and constitute a large fraction of the dissolved organic carbon (2.5-15.1%). The amino acid distributions, and the relative concentrations of these compounds across the hydrothermal field, indicate they most likely derived from chemolithoautotrophic production. Previous studies have identified the presence of numerous nitrogen fixation genes in the fluids and the chimneys. Organic nitrogen in actively venting chimneys has δ(15) N values as low as 0.1‰ which is compatible with biological nitrogen fixation. Total hydrolizable amino acids in the chimneys are enriched in (13) C by 2-7‰ compared to bulk organic matter. The distribution and absolute δ(13) C(THAA) values are compatible with a chemolithoautotrophic source, an attribution also supported by molar organic C/N ratios in most active chimneys (4.1-5.5) which are similar to those expected for microbial communities. In total, these data indicate nitrogen is readily available to microbial communities at Lost City. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  14. [Relationship between Fe, Al oxides and stable organic carbon, nitrogen in the yellow-brown soils].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heng, Li-Sha; Wang, Dai-Zhang; Jiang, Xin; Rao, Wei; Zhang, Wen-Hao; Guo, Chun-Yan; Li, Teng

    2010-11-01

    The stable organic carbon and nitrogen of the different particles were gained by oxidation of 6% NaOCl in the yellow-brown soils. The relationships between the contents of selective extractable Fe/Al and the stable organic carbon/nitrogen were investigated. It shown that amounts of dithionite-citrate-(Fe(d)) and oxalate-(Fe(o)) and pyrophosphate extractable (Fe(p)) were 6-60.8 g x kg(-1) and 0.13-4.8 g x kg(-1) and 0.03-0.47 g x kg(-1) in 2-250 microm particles, respectively; 43.1-170 g x kg(-1) and 5.9-14.0 g x kg(-1) and 0.28-0.78 g x kg(-1) in soils than in arid yellow-brown soils, and that of selective extractable Al are lower in the former than in the latter. Amounts of the stable organic carbon and nitrogen, higher in paddy yellow-brown soils than in arid yellow-brown soils, were 0.93-6.0 g x kg(-1) and 0.05-0.36 g x kg(-1) in 2-250 microm particles, respectively; 6.05-19.3 g x kg(-1) and 0.61-2.1 g x kg(-1) in stabilization index (SI(C) and SI(N)) of the organic carbon and nitrogen were 14.3-50.0 and 11.9-55.6 in 2-250 microm particles, respectively; 53.72-88.80 and 40.64-70.0 in soils than in paddy yellow-brown soils. The organic carbon and nitrogen are advantageously conserved in paddy yellow-brown soil. An extremely significant positive correlation of the stable organic carbon and nitrogen with selective extractable Fe/Al is observed. The most amounts between the stable organic carbon and nitrogen and selective extractable Fe/Al appear in clay particles, namely the clay particles could protect the soil organic carbon and nitrogen.

  15. Leaching of dissolved organic and inorganic nitrogen from legume-based grasslands

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kusliene, Gedrime; Eriksen, Jørgen; Rasmussen, Jim

    2015-01-01

    Leaching of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is a considerable loss pathway in grassland soils. We investigated the white clover (Trifolium repens) contribution to N transport and temporal N dynamics under a pure stand of white clover and white clover...

  16. Dissolved organic nitrogen recalcitrance and bioavailable nitrogen quantification for effluents from advanced nitrogen removal wastewater treatment facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Lu; Brett, Michael T; Jiang, Wenju; Li, Bo

    2017-10-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the composition of nitrogen (N) in the effluents of advanced N removal (ANR) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This study also tested two different experimental protocols for determining dissolved N recalcitrance. An analysis of 15 effluent samples from five WWTPs, showed effluent concentrations and especially effluent composition varied greatly from one system to the other, with total nitrogen (TN) ranging between 1.05 and 8.10 mg L -1 . Nitrate (NO 3 - ) accounted for between 38 ± 32% of TN, and ammonium accounted for a further 29 ± 28%. All of these samples were dominated by dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN; NO 3 -  + NH 4 + ), and uptake experiments indicated the DIN fraction was as expected highly bioavailable. Dissolved organic N (DON) accounted for 20 ± 11% for the total dissolved N in these effluents, and uptake experiments indicated the bioavailability of this fraction varied between 27 ± 26% depending on the WWTP assessed. These results indicate near complete DIN removal should be the primary goal of ANR treatment systems. The comparison of bioavailable nitrogen (BAN) quantification protocols showed that the dissolved nitrogen uptake bioassay approach was clearly a more reliable way to determine BAN concentrations compared to the conventional cell yield protocol. Moreover, because the nitrogen uptake experiment was much more sensitive, this protocol made it easier to detect extrinsic factors (such as biological contamination or toxicity) that could affect the accuracy of these bioassays. Based on these results, we recommend the nitrogen uptake bioassay using filtered and autoclaved samples to quantify BAN concentrations. However, for effluent samples indicating toxicity, algal bioassays will not accurately quantify BAN. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Organic Nitrogen in Atmospheric Drops and Particles: Concentrations, (Limited) Speciation, and Chemical Transformations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anastasio, C.; Zhang, Q.

    2003-12-01

    While quite a bit is known of the concentrations, speciation, and chemistry of inorganic forms of nitrogen in the atmosphere, the same cannot be said for organic forms. Despite this, there is growing evidence that organic N (ON) is ubiquitous in the atmosphere, especially in atmospheric condensed phases such as fog/cloud drops and aerosol particles. Although the major compounds that make up organic N are generally unknown, as are the sources of these compounds, it is clear that there are significant fluxes of ON between the atmosphere and ecosystems. It also appears that organic N can have significant effects in both spheres. The goal of our recent work in this area has been to better describe the atmospheric component of the biogeochemistry of organic nitrogen. Based on particle, gas, and fogwater samples from Northern California we have made three major findings: 1) Organic N represents a significant component, approximately 20%, of the total atmospheric N loading in these samples. This is broadly consistent with studies from other locations. 2) Amino compounds, primarily as combined amino acids, account for approximately 20% of the measured ON in our condensed phase samples. Given the properties of amino acids, these compounds could significantly affect the chemical and physical properties of atmospheric particles. 3) Organic nitrogen in atmospheric particles and drops is transformed to inorganic forms - primarily ammonium, nitrate, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) - during exposure to sunlight and/or ozone. These chemical reactions likely increase the bioavailability of the condensed phase nitrogen pool and enhance its biological effects after deposition to ecosystems.

  18. Nitrogen-rich higher-molecular soil organic compounds patterned by lignin degradation products: Considerations on the nature of soil organic nitrogen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liebner, Falk; Bertoli, Luca; Pour, Georg; Klinger, Karl; Ragab, Tamer; Rosenau, Thomas

    2016-04-01

    The pathways leading to accumulation of covalently bonded nitrogen in higher-molecular soil organic matter (SOM) are still a controversial issue in soil science and geochemistry. Similarly, structural elucidation of the variety of the types of nitrogenous moieties present in SOM is still in its infancy even though recent NMR studies suggest amide-type nitrogen to form the majority of organically bonded nitrogen which is, however, frequently not in accordance with the results of wet-chemical analyses. Following the modified polyphenol theory of Flaig and Kononova but fully aware of the imperfection of a semi-abiotic simulation approach, this work communicates the results of a study that investigated some potential nitrogen accumulation pathways occurring in the re-condensation branch of the theory following the reactions between well-known low-molecular lignin and carbohydrate degradation products with nitrogenous nucleophiles occurring in soils under aerobic conditions. Different low-molecular degradation products of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose, such as hydroquinone, methoxyhydroquinone, p-benzoquinone, 2,5-dihydroxy-[1,4]benzoquinone, glucose, xylose, and the respective polysaccharides, i.e. cellulose, xylan as well as various types of lignin were subjected to a joint treatment with oxygen and low-molecular N-nucleophiles, such as ammonia, amines, and amino acids in aqueous conditions, partly using respective 15N labeled compounds for further 15N CPMAS NMR studies. Product mixtures derived from mono- and polysaccharides have been comprehensively fractionated and analyzed by GC/MS after derivatization. Some of ammoxidized polyphenols and quinones have been analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Some products, such as those obtained from ammoxidation of methoxy hydroquinone using 15N labeled ammonia were fractionated following the IHSS protocol. Individual humin (H), humic acid (HA), and fulvic acid (FA) fractions were subjected to elemental analyses

  19. Removal of organic nitrogen compounds in LCO reduces the hydrodesulphurization severity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, H.; Chen, J.; Ring, Z. [National Centre for Upgrading Technology, Devon, AB (Canada)

    2006-07-01

    Canada and the United States committed to reducing diesel sulphur from 500 to 15 part per million by 2006. Refineries could benefit from a better understanding of the effects of feed matrix on sulphur removal by hydrodesulphurization (HDS) in selecting the right feed or feed pre-treatment options for their existing HDS units and achieve the required sulphur level at minimum cost. This paper presented a study that examined the influence of nitrogen compounds on the HDS activities of substituted dibenzothiophenes in light oil cycle over a nitrogen/molybdenum on alumina oxide (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) commercial catalyst using five light cycle oil feeds with different concentrations of organic nitrogen compounds. The paper discussed experiments that were conducted under conditions close to industrial HDS processes. The paper addressed feed preparation; the nitrogen effect on HDS reactivity of dibenzothiophene, 4-methyldibenzothiophene, and 4,6-dimethyl dibenzothiophene; sulphur composition analysis; hydrodenitrogenation; and kinetic modeling. It was concluded that organic nitrogen compounds have more of an inhibition effect on sulphur removal by the hydrogenation pathway than by the hydrogenolysis pathway. Nitrogen removal by feed pre-treatment was found to be an attractive alternative to achieve the ultra-low sulphur goal. 26 refs., 3 tabs., 9 figs.

  20. Organic geochemistry of the Dongsheng sedimentary uranium ore deposits, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tuo Jincai; Ma Wanyun; Zhang Mingfeng; Wang Xianbin

    2007-01-01

    Organic matter (OM) associated with the Dongsheng sedimentary U ore hosting sandstone/siltstone was characterized by Rock-Eval, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and stable C isotope analysis and compared to other OM in the sandstone/siltstone interbedded organic matter-rich strata. The OM in all of the analyzed samples is Type III with Ro less than 0.6%, indicating that the OM associated with these U ore deposits can be classified as a poor hydrocarbon source potential for oil and gas. n-Alkanes in the organic-rich strata are characterized by a higher relative abundance of high-molecular-weight (HMW) homologues and are dominated by C 25 , C 27 or C 29 with distinct odd-to-even C number predominances from C 23 to C 29 . In contrast, in the sandstone/siltstone samples, the n-alkanes have a higher relative abundance of medium-molecular-weight homologues and are dominated by C 22 with no or only slight odd-to-even C number predominances from C 23 to C 29 . Methyl alkanoates in the sandstone/siltstone extracts range from C 14 to C 30 , maximizing at C 16 , with a strong even C number predominance, but in the organic-rich layers the HMW homologues are higher, maximizing at C 24 , C 26 or C 28 , also with an even predominance above C 22 . n-Alkanes in the sandstone/siltstone sequence are significantly depleted in 13 C relative to n-alkanes in most of the organic-rich strata. Diasterenes, ββ-hopanes and hopenes are present in nearly all the organic-rich sediments but in the sandstone/siltstone samples they occur as the geologically mature isomers. All the results indicate that the OM in the Dongsheng U ore body is derived from different kinds of source materials. The organic compounds in the organic-rich strata are mainly terrestrial, whereas, in the sand/siltstones, they are derived mainly from aquatic biota. Similar distribution patterns and consistent δ 13 C variations between n-alkanes and methyl alkanoates in corresponding samples suggest they are derived from

  1. Organic Matter Loading Modifies the Microbial Community Responsible for Nitrogen Loss in Estuarine Sediments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babbin, Andrew R; Jayakumar, Amal; Ward, Bess B

    2016-04-01

    Coastal marine sediments, as locations of substantial fixed nitrogen loss, are very important to the nitrogen budget and to the primary productivity of the oceans. Coastal sediment systems are also highly dynamic and subject to periodic natural and anthropogenic organic substrate additions. The response to organic matter by the microbial community involved in nitrogen loss processes was evaluated using mesocosms of Chesapeake Bay sediments. Over the course of a 50-day incubation, rates of anammox and denitrification were measured weekly using (15)N tracer incubations, and samples were collected for genetic analysis. Rates of both nitrogen loss processes and gene abundances associated with them corresponded loosely, probably because heterogeneities in sediments obscured a clear relationship. The rates of denitrification were stimulated more, and the fraction of nitrogen loss attributed to anammox slightly reduced, by the higher organic matter addition. Furthermore, the large organic matter pulse drove a significant and rapid shift in the denitrifier community composition as determined using a nirS microarray, indicating that the diversity of these organisms plays an essential role in responding to anthropogenic inputs. We also suggest that the proportion of nitrogen loss due to anammox in these coastal estuarine sediments may be underestimated due to temporal dynamics as well as from methodological artifacts related to conventional sediment slurry incubation approaches.

  2. Nitrogen dynamics in organic and conventional cotton production systems in India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duboc, O.; Adamtey, N.; Forster, D.; Cadisch, G.

    2012-04-01

    Ongoing population growth still represents a challenge to agricultural production (food, fiber and fuel material supply). In spite of the undeniable achievements reached with the "green revolution" technologies, there is a growing awareness among scientists and policy makers that diverse and integrated approaches which are both productive and sustainable are now necessary to meet the agricultural challenges. Integrated and organic agriculture are such alternatives which need to be better investigated and implemented. While long-term experiments in temperate regions have assessed the effect of organic agriculture on different crops and soil quality, there is currently a lack of reliable data from tropical regions, such as findings arising from long-term systems comparison trials. This has necessitated a long-term system comparison trials in Kenya, Bolivia and India by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and its partners (icipe, BioRe, Ecotop and Institute of Ecology) (www.systems-comparison.fibl.org). In India the project is based in Madhya Pradesh, in which organic and conventional production systems are being compared in a 2-yr crop rotation - cotton (yr 1) and soybean-wheat (yr 2). The field trial is planned for a time span of 10-20 years, in order to investigate long-term effects of those production systems on yields, soil characteristics, or economic return. A PhD study is incorporated into this project to investigate the effect of the production systems on soil characteristics. The main focus will be on nitrogen cycling under the different production systems. Particular attention will be given to nitrogen use efficiencies and the synchrony of nitrogen availability (e.g. nitrogen mineralization with the polyethylene bag technique, monitoring of soil mineral N) with plant nitrogen uptake, for which allometric equations will be calibrated in order to circumvent destructive sampling on the plots of the long-term experiment. Nitrogen losses

  3. Nitrogen isotopic composition of macromolecular organic matter in interplanetary dust particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aléon, Jérôme; Robert, François; Chaussidon, Marc; Marty, Bernard

    2003-10-01

    Nitrogen concentrations and isotopic compositions were measured by ion microprobe scanning imaging in two interplanetary dust particles L2021 K1 and L2036 E22, in which imaging of D/H and C/H ratios has previously evidenced the presence of D-rich macromolecular organic components. High nitrogen concentrations of 10-20 wt% and δ 15N values up to +400‰ are observed in these D-rich macromolecular components. The previous study of D/H and C/H ratios has revealed three different D-rich macromolecular phases. The one previously ascribed to macromolecular organic matter akin the insoluble organic matter (IOM) from carbonaceous chondrites is enriched in nitrogen by one order of magnitude compared to the carbonaceous chondrite IOM, although its isotopic composition is still similar to what is known from Renazzo (δ 15N = +208‰). The correlation observed in macromolecular organic material between the D- and 15N-excesses suggests that the latter originate probably from chemical reactions typical of the cold interstellar medium. These interstellar materials preserved to some extent in IDPs are therefore macromolecular organic components with various aliphaticity and aromaticity. They are heavily N-heterosubstituted as shown by their high nitrogen concentrations >10 wt%. They have high D/H ratios >10 -3 and δ 15N values ≥ +400‰. In L2021 K1 a mixture is observed at the micron scale between interstellar and chondritic-like organic phases. This indicates that some IDPs contain organic materials processed at various heliocentric distances in a turbulent nebula. Comparison with observation in comets suggests that these molecules may be cometary macromolecules. A correlation is observed between the D/H ratios and δ 15N values of macromolecular organic matter from IDPs, meteorites, the Earth and of major nebular reservoirs. This suggests that most macromolecular organic matter in the inner solar system was probably issued from interstellar precursors and further processed

  4. Nitrogen fixation by free-living organisms in rice soils. Studies with 15N

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rao, V.R.; Charyulu, P.B.B.N.; Nayak, D.N.; Ramakrishna, C.

    1979-01-01

    Heterotrophic nitrogen fixation as influenced by water regime, organic matter, combined nitrogen and pesticides was investigated in several Indian rice soils by means of the 15 N 2 tracer technique. Soil submergence accelerated nitrogen fixation. Addition of cellulose to both non-flooded and flooded soils enhanced nitrogen fixation. Under submerged conditions, addition of sucrose, glucose and malate in that order stimulated nitrogen fixation in alluvial soil, while only sucrose enhanced nitrogen fixation in laterite soil. Nitrogen fixation in flooded alluvial and laterite soils decreased with increasing concentration of combined nitrogen. Nitrogen fixation was appreciable in acid sulphate and saline soils under both flooded and non-flooded conditions, despite high salinity and acidity. Application of certain pesticides at rates equivalent to recommended field level greatly influenced nitrogen fixation in flooded rice soils. Additions of benomyl (carbamate fungicide) and carbofuran (methyl carbamate insecticide) to alluvial and laterite soils resulted in significant stimulation of nitrogen fixation. Gamma-BHC stimulated nitrogen fixation only in alluvial soil, with considerable inhibition in a laterite soil. Nitrogen fixation by Azospirillum lipoferum was investigated by 15 N 2 . Large variations in 15 N 2 incorporation by A. lipoferum isolated from the roots of several rice cultivars was observed. Specific lines of rice harbouring A. lipoferum with high nitrogenase activity might be selected. Nitrogen fixed by heterotrophic organisms in a complex system such as soil could not be evaluated precisely. Indigenous nitrogen fixation in a flooded soil would be in the range of 5-10 kg N/ha, increasable 3 to 4-fold by appropriate fertilizers and cultural practices

  5. Municipal wastewater treatment for effective removal of organic matter and nitrogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grebenevich, E.V.; Zaletova, N.A.; Terentieva, N.A.

    1987-01-01

    The organic matter, as well as nitrogen and phosphorus, are nutrient substances. Their excess concentrations in water receiving bodies lead to eutrophication, moreover, the nitrogen content in water bodies is standardized according the sanitary-toxicological criterion of harmfulness: NH 4 + -N ≤0,39-2,0 mgl - , NO 3 -N ≤9,1-10 mgl - . The municipal wastewater contain, usually, organic matter estimated by BOD 150-200 mgl - , and COD 300-400 mgl - , the nitrogen compounds 50-60 mgl - , and NH 4 + -N 20-25 mgl - . NO x -N are practically absent. Their presence indicated on discharge of industrial wastewater. The total phosphorus is present in the concentration of 15 mgl - , PO 4 - - P 5-8 mgl - . Activated sludge process has been most widely used in the USSR for municipal wastewater treatment. The activated sludge is biocenoses of heterotrophic and auto trophic microorganisms. They consume nutrient matters, transferring pollution of wastewater by means of enzyme systems in acceptable forms. C, N and P-containing matters are removed from wastewater by biological intake for cell synthesis. Moreover C- containing matters are removed by oxidation to CO 2 and H 2 O. P-containing compounds under definite conditions associate with solid fraction of activated sludge and thus simultaneously removed from wastewater. The removal of nitrogen in addition to biosynthesis is carried out only in the denitrification process, when oxygen of NO x -N is used for oxidation of organic matter and produced gaseous nitrogen escapes into the atmosphere

  6. Nitrogen mineralization in a simulated rhizosphere as influenced by low molecular weight organic substances

    OpenAIRE

    Begum, Shamim Ara; Kader, MD Abdul; Sleutel, Steven; De Neve, Stefaan

    2012-01-01

    Rhizodeposits consist of over 200 organic compounds, mainly low-molecular-weight organic substances (LMWOS) such as amino acids (AA), carbohydrates (CH) and carboxylic acids (CA), lipids and phenols. Those LMWOS influence nutrient turnover, particularly N turnover. However, the exact influence of these organic substances on nitrogen mineralization is yet unknown. Therefore, the stimulatory effects of low molecular weight organic substances on nitrogen mineralization in the rhizosphere of a si...

  7. A 200 year sedimentary record of progressive eutrophication in lake Greifen (Switzerland): Implications for the origin of organic-carbon-rich sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollander, David J.; McKenzie, Judith A.; Lo Ten Haven, H.

    1992-09-01

    Over the past 200 years Lake Greifen, a small lake in northeastern Switzerland, has undergone dramatic changes in primary productivity and eutrophication due to increased nutrient supply from agricultural activity and industrialization. A 40 year historical record of the water-column chemistry indicates that productivity and eutrophication reached a maximum in 1974, after which stricter regulations on the input of nutrients resulted in a progressive decrease. Collected cores show the sedimentary expression of this anthropogenically induced eutrophication by a well-developed annual sedimentation and by enhanced values of total organic carbon, organic-carbon accumulation rates, and hydrogen indices (HI) of the kerogens. Analyses of the carbon isotopic composition of sedimentary carbonates and organic matter reveal that the fractionation between these two phases varies with the HI of kerogens. This observation is explicable in terms of changing productivity and preservation of the organic matter, and the CO2(aq) budget of the water body. We propose that if high primary productivity were primarily responsible for the preservation and accumulation of organic matter, then a negative correlation will occur between Δδ13Ccalcite-organic matter (Δδ13Ccal-om) and HI values. In an environment with relatively low to moderate productivity but with bottom-water anoxia, a positive correlation will exist between Δδ13Ccal-om and HI values. This study of Lake Greifen has implications for understanding paleoenvironmental controls on ancient organic-carbon-rich sediments.

  8. Assessing the potential of amino acid δ13C patterns as a carbon source tracer in marine sediments: effects of algal growth conditions and sedimentary diagenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsen, T.; Bach, L. T.; Salvatteci, R.; Wang, Y. V.; Andersen, N.; Ventura, M.; McCarthy, M. D.

    2015-01-01

    Burial of organic carbon in marine sediments has a profound influence in marine biogeochemical cycles, and provides a sink for greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4. However, tracing organic carbon from primary production sources as well as its transformations in the sediment record remains challenging. Here we examine a novel but growing tool for tracing biosynthetic origin of amino acid carbon skeletons, based on natural occurring stable carbon isotope patterns in individual amino acids (δ13CAA). We focus on two important aspects for δ13CAA utility in sedimentary paleoarchives: first, the fidelity of source diagnostic of algal δ13CAA patterns across different oceanographic growth conditions; and second, the ability of δ13CAA patterns to record the degree of subsequent microbial amino acid synthesis after sedimentary burial. Using the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, we tested under controlled conditions how δ13CAA patterns respond to changing environmental conditions, including light, salinity, temperature, and pH. Our findings show that while differing oceanic growth conditions can change macromolecular cellular composition, δ13CAA isotopic patterns remain largely invariant. These results underscore that δ13CAA patterns should accurately record biosynthetic sources across widely disparate oceanographic conditions. We also explored how δ13CAA patterns change as a function of age, total nitrogen and organic carbon content after burial, in a marine sediment core from a coastal upwelling area off Peru. Based on the four most informative amino acids for distinguishing between diatom and bacterial sources (i.e. isoleucine, lysine, leucine and tyrosine), bacterial derived amino acids ranged from 10-15% in the sediment layers from the last 5000 years to 35% during the last glacial period. The larger bacterial fractions in older sediments indicate that bacterial activity and amino acid resynthesis progressed, approximately as a function of sediment age, to

  9. Restoration and Purification of Dissolved Organic Nitrogen by Bacteria and Phytoremediation in Shallow Eutrophic Lakes Sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xin; Yue, Yi

    2018-06-01

    Endogenous organic nitrogen loadings in lake sediments have increased with human activity in recent decades. A 6-month field study from two disparate shallow eutrophic lakes could partly reveal these issues by analysing seasonal variations of biodegradation and phytoremediation in the sediment. This paper describes the relationship between oxidation reduction potential, temperature, microbial activity and phytoremediation in nitrogen cycling by calculation degradative index of dissolved organic nitrogen and amino acid decomposition. The index was being positive in winter and negative in summer while closely positive correlated with biodegradation. Our analysis revealed that rather than anoxic condition, biomass is the primary factor to dissolved organic nitrogen distribution and decomposition. Some major amino acids statistics also confirm the above view. The comparisons of organic nitrogen and amino acid in abundance and seasons in situ provides that demonstrated plants cue important for nitrogen removal by their roots adsorption and immobilization. In conclusion, enhanced microbial activity and phytoremediation with the seasons will reduce the endogenous nitrogen loadings by the coupled mineralization and diagenetic process.

  10. Improvements to the characterization of organic nitrogen chemistry and deposition in CMAQ (CMAS Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Excess atmospheric nitrogen deposition can cause significant harmful effects to ecosystems. Organic nitrogen deposition can be an important contributor to the total nitrogen budget, contributing 10-30%, however there are large uncertainties in the chemistry and deposition of thes...

  11. Effectiveness of liquid organic-nitrogen fertilizer in enhancing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The ever increasing price of nitrogenous (N) fertilizers coupled with the deleterious effects of imbalanced N fertilizers on the environment necessitates the enhancement of N use efficiency of plants. The objectives of this study were to: (1) Evaluate the uptake of selected nutrients due to application of liquid organic-N ...

  12. ORGANIC CARBON AND TOTAL NITROGEN IN THE DENSIMETRIC FRACTIONS OF ORGANIC MATTER UNDER DIFFERENT SOIL MANAGEMEN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARCELO RIBEIRO VILELA PRADO

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The evaluation of land use and management by the measurement of soil organic matter and its fractions has gained attention since it helps in the understanding of the dynamics of their contribution to soil productivity, especially in tropical environments. This study was conducted in the municipality of Colorado do Oeste, state of Rondônia, Brazil and its aim was to determinethe quantity of organic carbon and total nitrogen in the light and heavy fractions of organic matter in the surface layers of a typic hapludalf under different land use systems: Native Forest: open evergreen forest, reference environment; Agroforestry System 1: teak (Tectona grandis LF and kudzu (Pueraria montana; Agroforestry System 2: coffee (Coffea canephora, marandu palisade grass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu, “pinho cuiabano” (Parkia multijuga, teak and kudzu.; Agroforestry System 3: teak and cocoa (Theobroma cacao; Silvopasture System: teak, cocoa and marandu palisade grass; and Extensive Grazing System: marandu palisade grass. The experimental design was a randomized block in split-split plots (use systems versus soil layers of 0-0.05 and 0.05-0.10 m with three replications. The results showed that relative to Native Forest, the Agroforestry System 2 had equal- and greater amounts of organic carbon and total nitrogen respectively (light and heavy fractions in the soil organic matter, with the light fraction being responsible for storage of approximately 45% and 70% of the organic carbon and total nitrogen, respectively. Therefore, the light densimetric fraction proved to be useful in the early identification of the general decline of the soil organic matter in the land use systems evaluated.

  13. Increased nitrogen availability counteracts climatic change feedback from increased temperature on boreal forest soil organic matter degradation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erhagen, Bjorn; Nilsson, Mats; Oquist, Mats; Ilstedt, Ulrik; Sparrman, Tobias; Schleucher, Jurgen

    2014-05-01

    Over the last century, the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere have increased dramatically, greatly exceeding pre-industrial levels that had prevailed for the preceding 420 000 years. At the same time the annual anthropogenic contribution to the global terrestrial nitrogen cycle has increased and currently exceeds natural inputs. Both temperature and nitrogen levels have profound effects on the global carbon cycle including the rate of organic matter decomposition, which is the most important biogeochemical process that returns CO2 to the atmosphere. Here we show for the first time that increasing the availability of nitrogen not only directly affects the rate of organic matter decomposition but also significantly affects its temperature dependence. We incubated litter and soil organic matter from a long-term (40 years) nitrogen fertilization experiment in a boreal Scots pine (Pinus silvestris L.) forest at different temperatures and determined the temperature dependence of the decomposition of the sample's organic matter in each case. Nitrogen fertilization did not affect the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of the decomposition of fresh plant litter but strongly reduced that for humus soil organic matter. The Q10 response of the 0-3 cm soil layer decreased from 2.5±0.35 to an average of 1.9±0.21 over all nitrogen treatments, and from 2.2±0.19 to 1.6±0.16 in response to the most intense nitrogen fertilization treatment in the 4-7 cm soil layer. Long-term nitrogen additions also significantly affected the organic chemical composition (as determined by 13C CP-MAS NMR spectroscopy) of the soil organic matter. These changes in chemical composition contributed significantly (p<0.05) to the reduced Q10 response. These new insights into the relationship between nitrogen availability and the temperature sensitivity of organic matter decomposition will be important for understanding and predicting how increases in global temperature and rising anthropogenic

  14. Extreme 15N-enrichments in 2.72-Gyr-old sediments: evidence for a turning point in the nitrogen cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomazo, C; Ader, M; Philippot, P

    2011-03-01

    Although nitrogen is a key element in organic molecules such as nucleic acids and proteins, the timing of the emergence of its modern biogeochemical cycle is poorly known. Recent studies on the antiquity of the nitrogen cycle and its interaction with free oxygen suggests the establishment of a complete aerobic N biogeochemical cycle with nitrification, denitrification, and nitrogen fixation at about 2.68 Gyr. Here, we report new bulk nitrogen isotope data for the 2.72 billion-year-old sedimentary succession of the Tumbiana Formation (Pilbara Craton, Western Australia). The nitrogen isotopic compositions vary widely from +8.6‰ up to +50.4‰ and are inversely correlated with the very low δ(13)C values of associated organic matter defining the Fortescue excursion (down to about -56‰). We propose that this (15)N-enrichment records the onset of nitrification coupled to the continuous removal of its derivatives (nitrite and nitrate) by denitrification. This finding implies an increase in the availability of electron acceptors and probably oxygen in the Tumbiana depositional environment, 300 million years before the oxygenation of the Earth's atmosphere. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  15. Pore water geochemistry and the oxidation of sedimentary organic matter: Hatteras Abyssal Plain 1981

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heggie, D.; Lewis, T.; Graham, D.

    1985-01-01

    This report presents the pore water geochemistry from R/V an Endeavor cruise to an area of the Hatteras Abyssal Plain between 31 0 45' - 34 0 00'N and 69 0 37.5 - 72 0 07.5'W. The authors report on the down core variations of the products of organic matter oxidation, the stoichiometry of reactions and make a preliminary assessment of the rates of organic matter oxidation at several core locations. The authors found concentrations of total inorganic nitrogen species; nitrate, nitrite and ammonia in pore waters to be less than those predicted from a model of organic matter oxidation (Froelich et al. 1979) in sediments. The observations indicate that nitrogen is depleted over carbon as compared to typical marine organic matter. The down-core nitrate profiles over the study area were used to infer depths at which oxygen is near totally consumed in the sediments and hence to compute rates of oxygen consumption. The authors found oxygen consumption rates to vary by nearly an order of magnitude between core locations (1.7 - >15μmO 2 cm -2 yr -1 ). A simple model which combines the computed rates of oxidant consumption and the stoichiometry of organic matter oxidation was used to make estimates of organic carbon oxidation rates. These latter were found to vary between 1.3 and > 11.5 μm C cm -2 yr -1 . Highest carbon oxidation rates were found at the western boundary of the study area, and in all cases oxygen consumption was responsible for >85% of carbon oxidized. 11 references, 5 figures, 4 tables

  16. Growth response of four freshwater algal species to dissolved organic nitrogen of different concentration and complexity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fiedler, Dorothea; Graeber, Daniel; Badrian, Maria

    2015-01-01

    1. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) compounds dominate the nitrogen pool of many lakes, but their importance as nitrogen sources for freshwater phytoplankton is not fully understood. Previous growth experiments demonstrated the availability of urea and amino acids but often at unnaturally high...... (DCAA), natural organic matter (NOM)) or with nitrate as the sole nitrogen source. Monocultures of Chlamydomonas spp., Cyclotella meneghiniana, Microcystis aeruginosa and Anabaena flos-aquae were incubated with dissolved nitrogen compounds at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.5 mg N L−1, which...... and their compound preferences. Therefore, DON composition can influence biomass and structure of phytoplankton communities. 6. These experiments demonstrate the importance of the main DON compounds for phytoplankton growth when no inorganic nitrogen is available. DON should in future be included in nitrogen budget...

  17. Effects of organic nitrogen and carbon sources on mycelial growth ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2009-10-19

    Oct 19, 2009 ... mycelial growth and polysaccharides production and their optimization in the ... Soybean meal was selected as the optimal organic nitrogen source for its significant ..... economy and high yield in industrial production. There-.

  18. Evaluation of the soil organic carbon, nitrogen and available ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The result obtained indicates that the level of these chemical properties were generally low as compared to standard measures and parameter for ratings soil fertility in the Nigerian Savanna. Keywords: Status of organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, top horizons, research farm. Bowen Journal of Agriculture ...

  19. Experimental studies of the mechanisms and the kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of the uranium reduction by sedimentary organic materials from ligneous origin under diagenetic or hydrothermal conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakashima, S.

    1984-01-01

    This research thesis reports experimental studies of fixation and reduction of the uranyl cation by sedimentary organic materials from ligneous origin in order to understand the mechanisms and quantitative aspects of these processes in diagenetic or hydrothermal conditions. Two fixation mechanisms have been identified. Reduction appears to be governed by the oxidation of hydroxyl functions and the dehydrogenation of aliphatic hydro-carbonated entities. A kinetic study of this reduction process is reported, as well as a simulation of these processes by simple organic compounds (alcohols, aliphatic hydrocarbons). The assessment of thermodynamic parameters of the reduction process is discussed, and the obtained thermodynamic data show that almost the totality of uranium present in natural waters precipitates under the form of uraninite in presence of lignite. The extension of the obtained results to all sedimentary organic materials is finally discussed [fr

  20. Organic materials: sources of nitrogen in the organic production of lettuce

    OpenAIRE

    MANOJLOVIC, Maja; CABILOVSKI, Ranko; BAVEC, Martina

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents the results of 2 experiments: an incubation experiment and a subsequent field experiment. An incubation experiment was set up in order to determine the mineralization potential of different organic materials (OMs) (well-rotted farmyard manure [FTM], guano [G], soybean seed [S], and forage pea seed [P]), the kinetics of mineral nitrogen (N) release, and the correlation between OM content and the quantity of mineralized N. The results of the incubation experiment were checke...

  1. Dynamics of dissolved and extractable organic nitrogen upon soil amendment with crop residues

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ros, G.H.; Hoffland, E.

    2010-01-01

    Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is increasingly recognized as a pivotal pool in the soil nitrogen (N) cycle. Numerous devices and sampling procedures have been used to estimate its size, varying from in situ collection of soil solution to extraction of dried soil with salt solutions. Extractable

  2. Predicting nitrogen and acidity effects on long-term dynamics of dissolved organic matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowe, E.C.; Tipping, E.; Posch, M.; Oulehle, F.; Cooper, D.M.; Jones, T.G.; Burden, A.; Hall, J.; Evans, C.D.

    2014-01-01

    Increases in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fluxes may relate to changes in sulphur and nitrogen pollution. We integrated existing models of vegetation growth and soil organic matter turnover, acid–base dynamics, and organic matter mobility, to form the ‘MADOC’ model. After calibrating parameters governing interactions between pH and DOC dissolution using control treatments on two field experiments, MADOC reproduced responses of pH and DOC to additions of acidifying and alkalising solutions. Long-term trends in a range of acid waters were also reproduced. The model suggests that the sustained nature of observed DOC increases can best be explained by a continuously replenishing potentially-dissolved carbon pool, rather than dissolution of a large accumulated store. The simulations informed the development of hypotheses that: DOC increase is related to plant productivity increase as well as to pH change; DOC increases due to nitrogen pollution will become evident, and be sustained, after soil pH has stabilised. -- Highlights: • A model of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was developed by integrating simple models • MADOC simulates effects of sulphur and nitrogen deposition and interactions with pH. • Responses of DOC and pH to experimental acidification and alkalisation were reproduced. • The persistence of DOC increases will depend on continued supply of potential DOC. • DOC fluxes are likely determined by plant productivity as well as soil solution pH. -- Effects of changes in sulphur and nitrogen pollution on dissolved organic carbon fluxes are predicted by simulating soil organic matter cycling, the release of potentially-dissolved carbon, and interactions with soil pH

  3. Nitrogen reduction pathways in estuarine sediments: Influences of organic carbon and sulfide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plummer, Patrick; Tobias, Craig; Cady, David

    2015-10-01

    Potential rates of sediment denitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) were mapped across the entire Niantic River Estuary, CT, USA, at 100-200 m scale resolution consisting of 60 stations. On the estuary scale, denitrification accounted for ~ 90% of the nitrogen reduction, followed by DNRA and anammox. However, the relative importance of these reactions to each other was not evenly distributed through the estuary. A Nitrogen Retention Index (NIRI) was calculated from the rate data (DNRA/(denitrification + anammox)) as a metric to assess the relative amounts of reactive nitrogen being recycled versus retained in the sediments following reduction. The distribution of rates and accompanying sediment geochemical analytes suggested variable controls on specific reactions, and on the NIRI, depending on position in the estuary and that these controls were linked to organic carbon abundance, organic carbon source, and pore water sulfide concentration. The relationship between NIRI and organic carbon abundance was dependent on organic carbon source. Sulfide proved the single best predictor of NIRI, accounting for 44% of its observed variance throughout the whole estuary. We suggest that as a single metric, sulfide may have utility as a proxy for gauging the distribution of denitrification, anammox, and DNRA.

  4. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) losses from nested artificially drained lowland catchments with contrasting soil types

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiemeyer, Bärbel; Kahle, Petra; Lennartz, Bernd

    2010-05-01

    Artificial drainage is a common practice to improve moisture and aeration conditions of agricultural land. It shortens the residence time of water in the soil and may therefore contribute to the degradation of peatlands as well as to the still elevated level of diffuse pollution of surface water bodies, particularly if flow anomalies like preferential flow cause a further acceleration of water and solute fluxes. Especially in the case of nitrate, artificially drained sub-catchments are found to control the catchment-scale nitrate losses. However, it is frequently found that nitrate losses and nitrogen field balances do not match. At the same time, organic fertilizers are commonly applied and, especially in lowland catchments, organic soils have been drained for agricultural use. Thus, the question arises whether dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) forms an important component of the nitrogen losses from artificially drained catchments. However, in contrast to nitrate and even to dissolved organic carbon (DOC), this component is frequently overlooked, especially in nested catchment studies with different soil types and variable land use. Here, we will present data from a hierarchical water quantity and quality measurement programme in the federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (North-Eastern Germany). The monitoring programme in the pleistocene lowland catchment comprises automatic sampling stations at a collector drain outlet (4.2 ha catchment), at a ditch draining arable land on mineral soils (179 ha), at a ditch mainly draining grassland on organic soils (85 ha) and at a brook with a small rural catchment (15.5 km²) of mixed land use and soil types. At all sampling stations, daily to weekly composite samples were taken, while the discharge and the meteorological data were recorded continuously. Water samples were analyzed for nitrate-nitrogen, ammonium-nitrogen and total nitrogen. We will compare two years: 2006/07 was a very wet year (P = 934 mm) with a high summer

  5. Bioavailability of autochthonous dissolved organic nitrogen in marine plankton communities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Helle; Markager, Svend Stiig; Søndergaard, Morten

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the bioavailability of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) produced during a phytoplankton bloom. The experiments were conducted with natural plankton communities as batch growth experiments over approximately 30 days with nitrogen limitation. Five to six...... times during the exponential and stationary phases of each experimental bloom the bioavailability of DON was measured over 60 days together with DOC and oxygen consumption. The overall aim was to quantify remineralization of the added nitrate. The results showed that maximum 33 % of the added nitrate...

  6. Organic matter degradation in Chilean sediments - following nature's own degradation experiment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Langerhuus, Alice Thoft; Niggemann, Jutta; Lomstein, Bente Aagaard

    ORGANIC MATTER DEGRADATION IN CHILEAN SEDIMENTS – FOLLOWING NATURE’S OWN DEGRADATION EXPERIMENT Degradation of sedimentary organic matter was studied at two stations from the shelf of the Chilean upwelling region. Sediment cores were taken at 1200 m and 800 m water depth and were 4.5 m and 7.5 m...... in length, respectively. The objective of this study was to assess the degradability of the organic matter from the sediment surface to the deep sediments. This was done by analysing amino acids (both L- and D-isomers) and amino sugars in the sediment cores, covering a timescale of 15.000 years. Diagenetic...... indicators (percentage of carbon and nitrogen present as amino acid carbon and nitrogen, the ratio between a protein precursor and its non-protein degradation product and the percentage of D-amino acids) revealed ongoing degradation in these sediments, indicating that microorganisms were still active in 15...

  7. Decomposition rate of organic fertilizers: effect on yield, nitrogen availability and nitrogen stock in the soil

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Opheusden, van A.H.M.; Burgt, van der G.J.H.M.; Rietberg, P.I.

    2012-01-01

    The nitrogen of organic fertilizers does not fully mineralize within a season, and hence will partly become available in later years. This effect is taken into account for the first year but generally not in later fertilizer applications. If it would be taken into account, fertilizer use could be

  8. Minerilization of carbon and nitrogen of organic residues from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Minerilization of carbon and nitrogen of organic residues from selected plants in a tropical cropping system. O M Onuh, HA Okorie. Abstract. No Abstract. Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences Vol. 3 (1) 2005 pp. 11-24. Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT.

  9. Yielding ability and weed suppression of potato and wheat under organic nitrogen management

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Delden, van A.

    2001-01-01

    Keywords: chickweed, early growth, leaf area expansion, light interception, light use efficiency, manure, mineralisation, modelling, organic farming, organic matter, soil nitrogen content , Solanum tuberosum L., specific leaf area , Stellaria media

  10. Riverine input of organic carbon and nitrogen in water-sediment system from the Yellow River estuary reach to the coastal zone of Bohai Sea, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chuanyuan; Lv, Yingchun; Li, Yuanwei

    2018-04-01

    The temporal-spatial distribution of the carbon and nitrogen contents and their isotopic compositions of suspended matter and sediments from the Yellow River estuary reach (YRER), the estuary to the offshore area were measured to identify the source of organic matter. The higher relative abundances of suspended and sedimentary carbon and nitrogen (POC, TOC, PN and TN) in the offshore marine area compared to those of the riverine and estuarine areas may be due to the cumulative and biological activity impact. The organic matter in surface sediments of YRER, the estuary and offshore area of Bohai Sea is basically the mixture of continental derived material and marine material. The values of δ13Csed fluctuate from values indicative of a land source (- 22.50‰ ± 0.31) to those indicative of a sea source (- 22.80‰ ± 0.38), which can be attributed to the fine particle size and decrease in terrigenous inputs to the offshore marine area. Contrary to the slight increase of POC and PN during the dry season, TOC and TN contents of the surface sediments during the flood season (October) were higher than those during the dry season (April). The seasonal differences in water discharge and suspended sediment discharge of the Yellow River Estuary may result in seasonal variability in TOC, POC, TN and PN concentrations in some degree. Overall, the surface sediments in the offshore area of Bohai Sea are dominated by marine derived organic carbon, which on average, accounts for 58-82% of TOC when a two end-member mixing model is applied to the isotopic data.

  11. Contribution of deep sourced carbon from hydrocarbon seeps to sedimentary organic carbon: Evidence from Δ14C and δ13C isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, D.; Peckmann, J.; Peng, Y.; Liang, Q.; Roberts, H. H.; Chen, D.

    2017-12-01

    Sulfate-driven anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) limits the release of methane from marine sediments and promotes the formation of carbonates close to the seafloor along continental margins. It has been established that hydrocarbon seeps are a source of dissolved inorganic and organic carbon to marine environments. However, questions remain about the contribution of deep sourced carbon from hydrocarbon seeps to the sedimentary organic carbon pool. For a number of hydrocarbon seeps from the South China Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, the portion of modern carbon was determined based on natural radiocarbon abundances (Δ14C) and stable carbon isotope (δ13Corganic carbon) compositions of the non-carbonate fractions extracted from authigenic carbonates. Samples from both areas show a mixing trend between ideal planktonic organic carbon (δ13C = -22‰ VPDB and 90% modern carbon) and the ambient methane. The δ13Corganic carbon values of non-carbonate fractions from three ancient seep deposits (northern Italy, Miocene; western Washington State, USA, Eocene to Oligocene) confirm that the proxy can be used to constrain the record of sulfate-driven AOM through most of Earth history by measuring the δ13C values of organic carbon. This study reveals the potential of using δ13C values of organic carbon to discern seep and non-seep environments. This new approach is particularly promising when authigenic carbonate is not present in ancient sedimentary environments. Acknowledgments: The authors thank BOEM and NOAA for their years' support of the deep-sea dives. Funding was provided by the NSF of China (Grants: 41422602 and 41373085).

  12. SOIL NITROGEN TRANSFORMATIONS AND ROLE OF LIGHT FRACTION ORGANIC MATTER IN FOREST SOILS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Depletion of soil organic matter through cultivation may alter substrate availability for microbes, altering the dynamic balance between nitrogen (N) immobilization and mineralization. Soil light fraction (LF) organic matter is an active pool that decreases upon cultivation, and...

  13. Effects of organic nitrogen and carbon sources on mycelial growth ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Grifola umbellate is a famous and expensive Chinese herb medicine and the main medicinal component is polysaccharide mainly produced by its mycelia. Effects of organic nitrogen and carbon resources on mycelial growth and polysaccharides production of a medicinal mushroom, G. umbellate were studied in the ...

  14. Dissolved organic nitrogen dynamics in the North Sea: A time series analysis (1995-2005)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Engeland, T.; Soetaert, K.E.R.; Knuijt, A.; Laane, R.W.P.M.; Middelburg, J.J.

    2010-01-01

    Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) dynamics in the North Sea was explored by means of long-term time series of nitrogen parameters from the Dutch national monitoring program. Generally, the data quality was good with little missing data points. Different imputation methods were used to verify the

  15. Reduction of nitrogen excretion and emission in poultry: A review for organic poultry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalova, Vesela I; Kim, Jihyuk; Patterson, Paul H; Ricke, Steven C; Kim, Woo K

    2016-01-01

    Organic poultry is an alternative to conventional poultry which is rapidly developing as a response to customers' demand for better food and a cleaner environment. Although organic poultry manure can partially be utilized by organic horticultural producers, litter accumulation as well as excessive nitrogen still remains a challenge to maintain environment pureness, animal, and human health. Compared to conventional poultry, diet formulation without nitrogen overloading in organic poultry is even more complicated due to specific standards and regulations which limit the application of some supplements and imposes specific criteria to the ingredients in use. This is especially valid for methionine provision which supplementation as a crystalline form is only temporarily allowed. This review is focused on the utilization of various protein sources in the preparation of a diet composed of 100% organic ingredients which meet the avian physiology need for methionine, while avoiding protein overload. The potential to use unconventional protein sources such as invertebrates and microbial proteins to achieve optimal amino acid provision is also discussed.

  16. Fluvial systems and their sedimentary models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dragomir Skabeme

    1995-12-01

    Full Text Available The Slovenian géomorphologie and sedimentologie terminology for fluvial depositional environments is not established yet. Therefore a classification and the proposal for Slovenian names of fluvial sedimentary and erosional forms and influences controlling them are discussed. Attention is given to the problems of recognition of sedimentary environments in sedimentary rocks, and to fluvial sedimentary models.

  17. RESPONSE OF CHILE PEPPER (Capsicum annuum L. TO SALT STRESS AND ORGANIC AND INORGANIC NITROGEN SOURCES: II. NITROGEN AND WATER USE EFFICIENCIES, AND SALT TOLERANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Antonio Huez Lopez

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The response to two nitrogen sources on water and nitrogen use efficiencies, and tolerance of salt-stressed chile pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Sandia was investigated in a greenhouse experiment. Low, moderate and high (1.5, 4.5, and 6.5 dS m-1 salinity levels, and two rates of organic-N fertilizer (120 and 200 kg ha-1 and 120 kg ha-1 of inorganic fertilizer as ammonium nitrate were arranged in randomized complete block designs replicated four times. The liquid organic-N source was an organic, extracted with water from grass clippings. Water use decreased about 19 and 30% in moderate and high salt-stressed plants. Water use efficiency decreased only in high salt-stressed plants. Nitrogen use efficiency decreased either by increased salinity or increased N rates. An apparent increase in salt tolerance was noted when plants were fertilized with organic-N source compared to that of inorganic-N source.

  18. Heterogeneous carbonaceous matter in sedimentary rock lithocomponents causes significant trichloroethylene (TCE) sorption in a low organic carbon content aquifer/aquitard system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choung, Sungwook; Zimmerman, Lisa R; Allen-King, Richelle M; Ligouis, Bertrand; Feenstra, Stanley

    2014-10-15

    This study evaluated the effects of heterogeneous thermally altered carbonaceous matter (CM) on trichloroethylene (TCE) sorption for a low fraction organic carbon content (foc) alluvial sedimentary aquifer and aquitard system (foc=0.046-0.105%). The equilibrium TCE sorption isotherms were highly nonlinear with Freundlich exponents of 0.46-0.58. Kerogen+black carbon was the dominant CM fraction extracted from the sediments and accounted for >60% and 99% of the total in the sands and silt, respectively. Organic petrological examination determined that the kerogen included abundant amorphous organic matter (bituminite), likely of marine origin. The dark calcareous siltstone exhibited the greatest TCE sorption among aquifer lithocomponents and accounted for most sorption in the aquifer. The results suggest that the source of the thermally altered CM, which causes nonlinear sorption, was derived from parent Paleozoic marine carbonate rocks that outcrop throughout much of New York State. A synthetic aquifer-aquitard unit system (10% aquitard) was used to illustrate the effect of the observed nonlinear sorption on mass storage potential at equilibrium. The calculation showed that >80% of TCE mass contained in the aquifer was sorbed on the aquifer sediment at aqueous concentration TCE groundwater plume in the aquifer studied. It is implied that sorption may similarly contribute to TCE persistence in other glacial alluvial aquifers with similar geologic characteristics, i.e., comprised of sedimentary rock lithocomponents that contain thermally altered CM. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Influence of natural zeolite and nitrification inhibitor on organics degradation and nitrogen transformation during sludge composting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Junya; Sui, Qianwen; Li, Kun; Chen, Meixue; Tong, Juan; Qi, Lu; Wei, Yuansong

    2016-01-01

    Sludge composting is one of the most widely used treatments for sewage sludge resource utilization. Natural zeolite and nitrification inhibitor (NI) are widely used during composting and land application for nitrogen conservation, respectively. Three composting reactors (A--the control, B--natural zeolite addition, and C--3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) addition) were established to investigate the influence of NI and natural zeolite addition on organics degradation and nitrogen transformation during sludge composting conducted at the lab scale. The results showed that, in comparison with the control, natural zeolite addition accelerated organics degradation and the maturity of sludge compost was higher, while the DMPP addition slowed down the degradation of organic matters. Meanwhile, the nitrogen transformation functional genes including those responses for nitrification (amoA and nxrA) and denitrification (narG, nirS, nirK, and nosZ) were quantified through quantitative PCR (qPCR) to investigate the effects of natural zeolites and DMPP addition on nitrogen transformation. Although no significant difference in the abundance of nitrogen transformation functional genes was observed between treatments, addition of both natural zeolite and DMPP increases the final total nitrogen content by 48.6% and 23.1%, respectively. The ability of natural zeolite for nitrogen conservation was due to the absorption of NH3 by compost, and nitrogen conservation by DMPP was achieved by the source reduction of denitrification. Besides, it was assumed that the addition of natural zeolite and DMPP may affect the activity of these genes instead of the abundance.

  20. 40 CFR 62.14103 - Emission limits for municipal waste combustor metals, acid gases, organics, and nitrogen oxides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... combustor metals, acid gases, organics, and nitrogen oxides. 62.14103 Section 62.14103 Protection of... combustor metals, acid gases, organics, and nitrogen oxides. (a) The emission limits for municipal waste combustor metals are specified in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) of this section. (1) The owner or...

  1. Effects of combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers plus nitrification inhibitor DMPP on nitrogen runoff loss in vegetable soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Qiaogang; Ma, Junwei; Zou, Ping; Lin, Hui; Sun, Wanchun; Yin, Jianzhen; Fu, Jianrong

    2015-01-01

    The application of nitrogen fertilizers leads to various ecological problems such as large amounts of nitrogen runoff loss causing water body eutrophication. The proposal that nitrification inhibitors could be used as nitrogen runoff loss retardants has been suggested in many countries. In this study, simulated artificial rainfall was used to illustrate the effect of the nitrification inhibitor DMPP (3,4-dimethyl pyrazole phosphate) on nitrogen loss from vegetable fields under combined organic and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer application. The results showed that during the three-time simulated artificial rainfall period, the ammonium nitrogen content in the surface runoff water collected from the DMPP application treatment increased by 1.05, 1.13, and 1.10 times compared to regular organic and inorganic combined fertilization treatment, respectively. In the organic and inorganic combined fertilization with DMPP addition treatment, the nitrate nitrogen content decreased by 38.8, 43.0, and 30.1% in the three simulated artificial rainfall runoff water, respectively. Besides, the nitrite nitrogen content decreased by 95.4, 96.7, and 94.1% in the three-time simulated artificial rainfall runoff water, respectively. A robust decline in the nitrate and nitrite nitrogen surface runoff loss could be observed in the treatments after the DMPP addition. The nitrite nitrogen in DMPP addition treatment exhibited a significant low level, which is near to the no fertilizer application treatment. Compared to only organic and inorganic combined fertilizer treatment, the total inorganic nitrogen runoff loss declined by 22.0 to 45.3% in the organic and inorganic combined fertilizers with DMPP addition treatment. Therefore, DMPP could be used as an effective nitrification inhibitor to control the soil ammonium oxidation in agriculture and decline the nitrogen runoff loss, minimizing the nitrogen transformation risk to the water body and being beneficial for the ecological environment.

  2. Nitrogen Turnover on Organic and Conventional Mixed Farms

    OpenAIRE

    Halberg, Niels; Kristensen, Erik Steen; Kristensen, Ib Sillebak

    1995-01-01

    Separate focus on crop fertilization or feeding practices inadequately describes nitrogen (N) loss from mixed dairy farms because of (1) interaction between animal and crop production and between the production system and the manager, and (2) uncertainties of herd N production and crop N utilization. Therefore a systems approach was used to study N turnover and N efficiency on 16 conventional and 14 organic private Danish farms with mixed animal (dairy) and crop production. There were signifi...

  3. Factors influencing the biogeochemistry of sedimentary carbon and phosphorus in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nilsen, E.B.; Delaney, M.L.

    2005-01-01

    This study characterizes organic carbon (Corganic) and phosphorus (P) geochemistry in surface sediments of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California. Sediment cores were collected from five sites on a sample transect from the edge of the San Francisco Bay eastward to the freshwater Consumnes River. The top 8 cm of each core were analyzed (in 1-cm intervals) for Corganic, four P fractions, and redox-sensitive trace metals (uranium and manganese). Sedimentary Corganic concentrations and Corganic:P ratios decreased, while reactive P concentrations increased moving inland in the Delta. The fraction of total P represented by organic P increased inland, while that of authigenic P was higher bayward than inland reflecting increased diagenetic alteration of organic matter toward the bayward end of the transect. The redox indicator metals are consistent with decreasing sedimentary suboxia inland. The distribution of P fractions and C:P ratios reflect the presence of relatively labile organic matter in upstream surface sediments. Sediment C and P geochemistry is influenced by site-specific particulate organic matter sources, the sorptive power of the sedimentary material present, physical forcing, and early diagenetic transformations presumably driven by Corganic oxidation. ?? 2005 Estuarine Research Federation.

  4. ASN1-encoded asparagine synthetase in floral organs contributes to nitrogen filling in Arabidopsis seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaufichon, Laure; Marmagne, Anne; Belcram, Katia; Yoneyama, Tadakatsu; Sakakibara, Yukiko; Hase, Toshiharu; Grandjean, Olivier; Clément, Gilles; Citerne, Sylvie; Boutet-Mercey, Stéphanie; Masclaux-Daubresse, Céline; Chardon, Fabien; Soulay, Fabienne; Xu, Xiaole; Trassaert, Marion; Shakiebaei, Maryam; Najihi, Amina; Suzuki, Akira

    2017-08-01

    Despite a general view that asparagine synthetase generates asparagine as an amino acid for long-distance transport of nitrogen to sink organs, its role in nitrogen metabolic pathways in floral organs during seed nitrogen filling has remained undefined. We demonstrate that the onset of pollination in Arabidopsis induces selected genes for asparagine metabolism, namely ASN1 (At3g47340), GLN2 (At5g35630), GLU1 (At5g04140), AapAT2 (At5g19950), ASPGA1 (At5g08100) and ASPGB1 (At3g16150), particularly at the ovule stage (stage 0), accompanied by enhanced asparagine synthetase protein, asparagine and total amino acids. Immunolocalization confined asparagine synthetase to the vascular cells of the silique cell wall and septum, but also to the outer and inner seed integuments, demonstrating the post-phloem transport of asparagine in these cells to developing embryos. In the asn1 mutant, aberrant embryo cell divisions in upper suspensor cell layers from globular to heart stages assign a role for nitrogen in differentiating embryos within the ovary. Induction of asparagine metabolic genes by light/dark and nitrate supports fine shifts of nitrogen metabolic pathways. In transgenic Arabidopsis expressing promoter Ca MV 35S ::ASN1 fusion, marked metabolomics changes at stage 0, including a several-fold increase in free asparagine, are correlated to enhanced seed nitrogen. However, specific promoter Napin2S ::ASN1 expression during seed formation and a six-fold increase in asparagine toward the desiccation stage result in wild-type seed nitrogen, underlining that delayed accumulation of asparagine impairs the timing of its use by releasing amide and amino nitrogen. Transcript and metabolite profiles in floral organs match the carbon and nitrogen partitioning to generate energy via the tricarboxylic acid cycle, GABA shunt and phosphorylated serine synthetic pathway. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Isotopic patterns in caps and stipes in sporocarps reveal patterns of organic nitrogen use by ectomycorrhizal fungi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hobbie, Erik; Ouimette, Andrew; Chen, Janet

    2016-04-01

    Current ecosystem models use inorganic nitrogen as the currency of nitrogen acquisition by plants. However, many trees may gain access to otherwise unavailable soil resources, such as soil organic nitrogen, through their symbioses with ectomycorrhizal fungi, and this pathway of nitrogen acquisition may therefore be important in understanding plant responses to environmental change. Different functional groups of ectomycorrhizal fungi vary in their ability to enzymatically access protein and other soil resources. Such fungal parameters as hyphal hydrophobicity, the presence of rhizomorphs (long-distance transport structures), and exploration strategies (e.g., short-distance versus long-distance, mat formation) correspond with how fungi interact with and explore the environment, and the proportions of different exploration types present will shift along environmental gradients such as nitrogen availability. Isotopic differences between caps and stipes may provide a means to test for organic nitrogen use, since caps and stipes differ in δ13C and δ15N as a result of variable proportions of protein and other classes of compounds, and protein should differ isotopically among de novo synthesis, litter sources, and soil sources. Here, we propose that (1) isotopic differences between caps and stipes could be related to organic nitrogen uptake and to the δ13C and δ15N values of different pools of soil-derived or de novo-synthesized amino acids; (2) these isotopic differences will reflect greater acquisition of soil-derived organic nitrogen by exploration types of greater enzymatic capabilities to degrade recalcitrant nitrogen forms, specifically long-distance, medium-distance fringe, and medium-distance mat exploration types. To test these hypotheses, we use a dataset of isotopic values, %N, and %C in 208 cap/stipe samples collected from Oregon, western USA. δ13C differences in caps and stipes in a multiple regression model had an adjusted r2 of 0.292 (p Ncap-stipe (20

  6. [Impacts of Land Use Changes on Soil Light Fraction and Particulate Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in Jinyun Mountain].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lei, Li-guo; Jiang, Chang-sheng; Hao, Qing-ju

    2015-07-01

    Four land types including the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, sloping farmland, orchard and abandoned land were selected to collect soil samples from 0 to 60 cm depth at the same altitude of sunny slope in the Jinyun Mountain in this study. Soil light fraction organic carbon and nitrogen ( LFOC and LFON), and particulate organic carbon and nitrogen (POC and PON) were determined and the distribution ratios and C/N ratios were calculated. The results showed that the contents of LFOC and LFON decreased significantly by 71. 42% and 38. 46% after the forest was changed into sloping farmland (P 0. 05), while the contents of LFOC and LFON increased significantly by 3. 77 and 1. 38 times after the sloping farmland was changed into abandoned land (P organic carbon and nitrogen accumulation; on the contrary, sloping farmland was easy to lose soil labile carbon and nitrogen. The LFOC and LFON distribution ratios were significantly reduced by 31. 20% and 30. 08%, respectively after the forest was changed into the sloping farmland, and increased by 18. 74% and 20. 33% respectively after the forest was changed into the orchard. Nevertheless, the distribution ratios of LFOC and LFON were changed little by converting the forest into the sloping farmland and orchard. The distribution ratios of LFOC, LFON, POC and PON all increased significantly after the farmland was abandoned (P organic carbon and nitrogen was enhanced after forest reclamation, while reduced after the sloping farmland was abandoned. The ratios of carbon to nitrogen in soil organic matter, light fraction organic matter and particulate organic matter were in the order of abandoned land (12. 93) > forest (8. 53) > orchard (7. 52) > sloping farmland (4. 40), abandoned land (16. 32) > forest (14. 29) > orchard (11. 32) > sloping farmland (7. 60), abandoned land (23. 41) > sloping farmland (13. 85 ) > forest (10. 30) > orchard (9. 64), which indicated that the degree of organic nitrogen mineralization was

  7. Worldwide organic soil carbon and nitrogen data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zinke, P.J.; Stangenberger, A.G. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Forestry and Resource Management; Post, W.M.; Emanual, W.R.; Olson, J.S. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

    1986-09-01

    The objective of the research presented in this package was to identify data that could be used to estimate the size of the soil organic carbon pool under relatively undisturbed soil conditions. A subset of the data can be used to estimate amounts of soil carbon storage at equilibrium with natural soil-forming factors. The magnitude of soil properties so defined is a resulting nonequilibrium values for carbon storage. Variation in these values is due to differences in local and geographic soil-forming factors. Therefore, information is included on location, soil nitrogen content, climate, and vegetation along with carbon density and variation.

  8. Discussion on the origin of sedimentary rock resistivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong Gangjian

    2012-01-01

    Conduction current way of sedimentary rock sedimentary rock is caused by the internal structure of sedimentary rock sedimentary rock pore resistance depends on the salinity of pore water and clay content and distribution. Resistivity of sedimentary rock sedimentary rock major factor in mineral composition, water resistance, oil resistance. and sedimentary structures. In practice, we should give full attention to the difference between lithology and physical properties. (author)

  9. Is an organic nitrogen source needed for cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei Rut-C30?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rodríguez Gómez, Divanery; Hobley, Timothy John

    2013-01-01

    The effect of organic and inorganic nitrogen sources on Trichoderma reesei Rut-C30 cellulase production was investigated in submerged cultivations. Stirred tank bioreactors and shake flasks, with and without pH control, respectively, were employed. The experimental design involved the addition...... of individual organic nitrogen sources (soy peptone, glutamate, glycine and alanine) within a basal medium containing Avicel (i.e. micro crystalline cellulose) and ammonium sulphate. It was found that in the shake flask experiments, the highest cellulase activities (~0.1 ± 0.02 FPU ml−1) were obtained...... with media containing soy peptone (3–6 g l−1) and glutamate (3.6 g l−1). However, these improvements in the cellulase titers in the presence of the organic nitrogen sources appeared to be related to smaller changes in the pH of the medium. This was confirmed using stirred tank bioreactors with pH control...

  10. Ultraviolet irradiation effects incorporation of nitrate and nitrite nitrogen into aquatic natural organic matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorn, Kevin A.; Cox, Larry G.

    2012-01-01

    One of the concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of ultraviolet radiation for treatment of drinking water and wastewater is the fate of nitrate, particularly its photolysis to nitrite. In this study, 15N NMR was used to establish for the first time that UV irradiation effects the incorporation of nitrate and nitrite nitrogen into aquatic natural organic matter (NOM). Irradiation of 15N-labeled nitrate in aqueous solution with an unfiltered medium pressure mercury lamp resulted in the incorporation of nitrogen into Suwannee River NOM (SRNOM) via nitrosation and other reactions over a range of pH from approximately 3.2 to 8.0, both in the presence and absence of bicarbonate, confirming photonitrosation of the NOM. The major forms of the incorporated label include nitrosophenol, oxime/nitro, pyridine, nitrile, and amide nitrogens. Natural organic matter also catalyzed the reduction of nitrate to ammonia on irradiation. The nitrosophenol and oxime/nitro nitrogens were found to be susceptible to photodegradation on further irradiation when nitrate was removed from the system. At pH 7.5, unfiltered irradiation resulted in the incorporation of 15N-labeled nitrite into SRNOM in the form of amide, nitrile, and pyridine nitrogen. In the presence of bicarbonate at pH 7.4, Pyrex filtered (cutoff below 290–300 nm) irradiation also effected incorporation of nitrite into SRNOM as amide nitrogen. We speculate that nitrosation of NOM from the UV irradiation of nitrate also leads to production of nitrogen gas and nitrous oxide, a process that may be termed photo-chemodenitrification. Irradiation of SRNOM alone resulted in transformation or loss of naturally abundant heterocyclic nitrogens.

  11. Origin of Titan’s Nitrogen: Contributions from Organics in the Core

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Kelly E.; Glein, Christopher R.; Waite, J. Hunter

    2017-10-01

    The origin of Titan’s atmosphere has been a puzzle for decades. The major atmospheric component is N2, with a 14N/15N ratio of ~168. This ratio is enriched in heavy N compared to the solar ratio of 441, but is similar to that measured in cometary comae for NH2 (127), a product of NH3 in the coma. These data have been used to argue that Titan’s nitrogen was accreted as NH3, and converted through shock or photochemical processes to N2. This model assumes that N2 and NH3 were the only major reservoirs of nitrogen in the early solar system. To test this model, further constraints on the building blocks of Titan are needed.Comets are thought to preserve the best records of the materials accreted to form outer solar system bodies. Measurements of Halley revealed the presence of an abundant refractory organic component coating cometary dust grains. The organic component constituted ~50 wt.% of the dust. This component has since been detected at other comets by later missions, including Deep Impact and most recently the Rosetta mission. Multiple instruments on Rosetta have converged on a dust-to-ice mass ratio at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko between 1 and 4, suggesting that refractory materials are a significant component. Data from the Cometary Secondary Ion Mass Analyser (COSIMA) confirm that this refractory material includes abundant organics, with a bulk composition similar to insoluble organic matter (IOM) in chondrites. These data suggest that 67P is composed of ~25 wt.% refractory organics. Using these constraints from Rosetta and IOM as an analog material, we find via mass balance calculations that organic N represents a third major reservoir of nitrogen in the early solar system. This third reservoir could have been a source material for Titan’s atmosphere.We present a cosmochemical model for Titan’s atmosphere that incorporates this third reservoir via heating in a rocky core. We deduce the relative contributions of N2, NH3, and organic N to Titan

  12. Can δ(15)N in lettuce tissues reveal the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser in organic production?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sturm, Martina; Kacjan-Maršić, Nina; Lojen, Sonja

    2011-01-30

    The nitrogen isotopic fingerprint (δ(15)N) is reported to be a promising indicator for differentiating between organically and conventionally grown vegetables. However, the effect on plant δ(15)N of split nitrogen fertilisation, which could enable farmers to cover up the use of synthetic fertiliser, is not well studied. In this study the use of δ(15)N in lettuce as a potential marker for identifying the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser was tested on pot-grown lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) treated with synthetic and organic nitrogen fertilisers (single or split application). The effect of combined usage of synthetic and organic fertilisers on δ(15)N was also investigated. The δ(15)N values of whole plants treated with different fertilisers differed significantly when the fertiliser was applied in a single treatment. However, additional fertilisation (with isotopically the same or different fertiliser) did not cause a significant alteration of plant δ(15)N. The findings of the study suggest that the δ(15)N value of lettuce tissues could be used as a rough marker to reveal the history of nitrogen fertilisation, but only in the case of single fertiliser application. However, if the difference in δ(15)N between the applied synthetic and organic nitrogen fertilisers was > 9.1 ‰, the detection of split and combined usage of the fertilisers would have greater discriminatory power. 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

  13. Utilization of inorganic and organic nitrogen by bacteria in marine systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wheeler, P.A.; Kirchman, D.L.

    1986-01-01

    The relative contribution of various inorganic and organic forms of nitrogen to the nitrogen requirements of picoplankton was examined with 15 N tracers. Size fractionation was used to measure uptake by <1-μm size microorganisms, and inhibitors of protein synthesis were used to separate procaryotic from eucaryotic nitrogen uptake. Picoplankton utilized mainly ammonium and amino acids and only negligible amounts of nitrate and urea. Nearly all amino acid uptake was by procaryotes, while both procaryotes and eucaryotes utilized ammonium. About 78% of total ammonium uptake was by procaryotes, and a significant portion of this was due specifically to heterotrophic bacteria. Regeneration of ammonium was correlated with eucaryotic rather than procaryotic activity. Ammonium accounted for at least 20-60% of the summed ammonium plus amino acid utilization by bacteria. The results suggest that significant portion of ammonium uptake in the euphotic zone was by heterotrophic bacteria rather than solely by phytoplankton. This may invalidate the use of the Redfield C:N ratio for estimating rates of nitrogen assimilation in the euphotic zone from carbon assimilation rates

  14. Quantifying the production of dissolved organic nitrogen in headwater streams using 15N tracer additions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laura T. Johnson; Jennifer L. Tank; Robert O. Hall; Patrick J. Mullholland; Stephen K. Hamilton; H. Maurice Valett; Jackson R. Webster; Melody J. Bernot; William H. McDowell; Bruce J. Peterson; Suzanne M. Thomas

    2013-01-01

    Most nitrogen (N) assimilation in lake and marine ecosystems is often subsequently released via autochthonous dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) production, but autochthonous DON production has yet to be quantified in flowing waters. We measured in-stream DON production following 24 h 15N-nitrate (NO3-...

  15. Analysis of microbial community and nitrogen transition with enriched nitrifying soil microbes for organic hydroponics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saijai, Sakuntala; Ando, Akinori; Inukai, Ryuya; Shinohara, Makoto; Ogawa, Jun

    2016-06-27

    Nitrifying microbial consortia were enriched from bark compost in a water system by regulating the amounts of organic nitrogen compounds and by controlling the aeration conditions with addition of CaCO 3 for maintaining suitable pH. Repeated enrichment showed reproducible mineralization of organic nitrogen via the conversion of ammonium ions ([Formula: see text]) and nitrite ions ([Formula: see text]) into nitrate ions ([Formula: see text]). The change in microbial composition during the enrichment was investigated by PCR-DGGE analysis with a focus on prokaryote, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria, and eukaryote cell types. The microbial transition had a simple profile and showed clear relation to nitrogen ions transition. Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter were mainly detected during [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] oxidation, respectively. These results revealing representative microorganisms acting in each ammonification and nitrification stages will be valuable for the development of artificial simple microbial consortia for organic hydroponics that consisted of identified heterotrophs and autotrophic nitrifying bacteria.

  16. Sedimentary organic matter sources, benthic consumption and burial in west Spitsbergen fjords - Signs of maturing of Arctic fjordic systems?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaborska, Agata; Włodarska-Kowalczuk, Maria; Legeżyńska, Joanna; Jankowska, Emilia; Winogradow, Aleksandra; Deja, Kajetan

    2018-04-01

    Mature ecosystems sequester little organic carbon (Corg) in sediments, as the complex and effective food webs consume most available organic matter within the water column and sediment, in contrast to young systems, where a large proportion of Corg is buried in deeper sediment layers. In this paper we hypothesize that "warmer" Atlantic water influenced fjord exhibits the 'mature' system features as compared to "cooler" Arctic water influenced fjord. Corg concentrations, sources and burial rates, as well as macrobenthic community standing stocks, taxonomic and functional composition and carbon demand, were compared in two west Spitsbergen fjords that are to different extents influenced by Atlantic water and can be treated as representing a cold one (Hornsund) and a warm one (Kongsfjorden). Water, sediments and macrofauna were collected at three stations in the central basin of each fjord. Corg, Ntot, δ13Corg and δ15N were measured in suspended matter, sediment cores and possible organic matter sources. The composition of sources of sedimentary organic matter was modeled by Mix-SIAR Bayesian stable isotope mixing models. The 210Pb method was used to calculate sediment accumulation rates, Corg accumulation and burial rates. The sedimentary Corg concentration and accumulation rate were larger in Hornsund than in Kongsfjorden. The contributions of pelagic sources to the Corg in sediments were similar in both fjords, macroalgal detritus had a higher importance in Kongsfjorden, while terrestrial sources were more important in Hornsund. Similar density and species richness were noted in both fjords, but higher biomass, individual biomass, production and carbon demand of benthic communities were noted in Kongsfjorden despite the lower amounts of Corg in sediments, indicating that macrobenthos responds to quality rather than quantity of available food. Subsurface tube-building conveyer belt detritus feeders (maldanids and oweniids) were responsible for higher standing

  17. Isotopic variations in the nitrogen of natural humic and bituminous organic substances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stiehl, G.; Lehmann, M.

    1980-01-01

    delta 15 N-values and nitrogen contents of a series of humic and bituminous organic sediments of different ranks were determined. The change of the isotopic abundance of nitrogen was investigated during heating in model experiments, using a gas flame coal. In the case of humic carbon coals the relative nitrogen contents vary from 0.8 to 1.4% and the delta 15 N-values from + 3.5 to + 6.3 parts per thousand increasing from the brown coal to anthracite ranks. During the coalification process both the delta 15 N-values and the relative nitrogen contents do not vary continuously with the rank, but pass through maxima and minima. Model experiments using a gas flame coal show the same trend. Nitrogen with delta 15 N-values of + 2.8 or -7 parts per thousand was released in pyrolysis experiments, applying a gas flame coal and a steam coal at temperatures of 650 and 1000 0 C, respectively. The investigated bituminous sediments yielded relative amounts of 0.1 to 0.8% with delta 15 N-values of + 4.2 to + 10.7 parts per thousand. The obtained results are discussed with respect to the elucidation of nitrogen genesis in natural gas deposits. (author)

  18. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis of coral-associated nitrogen in rugose corals of the Middle Devonian, implications for paleoecology and paleoceanography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hickey, A. N.; Junium, C. K.; Uveges, B. T.; Ivany, L. C.; Martindale, R. C.

    2017-12-01

    The Middle Devonian Appalachian Basin of Central New York hosts an extraordinary diversity of well-studied fossil invertebrates within the shallow marine sequences of the Givetian Age, Hamilton Group. Of particular interest are a series of aerially expansive coral beds with diverse assemblages of rugose corals. These well-preserved specimens provide an excellent opportunity to test the feasibility of δ15N and δ13C analyses in rugose corals in an effort to resolve outstanding issues regarding their paleoecology and ontogeny as well environmental dynamics within the Devonian Appalachian Basin. Here we present carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of the rugose corals Heliophyllum and Siphonophrentis from the Joshua Coral Bed. Corals were cleaned of the host calcareous shale and sonicated sequentially in deionized water and methanol, and then oxidatively cleaned. Cleaned corals were sectioned into 0.5cm billets to obtain enough residual organic material for analysis. The organic content of the corals is low, but nanoEA allows for serial sampling of 5-10 samples per coral. Coral sections were decarbonated and the residual organic material is filtered and dried prior to analysis. Coral organic matter is analyzed in triplicate using nanoEA, which is a cryo-trapping, capillary focusing technique for δ15N and δ13C. The δ15N of organic matter extracted from rugose corals is, on average, enriched by 2-4‰ relative to the bulk nitrogen in the host rock. As well, the δ13C of organic carbon from the corals is 13C-enriched relative to the bulk rock, but to a lesser degree (no more than 1.5‰). Assuming that the bulk rock carbon and nitrogen are largely representative of the long-term primary production background, the modest enrichment is consistent with a trophic effect, and that rugose corals are likely planktivores. In an individual coral, δ15N ranges by 3-4‰ over its length, and when adjusted for trophic enrichment varies around the average δ15N of bulk

  19. 40 CFR 60.33b - Emission guidelines for municipal waste combustor metals, acid gases, organics, and nitrogen oxides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... combustor metals, acid gases, organics, and nitrogen oxides. 60.33b Section 60.33b Protection of Environment... Constructed on or Before September 20, 1994 § 60.33b Emission guidelines for municipal waste combustor metals, acid gases, organics, and nitrogen oxides. (a) The emission limits for municipal waste combustor metals...

  20. Determination of the Fate of Dissolved Organic Nitrogen in the Three Wastewater Treatment Plants, Jordan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wedyan, Mohammed; Al Harahsheh, Ahmed; Qnaisb, Esam

    2016-01-01

    This research aimed to assess the composition of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) species, particularly dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), over the traditional wastewater treatment operations in three biological nutrient removal (BNR) wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Jordan. It had been found that the DON percentage was up to 30% of TDN within…

  1. THE ROLE OF NITROGEN IN CHROMOPHORIC AND FLUORESCENT DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER FORMATION

    Science.gov (United States)

    Microbial and photochemical processes affect chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) dynamics in the ocean. Some evidence suggests that dissolved nitrogen plays a role in CDOM formation, although this has received little systematic attention in marine ecosystems. Coastal sea...

  2. LBA-ECO CD-02 Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen Stable Isotopes in Organic Material, Brazil

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This data set reports the measurement of stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope ratios in organic material (plant, litter and soil samples) in forest canopy...

  3. LBA-ECO CD-02 Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen Stable Isotopes in Organic Material, Brazil

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: This data set reports the measurement of stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope ratios in organic material (plant, litter and soil samples) in forest...

  4. Characterization of free nitrogen fixing bacteria of the genus Azotobacter in organic vegetable-grown Colombian soils

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jiménez Avella, Diego; Montaña, José Salvador; Martínez, María Mercedes

    With the purpose of isolating and characterizing free nitrogen fixing bacteria (FNFB) of the genus Azotobacter, soil samples were collected randomly from different vegetable organic cultures with neutral pH in different zones of Boyacá-Colombia. Isolations were done in selective free nitrogen

  5. Organic nitrogen rearranges both structure and activity of the soil-borne microbial seedbank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leite, Márcio F A; Pan, Yao; Bloem, Jaap; Berge, Hein Ten; Kuramae, Eiko E

    2017-02-15

    Use of organic amendments is a valuable strategy for crop production. However, it remains unclear how organic amendments shape both soil microbial community structure and activity, and how these changes impact nutrient mineralization rates. We evaluated the effect of various organic amendments, which range in Carbon/Nitrogen (C/N) ratio and degradability, on the soil microbiome in a mesocosm study at 32, 69 and 132 days. Soil samples were collected to determine community structure (assessed by 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequences), microbial biomass (fungi and bacteria), microbial activity (leucine incorporation and active hyphal length), and carbon and nitrogen mineralization rates. We considered the microbial soil DNA as the microbial seedbank. High C/N ratio favored fungal presence, while low C/N favored dominance of bacterial populations. Our results suggest that organic amendments shape the soil microbial community structure through a feedback mechanism by which microbial activity responds to changing organic inputs and rearranges composition of the microbial seedbank. We hypothesize that the microbial seedbank composition responds to changing organic inputs according to the resistance and resilience of individual species, while changes in microbial activity may result in increases or decreases in availability of various soil nutrients that affect plant nutrient uptake.

  6. Predicting nitrogen and acidity effects on long-term dynamics of dissolved organic matter

    OpenAIRE

    Rowe, E.C.; Tipping, E.; Posch, M.; Oulehle, Filip; Cooper, D.M.; Jones, T.G.; Burden, A.; Hall, J.; Evans, C.D.

    2014-01-01

    Increases in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fluxes may relate to changes in sulphur and nitrogen pollution. We integrated existing models of vegetation growth and soil organic matter turnover, acid-base dynamics, and organic matter mobility, to form the ‘MADOC’ model. After calibrating parameters governing interactions between pH and DOC dissolution using control treatments on two field experiments, MADOC reproduced responses of pH and DOC to additions of acidifying and alkalising solutions. ...

  7. Sedimentary and mineral dust sources of dissolved iron to the world ocean

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. K. Moore

    2008-05-01

    from sinking particles; and 3 an improved sedimentary source for dissolved iron. Most scavenged iron (90% is put on sinking particles to remineralize deeper in the water column. The model-observation differences are reduced with these modifications. The improved BEC model is used to examine the relative contributions of mineral dust and marine sediments in driving dissolved-iron distributions and marine biogeochemistry. Mineral dust and sedimentary sources of iron contribute roughly equally, on average, to dissolved iron concentrations. The sedimentary source from the continental margins has a strong impact on open-ocean iron concentrations, particularly in the North Pacific. Plumes of elevated dissolved-iron concentrations develop at depth in the Southern Ocean, extending from source regions in the SW Atlantic and around New Zealand. The lower particle flux and weaker scavenging in the Southern Ocean allows the continental iron source to be advected far from sources. Both the margin sediment and mineral dust Fe sources substantially influence global-scale primary production, export production, and nitrogen fixation, with a stronger role for the dust source. Ocean biogeochemical models that do not include the sedimentary source for dissolved iron, will overestimate the impact of dust deposition variations on the marine carbon cycle. Available iron observations place some strong constraints on ocean biogeochemical models. Model results should be evaluated against both surface and subsurface Fe observations in the waters that supply dissolved iron to the euphotic zone.

  8. Sedimentary organic matter and carbonate variations in the Chukchi Borderland in association with ice sheet and ocean-atmosphere dynamics over the last 155 kyr

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. F. Rella

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Knowledge on past variability of sedimentary organic carbon in the Arctic Ocean is important to assess natural carbon cycling and transport processes related to global climate changes. However, the late Pleistocene oceanographic history of the Arctic is still poorly understood. In the present study we show sedimentary records of total organic carbon (TOC, CaCO3, benthic foraminiferal δ18O and the coarse grain size fraction from a piston core recovered from the northern Northwind Ridge in the far western Arctic Ocean, a region potentially sensitively responding to past variability in surface current regimes and sedimentary processes such as coastal erosion. An age model based on oxygen stratigraphy, radiocarbon dating and lithological constraints suggests that the piston core records paleoenvironmental changes of the last 155 kyr. TOC shows orbital-scale increases and decreases that can be respectively correlated to the waxing and waning of large ice sheets dominating the Eurasian Arctic, suggesting advection of fine suspended matter derived from glacial erosion to the Northwind Ridge by eastward flowing intermediate water and/or surface water and sea ice during cold episodes of the last two glacial-interglacial cycles. At millennial scales, increases in TOC might correlate to a suite of Dansgaard-Oeschger Stadials between 120 and 45 ka before present (BP indicating a possible response to abrupt northern hemispheric temperature changes. Between 70 and 45 ka BP, closures and openings of the Bering Strait could have additionally influenced TOC variability. CaCO3 content tends to anti-correlate with TOC on both orbital and millennial time scales, which we interpret in terms of enhanced sediment advection from the carbonate-rich Canadian Arctic via an extended Beaufort Gyre during warm periods of the last two glacial-interglacial cycles and increased organic carbon advection from the Siberian Arctic during cold

  9. Dissolved organic nitrogen and carbon release by a marine unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Benavides, M.; Agawin, N.S.R.; Aristegui, J.; Peene, J.; Stal, L.J.

    2013-01-01

    Dinitrogen (N-2) fixation rates may be underestimated when recently fixed N2 is released as dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). DON release (DONr) is substantial in the filamentous cyanobacterium Trichodesmium but has never been reported in unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria. We used axenic

  10. Dissolved organic nitrogen and carbon release by a marine unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Benavides, M.; Agawin, N.S.R.; Aristegui, J.; Peene, J.; Stal, L.J.

    2013-01-01

    Dinitrogen (N2) fixation rates may be underestimated when recently fixed N2 is released as dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). DON release (DONr) is substantial in the filamentous cyanobacterium Trichodesmium but has never been reported in unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria. We used axenic

  11. Effect of organic matter application and water regimes on the transformation of fertilizer nitrogen in a Philippine soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshida, Tomio; Padre, B.C. Jr.

    1975-01-01

    Greenhouse experiments using the tracer technique showed that about 20 per cent of the fertilizer nitrogen added as basal to the Maahas clay soil was immobilized in submerged soils to which no organic material was added. The addition of organic matter to the soil increases the amount of nitrogen immobilized and the magnitude depends on the carbon to nitrogen ratio of the materials added. More fertilizer nitrogen was immobilized in the soils under upland and alternate wet-and-dry conditions than under submerged soil conditions. The uptake of fertilizer nitrogen by rice plants growing under submerged soil conditions ceased at the vegetative stage of growth because only a small amount of available nitrogen remains in the soil at this time, but the rice plant continued to absorb gradually untagged nitrogen from the soil throughout the reproductive stages of growth. Losses of fertilizer nitrogen were great under the alternate wet-and-dry conditions (submerged-upland). The loss of nitrogen from the soil-plant system was reduced by the addition of rice straw, which also reduced the uptake of fertilizer nitrogen but not the total dry matter production under the experimental conditions. Fertilizer nitrogen immobilized during the first crop remained mostly in the soil throughout the full period of the second crop. The total nitrogen uptake by rice plants was not affected by the soil moisture tension under the upland conditions used in the study but the movement of nitrogen from the leaves to the panicles during the reproductive stage seemed to decrease as the soil moisture tension increased. (auth.)

  12. Permanganate diffusion and reaction in sedimentary rocks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Qiuyuan; Dong, Hailiang; Towne, Rachael M; Fischer, Timothy B; Schaefer, Charles E

    2014-04-01

    In situ chemical oxidation using permanganate has frequently been used to treat chlorinated solvents in fractured bedrock aquifers. However, in systems where matrix back-diffusion is an important process, the ability of the oxidant to migrate and treat target contaminants within the rock matrix will likely determine the overall effectiveness of this remedial approach. In this study, a series of diffusion experiments were performed to measure the permanganate diffusion and reaction in four different types of sedimentary rocks (dark gray mudstone, light gray mudstone, red sandstone, and tan sandstone). Results showed that, within the experimental time frame (~2 months), oxidant migration into the rock was limited to distances less than 500 μm. The observed diffusivities for permanganate into the rock matrices ranged from 5.3 × 10(-13) to 1.3 × 10(-11) cm(2)/s. These values were reasonably predicted by accounting for both the rock oxidant demand and the effective diffusivity of the rock. Various Mn minerals formed as surface coatings from reduction of permanganate coupled with oxidation of total organic carbon (TOC), and the nature of the formed Mn minerals was dependent upon the rock type. Post-treatment tracer testing showed that these Mn mineral coatings had a negligible impact on diffusion through the rock. Overall, our results showed that the extent of permanganate diffusion and reaction depended on rock properties, including porosity, mineralogy, and organic carbon. These results have important implications for our understanding of long-term organic contaminant remediation in sedimentary rocks using permanganate. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Spatial distribution of soils determines export of nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon from an intensively managed agricultural landscape

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wohlfart, T; Exbrayat, J-F; Schelde, Kirsten

    2012-01-01

    nitrogen (TDN), nitrate (NO3−), ammonium nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were measured, and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) was calculated for each grabbed sample. Electrical conductivity, pH and flow velocity were measured during sampling. Statistical analyses showed...... significant differences between the northern, southern and converged stream parts, especially for NO3− concentrations with average values between 1.4 mg N l−1 and 9.6 mg N l−1. Furthermore, throughout the sampling period DON concentrations increased to 2.8 mg N l−1 in the northern stream contributing up to 81...

  14. Bacterial microflora in Stichococcus bacillaris culture in nitrogenous-organic wastewaters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bisz-Konarzewska, A.; Przytocka-Jusiak, M.; Rzeczycka, M.; Kowalska, A.

    1985-01-01

    The quantitative and qualitative composition of the population of heterotrophic bacteria accompanying Stichococcus bacillaris in culture in non-sterile nitrogenous-organic wastewater was examined. During 5 days of incubation the total number of bacteria did not show any marked changes and averaged 4 X 10(6) cells per ml. Twenty per cent of the isolated bacterial strains were gram-positive. Gram-negative rods were dominated by Enterobacteriaceae (40%) and Pseudomonas (17%).

  15. Monitoring the sedimentary carbon in an artificially disturbed deep-sea sedimentary environment

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Nath, B.N.; Khadge, N.H.; Nabar, S.; Raghukumar, C.; Ingole, B.S.; Valsangkar, A.B.; Sharma, R.; Srinivas, K.

    1 Author version: Environ. Monit. Assess., vol.184; 2012; 2829-2844 Monitoring the sedimentary carbon in an artificially disturbed deep-sea sedimentary environment B. Nagender Nath * , N.H. Khadge, Sapana Nabar, C. Raghu Kumar, B.S. Ingole... community two years after an artificial rapid deposition event. Publication of Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, 39(1), 17-27. Gage, J.D. (1978). Animals in deep-sea sediments. Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh, 768, 77-93. Gage, J.D., & Tyler...

  16. On the water-soluble organic nitrogen concentration and mass size distribution during the fog season in the Po Valley, Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montero-Martínez, Guillermo; Rinaldi, Matteo; Gilardoni, Stefania; Giulianelli, Lara; Paglione, Marco; Decesari, Stefano; Fuzzi, Sandro; Facchini, Maria Cristina

    2014-07-01

    The study of organic nitrogen gained importance in recent decades due to its links with acid rain, pollution, and eutrophication. In this study, aerosol and fog water samples collected from two sites in Italy during November 2011 were analyzed to characterize their organic nitrogen content. Organic nitrogen contributed 19-25% of the total soluble nitrogen in the aerosol and around 13% in fog water. The largest water soluble organic nitrogen concentrations in the PM1.2 fraction occurred during the diurnal period with mean values of 2.03 and 2.16 μg-N m(-3) (154 and 145 nmol-N m(-3)) at Bologna and San Pietro Capofiume (SPC), respectively. The mean PM10 WSON concentration during diurnal periods at SPC was 2.30 μg-N m(-3) (164 nmol-N m(-3)) while it was 1.34 and 0.82 μg-N m(-3) (95.7 and 58.5 nmol-N m(-3)) in the night and fog water samples, respectively. Aerosol mass distribution profiles obtained during fog changed significantly with respect to those estimated in periods without fog periods due to fog scavenging, which proved to be over 80% efficient. Linear correlations suggested secondary processes related to combustion and, to a lesser extent, biomass burning, as plausible sources of WSON. Regarding the inorganic nitrogen fraction, the results showed that ammonium was the largest soluble inorganic nitrogen component in the samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Bulk deposition of organic and inorganic nitrogen in southwest China from 2008 to 2013

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, Ling; Kuang, Fuhong; Skiba, Ute; Zhu, Bo; Liu, Xuejun; Levy, Peter; Dore, Anthony; Fowler, David

    2017-01-01

    China is regarded as one of the nitrogen deposition hotspots in the world. Measurements to-date have focused mainly on the North China Plain, ignoring the fact that atmospheric chemical and physical properties vary across the country and that there may be other hotspots regions that should be investigated. For this reason we have conducted a six year study, measuring the bulk deposition of reduced (NH 4 -N), oxidized (NO 3 -N), and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) at three contrasting sites in the Sichuan province, southwest China. The study sites were a high altitude forest in the Gongga Mountains (GG), an agriculture dominated region in Yanting (YT) and an urban site in the mega city Chengdu (CD). The annual average bulk deposition fluxes of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) were 7.4, 23.1 and 36.6 kg N ha −1 yr −1 at GG, YT and CD sites, respectively, during the study period 2008 to 2013. The contributions of NH 4 -N, NO 3 -N and DON to the TDN were in the range of 48.4–57.8%, 28.8–43.7%, and 8.0–15.6%, respectively. DON bulk deposition was mainly dominated by agricultural activities. TDN bulk deposition fluxes showed increasing trends at the agricultural and urban sites from 2008 to 2013, but there was little change at the remote forest (GG) site. While reduced N dominated bulk N deposition at all the three sites, its contribution showed a decreasing trend, suggesting a gradual increase in the importance of oxidized N. These results reveal the value of long term monitoring in detecting changes in the atmospheric chemical composition of this rapidly changing region, and their inclusion in the policy debate regarding which sources should be controlled in order to reduce the long term impacts of N deposition, especially for southwest China, where there are few measurements of N deposition. - Highlights: • A region in southwest China was identified as a nitrogen deposition hotspot. • Agriculture was identified as the main source of organic nitrogen

  18. Nitrogen removal capacity and bacterial community dynamics of a Canon biofilter system at different organic matter concentrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Ruiz, María J; Maza-Márquez, Paula; González-López, Jesús; Osorio, Francisco

    2018-02-01

    Three Canon bench-scale bioreactors with a volume of 2 L operating in parallel were configured as submerged biofilters. In the present study we investigated the effects of a high ammonium concentration (320 mgNH 4 + · L -1 ) and different concentrations of organic matter (0, 100 and 400 mgCOD·L -1 ) on the nitrogen removal capacity and the bacterial community structure. After 60 days, the Canon biofilters operated properly under concentrations of 0 and 100 mgCOD·L -1 of organic matter, with nitrogen removal efficiencies up to 85%. However, a higher concentration of organic matter (400 mgCOD·L -1 ) produced a partial inhibition of nitrogen removal (68.1% efficiency). The addition of higher concentrations of organic matter a modified the bacterial community structure in the Canon biofilter, increasing the proliferation of heterotrophic bacteria related to the genera of Thauera, Longilinea, Ornatilinea, Thermomarinilinea, unclassified Chlorobiales and Denitratisoma. However, heterotrophic bacteria co-exist with Nitrosomonas and Candidatus Scalindua. Thus, our study confirms the co-existence of different microbial activities (AOB, Anammox and denitrification) and the adaptation of a fixed-biofilm system to different concentrations of organic matter. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. [Mechanisms for the increased fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency of rice in wheat-rice rotation system under combined application of inorganic and organic fertilizers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yi-Ren; Li, Xiang; Yu, Jie; Shen, Qi-Rong; Xu, Yang-Chun

    2012-01-01

    A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the nitrogen uptake by rice and the nitrogen supply by soil in a wheat-rice rotation system, and approach the mechanisms for the increased fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency of rice under the combined fertilization from the viewpoint of microbiology. Comparing with applying inorganic fertilizers, combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers decreased the soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen and soil mineral nitrogen contents before tillering stage, but increased them significantly from heading to filling stage. Under the combined fertilization, the dynamics of soil nitrogen supply matched best the dynamics of rice nitrogen uptake and utilization, which promoted the nitrogen accumulation in rice plant and the increase of rice yield and biomass, and increased the fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency of rice significantly. Combined application of inorganic and organic fertilizers also promoted the propagation of soil microbes, and consequently, more mineral nitrogen in soil was immobilized by the microbes at rice early growth stage, and the immobilized nitrogen was gradually released at the mid and late growth stages of rice, being able to better satisfy the nitrogen demand of rice in its various growth and development stages.

  20. Nitrogen isotopes in bulk marine sediment: linking seafloor observations with subseafloor records

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.-E. Tesdal

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The stable isotopes of nitrogen offer a unique perspective on changes in the nitrogen cycle, past and present. However, the presence of multiple forms of nitrogen in marine sediments can complicate the interpretation of bulk nitrogen isotope measurements. Although the large-scale global patterns of seafloor δ15N have been shown to match process-based expectations, small-scale heterogeneity on the seafloor, or alterations of isotopic signals during translation into the subseafloor record, could obscure the primary signals. Here, a public database of nitrogen isotope measurements is described, including both seafloor and subseafloor sediment samples ranging in age from modern to the Pliocene, and used to assess these uncertainties. In general, good agreement is observed between neighbouring seafloor sites within a 100 km radius, with 85% showing differences of < 1‰. There is also a good correlation between the δ15N of the shallowest (< 5 ka subseafloor sediments and neighbouring seafloor sites within a 100 km radius (R2 = 0.83, which suggests a reliable translation of sediments into the buried sediment record. Meanwhile, gradual δ15N decreases over multiple glacial–interglacial cycles appear to reflect post-depositional alteration in records from the deep sea (below 2000 m. We suggest a simple conceptual model to explain these 100-kyr-timescale changes in well-oxygenated, slowly accumulating sediments, which calls on differential loss rates for pools of organic N with different δ15N. We conclude that bulk sedimentary nitrogen isotope records are reliable monitors of past changes in the marine nitrogen cycle at most locations, and could be further improved with a better understanding of systematic post-depositional alteration. Furthermore, geochemical or environmental criteria should be developed in order to effectively identify problematic locations and to account for

  1. Evaluation of leachate dissolved organic nitrogen discharge effect on wastewater effluent quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolyard, Stephanie C; Reinhart, Debra R

    2017-07-01

    Nitrogen is limited more and more frequently in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents because of the concern of causing eutrophication in discharge waters. Twelve leachates from eight landfills in Florida and California were characterized for total nitrogen (TN) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). The average concentration of TN and DON in leachate was approximately 1146mg/L and 40mg/L, respectively. Solid-phase extraction was used to fractionate the DON based on hydrophobic (recalcitrant fraction) and hydrophilic (bioavailable fraction) chemical properties. The average leachate concentrations of bioavailable (bDON) and recalcitrant (rDON) DON were 16.5mg/L and 18.4mg/L, respectively. The rDON fraction was positively correlated, but with a low R 2 , with total leachate apparent color dissolved UV 254 , chemical oxygen demand (COD), and humic acid (R 2 equals 0.38, 0.49, and 0.40, respectively). The hydrophobic fraction of DON (rDON) was highly colored. This fraction was also associated with over 60% of the total leachate COD. Multiple leachate and wastewater co-treatment simulations were carried out to assess the effects of leachate on total nitrogen wastewater effluent quality using removals for four WWTPs under different scenarios. The calculated pass through of DON suggests that leachate could contribute to significant amounts of nitrogen discharged to aquatic systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Stimulation of microbial nitrogen cycling in aquatic ecosystems by benthic macrofauna: mechanisms and environmental implications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stief, P.

    2013-12-01

    Invertebrate animals that live at the bottom of aquatic ecosystems (i.e., benthic macrofauna) are important mediators between nutrients in the water column and microbes in the benthos. The presence of benthic macrofauna stimulates microbial nutrient dynamics through different types of animal-microbe interactions, which potentially affect the trophic status of aquatic ecosystems. This review contrasts three types of animal-microbe interactions in the benthos of aquatic ecosystems: (i) ecosystem engineering, (ii) grazing, and (iii) symbiosis. Their specific contributions to the turnover of fixed nitrogen (mainly nitrate and ammonium) and the emission of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide are evaluated. Published data indicate that ecosystem engineering by sediment-burrowing macrofauna stimulates benthic nitrification and denitrification, which together allows fixed nitrogen removal. However, the release of ammonium from sediments is enhanced more strongly than the sedimentary uptake of nitrate. Ecosystem engineering by reef-building macrofauna increases nitrogen retention and ammonium concentrations in shallow aquatic ecosystems, but allows organic nitrogen removal through harvesting. Grazing by macrofauna on benthic microbes apparently has small or neutral effects on nitrogen cycling. Animal-microbe symbioses provide abundant and distinct benthic compartments for a multitude of nitrogen-cycle pathways. Recent studies reveal that ecosystem engineering, grazing, and symbioses of benthic macrofauna significantly enhance nitrous oxide emission from shallow aquatic ecosystems. The beneficial effect of benthic macrofauna on fixed nitrogen removal through coupled nitrification-denitrification can thus be offset by the concurrent release of (i) ammonium that stimulates aquatic primary production and (ii) nitrous oxide that contributes to global warming. Overall, benthic macrofauna intensifies the coupling between benthos, pelagial, and atmosphere through enhanced turnover and

  3. Fate of dissolved organic nitrogen in two stage trickling filter process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simsek, Halis; Kasi, Murthy; Wadhawan, Tanush; Bye, Christopher; Blonigen, Mark; Khan, Eakalak

    2012-10-15

    Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) represents a significant portion of nitrogen in the final effluent of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Biodegradable portion of DON (BDON) can support algal growth and/or consume dissolved oxygen in the receiving waters. The fate of DON and BDON has not been studied for trickling filter WWTPs. DON and BDON data were collected along the treatment train of a WWTP with a two-stage trickling filter process. DON concentrations in the influent and effluent were 27% and 14% of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN). The plant removed about 62% and 72% of the influent DON and BDON mainly by the trickling filters. The final effluent BDON values averaged 1.8 mg/L. BDON was found to be between 51% and 69% of the DON in raw wastewater and after various treatment units. The fate of DON and BDON through the two-stage trickling filter treatment plant was modeled. The BioWin v3.1 model was successfully applied to simulate ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, TDN, DON and BDON concentrations along the treatment train. The maximum growth rates for ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria, and AOB half saturation constant influenced ammonia and nitrate output results. Hydrolysis and ammonification rates influenced all of the nitrogen species in the model output, including BDON. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. [Effect of Different Purple Parent Rock on Removal Rates of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Organics in Landscape Water].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Xue-jiao; Liu, Xiao-chen; Li, Zhen-lun; Shi, Wen-hao; Yang, Shan

    2015-05-01

    In order to understand the impacts of physicochemical properties of purple parent rock on the removal rates of nitrogen, phosphorus and organics in landscape water systems, four types of purple parent rocks including Peng-lai-zhen Formation (S1) , Sha-xi-miao Formation (S2) , Fei-xian-guan Formation (S3) and Sui-ning Formation (S4) , which distribute widely in Chongqing, were selected and autoclaved, and added to unsterile landscape water collected from Chong-de Lake in Southwest University, and the landscape water only was used as control. And several indicators such as total nitrogen and phosphorus and so on of every disposal were investigated periodically. The results indicated that: (1) The highest removal rates of total nitrogen, total phosphorus and Ammonia nitrogen were observed in Sl, which were 45.1%, 62.3% and 90%, respectively; the highest removal rate of COD was 94.5% in S4; the ammonia nitrogen content in the purple parent rocks was not obviously changed before and after the experiments, which indicated that the adsorption of ammonia nitrogen on purple parent rock surface was not the main reason for the decrease of ammonia nitrogen in water. (2) Arsenate had inhibitory effect on the sulfate-reducing bacteria, while copper and magnesium had promoting effect on gram-negative bacteria. (3) The microbial diversity was positively correlated to total nitrogen in water. (4) Based on the PCA analyses of microbial community structure and environmental factors, the mineral elements released from parent rock affected the structure and composition of microbial community in the test water, and then influenced the removal rates of nitrogen, phosphorus and organics in water systems.

  5. Sedimentary Petrology: from Sorby to the globalization of Sedimentary Geology; La Petrologia Sedimentaria: desde Sorby a la globalizacion de la Geologia Sedimentaria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alonso-Zarza, A M

    2013-02-01

    We describe here the most important milestones and contributions to Sedimentary Petrology compared to other geological disciplines. We define the main aim of our study and the scientific and economic interests involved in Sedimentary Petrology. The body of the paper focuses upon the historical development of this discipline from Henry Sorby's initial work until the present day. The major milestones in its history include: 1) initial descriptive works; 2) experimental studies; 3) the establishment of the different classifications of sedimentary rocks; 4) studies into facies and sedimentary environments; 5) advances in the study of diagenetic processes and their role in hydrocarbon prospection; and 6) the development of Sedimentary Geochemistry. Relationships and coincidences with Sedimentology are discussed. We go on to look at the advances that have taken place over the last 30 years, in which the study of sedimentary rocks is necessarily included in the wider field of Sedimentary Geology as a logical result of the proposal of global models of a changing Earth in which Sedimentary Geology plays a significant part. Finally we mention the notable contributions of Spanish sedimentary petrologists to this whole field of science. (Author) 120 refs.

  6. Sedimentary Petrology: from Sorby to the globalization of Sedimentary Geology; La Petrologia Sedimentaria: desde Sorby a la globalizacion de la Geologia Sedimentaria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alonso-Zarza, A. M.

    2013-02-01

    We describe here the most important milestones and contributions to Sedimentary Petrology compared to other geological disciplines. We define the main aim of our study and the scientific and economic interests involved in Sedimentary Petrology. The body of the paper focuses upon the historical development of this discipline from Henry Sorby's initial work until the present day. The major milestones in its history include: 1) initial descriptive works; 2) experimental studies; 3) the establishment of the different classifications of sedimentary rocks; 4) studies into facies and sedimentary environments; 5) advances in the study of diagenetic processes and their role in hydrocarbon prospection; and 6) the development of Sedimentary Geochemistry. Relationships and coincidences with Sedimentology are discussed. We go on to look at the advances that have taken place over the last 30 years, in which the study of sedimentary rocks is necessarily included in the wider field of Sedimentary Geology as a logical result of the proposal of global models of a changing Earth in which Sedimentary Geology plays a significant part. Finally we mention the notable contributions of Spanish sedimentary petrologists to this whole field of science. (Author) 120 refs.

  7. Identification of Reactive and Refractory Components of Dissolved Organic Nitrogen by FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, W. T.; Podgorski, D. C.; Osborne, D. M.; Corbett, J.; Chanton, J.

    2010-12-01

    Dissolved organic nitrogen is an often overlooked but potentially significant bioavailable component of dissolved organic matter. Studies of bulk DON turnover have been reported, but the compositions of the reactive and refractory components of DON are largely unknown. Here we show the unique ability of atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) coupled to ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry to identify the reactive and refractory components of DON. Figure 1 is an isolated 0.30 m/z window from an ultrahigh resolution APPI FT-ICR mass spectrum of DON in surface waters draining an agricultural area in South Florida. Using this optimized, negative-ion APPI strategy we have been able to identify the reactive and refractory components of DON in these nitrogen-rich waters. Similar results were observed with samples from soil porewaters in sedge-dominated fens and sphagnum-dominated bogs within the Glacial Lake Agassiz Peatlands (GLAP) of northern Minnesota. Surprisingly, microbes appear to initially use similar enzymatic pathways to degrade DON and DOC, often with little release of nitrogen. Figure 1. Isolated 0.30 m/z window at nominal mass 432 from negative-ion APPI FT-ICR mass spectrum of DOM from waters draining an agricultural area in South Florida. Peaks marked contain nitrogen.

  8. Effect of organic fertiliser residues from rice production on nitrogen fixation of soya (Glycine max L. Merrill, Chiang Mai 60 variety

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nattida Luangmaka

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available A field study was undertaken on the residual effect of organic fertilisers applied to the preceding rice cropping on nitrogen fixation of soya in a rice-soya cropping system. The experiment was conducted on a farmer’s lowland paddy in Mae Rim district, Chiang Mai province, Thailand. Organic fertiliser treatments assigned were: 1 control (no fertiliser, 2 animal manure of cattle (AM, 3 compost (CP, 4 azolla (AZ, 5 AM + CP, 6 AM + AZ, 7 CP + AZ and 8 AM + CP + AZ. Soya seeds were planted without rhizobial inoculation in December 2011, four months after the application of organic fertilisers. Nodule weight, total shoot nitrogen accumulation and relative ureide index at various growth stages were recorded as the indices of nitrogen fixation. Results of the study demonstrate that the residues from the application the organic fertilisers of narrow C/N ratios during the land preparation for rice cropping four months before soya cultivation promoted nitrogen fixation by native rhizobia.

  9. Comparison of five organic wastes regarding their behaviour during composting: Part 2, nitrogen dynamic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guardia, A. de; Mallard, P.; Teglia, C.; Marin, A.; Le Pape, C.; Launay, M.; Benoist, J.C.; Petiot, C.

    2010-01-01

    This paper aimed to compare household waste, separated pig solids, food waste, pig slaughterhouse sludge and green algae regarding processes ruling nitrogen dynamic during composting. For each waste, three composting simulations were performed in parallel in three similar reactors (300 L), each one under a constant aeration rate. The aeration flows applied were comprised between 100 and 1100 L/h. The initial waste and the compost were characterized through the measurements of their contents in dry matter, total carbon, Kjeldahl and total ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrite and nitrate. Kjeldahl and total ammoniacal nitrogen and nitrite and nitrate were measured in leachates and in condensates too. Ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions were monitored in continue. The cumulated emissions in ammonia and in nitrous oxide were given for each waste and at each aeration rate. The paper focused on process of ammonification and on transformations and transfer of total ammoniacal nitrogen. The parameters of nitrous oxide emissions were not investigated. The removal rate of total Kjeldahl nitrogen was shown being closely tied to the ammonification rate. Ammonification was modelled thanks to the calculation of the ratio of biodegradable carbon to organic nitrogen content of the biodegradable fraction. The wastes were shown to differ significantly regarding their ammonification ability. Nitrogen balances were calculated by subtracting nitrogen losses from nitrogen removed from material. Defaults in nitrogen balances were assumed to correspond to conversion of nitrate even nitrite into molecular nitrogen and then to the previous conversion by nitrification of total ammoniacal nitrogen. The pool of total ammoniacal nitrogen, i.e. total ammoniacal nitrogen initially contained in waste plus total ammoniacal nitrogen released by ammonification, was calculated for each experiment. Then, this pool was used as the referring amount in the calculation of the rates of accumulation, stripping and

  10. Molecular composition and bioavailability of dissolved organic nitrogen in a lake flow-influenced river in south Florida, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) represents a large percentage of the total nitrogen in rivers and estuaries, and can contribute to coastal eutrophication and hypoxia. This study reports on the composition and bioavailability of DON along the Caloosahatchee River (Florida), a heavily managed system ...

  11. Modelling the ecosystem effects of nitrogen deposition: Model of Ecosystem Retention and Loss of Inorganic Nitrogen (MERLIN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. J. Cosby

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available A catchment-scale mass-balance model of linked carbon and nitrogen cycling in ecosystems has been developed for simulating leaching losses of inorganic nitrogen. The model (MERLIN considers linked biotic and abiotic processes affecting the cycling and storage of nitrogen. The model is aggregated in space and time and contains compartments intended to be observable and/or interpretable at the plot or catchment scale. The structure of the model includes the inorganic soil, a plant compartment and two soil organic compartments. Fluxes in and out of the ecosystem and between compartments are regulated by atmospheric deposition, hydrological discharge, plant uptake, litter production, wood production, microbial immobilization, mineralization, nitrification, and denitrification. Nitrogen fluxes are controlled by carbon productivity, the C:N ratios of organic compartments and inorganic nitrogen in soil solution. Inputs required are: 1 temporal sequences of carbon fluxes and pools- 2 time series of hydrological discharge through the soils, 3 historical and current external sources of inorganic nitrogen; 4 current amounts of nitrogen in the plant and soil organic compartments; 5 constants specifying the nitrogen uptake and immobilization characteristics of the plant and soil organic compartments; and 6 soil characteristics such as depth, porosity, bulk density, and anion/cation exchange constants. Outputs include: 1 concentrations and fluxes of NO3 and NH4 in soil solution and runoff; 2 total nitrogen contents of the organic and inorganic compartments; 3 C:N ratios of the aggregated plant and soil organic compartments; and 4 rates of nitrogen uptake and immobilization and nitrogen mineralization. The behaviour of the model is assessed for a combination of land-use change and nitrogen deposition scenarios in a series of speculative simulations. The results of the simulations are in broad agreement with observed and hypothesized behaviour of nitrogen

  12. Isolation of Geobacter species from diverse sedimentary environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coaxes, J.D.; Phillips, E.J.P.; Lonergan, D.J.; Jenter, H.; Lovley, D.R.

    1996-01-01

    In an attempt to better understand the microorganisms responsible for Fe(III) reduction in sedimentary environments, Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms were enriched for and isolated from freshwater aquatic sediments, a pristine deep aquifer, and a petroleum-contaminated shallow aquifer. Enrichments were initiated with acetate or toluene as the electron donor and Fe(III) as the electron acceptor. Isolations were made with acetate or benzoate. Five new strains which could obtain energy for growth by dissimilatory Fe(III) reduction were isolated. All five isolates are gram- negative strict anaerobes which grow with acetate as the electron donor and Fe(III) as the electron acceptor. Analysis of the 16S rRNA sequence of the isolated organisms demonstrated that they all belonged to the genus Geobacter in the delta subdivision of the Proteobacteria. Unlike the type strain, Geobacter metallireducens, three of the five isolates could use H2 as an electron donor fur Fe(III) reduction. The deep subsurface isolate is the first Fe(III) reducer shown to completely oxidize lactate to carbon dioxide, while one of the freshwater sediment isolates is only the second Fe(III) reducer known that can oxidize toluene. The isolation of these organisms demonstrates that Geobacter species are widely distributed in a diversity of sedimentary environments in which Fe(III) reduction is an important process.

  13. Higher molecular weight dissolved organic nitrogen turnover as affected by soil management history

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lønne Enggrob, Kirsten

    of different management histories on the turnover of high Mw DON. Further, we distinguished between several classes of high Mw DON, i.e., 1-10 kDa and >10 kDa. 3. Materials and methods With the use of micro-lysimeters, the turnover of triple-labeled (15N, 14C and 13C) high Mw DON was studied in a sandy soil......High molecular weight dissolved organic nitrogen turnover as affected by soil management history *Kirsten Lønne Enggrob,1 Lars Elsgaard,1 and Jim Rasmussen1 1Aarhus University, Dept. of Agroecology, Foulum, Denmark 1. Introduction Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) play an important role in soil N...... are presented for 14CO2 evolution during 14 days of incubation. 4. Results and conclusion Results showed that the turnover rate of high Mw DON was dependent on both the Mw size of DON and on the soil liming history. Evidence showing where in the DON Mw sizes the bottleneck lies will be presented....

  14. Recent studies of the ocean nitrogen cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eppley, R. W.

    1984-01-01

    The nitrogen cycle in the ocean is dominated by the activities of organisms. External nitrogen inputs from land and from the atmosphere are small compared with rates of consumption and production by organisms and with rates of internal rearrangements of nitrogen pools within the ocean. The chief reservoirs of nitrogen are, in decreasing order of size: nitrogen in sediments, dissolved N2, nitrate, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), particulate organic nitrogen (PON) (mostly organisms and their by-products). The biogenic fluxes of nitrogen were reviewed. The rate of PON decomposition in the surface layer must be comparable to the rate of ammonium consumption; and at the same time the nitrate consumption rate will be similar to the rates of: (1) sinking of PON out of the surface layer and its decompositon at depth, (2) the rate of nitrification at depth, and (3) the rate of nitrate return to the surface layer by upwelling.

  15. Nitrogen Cycling in the Mycorrhizosphere: Multipartite Interactions and Plant Nitrogen Uptake Vary with Fertilization Legacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hestrin, R.; Lehmann, J.

    2017-12-01

    Soil microbes play an important role in rhizosphere nutrient cycling and plant productivity. In this study, the contributions of soil microbes to organic matter mineralization and plant nitrogen uptake were investigated using incubation and microcosm experiments. Microbial inocula included arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and microbial communities sampled across a long-term gradient of nitrogen fertilization. Stable isotopes, nanoSIMS imaging, and phospholipid fatty acid analysis were used to track carbon and nitrogen movement from organic matter into microbes, mycorrhizal fungi, and plants. Results show that multipartite relationships between plants and microbes increased plant growth and access to nitrogen from organic matter, and that nitrogen fertilization history had a lasting effect on microbial contributions to fungal and plant nitrogen uptake. This research links rhizosphere ecology and land management with terrestrial biogeochemistry.

  16. Characterizing the transformation and transfer of nitrogen during the aerobic treatment of organic wastes and digestates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeng Yang, E-mail: yang.zeng@irstea.fr [Irstea, UR GERE, 17 avenue de Cucille, CS 64427, F-35044 Rennes Cedex (France); Universite Europeenne de Bretagne, F-35000 Rennes (France); Guardia, Amaury de; Daumoin, Mylene; Benoist, Jean-Claude [Irstea, UR GERE, 17 avenue de Cucille, CS 64427, F-35044 Rennes Cedex (France)

    2012-12-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ammonia emissions varied depending on the nature of wastes and the treatment conditions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nitrogen losses resulted from ammonia emissions and nitrification-denitrification. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ammonification can be estimated from biodegradable carbon and carbon/nitrogen ratio. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ammonification was the main process contributing to N losses. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nitrification rate was negatively correlated to stripping rate of ammonia nitrogen. - Abstract: The transformation and transfer of nitrogen during the aerobic treatment of seven wastes were studied in ventilated air-tight 10-L reactors at 35 Degree-Sign C. Studied wastes included distinct types of organic wastes and their digestates. Ammonia emissions varied depending on the kind of waste and treatment conditions. These emissions accounted for 2-43% of the initial nitrogen. Total nitrogen losses, which resulted mainly from ammonia emissions and nitrification-denitrification, accounted for 1-76% of the initial nitrogen. Ammonification was the main process responsible for nitrogen losses. An equation which allows estimating the ammonification flow of each type of waste according to its biodegradable carbon and carbon/nitrogen ratio was proposed. As a consequence of the lower contribution of storage and leachate rates, stripping and nitrification rates of ammonia nitrogen were negatively correlated. This observation suggests the possibility of promotingnitrification in order to reduce ammonia emissions.

  17. Organic amendment of crop soil and its relation to hotspots of bacterial nitrogen cycling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereg, Lily; McMillan, Mary

    2015-04-01

    Crop production in Australian soils requires a high use of fertilisers, including N, P and K for continues utilisation of the soil. Growers often grow crops in rotation of summer crop, such as cotton with winter crop, such as wheat in the same field. Growers are getting more and more aware about sustainability of the soil resources and the more adventurous ones use soil amendments, such as organic supplements in addition to the chemical fertilisers. We have collected soil samples from fields that were cultivated in preparation for planting cotton and tested the soil for its bacterial populations with potential to perform different functions, including those related to the nitrogen cycling. One of our aims was to determine whether organic amendments create hotspots for bacterial functions related to bacterial nitrogen cycling. This pan of the project will be discussed in this presentation.

  18. Utilization of 15N-labelled nitrogen fertilizer in dependence on organic manuring and carbon and nitrogen contents of loess chernozem profiles with different stratification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greilich, J.

    1988-01-01

    In an outdoor model experiment with different total C and N contents in five profile variants of loess chernozem, the utilization of 15 N-labelled mineral fertilizer N by maize was investigated over three years. The total nitrogen uptake in the variants correlated with the yields at nearly uniform nitrogen contents in dry matter. Total C and N contents of the profile variants and one organic manure application per year had no statistically significant effects on the 15 N-labelled fertilizer N proportion in total N content of biomass. As a result of the low yields obtained from the variants with low total C and N contents of soil, mineral fertilizer utilization was found to be lower, too, in most of these variants. Organic manuring had no essential effect on mineral fertilizer N utilization. (author)

  19. Organics and nitrogen removal from textile auxiliaries wastewater with A2O-MBR in a pilot-scale

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, Faqian; Sun, Bin; Hu, Jian; He, Yangyang; Wu, Weixiang

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A pilot-scale A 2 O-MBR system treating textile auxiliaries wastewater was assessed. • Organic matter and recycle ratio strongly affected the performance of the system. • GC/MS analysis found some refractory organics in the MBR permeate. • Combination of organic foulants and inorganic compounds caused membrane fouling. - Abstract: The removal of organic compounds and nitrogen in an anaerobic–anoxic–aerobic membrane bioreactor process (A 2 O-MBR) for treatment of textile auxiliaries (TA) wastewater was investigated. The results show that the average effluent concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 + –N) and total nitrogen (TN) were about 119, 3 and 48 mg/L under an internal recycle ratio of 1.5. The average removal efficiency of COD, NH 4 + –N and TN were 87%, 96% and 55%, respectively. Gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer analysis indicated that, although as much as 121 different types of organic compounds were present in the TA wastewater, only 20 kinds of refractory organic compounds were found in the MBR effluent, which could be used as indicators of effluents from this kind of industrial wastewater. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that bacterial foulants were significant contributors to membrane fouling. An examination of foulants components by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence showed that the combination of organic foulants and inorganic compounds enhanced the formation of gel layer and thus caused membrane fouling. The results will provide valuable information for optimizing the design and operation of wastewater treatment system in the textile industry

  20. Nitrogen, Sulfur, and Oxygen Isotope Ratios of Animal- and Plant-Based Organic Fertilizers Used in South Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Woo-Jin; Ryu, Jong-Sik; Mayer, Bernhard; Lee, Kwang-Sik; Kim, Insu

    2017-05-01

    Organic fertilizers are increasingly used in agriculture in Asia and elsewhere. Tracer techniques are desirable to distinguish the fate of nutrients added to agroecosystems with organic fertilizers from those contained in synthetic fertilizers. Therefore, we determined the nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen isotope ratios of nitrogen- and sulfur-bearing compounds in animal- and plant-based organic fertilizers (ABOF and PBOF, respectively) used in South Korea to evaluate whether they are isotopically distinct. The δN values of total and organic nitrogen for ABOF ranged from +7 to +19‰ and were higher than those of PBOF (generally fertilizer compounds in the plant-soil-water system, whereas PBOFs have similar δN values to synthetic fertilizers. However, δO values for nitrate (δO) from organic fertilizer samples (fertilizers. The δS values of total sulfur, organic sulfur compounds (e.g., carbon-bonded sulfur and hydriodic acid-reducible sulfur), and sulfate for ABOFs yielded wide and overlapping ranges of +0.3 to +6.3, +0.9 to +7.2, and -2.6 to +14.2‰, whereas those for PBOFs varied from -3.4 to +7.7, +1.4 to +9.4, and -4.1 to +12.5‰, respectively, making it challenging to distinguish the fate of sulfur compounds from ABOF and PBOF in the environment using sulfur isotopes. We conclude that the δN values of ABOFs and the O values of organic fertilizers are distinct from those of synthetic fertilizers and are a promising tool for tracing the fate of nutrients added by organic fertilizers to agroecosystems. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  1. Nitrogen and carbon isotopes in soil with special reference to the diagnosis of organic matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wada, Eitaro; Nakamura, Koichi.

    1980-01-01

    Distributions of nitrogen and carbon isotopes in terrestrial ecosystems are described based on available data and our recent findings for soil organic matters. Major processes regulating N-isotope and C-isotope ratios in biogenic substances are discussed. The biological di-nitrogen fixation and the precipitation are major sources which lower the delta 15 N value for forested soil organic matters. Denitrification enhances delta 15 N value for soil in cultivated fields. An addition of chemical fertilizer lowers 15 N content in soils. The permiation of soil water is an important factor controlling vertical profiles of delta 15 N in soil systems. Among soil organic matters, non-hydrolizable fraction seems to give unique low delta 15 N value, suggesting the utility of delta 15 N analysis in studying the nature of the fractions. delta 13 C of soil organic matter is significantly lower than that for marine sediments. delta 13 C for soil humus varies with respect to chemical forms as well as an age of soil organic matters. The variation is large in paddy fields. It is, thus, probable that delta 13 C is an useful parameter in studying the early epidiagenesis of soil organic matters. Based on the known delta 15 N-delta 13 C relationships, a two-source mixing model has been applied to assess sources of organic matters in coastal sediment. (author)

  2. Biogenicity and Syngeneity of Organic Matter in Ancient Sedimentary Rocks: Recent Advances in the Search for Evidence of Past Life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oehler, Dorothy Z.; Cady, Sherry L.

    2014-08-01

    The past decade has seen an explosion of new technologies for assessment of biogenicity and syngeneity of carbonaceous material within sedimentary rocks. Advances have been made in techniques for analysis of in situ organic matter as well as for extracted bulk samples of soluble and insoluble (kerogen) organic fractions. The in situ techniques allow analysis of micrometer-to-sub-micrometer-scale organic residues within their host rocks and include Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy/imagery, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and forms of secondary ion/laser-based mass spectrometry, analytical transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray absorption microscopy/spectroscopy. Analyses can be made for chemical, molecular, and isotopic composition coupled with assessment of spatial relationships to surrounding minerals, veins, and fractures. The bulk analyses include improved methods for minimizing contamination and recognizing syngenetic constituents of soluble organic fractions as well as enhanced spectroscopic and pyrolytic techniques for unlocking syngenetic molecular signatures in kerogen. Together, these technologies provide vital tools for the study of some of the oldest and problematic carbonaceous residues and for advancing our understanding of the earliest stages of biological evolution on Earth and the search for evidence of life beyond Earth. We discuss each of these new technologies, emphasizing their advantages and disadvantages, applications, and likely future directions.

  3. Biogenicity and Syngeneity of Organic Matter in Ancient Sedimentary Rocks: Recent Advances in the Search for Evidence of Past Life

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dorothy Z. Oehler

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The past decade has seen an explosion of new technologies for assessment of biogenicity and syngeneity of carbonaceous material within sedimentary rocks. Advances have been made in techniques for analysis of in situ organic matter as well as for extracted bulk samples of soluble and insoluble (kerogen organic fractions. The in situ techniques allow analysis of micrometer-to-sub-micrometer-scale organic residues within their host rocks and include Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy/imagery, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and forms of secondary ion/laser-based mass spectrometry, analytical transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray absorption microscopy/spectroscopy. Analyses can be made for chemical, molecular, and isotopic composition coupled with assessment of spatial relationships to surrounding minerals, veins, and fractures. The bulk analyses include improved methods for minimizing contamination and recognizing syngenetic constituents of soluble organic fractions as well as enhanced spectroscopic and pyrolytic techniques for unlocking syngenetic molecular signatures in kerogen. Together, these technologies provide vital tools for the study of some of the oldest and problematic carbonaceous residues and for advancing our understanding of the earliest stages of biological evolution on Earth and the search for evidence of life beyond Earth. We discuss each of these new technologies, emphasizing their advantages and disadvantages, applications, and likely future directions.

  4. Biogenicity and Syngeneity of Organic Matter in Ancient Sedimentary Rocks: Recent Advances in the Search for Evidence of Past Life

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oehler, Dorothy Z.; Cady, Sherry L.

    2014-12-01

    he past decade has seen an explosion of new technologies for assessment of biogenicity and syngeneity of carbonaceous material within sedimentary rocks. Advances have been made in techniques for analysis of in situ organic matter as well as for extracted bulk samples of soluble and insoluble (kerogen) organic fractions. The in situ techniques allow analysis of micrometer-to-sub-micrometer-scale organic residues within their host rocks and include Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy/imagery, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and forms of secondary ion/laser-based mass spectrometry, analytical transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray absorption microscopy/spectroscopy. Analyses can be made for chemical, molecular, and isotopic composition coupled with assessment of spatial relationships to surrounding minerals, veins, and fractures. The bulk analyses include improved methods for minimizing contamination and recognizing syngenetic constituents of soluble organic fractions as well as enhanced spectroscopic and pyrolytic techniques for unlocking syngenetic molecular signatures in kerogen. Together, these technologies provide vital tools for the study of some of the oldest and problematic carbonaceous residues and for advancing our understanding of the earliest stages of biological evolution on Earth and the search for evidence of life beyond Earth. We discuss each of these new technologies, emphasizing their advantages and disadvantages, applications, and likely future directions.

  5. Gravimetric survey and modeling of the basement morphology in the sedimentary thickness characterization, NE portion of Paraná Sedimentary Basin - Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maximilian Fries

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The northeast portion of the Paraná Sedimentary Basin is distinguished by structural highs as the known Pitanga Dome, an uplifted structure identified in the last century. It represents a geological and evolutionary evidence of the Paraná Sedimentary Basin and has undergone inspired studies and intense exploration surveys. This study consists of a gravimetric survey in the Pitanga Dome area, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The Bouguer gravity anomalies have been identified and related to the structural high, sedimentary thickness, and the basement morphology. Processing and enhancement techniques were used for forward modeling based on previous studies. The three models from profiles sectioning the dome have a sedimentary thickness varying from 200 to 1.250 meters. The adopted methodology has provided important results determining that the Pitanga Dome can be understood through rational 3D visualization. The area can be interpreted as an undulating basement with thinning of sedimentary rocks related to deep features (structures in the crust/mantle limit (Moho uplift. This characteristic is confirmed by the sedimentary layer thickening present throughout the surrounding area. The results also offer important insights and support for further studies concerning the genesis and evolution of this and other uplifted structures of the Paraná Sedimentary Basin.

  6. Sedimentary organic matter and carbonate variations in the Chukchi Borderland in association with ice sheet and ocean-atmosphere dynamics over the last 155 kyr

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rella, S. F.; Uchida, M.

    2012-12-01

    Knowledge on past variability of sedimentary organic carbon in the Arctic Ocean is important to assess natural carbon cycling and transport processes related to global climate changes. However, the late Pleistocene oceanographic history of the Arctic is still poorly understood. In the present study we show sedimentary records of total organic carbon (TOC), CaCO3, benthic foraminiferal δ18O and the coarse grain size fraction from a piston core recovered from the northern Northwind Ridge in the far western Arctic Ocean. TOC shows orbital-scale increases and decreases during the past ~155 kyr that can be respectively correlated to the waxing and waning of large ice sheets dominating the Eurasian Arctic, suggesting advection of fine suspended matter derived from glacial erosion to the Northwind Ridge by eastward flowing intermediate water and/or surface water and sea ice during cold periods. At millennial scales, increases in TOC might correlate to a suite of Dansgaard-Oeschger Stadials between 120 and 45 ka BP indicating a possible response to abrupt northern hemispheric temperature changes. Between 70 and 45 ka BP, closures and openings of the Bering Strait could have additionally influenced TOC variability. CaCO3 contents tend to anti-correlate with TOC on both orbital and millennial time scales, which we interpret in terms of enhanced sediment advection from the carbonate-rich Canadian Arctic via an extended Beaufort Gyre during warm periods and increased organic carbon advection from the Siberian Arctic during cold periods when the Beaufort Gyre contracted. We propose that this pattern may be related to orbital- and millennial-scale variations of dominant atmospheric surface pressure systems expressed in mode shifts of the Arctic Oscillation.

  7. Evaluation of the symbiotic nitrogen fixation in soybean by labelling of soil organic matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruschel, A.P.; Freitas, J.R. de; Vose, P.B.

    1982-01-01

    An experiment was carried out using the isotopic dilution method to evaluate symbiotic nitrogen fixation in soybean grown in soil labelled with 15 N enriched organic matter. Symbiotic N 2 -fixed was 71-76% of total N in the plant. Non nodulated soybean utilized 56-59% N from organic matter and 40% from soil. Roots of nodulated plants had lower NdN 2 than aereal plant parts. The advantage of using labelled organic matter as compared with 15 N-fertilizer addition in evaluating N 2 -fixation is discussed. (Author) [pt

  8. Organic forms dominate hydrologic nitrogen export from a lowland tropical watershed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Philip G; Wieder, William R; Weintraub, Samantha; Cohen, Sagy; Cleveland, Cory C; Townsend, Alan R

    2015-05-01

    Observations of high dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations in stream water have reinforced the notion that primary tropical rain forests cycle nitrogen (N) in relative excess compared to phosphorus. Here we test this notion by evaluating hydrologic N export from a small watershed on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, where prior research has shown multiple indicators of conservative N cycling throughout the ecosystem. We repeatedly measured a host of factors known to influence N export for one year, including stream water chemistry and upslope litterfall, soil N availability and net N processing rates, and soil solution chemistry at the surface, 15- and 50-cm depths. Contrary to prevailing assumptions about the lowland N cycle, we find that dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) averaged 85% of dissolved N export for 48 of 52 consecutive weeks. For most of the year stream water nitrate (NO3-) export was very low, which reflected minimal net N processing and DIN leaching from upslope soils. Yet, for one month in the dry season, NO3- was the major component of N export due to a combination of low flows and upslope nitrification that concentrated NO3- in stream water. Particulate organic N (PON) export was much larger than dissolved forms at 14.6 kg N x ha(-1) x yr(-1), driven by soil erosion during storms. At this rate, PON export was slightly greater than estimated inputs from free-living N fixation and atmospheric N deposition, which suggests that erosion-driven PON export could constrain ecosystem level N stocks over longer timescales. This phenomenon is complimentary to the "DON leak" hypothesis, which postulates that the long-term accumulation of ecosystem N in unpolluted ecosystems is constrained by the export of organic N independently of biological N demand. Using an established global sediment generation model, we illustrate that PON erosion may be an important vector for N loss in tropical landscapes that are geomorphically active. This study supports an

  9. Mid-late Holocene changes in sedimentary organic matter on the inner shelf of the East China Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Xiuning; Xing, Lei; Zhang, Ting; Xiang, Rong

    2018-04-01

    Marginal seas are important transitional zones for the delivery of terrestrial organic matter (TOM) from land to the open sea, and they play an important role in the carbon cycle. Tracing the source of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) deposited in marginal seas is fundamental to our understanding of the dispersal, degradation, migration, and conversion of organic matter. This paper presents high-resolution records of bulk organic matter and biomarker proxies from Core T08 that was recovered from the inner shelf of the East China Sea (ECS), and aims to identify the contributions of marine and terrestrial organic matter over the past 3725 yrs. Total organic carbon (TOC) values were low (0.50%) and showed no significant change between 3725 and 1800 yr BP (Period I), and increased continuously from 0.40% to 0.86% after 1800 yr BP (Period II: 1800-750 yr BP; Period III: 750 yr BP-present). The TMBR‧ (ratio of terrestrial to marine biomarkers) and δ13CTOC (δ13C of TOC) values showed steady TOM contribution during Period I and higher TOM contribution driven by the increased Changjiang River (CR)-derived TOM under strong East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) and El Niño during Period II. During Period III, the increase in marine organic matter (MOM) contribution was indicated by the TMBR‧, and this was caused by enhanced marine productivity related to intensified vertical mixture that was driven by the strengthened East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM). δ13CTOC shows a contrary trend to the TMBR‧ during Period III, probably influenced by variations in the C3 vegetation type during this period. Spectral analysis of the TMBR‧ series for the last 1200 yrs shows cycles with periods of 119, 75-85, and 54 yrs, confirming that climate-related events influenced the variation in SOM under the modulation of solar activity and solar irradiance at the centennial scale.

  10. Land to ocean transfer of erosion-related organic carbon, Waipaoa sedimentary system, East Coast, New Zealand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brackley, H.L.

    2006-01-01

    Mountainous islands of the Pacific Rim (such as New Zealand) purportedly deliver up to 40% of the suspended sediment load and up to 35% of the riverine particulate organic carbon (POC) load to the world's oceans. On the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, the Waipaoa River drains a steep, 2205 km 2 catchment located on the active collisional East Coast Continental Margin. It has an annual suspended sediment load of 15 Tg (15 x 10 1 2 g), making up ∼ 7% of New Zealand's total yield to the Pacific Ocean, and a mean annual POC discharge to the Pacific Ocean of 86.7 Gg (86.7 x 10 9 g). The annual loss of OC to the floodplain is ∼ 9% of this annual POC discharge (∼ 7.8 Gg). A range of analyses (including organic carbon content (%OC), stable carbon isotopes (δ 1 3C), radiocarbon ( 1 4C), carbon to nitrogen ratios (C/N)a and carbon loadings (OC:SA)) were performed on correlative sediments from a transect of 7 cores from depositional sites located on the Waipaoa River floodplain and adjacent continental shelf and slope. Results were used to determine biogeochemical characteristics of organic carbon (OC) at a range of depositional sites during its transfer from terrestrial source to marine sink, and how large floods impact OC transfer to the marine environment. The high temporal variability in OC content (0.2 to 3.5%) and different source signatures (δ 1 3C of -26.7 to -20.6 permille) of Waipaoa River floodplain deposits prevented the establishment of a clear benchmark signature for flood deposits that may be recognisable in the marine sedimentary record. The high spatial and temporal variability of floodplain sediment OC, combined with the areal extent of floodplains within the catchment, indicates the appreciable modulating effect the floodplain has on OC transfers to the ocean. Since extensive stopbanks were constructed on the main floodplain since the 1940's, sequestration of OC in floodplain sediments has reduced by about half, increasing the overall

  11. Linking annual N2O emission in organic soils to mineral nitrogen input as estimated by heterotrophic respiration and soil C/N ratio.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mu, Zhijian; Huang, Aiying; Ni, Jiupai; Xie, Deti

    2014-01-01

    Organic soils are an important source of N2O, but global estimates of these fluxes remain uncertain because measurements are sparse. We tested the hypothesis that N2O fluxes can be predicted from estimates of mineral nitrogen input, calculated from readily-available measurements of CO2 flux and soil C/N ratio. From studies of organic soils throughout the world, we compiled a data set of annual CO2 and N2O fluxes which were measured concurrently. The input of soil mineral nitrogen in these studies was estimated from applied fertilizer nitrogen and organic nitrogen mineralization. The latter was calculated by dividing the rate of soil heterotrophic respiration by soil C/N ratio. This index of mineral nitrogen input explained up to 69% of the overall variability of N2O fluxes, whereas CO2 flux or soil C/N ratio alone explained only 49% and 36% of the variability, respectively. Including water table level in the model, along with mineral nitrogen input, further improved the model with the explanatory proportion of variability in N2O flux increasing to 75%. Unlike grassland or cropland soils, forest soils were evidently nitrogen-limited, so water table level had no significant effect on N2O flux. Our proposed approach, which uses the product of soil-derived CO2 flux and the inverse of soil C/N ratio as a proxy for nitrogen mineralization, shows promise for estimating regional or global N2O fluxes from organic soils, although some further enhancements may be warranted.

  12. Bioavailability of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in wastewaters from animal feedlots and storage lagoons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) transport from animal agriculture to surface waters can lead to eutrophication and dissolved oxygen depletion. Biodegradable DON (BDON) is a portion of DON that is mineralized by bacteria while bioavailable DON (ABDON) is utilized by bacteria and/or algae. This stu...

  13. Soil organic carbon and nitrogen accumulation on coal mine spoils reclaimed with maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) in Agacli-Istanbul.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sever, Hakan; Makineci, Ender

    2009-08-01

    Mining operations on open coal mines in Agacli-Istanbul have resulted in the destruction of vast amounts of land. To rehabilitate these degraded lands, plantations on this area began in 1988. Twelve tree species were planted, however, the most planted tree species was maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton). This study performed on 14 sample plots randomly selected in maritime pine plantations on coal mine soil/spoils in 2005. Soil samples were taken from eight different soil layers (0-1, 1-3, 3-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 and 40-50 cm) into the soil profile. On soil samples; fine soil fraction (<2 mm), soil acidity (pH), organic carbon (C(org)) and total nitrogen (N(t)) contents were investigated, and results were compared statistically among soil layers. As a result, 17 years after plantations, total forest floor accumulation determined as 17,973.20 kg ha(-1). Total nitrogen and organic matter amounts of forest floor were 113.90 and 14,640.92 kg ha(-1) respectively. Among soil layers, the highest levels of organic carbon (1.77%) and total nitrogen (0.096%) and the lowest pH value (pH 5.38) were found in 0-1 cm soil layer, and the variation differs significantly among soil layers. Both organic carbon and total nitrogen content decreased, pH values increased from 0-1 to 5-10 cm layer. In conclusion, according to results obtained maritime pine plantations on coal mine spoils; slow accumulation and decomposition of forest floor undergo simultaneously. Depending on these changes organic carbon and total nitrogen contents increased in upper layer of soil/spoil.

  14. Removal of nitrogen and organic matter in a submerged-membrane bioreactor operating in a condition of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Izabela Major Barbosa

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available This study evaluated the removal of nitrogen and organic matter in a membrane bioreactor system operating in a condition of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification controlled by intermittent aeration. A submerged-membrane system in a bioreactor was used in a pilot scale to treat domestic wastewater. The dissolved oxygen concentration was maintained between 0.5 and 0.8 mg L-1. The concentration of the mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS in the system ranged from 1 to 6 g L-1. The system efficiency was evaluated by the removal efficiency of organic matter, quantified by Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5 and Total Organic Carbon (TOC. Nitrogen removal was assessed by quantifying Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN and ammonia nitrogen. During the system start-up, the removal efficiencies of COD and NTK were around 90% and 80%, respectively. After the simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND conditions were established, the removal efficiencies of COD and NTK were 70% and 99%, respectively. These results showed that sewage treatment with the membrane bioreactor (MBR system, operating with simultaneous nitrification and denitrification conditions, was able to remove organic matter and promote nitrification and denitrification in a single reactor, producing a high-quality permeate.

  15. Transformation of fertilizer nitrogen in soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soechting, H.

    1980-01-01

    Pot experiments are described in which the transformations between nitrogen added as fertilizer urea, plant-assimilated nitrogen, and different chemical fractions of soil or added straw nitrogen were studied with 15 N as a tracer. The data indicated that: (a) The transformation of added fertilizer nitrogen to immobilized amide nitrogen is decreased with added decomposable organic carbon. The transformation to immobilized α-amino N is increased, on the other hand, by the addition of decomposable organic carbon. (b) The freshly immobilized amide nitrogen is more readily remineralized than the α-amino form. The immobilization of added nitrogen continues in the presence of growing plants. (c) Mineralization of nitrogen added as 15 N-labelled straw is also increased with increasing fertilizer-nitrogen additions. (author)

  16. Effect of Phosphorous and Potassium Fertilization on Nitrogen Utilized by wheat Grown in Saline Soil Amended with Organic Manures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soliman, S.M.; Gadalla, A.M.; Kotb, E.A.; Mostafa, S.M.A.; Mansour, M.M.F.

    2008-01-01

    This study was carried out on poor saline soil located at Wad Ras Sudr, South Saini Governorate, and suffers from shortage of water resources. Therefore, we aimed to utilize this soil as well as the saline ground water for plant production. Organic fertilizers such as green manure(GM) or poultry manure(PM) can be used as nutrient sources, where it improves the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. Economically, the yield improvement and nutrient supply will reflect the potential use of such organic materials. Also, phosphorus and/or potassium supplementation separately or in combination with green or poultry manures improved the growth of wheat plants under such adverse condition of salinity. Application of 15 N technique indicated that labeled nitrogen added as ammonium sulphate (AS) to investigate and discrimination between the different N sources i.e. nitrogen derived from fertilizer (Ndff) and nitrogen derived from soil (Ndfs) as well as nitrogen use efficiency (FUE %)

  17. Sources of Nitrogen for Winter Wheat in Organic Cropping Systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Søren O; Schjønning, Per; Olesen, Jørgen E

    2013-01-01

    mineralizable N (PMN), microbial biomass N (MBN)] were monitored during two growth periods; at one site, biomass C/N ratios were also determined. Soil for labile N analysis was shielded from N inputs during spring application to isolate cumulated system effects. Potentially mineralizable N and MBN were...... explained 76 and 82% of the variation in grain N yields in organic cropping systems in 2007 and 2008, showing significant effects of, respectively, topsoil N, depth of A horizon, cumulated inputs of N, and N applied to winter wheat in manure. Thus, soil properties and past and current management all......In organic cropping systems, legumes, cover crops (CC), residue incorporation, and manure application are used to maintain soil fertility, but the contributions of these management practices to soil nitrogen (N) supply remain obscure. We examined potential sources of N for winter wheat (Triticum...

  18. Dissolved organic carbon and dissolved organic nitrogen data collected using bottle in a world wide distribution from 02 September 1998 to 02 November 2003 (NODC Accession 0002403)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) data were collected using bottle casts in a world wide distribution. Data were collected from 02...

  19. Scotland's forgotten carbon: a national assessment of mid-latitude fjord sedimentary carbon stocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smeaton, Craig; Austin, William E. N.; Davies, Althea L.; Baltzer, Agnes; Howe, John A.; Baxter, John M.

    2017-12-01

    Fjords are recognised as hotspots for the burial and long-term storage of carbon (C) and potentially provide a significant climate regulation service over multiple timescales. Understanding the magnitude of marine sedimentary C stores and the processes which govern their development is fundamental to understanding the role of the coastal ocean in the global C cycle. In this study, we use the mid-latitude fjords of Scotland as a natural laboratory to further develop methods to quantify these marine sedimentary C stores on both the individual fjord and national scale. Targeted geophysical and geochemical analysis has allowed the quantification of sedimentary C stocks for a number of mid-latitude fjords and, coupled with upscaling techniques based on fjord classification, has generated the first full national sedimentary C inventory for a fjordic system. The sediments within these mid-latitude fjords hold 640.7 ± 46 Mt of C split between 295.6 ± 52 and 345.1 ± 39 Mt of organic and inorganic C, respectively. When compared, these marine mid-latitude sedimentary C stores are of similar magnitude to their terrestrial equivalents, with the exception of the Scottish peatlands, which hold significantly more C. However, when area-normalised comparisons are made, these mid-latitude fjords are significantly more effective as C stores than their terrestrial counterparts, including Scottish peatlands. The C held within Scotland's coastal marine sediments has been largely overlooked as a significant component of the nation's natural capital; such coastal C stores are likely to be key to understanding and constraining improved global C budgets.

  20. Organics and nitrogen removal from textile auxiliaries wastewater with A{sup 2}O-MBR in a pilot-scale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Faqian [Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Sun, Bin [Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Shanghai Electric Group Co. Ltd. Central Academe, Shanghai 200070 (China); Hu, Jian; He, Yangyang [Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Wu, Weixiang, E-mail: weixiang@zju.edu.cn [Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China)

    2015-04-09

    Highlights: • A pilot-scale A{sup 2}O-MBR system treating textile auxiliaries wastewater was assessed. • Organic matter and recycle ratio strongly affected the performance of the system. • GC/MS analysis found some refractory organics in the MBR permeate. • Combination of organic foulants and inorganic compounds caused membrane fouling. - Abstract: The removal of organic compounds and nitrogen in an anaerobic–anoxic–aerobic membrane bioreactor process (A{sup 2}O-MBR) for treatment of textile auxiliaries (TA) wastewater was investigated. The results show that the average effluent concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium nitrogen (NH{sub 4}{sup +}–N) and total nitrogen (TN) were about 119, 3 and 48 mg/L under an internal recycle ratio of 1.5. The average removal efficiency of COD, NH{sub 4}{sup +}–N and TN were 87%, 96% and 55%, respectively. Gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer analysis indicated that, although as much as 121 different types of organic compounds were present in the TA wastewater, only 20 kinds of refractory organic compounds were found in the MBR effluent, which could be used as indicators of effluents from this kind of industrial wastewater. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that bacterial foulants were significant contributors to membrane fouling. An examination of foulants components by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence showed that the combination of organic foulants and inorganic compounds enhanced the formation of gel layer and thus caused membrane fouling. The results will provide valuable information for optimizing the design and operation of wastewater treatment system in the textile industry.

  1. Sources of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in a coastal lagoon adjacent to a major metropolitan area, Miami Florida (USA)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swart, Peter K.; Anderson, William T.; Altabet, Mark A.; Drayer, Courtney; Bellmund, Sarah

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • A range of biota (algae and sea grasses) shows enriched δ 15 N close to the coast. • Enriched signals are evident in the particulate and sedimentary organic material. • δ 15 N signals are correlated with high inputs of dissolved inorganic matter. • The enriched values support the presence of a sewage related component. • The δ 15 N could arise from the local landfill, injected wastewater, or septic systems. - Abstract: Between 2006 and 2007, a study was carried out to determine the relative importance of natural and anthropogenic input of nitrogen into Biscayne Bay (South Florida, USA) using δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of algae, seagrasses, and particulate organic material, δ 18 O and δ 15 N of the NO 3 - and δ 13 C of the dissolved inorganic carbon. The δ 15 N values of all components showed a strong east to west gradient approaching more positive values (+7 to +10‰) close to the land-sea interface. The nitrogen could have emanated from the local waste water treatment plant, septic systems within the region, or nitrogen which had been affected by denitrification and leached from the local landfill, wastewater which had been injected into the Floridan aquifer and leaked back to the surface, and/or some other as yet unidentified source. The measured NO 3 - δ 15 N and δ 18 O values indicated that the dissolved nitrate originated from anthropogenic sources and was fractionated during assimilation

  2. Fast-freezing with liquid nitrogen preserves bulk dissolved organic matter concentrations, but not its composition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thieme, Lisa; Graeber, Daniel; Kaupenjohann, Martin

    2016-01-01

    -freezing with liquid nitrogen) on DOM concentrations measured as organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and on spectroscopic properties of DOM from different terrestrial ecosystems (forest and grassland). Fresh and differently frozen throughfall, stemflow, litter leachate and soil solution samples were analyzed for DOC...... concentrations, UV-vis absorption and fluorescence excitation–emission matrices combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Fast-freezing with liquid nitrogen prevented a significant decrease of DOC concentrations observed after freezing at −18 °C. Nonetheless, the share of PARAFAC components 1 (EXmax...... component 4 (EXmax: 280 nm, EXmax: 328 nm) to total fluorescence was not affected by freezing. We recommend fast-freezing with liquid nitrogen for preservation of bulk DOC concentrations of samples from terrestrial sources, whereas immediate measuring is preferable to preserve spectroscopic properties...

  3. Development and evaluation of a radial anaerobic/aerobic reactor treating organic matter and nitrogen in sewage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. H. P. Garbossa

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available The design and performance of a radial anaerobic/aerobic immobilized biomass (RAAIB reactor operating to remove organic matter, solids and nitrogen from sewage are discussed. The bench-scale RAAIB was divided into five concentric chambers. The second and fourth chambers were packed with polyurethane foam matrices. The performance of the reactor in removing organic matter and producing nitrified effluent was good, and its configuration favored the transfer of oxygen to the liquid mass due to its characteristics and the fixed polyurethane foam bed arrangement in concentric chambers. Partial denitrification of the liquid also took place in the RAAIB. The reactor achieved an organic matter removal efficiency of 84%, expressed as chemical oxygen demand (COD, and a total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN removal efficiency of 96%. Average COD, nitrite and nitrate values for the final effluent were 54 mg.L-1, 0.3 mg.L-1 and 22.1 mg.L-1, respectively.

  4. Plant biomass, soil microbial community structure and nitrogen cycling under different organic amendment regimes; a

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heijboer, Amber; Berge, ten Hein F.M.; Ruiter, de Peter C.; Jørgensen, Helene Bracht; Kowalchuk, George A.; Bloem, Jaap

    2016-01-01

    Sustainable agriculture requires nutrient management options that lead to a profitable crop yield with relatively low nitrogen (N) losses to the environment. We studied whether the addition of contrasting organic amendments together with inorganic fertilizer can promote both requirements

  5. Emiliania Huxleyi (Prymnesiophyceae): Nitrogen-metabolism genes and their expression in response to external nitrogen souces

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bruhn, Annette; LaRoche, Julie; Richardson, Katherine

    2010-01-01

    The availability and composition of dissolved nitrogen in ocean waters are factors that influence species composition in natural phytoplankton communities. The same factors affect the ratio of organic to inorganic carbon incorporation in calcifying species, such as the coccolithophore Emiliania...... huxleyi (Lohman) W. W. Hay et H. Mohler. E. huxleyi has been shown to thrive on various nitrogen sources, including dissolved organic nitrogen. Nevertheless, assimilation of dissolved nitrogen under nitrogen-replete and -limited conditions is not well understood in this ecologically important species....... In this study, the complete amino acid sequences for three functional genes involved in nitrogen metabolism in E. huxleyi were identified: a putative formamidase, a glutamine synthetase (GSII family), and assimilatory nitrate reductase. Expression patterns of the three enzymes in cells grown on inorganic...

  6. Effects of Organic and Inorganic Nitrogen on the Growth and Production of Domoic Acid by Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries and P. australis (Bacillariophyceae) in Culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin-Jézéquel, Véronique; Calu, Guillaume; Candela, Leo; Amzil, Zouher; Jauffrais, Thierry; Séchet, Véronique; Weigel, Pierre

    2015-11-26

    Over the last century, human activities have altered the global nitrogen cycle, and anthropogenic inputs of both inorganic and organic nitrogen species have increased around the world, causing significant changes to the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. The increasing frequency of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. in estuarine and coastal waters reinforces the need to understand better the environmental control of its growth and domoic acid (DA) production. Here, we document Pseudo-nitzschia spp. growth and toxicity on a large set of inorganic and organic nitrogen (nitrate, ammonium, urea, glutamate, glutamine, arginine and taurine). Our study focused on two species isolated from European coastal waters: P. multiseries CCL70 and P. australis PNC1. The nitrogen sources induced broad differences between the two species with respect to growth rate, biomass and cellular DA, but no specific variation could be attributed to any of the inorganic or organic nitrogen substrates. Enrichment with ammonium resulted in an enhanced growth rate and cell yield, whereas glutamate did not support the growth of P. multiseries. Arginine, glutamine and taurine enabled good growth of P. australis, but without toxin production. The highest DA content was produced when P. multiseries grew with urea and P. australis grew with glutamate. For both species, growth rate was not correlated with DA content but more toxin was produced when the nitrogen source could not sustain a high biomass. A significant negative correlation was found between cell biomass and DA content in P. australis. This study shows that Pseudo-nitzschia can readily utilize organic nitrogen in the form of amino acids, and confirms that both inorganic and organic nitrogen affect growth and DA production. Our results contribute to our understanding of the ecophysiology of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and may help to predict toxic events in the natural environment.

  7. Investigation on thiosulfate-involved organics and nitrogen removal by a sulfur cycle-based biological wastewater treatment process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Jin; Lu, Hui; Cui, Yanxiang; Wei, Li; Liu, Rulong; Chen, Guang-Hao

    2015-02-01

    Thiosulfate, as an intermediate of biological sulfate/sulfite reduction, can significantly improve nitrogen removal potential in a biological sulfur cycle-based process, namely the Sulfate reduction-Autotrophic denitrification-Nitrification Integrated (SANI(®)) process. However, the related thiosulfate bio-activities coupled with organics and nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment lacked detailed examinations and reports. In this study, S2O3(2-) transformation during biological SO4(2-)/SO3(2-) co-reduction coupled with organics removal as well as S2O3(2-) oxidation coupled with chemolithotrophic denitrification were extensively evaluated under different experimental conditions. Thiosulfate is produced from the co-reduction of sulfate and sulfite through biological pathway at an optimum pH of 7.5 for organics removal. And the produced S2O3(2-) may disproportionate to sulfide and sulfate during both biological S2O3(2-) reduction and oxidation most possibly carried out by Desulfovibrio-like species. Dosing the same amount of nitrate, pH was found to be the more direct factor influencing the denitritation activity than free nitrous acid (FNA) and the optimal pH for denitratation (7.0) and denitritation (8.0) activities were different. Spiking organics significantly improved both denitratation and denitritation activities while minimizing sulfide inhibition of NO3(-) reduction during thiosulfate-based denitrification. These findings in this study can improve the understanding of mechanisms of thiosulfate on organics and nitrogen removal in biological sulfur cycle-based wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Sedimentary processes and depositional environments of the Horn River Shale in British Columbia, Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Seok-Hoon; Koh, Chang-Seong; Joe, Young-Jin; Woo, Ju-Hwan; Lee, Hyun-Suk

    2017-04-01

    The Horn River Basin in the northeastern British Columbia, Canada, is one of the largest unconventional gas accumulations in North America. It consists mainly of Devonian shales (Horn River Formation) and is stratigraphically divided into three members, the Muskwa, Otterpark and Evie in descending order. This study focuses on sedimentary processes and depositional environments of the Horn River shale based on sedimentary facies analysis aided by well-log mineralogy (ECS) and total organic carbon (TOC) data. The shale formation consists dominantly of siliceous minerals (quartz, feldspar and mica) and subordinate clay mineral and carbonate materials, and TOC ranging from 1.0 to 7.6%. Based on sedimentary structures and micro texture, three sedimentary facies were classified: homogeneous mudstone (HM), indistinctly laminated mudstone (ILM), and planar laminated mudstone (PLM). Integrated interpretation of the sedimentary facies, lithology and TOC suggests that depositional environment of the Horn River shale was an anoxic quiescent basin plain and base-of-slope off carbonate platform or reef. In this deeper marine setting, organic-rich facies HM and ILM, dominant in the Muskwa (the upper part of the Horn River Formation) and Evie (the lower part of the Horn River Formation) members, may have been emplaced by pelagic to hemipelagic sedimentation on the anoxic sea floor with infrequent effects of low-density gravity flows (turbidity currents or nepheloid flows). In the other hand, facies PLM typifying the Otterpark Member (the middle part of the Horn River Formation) suggests more frequent inflow of bottom-hugging turbidity currents punctuating the hemipelagic settling of the background sedimentation process. The stratigraphic change of sedimentary facies and TOC content in the Horn River Formation is most appropriately interpreted to have been caused by the relative sea-level change, that is, lower TOC and frequent signal of turbidity current during the sea

  9. Determining the saliency of feature measurements obtained from images of sedimentary organic matter for use in its classification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weller, Andrew F.; Harris, Anthony J.; Ware, J. Andrew; Jarvis, Paul S.

    2006-11-01

    The classification of sedimentary organic matter (OM) images can be improved by determining the saliency of image analysis (IA) features measured from them. Knowing the saliency of IA feature measurements means that only the most significant discriminating features need be used in the classification process. This is an important consideration for classification techniques such as artificial neural networks (ANNs), where too many features can lead to the 'curse of dimensionality'. The classification scheme adopted in this work is a hybrid of morphologically and texturally descriptive features from previous manual classification schemes. Some of these descriptive features are assigned to IA features, along with several others built into the IA software (Halcon) to ensure that a valid cross-section is available. After an image is captured and segmented, a total of 194 features are measured for each particle. To reduce this number to a more manageable magnitude, the SPSS AnswerTree Exhaustive CHAID (χ 2 automatic interaction detector) classification tree algorithm is used to establish each measurement's saliency as a classification discriminator. In the case of continuous data as used here, the F-test is used as opposed to the published algorithm. The F-test checks various statistical hypotheses about the variance of groups of IA feature measurements obtained from the particles to be classified. The aim is to reduce the number of features required to perform the classification without reducing its accuracy. In the best-case scenario, 194 inputs are reduced to 8, with a subsequent multi-layer back-propagation ANN recognition rate of 98.65%. This paper demonstrates the ability of the algorithm to reduce noise, help overcome the curse of dimensionality, and facilitate an understanding of the saliency of IA features as discriminators for sedimentary OM classification.

  10. Reduction of nitrogen compounds in oceanic basement and its implications for HCN formation and abiotic organic synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holm, Nils G; Neubeck, Anna

    2009-10-22

    Hydrogen cyanide is an excellent organic reagent and is central to most of the reaction pathways leading to abiotic formation of simple organic compounds containing nitrogen, such as amino acids, purines and pyrimidines. Reduced carbon and nitrogen precursor compounds for the synthesis of HCN may be formed under off-axis hydrothermal conditions in oceanic lithosphere in the presence of native Fe and Ni and are adsorbed on authigenic layer silicates and zeolites. The native metals as well as the molecular hydrogen reducing CO2 to CO/CH4 and NO3-/NO2- to NH3/NH4+ are a result of serpentinization of mafic rocks. Oceanic plates are conveyor belts of reduced carbon and nitrogen compounds from the off-axis hydrothermal environments to the subduction zones, where compaction, dehydration, desiccation and diagenetic reactions affect the organic precursors. CO/CH4 and NH3/NH4+ in fluids distilled out of layer silicates and zeolites in the subducting plate at an early stage of subduction will react upon heating and form HCN, which is then available for further organic reactions to, for instance, carbohydrates, nucleosides or even nucleotides, under alkaline conditions in hydrated mantle rocks of the overriding plate. Convergent margins in the initial phase of subduction must, therefore, be considered the most potent sites for prebiotic reactions on Earth. This means that origin of life processes are, perhaps, only possible on planets where some kind of plate tectonics occur.

  11. Reduction of nitrogen compounds in oceanic basement and its implications for HCN formation and abiotic organic synthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neubeck Anna

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Hydrogen cyanide is an excellent organic reagent and is central to most of the reaction pathways leading to abiotic formation of simple organic compounds containing nitrogen, such as amino acids, purines and pyrimidines. Reduced carbon and nitrogen precursor compounds for the synthesis of HCN may be formed under off-axis hydrothermal conditions in oceanic lithosphere in the presence of native Fe and Ni and are adsorbed on authigenic layer silicates and zeolites. The native metals as well as the molecular hydrogen reducing CO2 to CO/CH4 and NO3-/NO2- to NH3/NH4+ are a result of serpentinization of mafic rocks. Oceanic plates are conveyor belts of reduced carbon and nitrogen compounds from the off-axis hydrothermal environments to the subduction zones, where compaction, dehydration, desiccation and diagenetic reactions affect the organic precursors. CO/CH4 and NH3/NH4+ in fluids distilled out of layer silicates and zeolites in the subducting plate at an early stage of subduction will react upon heating and form HCN, which is then available for further organic reactions to, for instance, carbohydrates, nucleosides or even nucleotides, under alkaline conditions in hydrated mantle rocks of the overriding plate. Convergent margins in the initial phase of subduction must, therefore, be considered the most potent sites for prebiotic reactions on Earth. This means that origin of life processes are, perhaps, only possible on planets where some kind of plate tectonics occur.

  12. Influence of composted dairy manure and perennial forage on soil carbon and nitrogen fractions during transition into organic management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Composted dairy manure (CDM) is among the management practices used in transitioning from a conventional to an organic agricultural system. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the impact of several organic nitrogen (N) sources on: (i) soil organic C (SOC) and soil total N (STN) content; (ii...

  13. Dissolved organic nitrogen dynamics in the North Sea: A time series analysis (1995-2005)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Engeland, T.; Soetaert, K.; Knuijt, A.; Laane, R. W. P. M.; Middelburg, J. J.

    2010-09-01

    Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) dynamics in the North Sea was explored by means of long-term time series of nitrogen parameters from the Dutch national monitoring program. Generally, the data quality was good with little missing data points. Different imputation methods were used to verify the robustness of the patterns against these missing data. No long-term trends in DON concentrations were found over the sampling period (1995-2005). Inter-annual variability in the different time series showed both common and station-specific behavior. The stations could be divided into two regions, based on absolute concentrations and the dominant times scales of variability. Average DON concentrations were 11 μmol l -1 in the coastal region and 5 μmol l -1 in the open sea. Organic fractions of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) averaged 38 and 71% in the coastal zone and open sea, respectively, but increased over time due to decreasing dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations. In both regions intra-annual variability dominated over inter-annual variability, but DON variation in the open sea was markedly shifted towards shorter time scales relative to coastal stations. In the coastal zone a consistent seasonal DON cycle existed with high values in spring-summer and low values in autumn-winter. In the open sea seasonality was weak. A marked shift in the seasonality was found at the Dogger Bank, with DON accumulation towards summer and low values in winter prior to 1999, and accumulation in spring and decline throughout summer after 1999. This study clearly shows that DON is a dynamic actor in the North Sea and should be monitored systematically to enable us to understand fully the functioning of this ecosystem.

  14. Scotland's forgotten carbon: a national assessment of mid-latitude fjord sedimentary carbon stocks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Smeaton

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Fjords are recognised as hotspots for the burial and long-term storage of carbon (C and potentially provide a significant climate regulation service over multiple timescales. Understanding the magnitude of marine sedimentary C stores and the processes which govern their development is fundamental to understanding the role of the coastal ocean in the global C cycle. In this study, we use the mid-latitude fjords of Scotland as a natural laboratory to further develop methods to quantify these marine sedimentary C stores on both the individual fjord and national scale. Targeted geophysical and geochemical analysis has allowed the quantification of sedimentary C stocks for a number of mid-latitude fjords and, coupled with upscaling techniques based on fjord classification, has generated the first full national sedimentary C inventory for a fjordic system. The sediments within these mid-latitude fjords hold 640.7 ± 46 Mt of C split between 295.6 ± 52 and 345.1 ± 39 Mt of organic and inorganic C, respectively. When compared, these marine mid-latitude sedimentary C stores are of similar magnitude to their terrestrial equivalents, with the exception of the Scottish peatlands, which hold significantly more C. However, when area-normalised comparisons are made, these mid-latitude fjords are significantly more effective as C stores than their terrestrial counterparts, including Scottish peatlands. The C held within Scotland's coastal marine sediments has been largely overlooked as a significant component of the nation's natural capital; such coastal C stores are likely to be key to understanding and constraining improved global C budgets.

  15. Innovative process scheme for removal of organic matter, phosphorus and nitrogen from pig manure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karakashev, Dimitar Borisov; Schmidt, Jens Ejbye; Angelidaki, Irini

    2008-01-01

    blanket (UASB) reactor, partial oxidation), nitrogen (oxygen-limited autotrophic nitrification-denitrification, OLAND) and phosphorus (phosphorus removal by precipitation as struvite, PRS) from pig manure were tested. Results obtained showed that microfiltration was unsuitable for pig manure treatment....... PRS treated effluent was negatively affecting the further processing of the pig manure in UASB, and was therefore not included in the final process flow scheme. In a final scheme (PIGMAN concept) combination of the following successive process steps was used: thermophilic anaerobic digestion...... with sequential separation by decanter centrifuge, post-digestion in UASB reactor, partial oxidation and finally OLAND process. This combination resulted in reduction of the total organic, nitrogen and phosphorus contents by 96%, 88%, and 81%, respectively....

  16. Stratigraphy of neoproterozoic sedimentary and volcano sedimentary successions of Uruguay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pecoits, E.; Aubet, N.; Oyhantcabal, P.; Sanchez Bettucci, L.

    2004-01-01

    Based on the new data the different characteristics of the Neoproterozoic (volcano) sedimentary succesions of Uruguay are described and discussed. Their stratigraphic tectonics and palaeoclimatic implications are analyzed.The results of the present investigations also allow to define the Maldonado Group which would beintegrated by the Playa Hermosa and Las Ventanas formations.

  17. Yield and Nitrogen Assimilation of Potato Varieties (Solanum tuberosum L.) as Affected by Saline Water Irrigation and Organic Manure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamdy, A.; Gadalla, A.M.; El-Kholi, A.F.; Galal, Y.G.M.; Ismail, M.M.

    2008-01-01

    The experiment was carried out in lysimeter under controlled greenhouse conditions. Saline water was applied in different levels, i.e. fresh water, 3 and 6 dS/m. Organic manure were applied to soil at rates of 0, 2.6 and 5.2 kg/m2. Basal recommended doses of P and K were applied. Labelled urea (10% a.e.) was applied at rate of 200 kg N/ha. 15 N technique was used to evaluate N-uptake and fertilizer efficiency. Comparison held between the two potato varieties indicated that higher reduction in shoot dry weight was recorded with Nicola variety than Spunta one which irrigated with 6 dS/m water salinity level. Addition of 2.6 kg/m 2 organic rate induced an increase in N uptake with fresh water and 3 dS/m salinity then tended to decrease with 6 dS/m level as compared to the untreated control. Concerning the nitrogen fertilization, data of 15 N analysis showed that, water salinity levels combined with organic addition rates were frequently affected the nitrogen derived from fertilizer and consequently the fertilizer use efficiency. Most of nitrogen was derived from the applied nitrogen fertilizer with maximum accumulation in tuber rather than shoots or roots of both potato varieties. Gradual increase of tuber starch with increasing salinity levels was noticed with addition of 2.6 kg/m 2 of organic matter. In general, Spunta variety showed some superiority in tuber starch over those of Nicola variety tuber

  18. Tracing the Origins of Nitrogen Bearing Organics Toward Orion KL with Alma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Brandon; Crockett, Nathan; Wilkins, Olivia H.; Bergin, Edwin; Blake, Geoffrey

    2017-06-01

    A comprehensive analysis of a broadband 1.2 THz wide spectral survey of the Orion Kleinmann-Low nebula (Orion KL) has shown that nitrogen bearing complex organics trace systematically hotter gas than O-bearing organics toward this source. The origin of this O/N dichotomy remains a mystery. If complex molecules originate from grain surfaces, N-bearing species may be more difficult to remove from grain surfaces than O-bearing organics. Theoretical studies, however, have shown that hot (T=300 K) gas phase chemistry can produce high abundances of N-bearing organics while suppressing the formation of O-bearing complex molecules. In order to distinguish these distinct formation pathways we have obtained extremely high angular resolution observations of methyl cyanide (CH_3CN) using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) toward Orion KL. By simultaneously imaging ^{13}CH_3CN and CH_2DCN we map the temperature structure and D/H ratio of CH_3CN. We will present updated results of these observations and discuss their implications for the formation of N-bearing organics in the interstellar medium.

  19. Studies on organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous in the sediments of Mandovi Estuary, Goa

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Nasnolkar, C.M.; Shirodkar, P.V.; Singbal, S.Y.S.

    indicated a significant linear variation with clay and silt. The organic carbon varies from 1.04 to 32.77 mg.g sup(-1) and the total nitrogen and total phosphorous varies from 3.81 to 32.71 mg.g sup(-1) and from 0.46 to 6.74 mg.g sup(-1) respectively. A...

  20. Identification of genotypic variation for nitrogen response in potato (Solanum tuberosum) under low nitrogen input circumstances

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tiemens-Hulscher, M.; Lammerts Van Bueren, E.; Struik, P.C.

    2009-01-01

    Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for crop growth. The demand for nitrogen in the potato crop is relatively high. However, in organic farming nitrogen input is rather limited, compared with conventional farming. In this research nine potato varieties were tested at three nitrogen levels. Genotypic

  1. Stable isotope compositions of organic carbon and contents of organic carbon and nitrogen of lacustrine sediments from sub-arid northern Tanzania

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muzuka, A.N.N.

    2006-01-01

    The stable isotope compositions of organic carbon (OC), and contents of OC and nitrogen for four sediment cores recovered from lakes Makat (located in the Ngorongoro Crater), Ndutu and Masek (located in the Serengeti Plains) are used to document sources of organic matter (OM) and climatic changes in sub-arid northern Tanzania during the late Pleistocene-Holocene period. Accelerate mass spectrometer (AMS) 14 C ages on total OM for sediments collected from the Ngorongoro Crater Lake indicate that the sedimentation rate is approximately 17 cm/ka. The δ 13 C values from the 20 cm long core (short core) show a downcore increase, whereas that of 500 cm long core (long core), show two peaks enriched in 13 C and three peaks depleted in 13 C. A general downcore increase in the δ 13 C values for the short core suggests changes in the relative proportion of C 3 and C 4 fraction increasing downcore. Similarly, low and high peaks in the long core suggest changes in the relative proportion of C 3 and C 4 with low values having high proportion of C 3 type of material, probably indicating changes in precipitation and lake levels in the area. Deposition of OM depleted in 13 C took place during periods of high precipitation and high lake levels. Although high content of OC and nitrogen in some core sections are associated with elevated C/N ratio values, diagenetic alteration of isotope signature is unlikely to have caused OC and isotope enrichment in sections having high contents of OC and nitrogen. The OC isotope record from Lake Ndutu shows a general downcore decrease in δ 13 C values and contents of OC and nitrogen. (author)

  2. Amount, composition and seasonality of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen export from agriculture in contrasting climates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Graeber, Daniel; Meerhof, Mariana; Zwirnmann, Elke

    2014-01-01

    Agricultural catchments are potentially important but often neglected sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM), of which a large part is dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON). DOC is an important source of aquatic microbial respiration and DON may be an important source of nitrogen...... to aquatic ecosystems. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive studies on the amount, composition and seasonality of DOM export from agricultural catchments in different climates. The aim of our study was to assess the amount, composition and seasonality of DOM in a total of four streams in the wet......-temperate and subtropical climate of Denmark and Uruguay, respectively. In each climate, we investigated one stream with extensive agriculture (mostly pasture) and one stream with intensive agriculture (mostly intensively used arable land) in the catchment. We sampled each stream taking grab samples fortnightly for two...

  3. Mutual Dependence Between Sedimentary Organic Carbon and Infaunal Macrobenthos Resolved by Mechanistic Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wenyan; Wirtz, Kai

    2017-10-01

    The mutual dependence between sedimentary total organic carbon (TOC) and infaunal macrobenthos is here quantified by a mechanistic model. The model describes (i) the vertical distribution of infaunal macrobenthic biomass resulting from a trade-off between nutritional benefit (quantity and quality of TOC) and the costs of burial (respiration) and mortality, and (ii) the variable vertical distribution of TOC being in turn shaped by bioturbation of local macrobenthos. In contrast to conventional approaches, our model emphasizes variations of bioturbation both spatially and temporally depending on local food resources and macrobenthic biomass. Our implementation of the dynamic interaction between TOC and infaunal macrobenthos is able to capture a temporal benthic response to both depositional and erosional environments and provides improved estimates of the material exchange flux at the sediment-water interface. Applications to literature data for the North Sea demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of the model and its potential as an analysis tool for the status of TOC and macrobenthos in marine sediments. Results indicate that the vertical distribution of infaunal biomass is shaped by both the quantity and the quality of OC, while the community structure is determined only by the quality of OC. Bioturbation intensity may differ by 1 order of magnitude over different seasons owing to variations in the OC input, resulting in a significant modulation on the distribution of OC. Our relatively simple implementation may further improve models of early diagenesis and marine food web dynamics by mechanistically connecting the vertical distribution of both TOC and macrobenthic biomass.

  4. Sedimentary Geology Context and Challenges for Cyberinfrastructure Data Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, M. A.; Budd, D. A.

    2014-12-01

    A cyberinfrastructure data management system for sedimentary geology is crucial to multiple facets of interdisciplinary Earth science research, as sedimentary systems form the deep-time framework for many geoscience communities. The breadth and depth of the sedimentary field spans research on the processes that form, shape and affect the Earth's sedimentary crust and distribute resources such as hydrocarbons, coal, and water. The sedimentary record is used by Earth scientists to explore questions such as the continental crust evolution, dynamics of Earth's past climates and oceans, evolution of the biosphere, and the human interface with Earth surface processes. Major challenges to a data management system for sedimentary geology are the volume and diversity of field, analytical, and experimental data, along with many types of physical objects. Objects include rock samples, biological specimens, cores, and photographs. Field data runs the gamut from discrete location and spatial orientation to vertical records of bed thickness, textures, color, sedimentary structures, and grain types. Ex situ information can include geochemistry, mineralogy, petrophysics, chronologic, and paleobiologic data. All data types cover multiple order-of-magnitude scales, often requiring correlation of the multiple scales with varying degrees of resolution. The stratigraphic framework needs dimensional context with locality, time, space, and depth relationships. A significant challenge is that physical objects represent discrete values at specific points, but measured stratigraphic sections are continuous. In many cases, field data is not easily quantified, and determining uncertainty can be difficult. Despite many possible hurdles, the sedimentary community is anxious to embrace geoinformatic resources that can provide better tools to integrate the many data types, create better search capabilities, and equip our communities to conduct high-impact science at unprecedented levels.

  5. The effect of hydraulic lift on organic matter decomposition, soil nitrogen cycling, and nitrogen acquisition by a grass species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armas, Cristina; Kim, John H; Bleby, Timothy M; Jackson, Robert B

    2012-01-01

    Hydraulic lift (HL) is the passive movement of water through plant roots, driven by gradients in water potential. The greater soil-water availability resulting from HL may in principle lead to higher plant nutrient uptake, but the evidence for this hypothesis is not universally supported by current experiments. We grew a grass species common in North America in two-layer pots with three treatments: (1) the lower layer watered, the upper one unwatered (HL), (2) both layers watered (W), and (3) the lower layer watered, the upper one unwatered, but with continuous light 24 h a day to limit HL (no-HL). We inserted ingrowth cores filled with enriched-nitrogen organic matter ((15)N-OM) in the upper layer and tested whether decomposition, mineralization and uptake of (15)N were higher in plants performing HL than in plants without HL. Soils in the upper layer were significantly wetter in the HL treatment than in the no-HL treatment. Decomposition rates were similar in the W and HL treatments and lower in no-HL. On average, the concentration of NH(4)(+)-N in ingrowth cores was highest in the W treatment, and NO(3)(-)-N concentrations were highest in the no-HL treatment, with HL having intermediate values for both, suggesting differential mineralization of organic N among treatments. Aboveground biomass, leaf (15)N contents and the (15)N uptake in aboveground tissues were higher in W and HL than in no-HL, indicating higher nutrient uptake and improved N status of plants performing HL. However, there were no differences in total root nitrogen content or (15)N uptake by roots, indicating that HL affected plant allocation of acquired N to photosynthetic tissues. Our evidence for the role of HL in organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling suggests that HL could have positive effects on plant nutrient dynamics and nutrient turnover.

  6. Synergic Adsorption–Biodegradation by an Advanced Carrier for Enhanced Removal of High-Strength Nitrogen and Refractory Organics

    KAUST Repository

    Ahmad, Muhammad; Liu, Sitong; Mahmood, Nasir; Mahmood, Asif; Ali, Muhammad; Zheng, Maosheng; Ni, Jinren

    2017-01-01

    Coking wastewater contains not only high-strength nitrogen but also toxic biorefractory organics. This study presents simultaneous removal of high-strength quinoline, carbon, and ammonium in coking wastewater by immobilized bacterial communities

  7. Geochemistry of sedimentary carbonates

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Morse, John W; Mackenzie, Fred T

    1990-01-01

    .... The last major section is two chapters on the global cycle of carbon and human intervention, and the role of sedimentary carbonates as indicators of stability and changes in Earth's surface environment...

  8. Geologic processes and sedimentary system on Mars

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lewis, A S

    1988-01-01

    The subject is covered under following headings: (1) morphology and processes at the martian surface (impact craters, water and ice, landslide, aeolian processes, volcanism, chemical weathering); (2) the sedimentary system (martian geologic documentation, sedimentary balance, regolith, pyroclastics, erosion phenomena, deposit and loss of sediments) as well as (3) summary and final remarks. 72 refs.

  9. Soil Minerals: AN Overlooked Mediator of Plant-Microbe Competition for Organic Nitrogen in the Rhizosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grandy, S.; Jilling, A.; Keiluweit, M.

    2016-12-01

    Recent research on the rate limiting steps in soil nitrogen (N) availability have shifted in focus from mineralization to soil organic matter (SOM) depolymerization. To that end, Schimel and Bennett (2004) argued that together with enzymatic breakdown of polymers to monomers, microsite processes and plant-microbial competition collectively drive N cycling. Here we present new conceptual models arguing that while depolymerization is a critical first step, mineral-organic associations may ultimately regulate the provisioning of bioavailable organic N, especially in the rhizosphere. Mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) is a rich reservoir for N in soils and often holds 5-7x more N than particulate or labile fractions. However, MAOM is considered largely unavailable to plants as a source of N due to the physicochemical forces on mineral surfaces that stabilize organic matter. We argue that in rhizosphere hotspots, MAOM is in fact a potentially mineralizable and important source of nitrogen for plants. Several biochemical strategies enable plants and microbes to compete with mineral-organic interactions and effectively access MAOM. In particular, root-deposited low molecular weight compounds in the form of root exudates facilitate the biotic and abiotic destabilization and subsequent bioavailability of MAOM. We believe that the competitive balance between the potential fates of assimilable organic N — bound to mineral surfaces or dissolved and available for assimilation — depends on the specific interaction between and properties of the clay, soil solution, mineral-bound organic matter, and microbial community. For this reason, the plant-soil-MAOM interplay is enhanced in rhizosphere hotspots relative to non-rhizosphere environments, and likely strongly regulates plant-microbe competition for N. If these hypotheses are true, we need to reconsider potential soil N cycle responses to changes in climate and land use intensity, focusing on the processes by which

  10. The Influence of Leaf Fall and Organic Carbon Availability on Nitrogen Cycling in a Headwater Stream

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, S. A.; Kristin, A.; Doyle, B.; Goodale, C. L.; Gurwick, N. P.; Lepak, J.; Kulkari, M.; McIntyre, P.; McCalley, C.; Raciti, S.; Simkin, S.; Warren, D.; Weiss, M.

    2005-05-01

    The study of allochthonous carbon has a long and distinguished history in stream ecology. Despite this legacy, relatively little is known regarding the influence of leaf litter on nutrient dynamics. We conducted 15N-NO3 tracer additions to a headwater stream in upstate New York before and after autumn leaf fall to assess the influence of leaf litter on nitrogen spiraling. In addition, we amended the stream with labile dissolved organic carbon (as acetate) midway through each experiment to examine whether organic carbon availability differentially stimulated nitrogen cycling. Leaf standing stocks increased from 53 to 175 g dry mass m-2 and discharge more than tripled (6 to 20 L s-1) between the pre- and post-leaf fall period. In contrast, nitrate concentration fell from approximately 50 to less then 10 ug L-1. Despite higher discharge, uptake length was shorter following leaf fall under both ambient (250 and 72 m, respectively) and DOC amended (125 and 45 m) conditions. Uptake velocity increased dramatically following leaf fall, despite a slight decline in the areal uptake rate. Dissolved N2 gas samples were also collected to estimate denitrification rates under each experimental condition. The temporal extent of increased nitrogen retention will also be explored.

  11. Dynamics of nitrogen in an oxic paleudalf soil with the incorporation of 15N-tagged organic nitrogen (maize straw) and 15N-tagged mineral nitrogen (ammonium sulphate)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freitas, J.R. de.

    1984-12-01

    An experiment, carried out under field conditions in 12 lysimeters, each containing 3.0 ton of Oxic Paleudalf soil with four replicates, is described. This objective is labelling soil organic N. Nitrogen was incorporated into soil as maize straw, non-labelled and labelled with 15 N and ammonium sulphate - 15 N. The soil was sampled every 15 days in three different depths. N as NH + 4 , NO - 3 , total-N and (%)C and (%) moisture was analysed. (M.A.C.) [pt

  12. Growing media constituents determine the microbial nitrogen conversions in organic growing media for horticulture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grunert, Oliver; Reheul, Dirk; Van Labeke, Marie-Christine; Perneel, Maaike; Hernandez-Sanabria, Emma; Vlaeminck, Siegfried E; Boon, Nico

    2016-05-01

    Vegetables and fruits are an important part of a healthy food diet, however, the eco-sustainability of the production of these can still be significantly improved. European farmers and consumers spend an estimated €15.5 billion per year on inorganic fertilizers and the production of N-fertilizers results in a high carbon footprint. We investigated if fertilizer type and medium constituents determine microbial nitrogen conversions in organic growing media and can be used as a next step towards a more sustainable horticulture. We demonstrated that growing media constituents showed differences in urea hydrolysis, ammonia and nitrite oxidation and in carbon dioxide respiration rate. Interestingly, mixing of the growing media constituents resulted in a stimulation of the function of the microorganisms. The use of organic fertilizer resulted in an increase in amoA gene copy number by factor 100 compared to inorganic fertilizers. Our results support our hypothesis that the activity of the functional microbial community with respect to nitrogen turnover in an organic growing medium can be improved by selecting and mixing the appropriate growing media components with each other. These findings contribute to the understanding of the functional microbial community in growing media and its potential role towards a more responsible horticulture. © 2016 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  13. Nitrogen-modified carbon nanostructures derived from metal-organic frameworks as high performance anodes for Li-ion batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen, Cai; Zhao, Chongchong; Xin, Fengxia; Cao, Can; Han, Wei-Qiang

    2015-01-01

    Here, we report preparation of nitrogen-modified nanostructure carbons through carbonization of Cu-based metal organic nanofibers at 700 °C under argon gas atmosphere. After removal of copper through chemical treatment with acids, pure N-modified nanostructure carbon with a nitrogen content of 8.62 wt% is obtained. When use as anodes for lithium-ion battery, the nanostructure carbon electrode has a discharge capacity of 853.1 mAh g −1 measured at a current of 500 mA g −1 after 800 cycles.

  14. Western Canada Sedimentary Basin competitiveness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Millar, R.H.G.

    1996-01-01

    Recent dramatic expansion of the natural gas industry in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin provided ample proof of the potential of this area for further development of natural gas supply. However, the inherent competitive advantages provided by the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin were said to have been offset by low netback prices resulting in poor producer economics when competitiveness is measured by availability of opportunities to find and develop gas supply at costs low enough to ensure attractive returns. Technology was identified as one of the key elements in improving basin competitiveness, but the greatest potential lies in reduced transportation costs and increased access to North American market centres. 8 figs

  15. Effect of organic nitrogen concentration on the efficiency of trickling filters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopeć, Łukasz; Drewnowski, Jakub; Fernandez-Morales, F. J.

    2018-02-01

    The study was conducted in Poland at six selected wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) based on the trickling filters Bioclere® technology. The aim of the study was to find the relationship between the influent organic nitrogen concentration and the purification efficiency expressed as effluent COD concentration. In the tests performed, the COD to BOD5 relationship was close to 2 and the ratio of BOD5 to TN was lower than 4. The research indicated that this specific chemical composition of raw wastewater causes appearance of filamentous bacteria on the surface of trickling filter filling and strongly affect the effluent quality.

  16. Biological nitrogen fixation in three long-term organic and conventional arable crop rotation experiments in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pandey, Arjun; Li, Fucui; Askegaard, Margrethe

    2017-01-01

    Biological nitrogen (N) fixation (BNF) by legumes in organic cropping systems has been perceived as a strategy to substitute N import from conventional sources. However, the N contribution by legumes varies considerably depending on legumes species, as well as local soil and climatic conditions...

  17. Anthropogenic and natural variability in the composition of sedimentary organic matter of the urbanised coastal zone of Montevideo (Río de la Plata).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bueno, C; Brugnoli, E; Bergamino, L; Muniz, P; García-Rodríguez, F; Figueira, R

    2018-01-01

    This study is aimed to identify the different sources of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) within Montevideo coastal zone (MCZ). To this end δ 13 C, δ 15 N and C/N ratio were analysed in surface sediments and a sediment core. Sediment core analysis showed that until ~1950CE SOM was mainly marine, observing a shift towards lower δ 13 C in recent sediments, evidencing an estuarine composition. This trend was associated to the climatic variability, which exerted a major influence on the SOM composition, leading to an increased input of terrigenous material and associated anthropogenic contaminants. Surface sediments collected during different El Niño South Oscillation (ENSO) phases did not show inter-annual variability in SOM composition, which was mainly marine in both eastern and western region of MCZ and estuarine in Montevideo Bay. This spatial pattern provides new insights on the dynamics and factors affecting organic matter sources available for primary consumers along the study region. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Increasing plant use of organic nitrogen with elevation is reflected in nitrogen uptake rates and ecosystem delta15N.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Averill, Colin; Finzi, Adrien

    2011-04-01

    It is hypothesized that decreasing mean annual temperature and rates of nitrogen (N) cycling causes plants to switch from inorganic to organic forms of N as the primary mode of N nutrition. To test this hypothesis, we conducted field experiments and collected natural-abundance delta15N signatures of foliage, soils, and ectomycorrhizal sporocarps along a steep elevation-climate gradient in the White Mountains, New Hampshire, USA. Here we show that with increasing elevation organic forms of N became the dominant source of N taken up by hardwood and coniferous tree species based on dual-labeled glycine uptake analysis, an important confirmation of an emerging theory for the biogeochemistry of the N cycle. Variation in natural abundance foliar delta15N with elevation was also consistent with increasing organic N uptake, though a simple, mass balance model demonstrated that the uptake of delta15N depleted inorganic N, rather than fractionation upon transfer of N from mycorrhizal fungi, best explains variations in foliar delta15N with elevation.

  19. Sedimentary record of erg migration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, M. L.

    1986-06-01

    The sedimentary record of erg (eolian sand sea) migration consists of an idealized threefold division of sand-sea facies sequences. The basal division, here termed the fore-erg, is composed of a hierarchy of eolian sand bodies contained within sediments of the flanking depositional environment. These sand bodies consist of eolian strata deposited by small dune complexes, zibars, and sand sheets. The fore-erg represents the downwind, leading edge of the erg and records the onset of eolian sedimentation. Basin subsidence coupled with erg migration places the medial division, termed the central erg, over the fore-erg strata. The central erg, represented by a thick accumulation of large-scale, cross-stratified sandstone, is the product of large draa complexes. Eolian influence on regional sedimentation patterns is greatest in the central erg, and most of the sand transported and deposited in the erg is contained within this region. Reduction in sand supply and continued erg migration will cover the central-erg deposits with a veneer of back-erg deposits. This upper division of the erg facies sequence resembles closely the fore-erg region. Similar types of eolian strata are present and organized in sand bodies encased in sediments of the upwind flanking depositional environment(s). Back-erg deposits may be thin due to limited eolian influence on sedimentation or incomplete erg migration, or they may be completely absent because of great susceptibility to postdepositional erosion. Tectonic, climatic, and eustatic influences on sand-sea deposition will produce distinctive variations or modifications of the idealized erg facies sequence. The resulting variants in the sedimentary record of erg migration are illustrated with ancient examples from western North America, Europe, southern Africa, and South America.

  20. The nitrogen cycle on Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mancinelli, Rocco L.

    1989-01-01

    Nirtogen is an essential element for the evolution of life, because it is found in a variety of biologically important molecules. Therefore, N is an important element to study from a exobiological perspective. In particular, fixed nitrogen is the biologically useful form of nitrogen. Fixed nitrogen is generally defines as NH3, NH4(+), NO(x), or N that is chemically bound to either inorganic or organic molecules, and releasable by hydrolysis to NH3 or NH4(+). On Earth, the vast majority of nitrogen exists as N2 in the atmosphere, and not in the fixes form. On early Mars the same situations probably existed. The partial pressure of N2 on early Mars was thought to be 18 mb, significantly less than that of Earth. Dinitrogen can be fixed abiotically by several mechanisms. These mechanisms include thernal shock from meteoritic infall and lightning, as well as the interaction of light and sand containing TiO2 which produces NH3 that would be rapidly destroyed by photolysis and reaction with OH radicals. These mechanisms could have been operative on primitive Mars.The chemical processes effecting these compounds and possible ways of fixing or burying N in the Martian environment are described. Data gathered in this laboratory suggest that the low abundance of nitrogen along (compared to primitive Earth) may not significantly deter the origin and early evolution of a nitrogen utilizing organisms. However, the conditions on current Mars with respect to nitrogen are quite different, and organisms may not be able to utilize all of the available nitrogen.

  1. Nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide photocatalysts for visible response prepared by using organic compounds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoshio Nosaka, Masami Matsushita, Junichi Nishino and Atsuko Y. Nosaka

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to utilize visible light in photocatalytic reactions, nitrogen atoms were doped in commercially available photocatalytic TiO2 powders by using an organic compound such as urea and guanidine. Analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS indicated that N atoms were incorporated into two different sites of the bulk phase of TiO2. A significant shift of the absorption edge to a lower energy and a higher absorption in the visible light region were observed. These N-doped TiO2 powders exhibited photocatalytic activity for the decomposition of 2-propanol in aqueous solution under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity increased with the decrease of doped N atoms in O site, while decreased with decrease of the other sites. Degradation of photocatalytic activity based on the release of nitrogen atoms was observed for the reaction in the aqueous suspension system.

  2. Cotton responses to simulated insect damage: radiation-use efficiency, canopy architecture and leaf nitrogen content as affected by loss of reproductive organs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadras, V.O.

    1996-01-01

    Key cotton pests feed preferentially on reproductive organs which are normally shed after injury. Loss of reproductive organs in cotton may decrease the rate of leaf nitrogen depletion associated with fruit growth and increase nitrogen uptake and reduction by extending the period of root and leaf growth compared with undamaged plants. Higher levels of leaf nitrogen resulting from more assimilation and less depletion could increase the photosynthetic capacity of damaged crops in relation to undamaged controls. To test this hypothesis, radiation-use efficiency (RUE = g dry matter per MJ of photosynthetically active radiation intercepted by the canopy) of crops in which flowerbuds and young fruits were manually removed was compared with that of undamaged controls. Removal of fruiting structures did not affect RUE when cotton was grown at low nitrogen supply and high plant density. In contrast, under high nitrogen supply and low plant density, fruit removal increased seasonal RUE by 20–27% compared to controls. Whole canopy measurements, however, failed to detect the expected variations in foliar nitrogen due to damage. Differences in RUE between damaged and undamaged canopies were in part associated with changes in plant and canopy structure (viz. internode number and length, canopy height, branch angle) that modified light distribution within the canopy. These structural responses and their influence on canopy light penetration and photosynthesis are synthetised in coefficients of light extinction (k) that were 10 to 30% smaller in damaged crops than in controls and in a positive correlation between RUE−1 and k for crops grown under favourable conditions (i.e. high nitrogen, low density). Changes in plant structure and their effects on canopy architecture and RUE should be considered in the analysis of cotton growth after damage by insects that induce abscission of reproductive organs. (author)

  3. Net mineralization nitrogen and soil chemical changes with application of organic wastes with ‘Fermented Bokashi Compost’ - doi: 10.4025/actasciagron.v35i2.15133

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cácio Luiz Boechat

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The use of organic wastes in agricultural soils is one of the possible ways to employ these materials. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of organic wastes and Fermented Bokashi Compost (FBC, to establish the most efficient use of organic wastes for a soil, changing the net nitrogen mineralization and soil chemical properties. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 6 x 2 x 5 factorial, being five organic wastes plus an control (soil without waste, with or without FBC, evaluated at 0, 7, 42, 70 and 91 days of incubation, with three replicates, under laboratory conditions. The organic wastes enhanced the soil chemical properties and increased nitrogen concentration in soil. However, the net nitrogen mineralization was affected by C/N ratio of wastes and incubation time. The FBC mixed with the wastes accelerated and enhanced organic matter degradation, resulting in quickly available quantity of net nitrogen. The wastes can be considered potentially useful as organic fertilizer but their usefulness appears to depend on knowing the C/N ratio of each one. The FBC can be used when one wants a more accelerated degradation, resulting in a quicker quantity of available nutrients to the plants.

  4. Linking groundwater dissolved organic matter to sedimentary organic matter from a fluvio-lacustrine aquifer at Jianghan Plain, China by EEM-PARAFAC and hydrochemical analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Shuang-bing; Wang, Yan-xin; Ma, Teng; Tong, Lei; Wang, Yan-yan; Liu, Chang-rong; Zhao, Long

    2015-10-01

    The sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in groundwater are important to groundwater chemistry and quality. This study examined similarities in the nature of DOM and investigated the link between groundwater DOM (GDOM) and sedimentary organic matter (SOM) from a lacustrine-alluvial aquifer at Jianghan Plain. Sediment, groundwater and surface water samples were employed for SOM extraction, optical and/or chemical characterization, and subsequent fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) and parallel factor analyses (PARAFAC). Spectroscopic properties of bulk DOM pools showed that indices indicative of GDOM (e.g., biological source properties, humification level, aromaticity and molecule mobility) varied within the ranges of those of two extracted end-members of SOM: humic-like materials and microbe-associated materials. The coexistence of PARAFAC compositions and the sustaining internal relationship between GDOM and extracted SOM indicate a similar source. The results from principal component analyses with selected spectroscopic indices showed that GDOM exhibited a transition trend regarding its nature: from refractory high-humification DOM to intermediate humification DOM and then to microbe-associated DOM, with decreasing molecular weight. Correlations of spectroscopic indices with physicochemical parameters of the groundwater suggested that GDOM was released from SOM and was modified by microbial diagenetic processes. The current study demonstrated the associations of GDOM with SOM from a spectroscopic viewpoint and provided new evidence supporting SOM as the source of GDOM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Ecology of Thioploca spp.: nitrate and sulfur storage in relation to chemical microgradients and influence of Thioploca spp. on the sedimentary nitrogen cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zopfi, J; Kjaer, T; Nielsen, L P; Jørgensen, B B

    2001-12-01

    Microsensors, including a recently developed NO3(-) biosensor, were applied to measure O(2) and NO3(-) profiles in marine sediments from the upwelling area off central Chile and to investigate the influence of Thioploca spp. on the sedimentary nitrogen metabolism. The studies were performed in undisturbed sediment cores incubated in a small laboratory flume to simulate the environmental conditions of low O(2), high NO3(-), and bottom water current. On addition of NO3(-) and NO2(-), Thioploca spp. exhibited positive chemotaxis and stretched out of the sediment into the flume water. In a core densely populated with Thioploca, the penetration depth of NO3(-) was only 0.5 mm and a sharp maximum of NO3(-) uptake was observed 0.5 mm above the sediment surface. In sediments with only few Thioploca spp., NO3(-) was detectable down to a depth of 2 mm and the maximum consumption rates were observed within the sediment. No chemotaxis toward nitrous oxide (N2O) was observed, which is consistent with the observation that Thioploca does not denitrify but reduces intracellular NO3(-) to NH(4)(+). Measurements of the intracellular NO3(-) and S(0) pools in Thioploca filaments from various depths in the sediment gave insights into possible differences in the migration behavior between the different species. Living filaments containing significant amounts of intracellular NO3(-) were found to a depth of at least 13 cm, providing final proof for the vertical shuttling of Thioploca spp. and nitrate transport into the sediment.

  6. Study on evaluation method for heterogeneous sedimentary rocks based on forward model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masui, Yasuhiro; Kawada, Koji; Katoh, Arata; Tsuji, Takashi; Suwabe, Mizue

    2004-02-01

    It is very important to estimate the facies distribution of heterogeneous sedimentary rocks for geological disposal of high level radioactive waste. The heterogeneousness of sedimentary rocks is due to variable distribution of grain size and mineral composition. The objective of this study is to establish the evaluation method for heterogeneous sedimentary rocks based on forward model. This study consisted of geological study for Horonobe area and the development of soft wear for sedimentary model. Geological study was composed of following items. 1. The sedimentary system for Koetoi and Wakkanai formations in Horonobe area was compiled based on papers. 2. The cores of HDB-1 were observed mainly from sedimentological view. 3. The facies and compaction property of argillaceous rocks were studied based on physical logs and core analysis data of wells. 4. The structure maps, isochrone maps, isopach maps and restored geological sections were made. The soft wear for sedimentary model to show sedimentary system on a basin scale was developed. This soft wear estimates the facies distribution and hydraulic conductivity of sedimentary rocks on three dimensions scale by numerical simulation. (author)

  7. Metal-Organic-Framework-Mediated Nitrogen-Doped Carbon for CO2 Electrochemical Reduction

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Riming; Sun, Xiaohui; Ould-Chikh, Samy; Osadchii, Dmitrii; Bai, Fan; Kapteijn, Freek; Gascon, Jorge

    2018-01-01

    A nitrogen-doped carbon was synthesized through the pyrolysis of the well-known metal-organic framework ZIF-8, followed by a subsequent acid treatment, and has been applied as a catalyst in the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide. The resulting electrode shows Faradaic efficiencies to carbon monoxide as high as ∼78%, with hydrogen being the only byproduct. The pyrolysis temperature determines the amount and the accessibility of N species in the carbon electrode, in which pyridinic-N and quaternary-N species play key roles in the selective formation of carbon monoxide.

  8. Metal-Organic-Framework-Mediated Nitrogen-Doped Carbon for CO2 Electrochemical Reduction

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Riming

    2018-04-11

    A nitrogen-doped carbon was synthesized through the pyrolysis of the well-known metal-organic framework ZIF-8, followed by a subsequent acid treatment, and has been applied as a catalyst in the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide. The resulting electrode shows Faradaic efficiencies to carbon monoxide as high as ∼78%, with hydrogen being the only byproduct. The pyrolysis temperature determines the amount and the accessibility of N species in the carbon electrode, in which pyridinic-N and quaternary-N species play key roles in the selective formation of carbon monoxide.

  9. Identification of genotypic variation for nitrogen response in potato (Solanum tuberosum) under low nitrogen input circumstances

    OpenAIRE

    Tiemens-Hulscher, M.; Lammerts Van Bueren, E.; Struik, P.C.

    2009-01-01

    Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for crop growth. The demand for nitrogen in the potato crop is relatively high. However, in organic farming nitrogen input is rather limited, compared with conventional farming. In this research nine potato varieties were tested at three nitrogen levels. Genotypic variation for yield, leaf area index, period of maximum soil cover, sensitivity for N-shortage and nitrogen efficiency under low input circumstances was found. However, in these experiments varietie...

  10. Export of nitrogen from catchments: A worldwide analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alvarez-Cobelas, M.; Angeler, D.G.; Sanchez-Carrillo, S.

    2008-01-01

    This study reviews nitrogen export rates from 946 rivers of the world to determine the influence of quantitative (runoff, rainfall, inhabitant density, catchment area, percentage of land use cover, airborne deposition, fertilizer input) and qualitative (dominant type of forest, occurrence of stagnant waterbodies, dominant land use, occurrence of point sources, runoff type) environmental factors on nitrogen fluxes. All fractions (total, nitrate, ammonia, dissolved organic and particulate organic) of nitrogen export showed a left-skewed distribution, which suggests a relatively pristine condition for most systems. Total nitrogen export showed the highest variability whereas total organic nitrogen export comprised the dominant fraction of export. Nitrogen export rates were only weakly explained by our qualitative and quantitative environmental variables. Our study suggests that the consideration of spatial and temporal scales is important for predicting nitrogen export rates using simple and easy-to-get environmental variables. Regionally based modelling approaches prove more useful than global-scale analyses. - Spatial and temporal scales are important determinants for nitrogen export from catchments and emphasis should be put on regional approaches

  11. Highly functionalized organic nitrates in the southeast United States: Contribution to secondary organic aerosol and reactive nitrogen budgets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Ben H.; Mohr, Claudia; Lopez-Hilfiker, Felipe D.; Lutz, Anna; Hallquist, Mattias; Lee, Lance; Romer, Paul; Cohen, Ronald C.; Iyer, Siddharth; Kurtén, Theo; Hu, Weiwei; Day, Douglas A.; Campuzano-Jost, Pedro; Jimenez, Jose L.; Xu, Lu; Ng, Nga Lee; Guo, Hongyu; Weber, Rodney J.; Wild, Robert J.; Brown, Steven S.; Koss, Abigail; de Gouw, Joost; Olson, Kevin; Goldstein, Allen H.; Seco, Roger; Kim, Saewung; McAvey, Kevin; Shepson, Paul B.; Starn, Tim; Baumann, Karsten; Edgerton, Eric S.; Liu, Jiumeng; Shilling, John E.; Miller, David O.; Brune, William; Schobesberger, Siegfried; D' Ambro, Emma L.; Thornton, Joel A.

    2016-01-25

    Organic nitrates (ON = RONO2 + RO2NO2) are an important reservoir, if not sink, of atmospheric nitrogen oxides (NOx=NO+NO2). ON formed from isoprene oxidation alone are responsible for the export of 8 to 30% of anthropogenic NOx out of the U.S. continental boundary layer [Horowitz et al., 1998; Liang et al., 1998]. Regional NOx budgets and tropospheric ozone (O3) production, are therefore particularly sensitive to uncertainties in the yields and fates of ON [Beaver et al., 2012; Browne et al., 2013]. The yields implemented in modeling studies are determined from laboratory experiments in which only a few of the first generation gaseous ON or the total gas and particle-phase ON have been quantified [Perring et al., 2013 and references therein], while production of highly functionalized ON capable of strongly partitioning to the particle-phase have been inferred [Farmer et al., 2010; Ng et al., 2007; Nguyen et al., 2011; Perraud et al., 2012; Rollins et al., 2012], or directly measured [Ehn et al., 2014]. Addition of a nitrate (–ONO2) functional group to a hydrocarbon is estimated to lower the equilibrium saturation vapor pressure by 2.5 to 3 orders of magnitude [e.g. Capouet and Muller, 2006]. Thus, organic nitrate formation can potentially enhance particle-phase partitioning of hydrocarbons in regions with elevated levels of nitrogen oxides, contributing to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation [Ng et al., 2007]. There has, however, been no high time-resolved measurements of speciated ON in the particle-phase. We utilize a newly developed high-resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-CIMS) using Iodide-adduct ionization [B H Lee et al., 2014a] with a filter inlet for gases and aerosols (FIGAERO) [Lopez-Hilfiker et al., 2014] that allows alternating in situ measurement of the molecular composition of gas and particle phases. We present observations of speciated ON in the particle-phase obtained during the 2013 Southern Oxidant

  12. A dual-biomarker approach for quantification of changes in relative humidity from sedimentary lipid D∕H ratios

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. Rach

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Past climatic change can be reconstructed from sedimentary archives by a number of proxies. However, few methods exist to directly estimate hydrological changes and even fewer result in quantitative data, impeding our understanding of the timing, magnitude and mechanisms of hydrological changes. Here we present a novel approach based on δ2H values of sedimentary lipid biomarkers in combination with plant physiological modeling to extract quantitative information on past changes in relative humidity. Our initial application to an annually laminated lacustrine sediment sequence from western Europe deposited during the Younger Dryas cold period revealed relative humidity changes of up to 15 % over sub-centennial timescales, leading to major ecosystem changes, in agreement with palynological data from the region. We show that by combining organic geochemical methods and mechanistic plant physiological models on well characterized lacustrine archives it is possible to extract quantitative ecohydrological parameters from sedimentary lipid biomarker δ2H data.

  13. [Effects of nitrogen deposition on the concentration and spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter in soil solution in a young Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Xiao Chun; Chen, Yue Min; Yuan, Shuo; Zheng, Wei; Si, You Tao; Yuan, Zhi Peng; Lin, Wei Sheng; Yang, Yu Sheng

    2017-01-01

    To study the effects of nitrogen deposition on the concentration and spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the forest soil solution from the subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation, using negative pressure sampling method, the dynamics of DOM in soil solutions from 0-15 and 15-30 cm soil layer was monitored for two years and the spectroscopic features of DOM were analyzed. The results showed that nitrogen deposition significantly reduced the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and increased the aromatic index (AI) and the humic index (HIX), but had no significant effect on dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentration in both soil layers. There was obvious seasonal variation in DOM concentration of the soil solution, which was prominently higher in summer and autumn than in spring and winter.Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectrometry indicated that the DOM in forest soil solution had absorption peaks in the similar position of six regions, being the highest in wave number of 1145-1149 cm -1 . Three-dimensional fluorescence spectra indicated that DOM was mainly consisted of protein-like substances (Ex/Em=230 nm/300 nm) and microbial degradation products (Ex/Em=275 nm/300 nm). The availability of protein-like substances from 0-15 cm soil layer was reduced in the nitrogen treatments. Nitrogen deposition significantly reduced the concentration of DOC in soil solution, maybe largely by reducing soil pH, inhibiting soil carbon mineralization and stimulating plant growth. In particular, the decline of DOC concentration in the surface layer was due to the production inhibition of the protein-like substances and carboxylic acids. Short-term nitrogen deposition might be beneficial to the maintenance of soil fertility, while the long-term accumulation of nitrogen deposition might lead to the hard utilization of soil nutrients.

  14. Stable Isotopic Composition of Dissolved Organic Nitrogen Fueling Brown Tide in a Semi-Arid Texas Estuary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, J.; Felix, J. D. D.; Wetz, M.; Cira, E.

    2017-12-01

    Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have the potential to adversely affect the water quality of estuaries and, consequently, their ability to support healthy and diverse ecosystems. Since the early 1990s, Baffin Bay, a semi-arid south Texas estuary, has progressively experienced harmful algal blooms. The primary species of HAB native to the Baffin Bay region, Aureoumbra lagunensis, is unable to utilize nitrate as a nutrient source, but instead relies on forms of reduced nitrogen (such as dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and ammonium (NH4+)) for survival. DON levels in Baffin Bay (77 ± 10 µM) exceed the DON concentrations of not only typical Texas estuaries, but estuaries worldwide. Additionally, DON accounts for 90% of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) in Baffin Bay, followed by NH4+ at 8%, and NO3-+NO2- contributing 2%. Due to the dependence of A. lagunensis on the reduced forms of nitrogen as an energy source and the elevated concentrations of DON throughout the bay, it is important to identify the origin of this nitrogen as well as how it's being processed as it cycles through the ecosystem. The presented work investigates the stable isotopic composition of reactive nitrogen (Nr) (δ15N-DON, δ15N-NH4+, and δ15N-NO3-) in Baffin Bay samples collected monthly at nine stations over the period of one year. The work provides preliminary evidence of Nr sources and mechanisms driving favorable conditions for HAB proliferation. This information can be useful and applicable to estuarine ecosystems in various settings, advancing scientific progress towards mitigating blooms. Additionally, since the elevated concentrations of DON make Baffin Bay uniquely suited to investigate its sources and processing, this project will aid in characterizing the role of this largely unstudied form of Nr, which could provide insight and change perceptions about the role of DON in nitrogen dynamics.

  15. Extending the analytical window for water-soluble organic matter in sediments by aqueous Soxhlet extraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Frauke; Koch, Boris P.; Witt, Matthias; Hinrichs, Kai-Uwe

    2014-09-01

    Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in marine sediments is a complex mixture of thousands of individual constituents that participate in biogeochemical reactions and serve as substrates for benthic microbes. Knowledge of the molecular composition of DOM is a prerequisite for a comprehensive understanding of the biogeochemical processes in sediments. In this study, interstitial water DOM was extracted with Rhizon samplers from a sediment core from the Black Sea and compared to the corresponding water-extractable organic matter fraction (Soxhlet extraction, which mobilizes labile particulate organic matter and DOM. After solid phase extraction (SPE) of DOM, samples were analyzed for the molecular composition by Fourier Transform Ion-Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) with electrospray ionization in negative ion mode. The average SPE extraction yield of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in interstitial water was 63%, whereas less than 30% of the DOC in Soxhlet-extracted organic matter was recovered. Nevertheless, Soxhlet extraction yielded up to 4.35% of the total sedimentary organic carbon, which is more than 30-times the organic carbon content of the interstitial water. While interstitial water DOM consisted primarily of carbon-, hydrogen- and oxygen-bearing compounds, Soxhlet extracts yielded more complex FT-ICR mass spectra with more peaks and higher abundances of nitrogen- and sulfur-bearing compounds. The molecular composition of both sample types was affected by the geochemical conditions in the sediment; elevated concentrations of HS- promoted the early diagenetic sulfurization of organic matter. The Soxhlet extracts from shallow sediment contained specific three- and four-nitrogen-bearing molecular formulas that were also detected in bacterial cell extracts and presumably represent proteinaceous molecules. These compounds decreased with increasing sediment depth while one- and two-nitrogen-bearing molecules increased, resulting in a higher

  16. Nitrogen in Chinese coals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, D.; Lei, J.; Zheng, B.; Tang, X.; Wang, M.; Hu, Jiawen; Li, S.; Wang, B.; Finkelman, R.B.

    2011-01-01

    Three hundred and six coal samples were taken from main coal mines of twenty-six provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China, according to the resource distribution and coal-forming periods as well as the coal ranks and coal yields. Nitrogen was determined by using the Kjeldahl method at U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), which exhibit a normal frequency distribution. The nitrogen contents of over 90% Chinese coal vary from 0.52% to 1.41% and the average nitrogen content is recommended to be 0.98%. Nitrogen in coal exists primarily in organic form. There is a slight positive relationship between nitrogen content and coal ranking. ?? 2011 Science Press, Institute of Geochemistry, CAS and Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

  17. Evolution of nitrogen species in landfill leachates under various stabilization states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Renzun; Gupta, Abhinav; Novak, John T; Goldsmith, C Douglas

    2017-11-01

    In this study, nitrogen species in landfill leachates under various stabilization states were investigated with emphasis on organic nitrogen. Ammonium nitrogen was found to be approximately 1300mg/L in leachates from younger landfill units (less than 10years old), and approximately 500mg/L in leachates from older landfill units (up to 30years old). The concentration and aerobic biodegradability of organic nitrogen decreased with landfill age. A size distribution study showed that most organic nitrogen in landfill leachates is nitrogen (TON, mg/L-N, R 2 =0.88 and 0.98 for untreated and treated samples, respectively). The slopes of the regression curves of untreated (protein=0.45TON) and treated (protein=0.31TON) leachates indicated that the protein is more biodegradable than the other organic nitrogen species in landfill leachates. XAD-8 resin was employed to isolate the hydrophilic fraction of leachate samples, and it was found that the hydrophilic fraction proportion in terms of organic nitrogen decreased with landfill age. Solid-state 15 N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was utilized to identify the nitrogen species. Proteinaceous materials were found to be readily biodegradable, while heterocyclic nitrogen species were found to be resistant to biodegradation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Influence of basal application of organic wastes on absorption and translocation of 15N-tagged nitrogen fertilizer in tea plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Ikuo; Ikegaya, Kenjiro; Hiramine, Shigeo

    1979-01-01

    Influence of the basal application of rape seed oil cake and shavings pig manure compost on the absorption, translocation and utilization of top-dressed 15 N-tagged ammonium sulfate in tea plants were studied. Nitrogen uptake and dry weights of new shoots increased in rape seed oil cake and shavings pig manure compost treatments as compared with ammonium sulfate treatments. The high rate of nitrogen absorption per the weight of rootlets in rape seed oil cake treatments suggested that the enhanced root activity might contribute to the increase. And the increase in shavings pig manure compost treatments could be due to the increase of the quantity of rootlets. The absorbed tagged nitrogen was 34% of total absorbed nitrogen in rape seed oil cake treatments, and 67% in shavings pig manure treatments. The results suggested that available nitrogen contents in soil originated from the basal nitrogen might be low in shavings pig manure compost treatments in comparison with rape seed oil cake treatments. Total nitrogen and nitrogen contents of amino acid fraction of ''a bud and two leaves'' of new shoots were relatively high in shavings pig manure compost treatments. With the growth of new shoots, nitrogen contents of protein fraction decreased in old leaves, branches and trunks in ammonium sulfate and rape seed oil cake treatments. This fact suggested that the storage protein might be present in these organs. (author)

  19. Nitrogen fertilization of coffee: organic compost and Crotalaria juncea L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Batista Silva Araujo

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Information concerning the response of coffee to organic fertilizers is scarce. This study evaluates the effect of different doses of compost and Crotalaria juncea L. on growth, production and nitrogen nutrition of coffee trees. The treatments consisted of compost at rates of 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the recommended fertilization, with or without the aerial part of C. juncea. C. juncea was grown with NH4-N (2% 15N and applied to coffee. The use of C. juncea increased growth in height and diameter of the coffee canopy. In the first year, the percentage of N derived from C. juncea reached 8.5% at seven months and 4.1% at fifteen months after fertilization. In the second year, the percentage of N derived from C. juncea reached 17.9% N at the early harvest, five months after fertilization. Increased rates of compost increased pH , P , K , Ca , Mg , sum of bases , effective CEC, base saturation and organic matter and reduced potential acidity. 15N allowed the identification of the N contribution from C. juncea with percentage of leaf N derived from Crotalaria juncea from 9.2 to 17.9%.

  20. Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Keywords. Organic carbon; biogenic silica; seagrass; C/N ratio; Chilika lagoon. Abstract. The present study investigated the spatial and vertical distribution of organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and biogenic silica (BSi) in the sedimentary environments of Asia's largest brackish water lagoon.

  1. Influence of nitrogen and phosphorus sources on mycorrhizal lettuces under organic farming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scotti, Riccardo; Seguel, Alex; Cornejo, Pablo; Rao, Maria A.; Borie, Fernando

    2010-05-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) develop symbiotic associations with plants roots. These associations are very common in the natural environment and can provide a range of benefits to the host plant. AMF improve nutrition, enhance resistance to soil-borne pests and disease, increase resistance to drought and tolerance to heavy metals, and contribute to a better soil structure. However, agricultural intensive managements, such as the use of mineral fertilizes, pesticides, mouldboard tillage, monocultures and use of non-mycorrhizal crops, are detrimental to AMF. As a consequence, agroecosystems are impoverished in AMF and may not provide the full range of benefits to the crop. Organic farming systems may be less unfavourable to AMF because they exclude the use of water-soluble fertilisers and most pesticides, and generally they plan diverse crop rotations. The AMF develop the most common type of symbiosis in nature: about 90% of the plants are mycorrhizal and many agricultural crops are mycorrhizal. One of more mycorrhizal crops is lettuce, that is very widespread in intensive agricultural under greenhouse. Therefore, cultivated lettuce is know to be responsive to mycorrhizal colonization which can reach 80% of root length and contribute to phosphorus and nitrogen absorption by this plant specie. For this work four different lettuce cultivars (Romana, Milanesa, Grande Lagos and Escarola) were used to study mycorrhization under organic agricultural system, supplying compost from agricultural waste (1 kg m-2) as background fertilization for all plots, red guano as phosphorus source (75 U ha-1 and 150 U ha-1 of P2O5), lupine flour as nitrogen source (75 and 150 U/ha of N) and a combination of both. Lettuce plants were cultivated under greenhouse and after two months of growing, plants were harvested and dried and fresh weight of lettuce roots and shoots were evaluated. The number of spores, percentage of colonization, total mycelium and glomalin content were also

  2. Organic carbon and nitrogen export from a tropical dam-impacted floodplain system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zurbrügg, R.; Suter, S.; Lehmann, M. F.; Wehrli, B.; Senn, D. B.

    2013-01-01

    Tropical floodplains play an important role in organic matter transport, storage, and transformation between headwaters and oceans. However, the fluxes and quality of organic carbon (OC) and organic nitrogen (ON) in tropical river-floodplain systems are not well constrained. We explored the quantity and characteristics of dissolved and particulate organic matter (DOM and POM, respectively) in the Kafue River flowing through the Kafue Flats (Zambia), a tropical river-floodplain system in the Zambezi River basin. During the flooding season, > 80% of the Kafue River water passed through the floodplain, mobilizing large quantities of OC and ON, which resulted in a net export of 69-119 kg OC km-2 d-1 and 3.8-4.7 kg ON km-2 d-1, 80% of which was in the dissolved form. The elemental C : N ratio of ~ 20, the comparatively high δ13C values of -25‰ to -21‰, and its spectroscopic properties (excitation-emission matrices) showed that DOM in the river was mainly of terrestrial origin. Despite a threefold increase in OC loads due to inputs from the floodplain, the characteristics of the riverine DOM remained relatively constant along the sampled 410-km river reach. This suggests that floodplain DOM displayed properties similar to those of DOM leaving the upstream reservoir and implied that the DOM produced in the reservoir was relatively short-lived. In contrast, the particulate fraction was 13C-depleted (-29‰) and had a C : N ratio of ~ 8, which indicated that POM originated from phytoplankton production in the reservoir and in the floodplain, rather than from plant debris or resuspended sediments. While the upstream dam had little effect on the DOM pool, terrestrial particles were retained, and POM from algal and microbial sources was released to the river. A nitrogen mass balance over the 2200 km2 flooded area revealed an annual deficit of 15 500-22 100 t N in the Kafue Flats. The N isotope budget suggests that these N losses are balanced by intense N-fixation. Our

  3. Magmatism in the brazilian sedimentary basins and the petroleum geology; Magmatismo nas bacias sedimentares brasileiras e sua influencia na geologia do petroleo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomaz Filho, Antonio; Antonioli, Luzia [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Faculdade de Geologia]. E-mails: antoniothomaz@globo.com; antonioli@novanet.com.br; Mizusaki, Ana Maria Pimentel [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Inst. de Geociencias]. E-mail: ana.mizusaki@ufrgs.br

    2008-06-15

    In the recent years, the researches on the magmatic events that occurred in the Brazilian sedimentary basins had shown the importance of these episodes for the hydrocarbons exploration. The generation (heating), migration (structural and petrographic alterations), accumulation (basalt fractures) and migrations barriers (sills and dykes) of the hydrocarbons, produced for these rocks, are cited in the marginal and intra continental Brazilian basins. The magmatism produce the temperature increase in the sedimentary basin, around its intrusion, and this propitiate the maturation of the organic matter contained in the hydrocarbons generating rocks of the basin. At the same time, has been verified that the contacts dykes/sedimentary rocks can represent important ways for the hydrocarbons migrations. Recent studies have shown that the magmatism, in its extrusive manifestations, can be analyzed in view of the possibility of having acted as effective hydrocarbon seals and, in consequence, making possible the accumulation of hydrocarbons generated in the underlying sediments. The magmatism of predominantly basic to intermediary character is generated in the asthenosphere, that is, below the lithosphere. The dykes that had introduced in the basement of our sedimentary basins are good heat conductors and we can expect the geothermal gradients increase in the overlapped sedimentary deposits. The more detailed study of the magmatic processes in the Brazilian sedimentary basins must lead to new forms of hydrocarbons exploration in our sedimentary basins, also in those basins where the traditional exploration activities have not occasioned the waited expected successes. (author)

  4. Organic Nitrogen-Driven Stimulation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Hyphae Correlates with Abundance of Ammonia Oxidizers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bukovská, Petra; Gryndler, Milan; Gryndlerová, Hana; Püschel, David; Jansa, Jan

    2016-01-01

    Large fraction of mineral nutrients in natural soil environments is recycled from complex and heterogeneously distributed organic sources. These sources are explored by both roots and associated mycorrhizal fungi. However, the mechanisms behind the responses of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) hyphal networks to soil organic patches of different qualities remain little understood. Therefore, we conducted a multiple-choice experiment examining hyphal responses to different soil patches within the root-free zone by two AM fungal species (Rhizophagus irregularis and Claroideoglomus claroideum) associated with Medicago truncatula, a legume forming nitrogen-fixing root nodules. Hyphal colonization of the patches was assessed microscopically and by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) using AM taxon-specific markers, and the prokaryotic and fungal communities in the patches (pooled per organic amendment treatment) were profiled by 454-amplicon sequencing. Specific qPCR markers were then designed and used to quantify the abundance of prokaryotic taxa showing the strongest correlation with the pattern of AM hyphal proliferation in the organic patches as per the 454-sequencing. The hyphal density of both AM fungi increased due to nitrogen (N)-containing organic amendments (i.e., chitin, DNA, albumin, and clover biomass), while no responses as compared to the non-amended soil patch were recorded for cellulose, phytate, or inorganic phosphate amendments. Abundances of several prokaryotes, including Nitrosospira sp. (an ammonium oxidizer) and an unknown prokaryote with affiliation to Acanthamoeba endosymbiont, which were frequently recorded in the 454-sequencing profiles, correlated positively with the hyphal responses of R. irregularis to the soil amendments. Strong correlation between abundance of these two prokaryotes and the hyphal responses to organic soil amendments by both AM fungi was then confirmed by qPCR analyses using all individual replicate patch samples. Further

  5. Lithofacies-paleo-geography and uranium sedimentary facies in Hailar basin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi Fucheng

    1992-01-01

    Cretaceous-Tertiary sedimentary paleo-structure and lithofacies-paleo-geography in Hailar Basin are described. Taking Chenqi coal field as an example, the sedimentary facies pattern of coal-bearing series characterized by alternating sedimentation of fluviatile and lacustrine-swampy facies is reconstructed. It is pointed out that this sedimentary facies not only controls the sedimentation and distribution of syngenetic uranium mineralization, but also is a favourable place that converges uranium-bearing solution and reduces and precipitates uranium for the second time in epigenetic mineralization

  6. Assessment of free-living nitrogen fixing microorganisms for commercial nitrogen fixation. [economic analysis of ammonia production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stokes, B. O.; Wallace, C. J.

    1978-01-01

    Ammonia production by Klebsiella pneumoniae is not economical with present strains and improving nitrogen fixation to its theoretical limits in this organism is not sufficient to achieve economic viability. Because the value of both the hydrogen produced by this organism and the methane value of the carbon source required greatly exceed the value of the ammonia formed, ammonia (fixed nitrogen) should be considered the by-product. The production of hydrogen by KLEBSIELLA or other anaerobic nitrogen fixers should receive additional study, because the activity of nitrogenase offers a significant improvement in hydrogen production. The production of fixed nitrogen in the form of cell mass by Azotobacter is also uneconomical and the methane value of the carbon substrate exceeds the value of the nitrogen fixed. Parametric studies indicate that as efficiencies approach the theoretical limits the economics may become competitive. The use of nif-derepressed microorganisms, particularly blue-green algae, may have significant potential for in situ fertilization in the environment.

  7. Isotopic composition of skeleton-bound organic nitrogen in reef-building symbiotic corals: A new method and proxy evaluation at Bermuda

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, X. T.; Sigman, D. M.; Cohen, A. L.; Sinclair, D. J.; Sherrell, R. M.; Weigand, M. A.; Erler, D. V.; Ren, H.

    2015-01-01

    The skeleton-bound organic nitrogen in reef-building symbiotic corals may be a high-resolution archive of ocean nitrogen cycle dynamics and a tool for understanding coral biogeochemistry and physiological processes. However, the existing methods for measuring the isotopic composition of coral skeleton-bound organic nitrogen (hereafter, CS-δ15N) either require too much skeleton material or have low precision, limiting the applications of this relatively new proxy. In addition, the controlling factors on CS-δ15N remain poorly understood: the δ15N of source nitrogen and the internal nitrogen cycle of the coral/zooxanthellae symbiosis may both be important. Here, we describe a new ("persulfate/denitrifier"-based) method for measuring CS-δ15N, requiring only 5 mg of skeleton material and yielding a long-term precision better than 0.2‰ (1σ). Using this new method, we investigate CS-δ15N at Bermuda. Ten modern Diploria labyrinthiformis coral cores/colonies from 4 sampling sites were measured for CS-δ15N. Nitrogen concentrations (nitrate + nitrite, ammonium, and dissolved organic nitrogen) and δ15N of plankton were also measured at these coral sites. Among the 4 sampling sites, CS-δ15N shows an increase with proximity to the island, from ∼3.8‰ to ∼6.8‰ vs. atmospheric N2, with the northern offshore site having a CS-δ15N 1-2‰ higher than the δ15N of thermocline nitrate in the surrounding Sargasso Sea. Two annually resolved CS-δ15N time series suggest that the offshore-inshore CS-δ15N gradient has persisted since at least the 1970s. Plankton δ15N among these 4 sites also has an inshore increase, but of only ∼1‰. Coral physiological change must explain the remaining (∼2‰) inshore increase in CS-δ15N, and previous work points to the coral/zooxanthellae N cycle as a control on host tissue (and thus carbonate skeletal) δ15N. The CS-δ15N gradient is hypothesized to result mainly from varying efficiency in the internal nitrogen recycling of the

  8. Variation pattern of particulate organic carbon and nitrogen in oceans and inland waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Changchun; Jiang, Quanliang; Yao, Ling; Yang, Hao; Lin, Chen; Huang, Tao; Zhu, A.-Xing; Zhang, Yimin

    2018-03-01

    We examined the relationship between, and variations in, particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate organic nitrogen (PON) based on previously acquired ocean and inland water data. The latitudinal dependency of POC / PON is significant between 20 and 90° N but weak in low-latitude areas and in the Southern Hemisphere. The mean values of POC / PON in the Southern Hemisphere and Northern Hemisphere were 7.40 ± 3.83 and 7.80 ± 3.92, respectively. High values of POC / PON appeared between 80-90 (12.2 ± 7.5) and 70-80° N (9.4 ± 6.4), while relatively low POC / PON was found from 20 (6.6 ± 2.8) to 40° N (6.7 ± 2.7). The latitudinal variation of POC / PON in the Northern Hemisphere is much stronger than in the Southern Hemisphere due to the influence of more terrestrial organic matter. Higher POC and PON could be expected in coastal waters. POC / PON growth ranged from 6.89 ± 2.38 to 7.59 ± 4.22 in the Northern Hemisphere, with an increasing rate of 0.0024 km from the coastal to open ocean. Variations of POC / PON in lake water also showed a similar latitude-variation tendency of POC / PON with ocean water but were significantly regulated by the lakes' morphology, trophic state and climate. Small lakes and high-latitude lakes prefer relatively high POC / PON, and large lakes and low-latitude lakes tend to prefer low POC / PON. The coupling relationship between POC and PON in oceans is much stronger than in inland waters. Variations in POC, PON and POC / PON in inland waters should receive more attention due to the implications of these values for the global carbon and nitrogen cycles and the indeterminacy of the relationship between POC and PON.

  9. Energy transfer in Anabaena variabilis filaments adapted to nitrogen-depleted and nitrogen-enriched conditions studied by time-resolved fluorescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onishi, Aya; Aikawa, Shimpei; Kondo, Akihiko; Akimoto, Seiji

    2017-09-01

    Nitrogen is among the most important nutritious elements for photosynthetic organisms such as plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Therefore, nitrogen depletion severely compromises the growth, development, and photosynthesis of these organisms. To preserve their integrity under nitrogen-depleted conditions, filamentous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria reduce atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia, and self-adapt by regulating their light-harvesting and excitation energy-transfer processes. To investigate the changes in the primary processes of photosynthesis, we measured the steady-state absorption and fluorescence spectra and time-resolved fluorescence spectra (TRFS) of whole filaments of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis at 77 K. The filaments were grown in standard and nitrogen-free media for 6 months. The TRFS were measured with a picosecond time-correlated single photon counting system. Despite the phycobilisome degradation, the energy-transfer paths within phycobilisome and from phycobilisome to both photosystems were maintained. However, the energy transfer from photosystem II to photosystem I was suppressed and a specific red chlorophyll band appeared under the nitrogen-depleted condition.

  10. Effects of contrasting catch crops on nitrogen availability and nitrous oxide emissions in an organic cropping system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Xiaoxi; Petersen, Søren O; Sørensen, Peter

    2015-01-01

    Legume-based catch crops (LBCCs) may act as an important source of nitrogen (N) in organic crop rotations because of biological N fixation. However, the potential risk of high nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions needs to be taken into account when including LBCCs in crop rotations. Here, we report...

  11. Leaching of organic carbon and nitrogen from peatland-dominated catchments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kortelainen, P.

    1992-01-01

    The area of 13 study catchments is 2.5-56-3 km 2 and 37-87 % of the catchments is covered by peatlands. Ditching intensities varied from 0 to 100 %. Median total organic carbon (TOC) in runoff waters from the catchments was 10-30 mg/l - 1 and median nitrogen (N tot ) 380-1000 μg/1 -1 . The annual leaching of TOC and Ntot was calculated for five catchments for which daily runoff data was available. The range for mean annual leaching of TOC and N tot from the catchments was 4700-7300 kg/km 2 a and 190-250 kg/km -2 a -1 , respectively. The variation between different years was high and annual leaching was closely related to annual runoff. The regional variation in the leaching of TOC and N tot was small compared to the annual variation

  12. [Nitrogen Fraction Distributions and Impacts on Soil Nitrogen Mineralization in Different Vegetation Restorations of Karst Rocky Desertification].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Ning; Ma, Zhi-min; Lan, Jia-cheng; Wu, Yu-chun; Chen, Gao-qi; Fu, Wa-li; Wen, Zhi-lin; Wang, Wen-jing

    2015-09-01

    In order to illuminate the impact on soil nitrogen accumulation and supply in karst rocky desertification area, the distribution characteristics of soil nitrogen pool for each class of soil aggregates and the relationship between aggregates nitrogen pool and soil nitrogen mineralization were analyzed in this study. The results showed that the content of total nitrogen, light fraction nitrogen, available nitrogen and mineral nitrogen in soil aggregates had an increasing tendency along with the descending of aggregate-size, and the highest content was occurred in 5mm and 2-5 mm classes, and the others were the smallest. With the positive vegetation succession, the weight percentage of > 5 mm aggregate-size classes was improved and the nitrogen storage of macro-aggregates also was increased. Accordingly, the capacity of soil supply mineral nitrogen and storage organic nitrogen were intensified.

  13. An advanced technique for speciation of organic nitrogen in atmospheric aerosols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samy, S.; Robinson, J.; Hays, M. D.

    2011-12-01

    The chemical composition of organic nitrogen (ON) in the environment is a research topic of broad significance. The topic intersects the branches of atmospheric, aquatic, and ecological science; thus, a variety of instrumentation, analytical methods, and data interpretation tools have evolved for determination of ON. Recent studies that focus on atmospheric particulate nitrogen (N) suggest a significant fraction (20-80%) of total N is bound in organic compounds. The sources, bioavailability and transport mechanisms of these N-containing compounds can differ, producing a variety of environmental consequences. Amino acids (AA) are a key class of atmospheric ON compounds that can contribute to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation and potentially influence water cycles, air pollutant scavenging, and the radiation balance. AA are water-soluble organic compounds (WSOC) that can significantly alter the acid-base chemistry of aerosols, and may explain the buffering capacity that impacts heterogeneous atmospheric chemistry. The chemical transformations that N-containing organic compounds (including AA) undergo can increase the light-absorbing capacity of atmospheric carbon via formation of 'brown carbon'. Suggested sources of atmospheric AA include: marine surface layer transport from bursting sea bubbles, the suspension of bacteria, fungi, algae, pollen, spores, or biomass burning. Methodology for detection of native (underivatized) amino acids (AA) in atmospheric aerosols has been developed and validated (Samy et al., 2011). This presentation describes the use of LC-MS (Q-TOF) and microwave-assisted gas phase hydrolysis for detection of free and combined amino acids in aerosols collected in a Southeastern U.S. forest environment. Accurate mass detection and the addition of isotopically labeled surrogates prior to sample preparation allows for sensitive quantitation of target AA in a complex aerosol matrix. A total of 16 native AA were detected above the reporting

  14. Mineralization of nitrogen by protozoan activity in soil

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuikman, P.

    1990-01-01

    In general, more than 95% of the nitrogen in soils is present in organic forms. This nitrogen is not directly available to plants unless microbial decomposition takes place with the release of mineral nitrogen. In modern agriculture, nitrogen is often applied to arable soils as a fertilizer

  15. Archaen to Recent aeolian sand systems and their sedimentary record

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rodríguez-López, Juan Pedro; Clemmensen, Lars B; Lancaster, Nick

    2014-01-01

    The sedimentary record of aeolian sand systems extends from the Archean to the Quaternary, yet current understanding of aeolian sedimentary processes and product remains limited. Most preserved aeolian successions represent inland sand-sea or dunefield (erg) deposits, whereas coastal systems are ...

  16. The organic nature and atmosphere-climate dependency of nitrogen loss from forest watershed ecosystems

    OpenAIRE

    Brookshire, E. N. J.

    2006-01-01

    In this dissertation I describe how coupled internal cycling and external forcing from the atmosphere and climate can regulate the dynamics of nitrogen (N) loss from forest watersheds. I address three major gaps in our understanding of the global N cycle: 1) the role of dissolved organic N (DON) in internal N cycling in low-N ecosystems; 2) The influence of atmospheric pollution on DON production and loss from forests; and 3) the inherent climate sensitivity of forest N cycling and loss. In...

  17. Nitrogen fixation in Red Sea seagrass meadows

    KAUST Repository

    Abdallah, Malak

    2017-05-01

    Seagrasses are key coastal ecosystems, providing many ecosystem services. Seagrasses increase biodiversity as they provide habitat for a large set of organisms. In addition, their structure provides hiding places to avoid predation. Seagrasses can grow in shallow marine coastal areas, but several factors regulate their growth and distribution. Seagrasses can uptake different kinds of organic and inorganic nutrients through their leaves and roots. Nitrogen and phosphorous are the most important nutrients for seagrass growth. Biological nitrogen fixation is the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia by diazotrophic bacteria. This process provides a significant source of nitrogen for seagrass growth. The nitrogen fixation is controlled by the nif genes which are found in diazotrophs. The main goal of the project is to measure nitrogen fixation rates on seagrass sediments, in order to compare among various seagrass species from the Red Sea. Moreover, we will compare the fixing rates of the Vegetated areas with the bare sediments. This project will help to ascertain the role of nitrogen fixing bacteria in the development of seagrass meadows.

  18. Examining the role of dissolved organic nitrogen in stream ecosystems across biomes and Critical Zone gradients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wymore, A.; Rodriguez-Cardona, B.; Coble, A. A.; Potter, J.; Lopez Lloreda, C.; Perez Rivera, K.; De Jesus Roman, A.; Bernal, S.; Martí Roca, E.; Kram, P.; Hruska, J.; Prokishkin, A. S.; McDowell, W. H.

    2016-12-01

    Watershed nitrogen exports are often dominated by dissolved organic nitrogen (DON); yet, little is known about the role ambient DON plays in ecosystems. As an organic nutrient, DON may serve as either an energy source or as a nutrient source. One hypothesized control on DON is nitrate (NO3-) availability. Here we examine the interaction of NO3- and DON in streams across temperate forests, tropical rainforests, and Mediterranean and taiga biomes. Experimental streams also drain contrasting Critical Zones which provide gradients of vegetation, soil type and lithology (e.g. volcaniclastic, granitic, ultramafic, Siberian Traps Flood Basalt) in which to explore how the architecture of the Critical Zone affects microbial biogeochemical reactions. Streams ranged in background dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration (1-50 mg C/L) and DOC: NO3- ratios (10-2000). We performed a series of ecosystem-scale NO3- additions in multiple streams within each environment and measured the change in DON concentration. Results demonstrate that there is considerable temporal and spatial variation across systems with DON both increasing and decreasing in response to NO3- addition. Ecologically this suggests that DON can serve as both a nutrient source and an energy source to aquatic microbial communities. In contrast, DOC concentrations rarely changed in response to NO3- additions suggesting that the N-rich fraction of the ambient dissolved organic matter pool is more bioreactive than the C-rich fraction. Contrasting responses of the DON and DOC pools indicate different mechanisms controlling their respective cycling. It is likely that DON plays a larger role in ecosystems than previously recognized.

  19. MgO-templated nitrogen-containing carbons derived from different organic compounds for capacitor electrodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Konno, Hidetaka; Onishi, Hiroaki; Azumi, Kazuhisa [Laboratory of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628 (Japan); Yoshizawa, Noriko [Energy Technology Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8569 (Japan)

    2010-01-15

    Carbons containing nitrogen (C-N composites) were derived from three commercial organic compounds, poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), polyacrylamide (PAA), and trimethylolmelamine (TMM) using the MgO template method. The C-N composites formed in nitrogen at 700-1000 C had nitrogen content, W{sub N}, of 3-23 mass% and the specific surface area by N{sub 2} adsorption, S{sub BET}, of 60-2000 m{sup 2} g{sup -1} without activation. Generally high nitrogen content of the starting compound led to larger W{sub N}, but W{sub N} was not proportional to the N/C mole ratio in the compounds. The value of S{sub BET} strongly depended on the compound: S{sub BET} (PVP) > S{sub BET} (PAA) >> S{sub BET} (TMM). There was a tendency for W{sub N} to decrease with increasing S{sub BET}. The capacitance measured in 1 mol dm{sup -3} H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} by cyclic voltammetry, C{sub M} in F g{sup -1}, suggested that both W{sub N} and S{sub BET} are influential in gaining large C{sub M}. For the composites with W{sub N} > 5 mass%, the capacitance normalized by S{sub BET}, C{sub A} = C{sub M}/S{sub BET}, was 0.17-0.65 F m{sup -2}, which was larger than the electric double layer capacitance (0.05-0.15 F m{sup -2}), indicating that the pseudo-capacitance contributes significantly to C{sub M}. The value of C{sub A} increased with increasing W{sub N}, but a correlation between C{sub A} and particular nitrogen species on the surface measured by XPS was obscure. It was suggested that the large C{sub A} is not simply explained by redox reactions of the surface functional groups. The composite derived from PAA at 900 C showed 234 F g{sup -1} at 2 mV s{sup -1} and 181 F g{sup -1} at 100 mV s{sup -1} with acceptable yield of the composite. (author)

  20. On the application of the compartment theory to the modelling of the isotopic composition of nitrogen in its natural cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Winkler, E.; Wetzel, K.

    1979-01-01

    The compartment theory is presented as a means for mathematical modelling of isotope geochemical processes, taking into consideration isotopic effects. It is used to formulate a global model of the isotopic composition of nitrogen in its natural cycle, which consists of three pools connected by fluxes: nitrogen in magmatites, in the atmosphere, and in sedimentary rocks. A part from the simulation of the development of pool sizes, of delta 15 N values and of fluxes as functions of time through the history of the earth, contributions could be made to the solution of geochemical problems. The results of modelling indicate that the original atmosphere contained much less nitrogen than the present one (up to 10% of the present value), and that a nitrogen flux exists from the upper crust to the magmatites (about 6 . 10 5 tons/yr). (author)

  1. A seasonal nitrogen deposition budget for Rocky Mountain National Park.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benedict, K B; Carrico, C M; Kreidenweis, S M; Schichtel, B; Malm, W C; Collett, J L

    2013-07-01

    Nitrogen deposition is a concern in many protected ecosystems around the world, yet few studies have quantified a complete reactive nitrogen deposition budget including all dry and wet, inorganic and organic compounds. Critical loads that identify the level at which nitrogen deposition negatively affects an ecosystem are often defined using incomplete reactive nitrogen budgets. Frequently only wet deposition of ammonium and nitrate are considered, despite the importance of other nitrogen deposition pathways. Recently, dry deposition pathways including particulate ammonium and nitrate and gas phase nitric acid have been added to nitrogen deposition budgets. However, other nitrogen deposition pathways, including dry deposition of ammonia and wet deposition of organic nitrogen, still are rarely included. In this study, a more complete seasonal nitrogen deposition budget was constructed based on observations during a year-long study period from November 2008 to November 2009 at a location on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), Colorado, USA. Measurements included wet deposition of ammonium, nitrate, and organic nitrogen, PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microm, nitrate, and ammonium) concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, and organic nitrogen, and atmospheric gas phase concentrations of ammonia, nitric acid, and NO2. Dry deposition fluxes were determined from measured ambient concentrations and modeled deposition velocities. Total reactive nitrogen deposition by all included pathways was found to be 3.65 kg N x ha(-1) yr(-1). Monthly deposition fluxes ranged from 0.06 to 0.54 kg N x ha(-1)yr(-1), with peak deposition in the month of July and the least deposition in December. Wet deposition of ammonium and nitrate were the two largest deposition pathways, together contributing 1.97 kg N x ha(-1)yr(-1) or 54% of the total nitrogen deposition budget for this region. The next two largest deposition pathways were wet

  2. Nitrogen Isotopes and Chemocline Depth in Stratified Basins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulton, J. M.; Arthur, M. A.

    2006-12-01

    Black shale samples commonly have bulk δ15N values below 0‰, previously interpreted as the result of bacterial nitrogen fixation. In this study we examine the effect of chemocline depth on the δ15N values of water column particulate matter and sediments of two meromictic basins. In particular, we produced δ15N profiles of bulk Black Sea sediments, bulk sediments from Fayetteville Green Lake (FGL), and nutrients and particulates from FGL. We also analyzed pigments from FGL samples to trace the occurrences of deep-dwelling bacteria. Our results suggest that a shallow chemocline leads to relatively 15N-depleted sediments in the absence of nitrogen fixation, probably due to increased availability of ammonium for growth near the chemocline. FGL is meromictic with a shallow chemocline at 20 meters. Ammonium released in the monimolimnion and sediments supports productivity of cyanobacteria and purple (PSB) and green sulfur bacteria near and below the chemocline. The PSB at 20m generate 15N-depleted biomass (δ15N = -3‰), compared with 0 to 3‰ for deep water ammonium. High concentrations of Bchl a extracted from particulate matter at deeper depths, where high sulfide concentrations inhibit PSB growth, suggest that sinking particulate matter contains PSB biomass, transmitting the 15N-depleted signal to the sediments. The Black Sea chemocline depth has varied over the past 7500 years. Published biomarker and pyrite framboid size data suggest that a shallow chemocline persisted through much of the past 7500 years, except for three intervals when the chemocline was deeper than 205 meters. We have measured bulk δ15N on six cores spanning depths from 205 to 2088 meters. Each of the deep chemocline intervals coincides with basin-wide sedimentary δ15N values between 2 and 4‰, compared with values near or below 0‰ for periods characterized by a shallower chemocline. The most 15N-depleted values probably result from a much shallower chemocline than that at present

  3. Intense molybdenum accumulation in sediments underneath a nitrogenous water column and implications for the reconstruction of paleo-redox conditions based on molybdenum isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scholz, Florian; Siebert, Christopher; Dale, Andrew W.; Frank, Martin

    2017-09-01

    The concentration and isotope composition of molybdenum (Mo) in sediments and sedimentary rocks are widely used proxies for anoxic conditions in the water column of paleo-marine systems. While the mechanisms leading to Mo fixation in modern restricted basins with anoxic and sulfidic (euxinic) conditions are reasonably well constrained, few studies have focused on Mo cycling in the context of open-marine anoxia. Here we present Mo data for water column particulate matter, modern surface sediments and a paleo-record covering the last 140,000 years from the Peruvian continental margin. Mo concentrations in late Holocene and Eemian (penultimate interglacial) shelf sediments off Peru range from ∼70 to 100 μg g-1, an extent of Mo enrichment that is thought to be indicative of (and limited to) euxinic systems. To investigate if this putative anomaly could be related to the occasional occurrence of sulfidic conditions in the water column overlying the Peruvian shelf, we compared trace metal (Mo, vanadium, uranium) enrichments in particulate matter from oxic, nitrate-reducing (nitrogenous) and sulfidic water masses. Coincident enrichments of iron (Fe) (oxyhydr)oxides and Mo in the nitrogenous water column as well as co-variation of dissolved Fe and Mo in the sediment pore water suggest that Mo is delivered to the sediment surface by Fe (oxyhydr)oxides. Most of these precipitate in the anoxic-nitrogenous water column due to oxidation of sediment-derived dissolved Fe with nitrate as a terminal electron acceptor. Upon reductive dissolution in the surface sediment, a fraction of the Fe and Mo is re-precipitated through interaction with pore water sulfide. The Fe- and nitrate-dependent mechanism of Mo accumulation proposed here is supported by the sedimentary Mo isotope composition, which is consistent with Mo adsorption onto Fe (oxyhydr)oxides. Trace metal co-variation patterns as well as Mo and nitrogen isotope systematics suggest that the same mechanism of Mo delivery

  4. A predictive regression model for the geochemical variability of iron and manganese in a coral reef ecosystem

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Gopinath, A.; Kumar, N.C.; Jayalakshmy, K.V.; Padmalal, D.; Nair, S.M.

    This article focuses on the influence of nutrient forms (nitrogen/phosphorous forms) and parameters like pH and organic carbon in the distributional characteristics of two important trace metals, viz. iron and manganese, in different sedimentary...

  5. Organic carbon and nitrogen export from a tropical dam-impacted floodplain system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Zurbrügg

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Tropical floodplains play an important role in organic matter transport, storage, and transformation between headwaters and oceans. However, the fluxes and quality of organic carbon (OC and organic nitrogen (ON in tropical river-floodplain systems are not well constrained. We explored the quantity and characteristics of dissolved and particulate organic matter (DOM and POM, respectively in the Kafue River flowing through the Kafue Flats (Zambia, a tropical river-floodplain system in the Zambezi River basin. During the flooding season, > 80% of the Kafue River water passed through the floodplain, mobilizing large quantities of OC and ON, which resulted in a net export of 69–119 kg OC km−2 d−1 and 3.8–4.7 kg ON km−2 d−1, 80% of which was in the dissolved form. The elemental C : N ratio of ~ 20, the comparatively high δ13C values of −25‰ to −21‰, and its spectroscopic properties (excitation-emission matrices showed that DOM in the river was mainly of terrestrial origin. Despite a threefold increase in OC loads due to inputs from the floodplain, the characteristics of the riverine DOM remained relatively constant along the sampled 410-km river reach. This suggests that floodplain DOM displayed properties similar to those of DOM leaving the upstream reservoir and implied that the DOM produced in the reservoir was relatively short-lived. In contrast, the particulate fraction was 13C-depleted (−29‰ and had a C : N ratio of ~ 8, which indicated that POM originated from phytoplankton production in the reservoir and in the floodplain, rather than from plant debris or resuspended sediments. While the upstream dam had little effect on the DOM pool, terrestrial particles were retained, and POM from algal and microbial sources was released to the river. A nitrogen mass balance over the 2200 km2 flooded area revealed an annual deficit of 15 500–22 100 t N in

  6. Fate of bulk organic matter, nitrogen, and pharmaceutically active compounds in batch experiments simulating soil aquifer treatment (SAT) using primary effluent

    KAUST Repository

    Abel, Chol D T

    2013-06-30

    Reduction of bulk organic matter, nitrogen, and pharmaceutically active compounds from primary effluent during managed aquifer recharge was investigated using laboratory-scale batch reactors. Biologically stable batch reactors were spiked with different concentrations of sodium azide to inhibit biological activity and probe the effect of microbial activity on attenuation of various pollutants of concern. The experimental results obtained revealed that removal of dissolved organic carbon correlated with active microbial biomass. Furthermore, addition of 2 mM of sodium azide affected nitrite-oxidizing bacteria leading to accumulation of nitrite-nitrogen in the reactors while an ammonium-nitrogen reduction of 95.5 % was achieved. Removal efficiencies of the hydrophilic neutral compounds phenacetin, paracetamol, and caffeine were independent of the extent of the active microbial biomass and were >90 % in all reactors, whereas removal of pentoxifylline was dependent on the biological stability of the reactor. However, hydrophobic ionic compounds exhibited removal efficiency >80 % in batch reactors with the highest biological activity as evidenced by high concentration of adenosine triphosphate. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

  7. Fate of bulk organic matter, nitrogen, and pharmaceutically active compounds in batch experiments simulating soil aquifer treatment (SAT) using primary effluent

    KAUST Repository

    Abel, Chol D T; Sharma, Saroj K.; Maeng, Sungkyu; Magic-Knezev, Aleksandra; Kennedy, Maria Dolores; Amy, Gary L.

    2013-01-01

    Reduction of bulk organic matter, nitrogen, and pharmaceutically active compounds from primary effluent during managed aquifer recharge was investigated using laboratory-scale batch reactors. Biologically stable batch reactors were spiked with different concentrations of sodium azide to inhibit biological activity and probe the effect of microbial activity on attenuation of various pollutants of concern. The experimental results obtained revealed that removal of dissolved organic carbon correlated with active microbial biomass. Furthermore, addition of 2 mM of sodium azide affected nitrite-oxidizing bacteria leading to accumulation of nitrite-nitrogen in the reactors while an ammonium-nitrogen reduction of 95.5 % was achieved. Removal efficiencies of the hydrophilic neutral compounds phenacetin, paracetamol, and caffeine were independent of the extent of the active microbial biomass and were >90 % in all reactors, whereas removal of pentoxifylline was dependent on the biological stability of the reactor. However, hydrophobic ionic compounds exhibited removal efficiency >80 % in batch reactors with the highest biological activity as evidenced by high concentration of adenosine triphosphate. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

  8. Thermal degradation of the vapours of organic nitrogen compounds in the presence of the air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brault, A.; Chevalier, G.; Kerfanto, M.; Loyer, H.

    1983-04-01

    Following a quick survey of the literature on the products originated during the thermal degradation of some organic nitrogen compounds, the experimental results obtained by applying a technique previously used for other organic compounds are presented. The compounds investigated include: methyl and ethylamines at the origin of the bad smells of many gaseous wastes, trilaurylamine and tetraethylenediamine sometimes used in nuclear facilities. Attention is brought on the emission of noxious products during thermal degradation in the presence of the air, at various temperatures, viz. either usual combustion gases such as carbon monoxide, or nitro-derivatives such as hydrogen cyanide present whatever the compound investigated when temperatures are below 850 0 C [fr

  9. Organic sedimentation in modern lacustrine systems: A case study from Lake Malawi, East Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Geoffrey S.; Barry J. Katz,; Christopher A. Scholz,; Peter K. Swart,

    2015-01-01

    This study examines the relationship between depositional environment and sedimentary organic geochemistry in Lake Malawi, East Africa, and evaluates the relative significance of the various processes that control sedimentary organic matter (OM) in lacustrine systems. Total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations in recent sediments from Lake Malawi range from 0.01 to 8.80 wt% and average 2.83 wt% for surface sediments and 2.35 wt% for shallow core sediments. Hydrogen index (HI) values as determined by Rock-Eval pyrolysis range from 0 to 756 mg HC g−1 TOC and average 205 mg HC g−1 TOC for surface sediments and 228 mg HC g−1 TOC for shallow core samples. On average, variations in primary productivity throughout the lake may account for ~33% of the TOC content in Lake Malawi sediments (as much as 1 wt% TOC), and have little or no impact on sedimentary HI values. Similarly, ~33% to 66% of the variation in TOC content in Lake Malawi sediments appears to be controlled by anoxic preservation of OM (~1–2 wt% TOC), although some component of the water depth–TOC relationship may be due to physical sediment transport processes. Furthermore, anoxic preservation has a minimal effect on HI values in Lake Malawi sediments. Dilution of OM by inorganic sediment may account for ~16% of variability in TOC content in Lake Malawi sediments (~0.5 wt% TOC). The effect of inputs of terrestrial sediment on the organic character of surface sediments in these lakes is highly variable, and appears to be more closely related to the local depositional environment than the regional flux of terrestrial OM. Total nitrogen and TOC content in surface sediments collected throughout the lake are found to be highly correlated (r2 = 0.95), indicating a well-homogenized source of OM to the lake bottom. The recurring suspension and deposition of terrestrial sediment may account for significant amounts of OM deposited in offshore regions of the lake. This process effectively separates denser

  10. Technical Note: Comparison between a direct and the standard, indirect method for dissolved organic nitrogen determination in freshwater environments with high dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Graeber, Daniel; Gelbrecht, Jörg; Kronvang, Brian

    2012-01-01

    Research on dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in aquatic systems with high dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN, the sum of NO3–, NO2– and NH4+) concentrations is often hampered by high uncertainties regarding the determined DON concentration. The reason is that DON is determined indirectly...... accuracy at high DIN : TDN ratios, we investigated the DON measurement accuracy of this standard approach according to the DIN : TDN ratio and compared it to the direct measurement of DON by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) for freshwater systems. For this, we used standard compounds and natural samples...... separation of DON from DIN. For SEC, DON recovery rates were 91–108% for five pure standard compounds and 89–103% for two standard compounds, enriched with DIN. Moreover, SEC resulted in 93–108% recovery rates for DON concentrations of natural samples at a DIN : TDN ratio of 0.8 and the technique...

  11. Dissecting hormonal pathways in nitrogen-fixing rhizobium symbioses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zeijl, van Arjan

    2017-01-01

    Nitrogen is a key element for plant growth. To meet nitrogen demands, some plants establish an endosymbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing rhizobium or Frankia bacteria. This involves formation of specialized root lateral organs, named nodules. These nodules are colonized

  12. Sedimentary changes on the Southeastern Brazilian upper slope during the last 35,000 years

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michel M. Mahiques

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available A first evaluation of the sedimentary changes, including accumulation of inorganic and organic carbon on the upper slope off Southeastern Brazil under different climatic conditions, based on the analysis of a sedimentary core, is here presented. Results indicate that sedimentation rate as well sedimentary characteristics, including the nature of the organic carbon deposited during the LGM (Last Glacial Maximum, were different from the present deposition, indicating higher primary productivity during the LGM, to be accounted for by the higher values of marine organic carbon. Nevertheless, the higher values of Accumulation Rate of calcium carbonate and organic carbon can be credited to the higher values of the sedimentation rates. Conditions prevailing during Isotope Stage 3 may be considered intermediate as between the LGM and the present day. The conditions for a higher primary productivity associated with the deposition of finer terrigenous sediments may be explained as a response to the off shoreward displacement of the main flow of the Brazil Current.Este trabalho apresenta uma primeira avaliação das mudanças sedimentares, incluindo a acumulação de carbono orgânico e inorgânico, no talude continental superior do Brasil, sob diferentes condições climáticas, baseadas em análises de um testemunho. Os resultados indicam que a taxa de sedimentação, assim como as características sedimentares, incluindo a natureza do carbono orgânico depositado durante o UMG (Último Máximo Glacial, foram diferentes dos processos deposicionais atuais, indicando maior produtividade primária durante o UMG, como determinado pelos maiores valores de carbono orgânico marinho. Entretanto, os maiores valores de Taxa de Acumulação de carbonato de cálcio e carbono orgânico podem ser creditados aos valores mais altos de taxas de sedimentação. As condições prevalentes durante o Estágio Isotópico 3 podem ser consideradas intermediárias entre o UMG e

  13. PREDICTED SEDIMENTARY SECTION OF SUBGLACIAL LAKE VOSTOK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. I. Leychenkov

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available In early February 2012, the drill hole at the Vostok Station encountered theLakeVostokwater. This step is important to study the lake composition including possible microbial life and to model subglacial environments however, the next ambitious target of the Vostok Drilling Project is sampling of bottom sediments, which contain the unique record of ice sheet evolution and environmental changes in centralAntarcticafor millions of years. In this connection, the forecast of sedimentary succession based on existing geophysical data, study of mineral inclusions in the accretion ice cores and tectonic models is important task. Interpretation of Airborne geophysical data suggests thatLakeVostokis the part of spacious rift system, which exists at least from Cretaceous. Reflection and refraction seismic experiments conducted in the southern part ofLakeVostokshow very thin (200–300 m stratified sedimentary cover overlying crystalline basement with velocity of 6.0–6.2 km/s. At present, deposition in southernLakeVostokis absent and similar conditions occurred likely at least last3 m.y. when ice sheet aboveLakeVostokchanged insignificantly. It can be also inferred that from the Late Miocene the rate of deposition inLakeVostokwas extremely low and so the most of sedimentary section is older being possibly of Oligocene to early to middle Miocene age when ice sheet oscillated and deposition was more vigorous. If so, the sampling of upper few meters of this condensed section is very informative in terms of history of Antarctic glaciation. Small thickness of sedimentary cover raises a question about existence of lake (rift depression during preglacial and early glacial times.

  14. Study on investigation and evaluation methods of deep seated sedimentary rocks. Chemical weathering, pore water squeezing and relationships of physical properties of sedimentary rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oyama, Takahiro; Suzuki, Koichi

    2006-01-01

    Chemical weathering, porewater squeezing and physical properties for the sedimentary rocks were examined. Chemical weathering potential of rocks was described by the sulfur as a acceleration factor of weathering and carbonate contents as a neutralization factor of it. The carbonate contents in the rocks were measured accurately by the gas pressure measurement method. Pore water squeezing method was applied for the semi-hard sedimentary rocks (Opalinusclay). The chemical change of extracted pore water under high pressure conditions was estimated. Physical property of sedimentary rocks have relationship among the porosity and permeability and resistivity coefficient in the same rock types. It is possible to estimate the water permeability from the geophysical tests. (author)

  15. Terrestrial nitrogen cycles: Some unanswered questions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vitousek, P.

    1984-01-01

    Nitrogen is generally considered to be the element which most often limits the growth of plants in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. It regulates plant growth because photosynthetic rates are strongly dependent on the concentration of nitrogen in leaves, and because relatively large mounts of protein are required for cell division and growth. Yet nitrogen is abundant in the biosphere - the well-mixed pool in the atmosphere is considered inexhaustible compared to biotic demand, and the amount of already fixed organic nitrogen in soils far exceeds annual plant uptake in terrestrial ecosystems. In regions where natural vegetation is not nitrogen limited, continuous cultivation induces nitrogen deficiency. Nitrogen loss from cultivated lands is more rapid than that of other elements, and nitrogen fertilization is generally required to maintain crop yield under any continuous system. The pervasiveness of nitrogen deficiency in many natural and most managed sites is discussed.

  16. Building a Bridge to Deep Time: Sedimentary Systems Across Timescales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romans, B.; Castelltort, S.; Covault, J. A.; Walsh, J. P.

    2013-12-01

    It is increasingly important to understand the complex and interdependent processes associated with sediment production, transport, and deposition at timescales relevant to civilization (annual to millennial). However, predicting the response of sedimentary systems to global environmental change across a range of timescales remains a significant challenge. For example, a significant increase in global average temperature at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary (55.8 Ma) is interpreted to have occurred over millennial timescales; however, the specific response of sedimentary systems (e.g., timing and magnitude of sediment flux variability in river systems) to that forcing is debated. Thus, using such environmental perturbations recorded in sedimentary archives as analogs for ongoing/future global change requires improved approaches to bridging across time. Additionally, the ability to bridge timescales is critical for addressing other questions about sedimentary system behavior, including signal propagation and signal versus ';noise' in the record. The geologic record provides information that can be used to develop a comprehensive understanding of process-response behavior at multiple timescales. The geomorphic ';snapshot' of present-day erosional and depositional landscapes can be examined to reconstruct the history of processes that created the observable configurations. Direct measurement and monitoring of active processes are used to constrain conceptual and numerical models and develop sedimentary system theory. But real-time observations of active Earth-surface processes are limited to the very recent, and how such processes integrate over longer timescales to transform into strata remains unknown. At longer timescales (>106 yr), the stratigraphic record is the only vestige of ancient sedimentary systems. Stratigraphic successions contain a complex record of sediment deposition and preservation, as well as the detrital material that originated in long since denuded

  17. Mechanisms for Fe(III) oxide reduction in sedimentary environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nevin, Kelly P.; Lovely, Derek R.

    2002-01-01

    Although it was previously considered that Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms must come into direct contact with Fe(III) oxides in order to reduce them, recent studies have suggested that electron-shuttling compounds and/or Fe(III) chelators, either naturally present or produced by the Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms themselves, may alleviate the need for the Fe(III) reducers to establish direct contact with Fe(III) oxides. Studies with Shewanella alga strain BrY and Fe(III) oxides sequestered within microporous beads demonstrated for the first time that this organism releases a compound(s) that permits electron transfer to Fe(III) oxides which the organism cannot directly contact. Furthermore, as much as 450 w M dissolved Fe(III) was detected in cultures of S. alga growing in Fe(III) oxide medium, suggesting that this organism releases compounds that can solublize Fe(III) from Fe(III) oxide. These results contrast with previous studies, which demonstrated that Geobacter metallireducens does not produce electron-shuttles or Fe(III) chelators. Some freshwater aquatic sediments and groundwaters contained compounds, which could act as electron shuttles by accepting electrons from G. metallireducens and then transferring the electrons to Fe(III). However, other samples lacked significant electron-shuttling capacity. Spectroscopic studies indicated that the electron-shuttling capacity of the waters was not only associated with the presence of humic substances, but water extracts of walnut, oak, and maple leaves contained electron-shuttling compounds did not appear to be humic substances. Porewater from a freshwater aquatic sediment and groundwater from a petroleum-contaminated aquifer contained dissolved Fe(III) (4-16 w M), suggesting that soluble Fe(III) may be available as an electron acceptor in some sedimentary environments. These results demonstrate that in order to accurately model the mechanisms for Fe(III) reduction in sedimentary environments it will be necessary

  18. Nitrogen enrichment regulates calcium sources in forests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hynicka, Justin D.; Pett-Ridge, Julie C.; Perakis, Steven

    2016-01-01

    Nitrogen (N) is a key nutrient that shapes cycles of other essential elements in forests, including calcium (Ca). When N availability exceeds ecosystem demands, excess N can stimulate Ca leaching and deplete Ca from soils. Over the long term, these processes may alter the proportion of available Ca that is derived from atmospheric deposition vs. bedrock weathering, which has fundamental consequences for ecosystem properties and nutrient supply. We evaluated how landscape variation in soil N, reflecting long-term legacies of biological N fixation, influenced plant and soil Ca availability and ecosystem Ca sources across 22 temperate forests in Oregon. We also examined interactions between soil N and bedrock Ca using soil N gradients on contrasting basaltic vs. sedimentary bedrock that differed 17-fold in underlying Ca content. We found that low-N forests on Ca-rich basaltic bedrock relied strongly on Ca from weathering, but that soil N enrichment depleted readily weatherable mineral Ca and shifted forest reliance toward atmospheric Ca. Forests on Ca-poor sedimentary bedrock relied more consistently on atmospheric Ca across all levels of soil N enrichment. The broad importance of atmospheric Ca was unexpected given active regional uplift and erosion that are thought to rejuvenate weathering supply of soil minerals. Despite different Ca sources to forests on basaltic vs. sedimentary bedrock, we observed consistent declines in plant and soil Ca availability with increasing N, regardless of the Ca content of underlying bedrock. Thus, traditional measures of Ca availability in foliage and soil exchangeable pools may poorly reflect long-term Ca sources that sustain soil fertility. We conclude that long-term soil N enrichment can deplete available Ca and cause forests to rely increasingly on Ca from atmospheric deposition, which may limit ecosystem Ca supply in an increasingly N-rich world.

  19. Metabolism of organic acids, nitrogen and amino acids in chlorotic leaves of 'Honeycrisp' apple (Malus domestica Borkh) with excessive accumulation of carbohydrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Huicong; Ma, Fangfang; Cheng, Lailiang

    2010-07-01

    Metabolite profiles and activities of key enzymes in the metabolism of organic acids, nitrogen and amino acids were compared between chlorotic leaves and normal leaves of 'Honeycrisp' apple to understand how accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates affects the metabolism of organic acids, nitrogen and amino acids. Excessive accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates and much lower CO(2) assimilation were found in chlorotic leaves than in normal leaves, confirming feedback inhibition of photosynthesis in chlorotic leaves. Dark respiration and activities of several key enzymes in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, ATP-phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, citrate synthase, aconitase and isocitrate dehydrogenase were significantly higher in chlorotic leaves than in normal leaves. However, concentrations of most organic acids including phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), pyruvate, oxaloacetate, 2-oxoglutarate, malate and fumarate, and activities of key enzymes involved in the anapleurotic pathway including PEP carboxylase, NAD-malate dehydrogenase and NAD-malic enzyme were significantly lower in chlorotic leaves than in normal leaves. Concentrations of soluble proteins and most free amino acids were significantly lower in chlorotic leaves than in normal leaves. Activities of key enzymes in nitrogen assimilation and amino acid synthesis, including nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, ferredoxin and NADH-dependent glutamate synthase, and glutamate pyruvate transaminase were significantly lower in chlorotic leaves than in normal leaves. It was concluded that, in response to excessive accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates, glycolysis and TCA cycle were up-regulated to "consume" the excess carbon available, whereas the anapleurotic pathway, nitrogen assimilation and amino acid synthesis were down-regulated to reduce the overall rate of amino acid and protein synthesis.

  20. Laboratory Investigation of Mineralization of Refractory Nitrogen from Sewage Treatment Plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benoit, Gaboury; Wang, Peng

    2017-12-01

    Laboratory studies were conducted and modeled to evaluate whether refractory organic nitrogen in tertiary-treated wastewater effluent could become bioavailable by conversion to mineral forms. Multiday incubations of effluent collected from the Branford and New Haven, Connecticut, waste water treatment plants (WWTP) revealed low but steady conversion of organic nitrogen to nitrate (NO 3 - ). In Branford, the principal form of organic nitrogen was dissolved, and in New Haven it was particulate. Modeling suggested that in both the cases conversion to NO 3 - from organic forms occurred at several per cent per day, and appeared to happen via the intermediary NH 4 + . The results suggest that organic nitrogen may be an important source of bioavailable N, contributing to the problem of hypoxia in Long Island Sound and other estuaries.

  1. Laboratory Investigation of Mineralization of Refractory Nitrogen from Sewage Treatment Plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benoit, Gaboury; Wang, Peng

    2017-12-01

    Laboratory studies were conducted and modeled to evaluate whether refractory organic nitrogen in tertiary-treated wastewater effluent could become bioavailable by conversion to mineral forms. Multiday incubations of effluent collected from the Branford and New Haven, Connecticut, waste water treatment plants (WWTP) revealed low but steady conversion of organic nitrogen to nitrate (NO3 -). In Branford, the principal form of organic nitrogen was dissolved, and in New Haven it was particulate. Modeling suggested that in both the cases conversion to NO3 - from organic forms occurred at several per cent per day, and appeared to happen via the intermediary NH4 +. The results suggest that organic nitrogen may be an important source of bioavailable N, contributing to the problem of hypoxia in Long Island Sound and other estuaries.

  2. Stratigraphic sequence and sedimentary characteristics of Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in Sichuan Basin and its peripheral areas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuman Wang

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available A high-precision sedimentary environment study of the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation is an important subject for shale gas exploration and development in Sichuan Basin and its surrounding areas. On the basis of outcrops and drilling data, its isochronous stratigraphic framework was built according to a particular graptolite zone and an important marker bed, and lithofacies, paleontology, calcareous content, well logging, geochemistry and other geologic information were combined to describe the sedimentary microfacies of Longmaxi Formation and its stratigraphic sequence, sedimentary evolution process and high quality shale distribution features as follows: ① with regional diachronism of the top and the bottom, the Longmaxi Formation is divided into two third-order sequences (SQ1 and SQ2, of which SQ1 is mainly an abyssal sedimentary assemblage deposited in the marine transgression period, and SQ2 is a bathyal to shallow sea sedimentary assemblage deposited in the marine regression period; ② there are eight microfacies such as deep calcareous shelf and deep argillaceous shelf in this formation and the organic-rich shale was mainly deposited in the deep water area of SQ1; and ③ from SQ1 to SQ2, the depocenter moved from the depression area in southern-eastern to northern Sichuan Basin, but the central Sichuan uplift remained an underwater one. It is concluded from this study that: ① shale gas production layers were mainly deposited in SQ1, the southern-eastern depression area was the depocenter in SQ1 and a shale gas enrichment area; and ② black shale in northern Sichuan was deposited in late SQ2, with limited distribution and relatively insufficient exploration potential, but the potential of shale gas exploration in western Hubei area is between southern-eastern and northern Sichuan Basin.

  3. Application of /sup 14/C-dating to sedimentary geology and climatology: Sea-level and climate change during the Holocene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakai, Nobuyuki; Ohishi, Shyoji; Kuriyama, Toyoko; Nakamura, Toshio

    1987-11-01

    AMS /sup 14/C dating of small sized fossil shells, wood chips and sedimentary humic matter has been applied to the investigation of paleoclimatic and sea-level changes in the Holocene, using three estuarine and brackish lake sediment cores, drilled in Kawasaki city and Lake Hamanako, Japan. Precise and detailed ages at differing depths clarified large transitions of Holocene sedimentation rates, of two orders of magnitude. The vertical variation in delta/sup 13/C and C/N results for sedimentary organic matter, combined with AMS /sup 14/C ages, established continous climatic and sea-level fluctuation patterns through time and indicated the existence of neoglaciation coincident with the marine regression at 7500 to 7000 yr BP.

  4. The fate of fixed nitrogen in marine sediments with low organic loading: an in situ study

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bonaglia, Stefano; Hylén, Astrid; Rattray, Jane E.

    2017-01-01

    Given the increasing impacts of human activities on global nitrogen (N) cycle, investigations on N transformation processes in the marine environment have drastically increased in the last years. Benthic N cycling has mainly been studied in anthropogenically impacted estuaries and coasts, while its...... sediments worldwide (range 34–344 µmol N m−2 d−1). Anammox accounted for 18–26 % of the total N2 production. Absence of free hydrogen sulfide and low concentrations of dissolved iron in sediment pore waters suggested that denitrification and DNRA were driven by organic matter oxidation rather than...... chemolithotrophy. DNRA was as important as denitrification at a shallow, coastal station situated in the northern Bothnian Bay. At this pristine and fully oxygenated site, ammonium regeneration through DNRA contributed more than one third to the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) diffusing from the sediment...

  5. Elemental Geochemistry of Sedimentary Rocks at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLennan, S. M.; Anderson, R. B.; Bell, J. F.; Bridges, J. C.; Calef, F.; Campbell, J. L.; Clark, B. C.; Clegg, S.; Conrad, P.; Cousin, A.; Des Marais, D. J.; Dromart, G.; Dyar, M. D.; Edgar, L. A.; Ehlmann, B. L.; Fabre, C.; Forni, O.; Gasnault, O.; Gellert, R.; Gordon, S.; Grant, J. A.; Grotzinger, J. P.; Gupta, S.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Hurowitz, J. A.; King, P. L.; Le Mouélic, S.; Leshin, L. A.; Léveillé, R.; Lewis, K. W.; Mangold, N.; Maurice, S.; Ming, D. W.; Morris, R. V.; Nachon, M.; Newsom, H. E.; Ollila, A. M.; Perrett, G. M.; Rice, M. S.; Schmidt, M. E.; Schwenzer, S. P.; Stack, K.; Stolper, E. M.; Sumner, D. Y.; Treiman, A. H.; VanBommel, S.; Vaniman, D. T.; Vasavada, A.; Wiens, R. C.; Yingst, R. A.; Kemppinen, Osku; Bridges, Nathan; Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Minitti, Michelle; Cremers, David; Farmer, Jack; Godber, Austin; Wadhwa, Meenakshi; Wellington, Danika; McEwan, Ian; Newman, Claire; Richardson, Mark; Charpentier, Antoine; Peret, Laurent; Blank, Jennifer; Weigle, Gerald; Li, Shuai; Milliken, Ralph; Robertson, Kevin; Sun, Vivian; Baker, Michael; Edwards, Christopher; Farley, Kenneth; Griffes, Jennifer; Miller, Hayden; Newcombe, Megan; Pilorget, Cedric; Siebach, Kirsten; Brunet, Claude; Hipkin, Victoria; Marchand, Geneviève; Sánchez, Pablo Sobrón; Favot, Laurent; Cody, George; Steele, Andrew; Flückiger, Lorenzo; Lees, David; Nefian, Ara; Martin, Mildred; Gailhanou, Marc; Westall, Frances; Israël, Guy; Agard, Christophe; Baroukh, Julien; Donny, Christophe; Gaboriaud, Alain; Guillemot, Philippe; Lafaille, Vivian; Lorigny, Eric; Paillet, Alexis; Pérez, René; Saccoccio, Muriel; Yana, Charles; Armiens-Aparicio, Carlos; Rodríguez, Javier Caride; Blázquez, Isaías Carrasco; Gómez, Felipe Gómez; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Hettrich, Sebastian; Malvitte, Alain Lepinette; Jiménez, Mercedes Marín; Martínez-Frías, Jesús; Martín-Soler, Javier; Martín-Torres, F. Javier; Jurado, Antonio Molina; Mora-Sotomayor, Luis; Caro, Guillermo Muñoz; López, Sara Navarro; Peinado-González, Verónica; Pla-García, Jorge; Manfredi, José Antonio Rodriguez; Romeral-Planelló, Julio José; Fuentes, Sara Alejandra Sans; Martinez, Eduardo Sebastian; Redondo, Josefina Torres; Urqui-O'Callaghan, Roser; Mier, María-Paz Zorzano; Chipera, Steve; Lacour, Jean-Luc; Mauchien, Patrick; Sirven, Jean-Baptiste; Manning, Heidi; Fairén, Alberto; Hayes, Alexander; Joseph, Jonathan; Squyres, Steven; Sullivan, Robert; Thomas, Peter; Dupont, Audrey; Lundberg, Angela; Melikechi, Noureddine; Mezzacappa, Alissa; DeMarines, Julia; Grinspoon, David; Reitz, Günther; Prats, Benito; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Genzer, Maria; Harri, Ari-Matti; Haukka, Harri; Kahanpää, Henrik; Kauhanen, Janne; Kemppinen, Osku; Paton, Mark; Polkko, Jouni; Schmidt, Walter; Siili, Tero; Wray, James; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Poitrasson, Franck; Patel, Kiran; Gorevan, Stephen; Indyk, Stephen; Paulsen, Gale; Bish, David; Schieber, Juergen; Gondet, Brigitte; Langevin, Yves; Geffroy, Claude; Baratoux, David; Berger, Gilles; Cros, Alain; d'Uston, Claude; Lasue, Jérémie; Lee, Qiu-Mei; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Pallier, Etienne; Parot, Yann; Pinet, Patrick; Schröder, Susanne; Toplis, Mike; Lewin, Éric; Brunner, Will; Heydari, Ezat; Achilles, Cherie; Oehler, Dorothy; Sutter, Brad; Cabane, Michel; Coscia, David; Israël, Guy; Szopa, Cyril; Robert, François; Sautter, Violaine; Buch, Arnaud; Stalport, Fabien; Coll, Patrice; François, Pascaline; Raulin, François; Teinturier, Samuel; Cameron, James; DeLapp, Dorothea; Dingler, Robert; Jackson, Ryan Steele; Johnstone, Stephen; Lanza, Nina; Little, Cynthia; Nelson, Tony; Williams, Richard B.; Jones, Andrea; Kirkland, Laurel; Baker, Burt; Cantor, Bruce; Caplinger, Michael; Davis, Scott; Duston, Brian; Edgett, Kenneth; Fay, Donald; Hardgrove, Craig; Harker, David; Herrera, Paul; Jensen, Elsa; Kennedy, Megan R.; Krezoski, Gillian; Krysak, Daniel; Lipkaman, Leslie; Malin, Michael; McCartney, Elaina; McNair, Sean; Nixon, Brian; Posiolova, Liliya; Ravine, Michael; Salamon, Andrew; Saper, Lee; Stoiber, Kevin; Supulver, Kimberley; Van Beek, Jason; Van Beek, Tessa; Zimdar, Robert; French, Katherine Louise; Iagnemma, Karl; Miller, Kristen; Summons, Roger; Goesmann, Fred; Goetz, Walter; Hviid, Stubbe; Johnson, Micah; Lefavor, Matthew; Lyness, Eric; Breves, Elly; Fassett, Caleb; Blake, David F.; Bristow, Thomas; Edwards, Laurence; Haberle, Robert; Hoehler, Tori; Hollingsworth, Jeff; Kahre, Melinda; Keely, Leslie; McKay, Christopher; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Bleacher, Lora; Brinckerhoff, William; Choi, David; Dworkin, Jason P.; Eigenbrode, Jennifer; Floyd, Melissa; Freissinet, Caroline; Garvin, James; Glavin, Daniel; Harpold, Daniel; Jones, Andrea; Mahaffy, Paul; Martin, David K.; McAdam, Amy; Pavlov, Alexander; Raaen, Eric; Smith, Michael D.; Stern, Jennifer; Tan, Florence; Trainer, Melissa; Meyer, Michael; Posner, Arik; Voytek, Mary; Anderson, Robert C.; Aubrey, Andrew; Beegle, Luther W.; Behar, Alberto; Blaney, Diana; Brinza, David; Christensen, Lance; Crisp, Joy A.; DeFlores, Lauren; Ehlmann, Bethany; Feldman, Jason; Feldman, Sabrina; Flesch, Gregory; Jun, Insoo; Keymeulen, Didier; Maki, Justin; Mischna, Michael; Morookian, John Michael; Parker, Timothy; Pavri, Betina; Schoppers, Marcel; Sengstacken, Aaron; Simmonds, John J.; Spanovich, Nicole; Juarez, Manuel de la Torre; Webster, Christopher R.; Yen, Albert; Archer, Paul Douglas; Cucinotta, Francis; Jones, John H.; Niles, Paul; Rampe, Elizabeth; Nolan, Thomas; Fisk, Martin; Radziemski, Leon; Barraclough, Bruce; Bender, Steve; Berman, Daniel; Dobrea, Eldar Noe; Tokar, Robert; Williams, Rebecca M. E.; Cleghorn, Timothy; Huntress, Wesley; Manhès, Gérard; Hudgins, Judy; Olson, Timothy; Stewart, Noel; Sarrazin, Philippe; Vicenzi, Edward; Wilson, Sharon A.; Bullock, Mark; Ehresmann, Bent; Hamilton, Victoria; Hassler, Donald; Peterson, Joseph; Rafkin, Scot; Zeitlin, Cary; Fedosov, Fedor; Golovin, Dmitry; Karpushkina, Natalya; Kozyrev, Alexander; Litvak, Maxim; Malakhov, Alexey; Mitrofanov, Igor; Mokrousov, Maxim; Nikiforov, Sergey; Prokhorov, Vasily; Sanin, Anton; Tretyakov, Vladislav; Varenikov, Alexey; Vostrukhin, Andrey; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Wolff, Michael; Botta, Oliver; Drake, Darrell; Bean, Keri; Lemmon, Mark; Lee, Ella Mae; Sucharski, Robert; Hernández, Miguel Ángel de Pablo; Ávalos, Juan José Blanco; Ramos, Miguel; Kim, Myung-Hee; Malespin, Charles; Plante, Ianik; Muller, Jan-Peter; Navarro-González, Rafael; Ewing, Ryan; Boynton, William; Downs, Robert; Fitzgibbon, Mike; Harshman, Karl; Morrison, Shaunna; Dietrich, William; Kortmann, Onno; Palucis, Marisa; Williams, Amy; Lugmair, Günter; Wilson, Michael A.; Rubin, David; Jakosky, Bruce; Balic-Zunic, Tonci; Frydenvang, Jens; Jensen, Jaqueline Kløvgaard; Kinch, Kjartan; Koefoed, Asmus; Madsen, Morten Bo; Stipp, Susan Louise Svane; Boyd, Nick; Pradler, Irina; Jacob, Samantha; Owen, Tobias; Rowland, Scott; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Savijärvi, Hannu; Boehm, Eckart; Böttcher, Stephan; Burmeister, Sönke; Guo, Jingnan; Köhler, Jan; García, César Martín; Mueller-Mellin, Reinhold; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert; McConnochie, Timothy; Benna, Mehdi; Franz, Heather; Bower, Hannah; Brunner, Anna; Blau, Hannah; Boucher, Thomas; Carmosino, Marco; Atreya, Sushil; Elliott, Harvey; Halleaux, Douglas; Rennó, Nilton; Wong, Michael; Pepin, Robert; Elliott, Beverley; Spray, John; Thompson, Lucy; Williams, Joshua; Vasconcelos, Paulo; Bentz, Jennifer; Nealson, Kenneth; Popa, Radu; Kah, Linda C.; Moersch, Jeffrey; Tate, Christopher; Day, Mackenzie; Kocurek, Gary; Hallet, Bernard; Sletten, Ronald; Francis, Raymond; McCullough, Emily; Cloutis, Ed; ten Kate, Inge Loes; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Arvidson, Raymond; Fraeman, Abigail; Scholes, Daniel; Slavney, Susan; Stein, Thomas; Ward, Jennifer; Berger, Jeffrey; Moores, John E.

    2014-01-01

    Sedimentary rocks examined by the Curiosity rover at Yellowknife Bay, Mars, were derived from sources that evolved from an approximately average martian crustal composition to one influenced by alkaline basalts. No evidence of chemical weathering is preserved, indicating arid, possibly cold, paleoclimates and rapid erosion and deposition. The absence of predicted geochemical variations indicates that magnetite and phyllosilicates formed by diagenesis under low-temperature, circumneutral pH, rock-dominated aqueous conditions. Analyses of diagenetic features (including concretions, raised ridges, and fractures) at high spatial resolution indicate that they are composed of iron- and halogen-rich components, magnesium-iron-chlorine-rich components, and hydrated calcium sulfates, respectively. Composition of a cross-cutting dike-like feature is consistent with sedimentary intrusion. The geochemistry of these sedimentary rocks provides further evidence for diverse depositional and diagenetic sedimentary environments during the early history of Mars.

  6. Elemental geochemistry of sedimentary rocks at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLennan, S M; Anderson, R B; Bell, J F; Bridges, J C; Calef, F; Campbell, J L; Clark, B C; Clegg, S; Conrad, P; Cousin, A; Des Marais, D J; Dromart, G; Dyar, M D; Edgar, L A; Ehlmann, B L; Fabre, C; Forni, O; Gasnault, O; Gellert, R; Gordon, S; Grant, J A; Grotzinger, J P; Gupta, S; Herkenhoff, K E; Hurowitz, J A; King, P L; Le Mouélic, S; Leshin, L A; Léveillé, R; Lewis, K W; Mangold, N; Maurice, S; Ming, D W; Morris, R V; Nachon, M; Newsom, H E; Ollila, A M; Perrett, G M; Rice, M S; Schmidt, M E; Schwenzer, S P; Stack, K; Stolper, E M; Sumner, D Y; Treiman, A H; VanBommel, S; Vaniman, D T; Vasavada, A; Wiens, R C; Yingst, R A

    2014-01-24

    Sedimentary rocks examined by the Curiosity rover at Yellowknife Bay, Mars, were derived from sources that evolved from an approximately average martian crustal composition to one influenced by alkaline basalts. No evidence of chemical weathering is preserved, indicating arid, possibly cold, paleoclimates and rapid erosion and deposition. The absence of predicted geochemical variations indicates that magnetite and phyllosilicates formed by diagenesis under low-temperature, circumneutral pH, rock-dominated aqueous conditions. Analyses of diagenetic features (including concretions, raised ridges, and fractures) at high spatial resolution indicate that they are composed of iron- and halogen-rich components, magnesium-iron-chlorine-rich components, and hydrated calcium sulfates, respectively. Composition of a cross-cutting dike-like feature is consistent with sedimentary intrusion. The geochemistry of these sedimentary rocks provides further evidence for diverse depositional and diagenetic sedimentary environments during the early history of Mars.

  7. Synergic Adsorption–Biodegradation by an Advanced Carrier for Enhanced Removal of High-Strength Nitrogen and Refractory Organics

    KAUST Repository

    Ahmad, Muhammad

    2017-03-29

    Coking wastewater contains not only high-strength nitrogen but also toxic biorefractory organics. This study presents simultaneous removal of high-strength quinoline, carbon, and ammonium in coking wastewater by immobilized bacterial communities composed of a heterotrophic strain Pseudomonas sp. QG6 (hereafter referred as QG6), ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and anaerobic ammonium oxidation bacteria (anammox). The bacterial immobilization was implemented with the help of a self-designed porous cubic carrier that created structured microenvironments including an inner layer adapted for anaerobic bacteria, a middle layer suitable for coaggregation of certain aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and an outer layer for heterotrophic bacteria. By coating functional polyurethane foam (FPUF) with iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), the biocarrier (IONPs-FPUF) could provide a good outer-layer barrier for absorption and selective treatment of aromatic compounds by QG6, offer a conducive environment for anammox in the inner layer, and provide a mutualistic environment for AOB in the middle layer. Consequently, simultaneous nitrification and denitrification were reached with the significant removal of up to 322 mg L (98%) NH, 311 mg L (99%) NO, and 633 mg L (97%) total nitrogen (8 mg L averaged NO concentration was recorded in the effluent), accompanied by an efficient removal of chemical oxygen demand by 3286 mg L (98%) and 350 mg L (100%) quinoline. This study provides an alternative way to promote synergic adsorption and biodegradation with the help of a modified biocarrier that has great potential for treatment of wastewater containing high-strength carbon, toxic organic pollutants, and nitrogen.

  8. Synergic Adsorption-Biodegradation by an Advanced Carrier for Enhanced Removal of High-Strength Nitrogen and Refractory Organics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Muhammad; Liu, Sitong; Mahmood, Nasir; Mahmood, Asif; Ali, Muhammad; Zheng, Maosheng; Ni, Jinren

    2017-04-19

    Coking wastewater contains not only high-strength nitrogen but also toxic biorefractory organics. This study presents simultaneous removal of high-strength quinoline, carbon, and ammonium in coking wastewater by immobilized bacterial communities composed of a heterotrophic strain Pseudomonas sp. QG6 (hereafter referred as QG6), ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and anaerobic ammonium oxidation bacteria (anammox). The bacterial immobilization was implemented with the help of a self-designed porous cubic carrier that created structured microenvironments including an inner layer adapted for anaerobic bacteria, a middle layer suitable for coaggregation of certain aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and an outer layer for heterotrophic bacteria. By coating functional polyurethane foam (FPUF) with iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), the biocarrier (IONPs-FPUF) could provide a good outer-layer barrier for absorption and selective treatment of aromatic compounds by QG6, offer a conducive environment for anammox in the inner layer, and provide a mutualistic environment for AOB in the middle layer. Consequently, simultaneous nitrification and denitrification were reached with the significant removal of up to 322 mg L -1 (98%) NH 4 , 311 mg L -1 (99%) NO 2 , and 633 mg L -1 (97%) total nitrogen (8 mg L -1 averaged NO 3 concentration was recorded in the effluent), accompanied by an efficient removal of chemical oxygen demand by 3286 mg L -1 (98%) and 350 mg L -1 (100%) quinoline. This study provides an alternative way to promote synergic adsorption and biodegradation with the help of a modified biocarrier that has great potential for treatment of wastewater containing high-strength carbon, toxic organic pollutants, and nitrogen.

  9. Natural isotopic composition of nitrogen as a tracer of origin for suspended organic matter in the Scheldt estuary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mariotti, A.; Lancelot, C.; Billen, G.

    1984-01-01

    The natural isotopic composition of suspended particulate organic nitrogen was determined in the Southern Bight of the North Sea and in the Scheldt estuary. These data show that delta 15 N constitutes a convenient tracer of the origin of the suspended matter. In the winter, in the absence of intensive primary production, the suspended organic matter of the Scheldt estuary is a mixture of two components: a continental detrital component characterized by a low delta value of 1.5per mille and a marine component with a mean delta value of 8per mille. During the phytoplankton flowering period, lasting from early May to October, intensive primary production occurs throughout the estuary giving rise to a third source of organic matter. This material is characterized by high delta values reflecting the isotopic composition of ammonia, the nitrogenous nutrient assimilated by phytoplankton in the estuary. The nitrification process occuring in the mixing area of the Scheldt estuary leads to higher downstream delta values of ammonia (> 20per mille) which permits the distinction between estuarine from fresh-water phytoplankton. Simple isotopic budget calculations show that, both in the upstream part and in the downstream part, autochthonous phytoplanktonic material contributes a major part of the total suspended matter in the Scheldt estuary during summer. (author)

  10. Investigating Coccolithophorid Biology in the Sedimentary Laboratory

    Science.gov (United States)

    McClelland, H. L. O.; Barbarin, N.; Beaufort, L.; Hermoso, M.; Rickaby, R. E. M.

    2014-12-01

    Coccolithophores are the ocean's dominant calcifying phytoplankton; they play an important, but poorly understood, role in long-term biogeochemical climatic feedbacks. Calcite producing marine organisms are likely to calcify less in a future world where higher carbon dioxide concentrations will lead to ocean acidification (OA), but coccolithophores may be the exception. In coccolithophores calcification occurs in an intracellular vesicle, where the site of calcite precipitation is buffered from the external environment and is subject to a uniquely high degree of biological control. Culture manipulation experiments mimicking the effects of OA in the laboratory have yielded empirical evidence for phenotypic plasticity, competition and evolutionary adaptation in asexual populations. However, the extent to which these results are representative of natural populations, and of the response over timescales of greater than a few hundred generations, is unclear. Here we describe a new sediment-based proxy for the PIC:POC (particulate inorganic to particulate organic carbon ratio) of coccolithophore biomass, which is equivalent to the fractional energy contribution to calcification at constant pH, and a biologically meaningful measure of the organism's tendency to calcify. Employing the geological record as a laboratory, we apply this proxy to sedimentary material from the southern Pacific Ocean to investigate the integrated response of real ancient coccolithophore populations to environmental change over many thousands of years. Our results provide a new perspective on phenotypic change in real populations of coccolithophorid algae over long timescales.

  11. Leaching behavior of total organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus from banana peel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Ruixue; Sun, Shujuan; Xu, Yan; Qiu, Xiudong; Yang, Jili; Li, Xiaochen

    2015-01-01

    The leaching behavior of organic carbon and nutrient compounds from banana peel (BP) was investigated in batch assays with respect to particle size, contact time, pH value, and temperature. The granularity, contact time, pH, and temperature caused no significant effects on the leaching of total phosphorus (TP) from the BP. The maximum leached total nitrogen (TN) content was found at pH 5.0 and 90 minutes, while no significant effects were caused by the granularity and temperature. The maximum leached total organic carbon (TOC) content was found by using a powder of 40 mesh, 150 minutes and at pH 6.0, while the temperature had no effect on the TOC leaching. The proportions of the TN, TP, and TOC contents leached from the dried BP ranged from 33.6% to 40.9%, 60.4% to 72.7%, and 8.2% to 9.9%, respectively, indicating that BP could be a potential pollution source for surface and ground water if discharged as domestic waste or reutilized without pretreatment.

  12. Biochar amendment for batch composting of nitrogen rich organic waste: Effect on degradation kinetics, composting physics and nutritional properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Mayur Shirish; Jambhulkar, Rohit; Kalamdhad, Ajay S

    2018-04-01

    Composting is an efficient technology to reduce pathogenic bodies and stabilize the organic matter in organic wastes. This research work investigates an effect of biochar as amendment to improve the composting efficiency and its effect on degradation kinetics, physical and nutritional properties. Biochar (2.5, 5 and 10% (w/w)) were added into a mixture of Hydrilla verticillata, cow dung and sawdust having ratio of 8:1:1 (control), respectively. Biochar addition resulted in advanced thermophilic temperatures (59 °C) and could improve the physical properties of composting process. Owing to addition of 5% biochar as a bulking agent in composting mixture, the final product from composting, total nitrogen increased by 45% compared to the other trials, and air-filled porosity decreased by 39% and was found to be within recommended range from literature studies. Considering temperature, degradation rate and nitrogen transformation the amendment of 5% biochar is recommended for Hydrilla verticillata composting. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Lake Ecosystem Responses to Holocene Climate Change at the Subarctic Tree-Line in Northern Sweden

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reuss, Nina Steenberg; Hammarlund, Dan; Rundgren, Mats

    2010-01-01

    sedimentary pigments, diatoms, chironomids, pollen, biogenic silica (BSi), carbon (C), nitrogen (N) elemental and stable-isotope records, and total lake-water organic carbon (TOC) concentration inferred from near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), suggest that the Holocene development of Lake Seukokjaure...

  14. Utilization of organic nitrogen by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi-is there a specific role for protists and ammonia oxidizers?

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bukovská, Petra; Bonkowski, M.; Konvalinková, Tereza; Beskid, Olena; Hujslová, Martina; Püschel, David; Řezáčová, Veronika; Gutierrez-Nunez, M.S.; Gryndler, Milan; Jansa, Jan

    2018-01-01

    Roč. 28, č. 3 (2018), s. 269-283 ISSN 0940-6360 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA18-04892S; GA MŠk(CZ) LK11224 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 Keywords : N-15-labeling * Metatranscriptomics * Organic nitrogen (N) Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology OBOR OECD: Microbiology Impact factor: 3.047, year: 2016

  15. The potential bioavailability of mineral-associated organic nitrogen in the rhizosphere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jilling, A.; Grandy, S.; Keiluweit, M.

    2017-12-01

    Nitrogen (N) transformations and bioavailability limit both plant productivity and N losses in most ecosystems. Recent research has focused on the mineralization path that N takes—from polymeric to monomeric and finally inorganic forms—and how these pools and processes influence the bioavailability of soil N. By contrast, there has been inadequate exploration of the N-sources that dominate the production of bioavailable N. In a new conceptual framework, we propose that mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) is an overlooked, but critical, source of organic N, especially in the rhizosphere. We hypothesize that root-deposited low molecular weight exudates enhance the direct and indirect (via microbial communities) destabilization, solubilization, and subsequent bioavailable of MAOM. To test this conceptual framework, we conducted a laboratory incubation to examine the capacity for MAOM to supply N and to determine whether the soil-microbial response to root exudates facilitates the release and subsequent degradation of mineral-bound N. We isolated silt and clay organic matter fractions from two agricultural soils and added sterile sand to create a soil in which MAOM was the sole source of organic N. We applied three solution treatments: 13C-labelled glucose, to stimulate microbial activity and potentially the production of extracellular enzymes capable of liberating N; 13C-labelled oxalic acid, which has been demonstrated to dissolve metal-organic bonds and possibly destabilize mineral-bound and N-rich organic matter; and water, to serve as a control. Over the 12-day incubation, we observed an increase in enzyme activities and C- and N-cycling rates following glucose additions. Oxalic acid additions initially suppressed microbial activity, but eventually favored a slower-growing community with greater oxidative enzyme potential. Results suggest that C additions stimulate a microbial SOM-mining response. We will further assess the abiotic effect of organic acids

  16. Geochemical Aspects of Formation of Large Oil Deposits in the Volga-Ural Sedimentary Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plotnikova, I.; Nosova, F.; Pronin, N.; Nosova, J.; Budkevich, T.

    2012-04-01

    The study of the rocks domanikoid type in the territory of the Ural-Volga region has an almost century-long history, beginning with the first studies of A.D. Archangelsky in the late 20's of last century. But nevertheless the question of the source of oil that formed the industrial deposits of Volga-Ural oil and gas province (OGP), where Romashkinskoye oil field occupies a special place, remains unresolved and topical. According to the sedimentary-migration theory of origin of oil and gas, it is supposed that the primary source of hydrocarbons in this area are the deposits of domanikoid type that contain a large ammount of sapropel organic matter (OM). Semiluki (domanik) horizon of srednefranski substage of the Upper Devonian is considered to be a typical domanikoid stratum. Investigation of the OM of the rocks and oils of the sedimentary cover on the basis of chromato-mass spectrometry method allows us to study the correlations between rock and oil and to assess the location (or absence) of the sources of hydrocarbons in the Paleozoic sedimentary cover. The results of geochemical study of dispersed organic matter (DOM) of rocks from Semiluksky horizon of the Upper Devonian and of the oil from Pashiysky horizon of the Middle Devonian form the basis of this paper. The objectives of this study were the following: to determine the original organic matter of the rocks, which would indicate the conditions of sedimentation of the supposed rock-oil sources; the study of chemofossils (biomarkers) in oil from Pashiyskiy horizon; and the identification of genetic association of DOM rocks from Semiluksky horizon with this oil on the basis of the oil-DOM correlation. The study of biomarkers was carried out with the help of chromato-mass spectrometry in the Laboratory of Geochemistry of Fossil Fuels (Kazan Federal University). In this study we used several informative parameters characterizing the depositional environment, the type of source OM and its maturity: STER / PENT, h

  17. Sedimentary structures of tidal flats

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Sedimentary structures of some coastal tropical tidal flats of the east coast of India, and inner estuarine tidal point bars located at 30 to 50 kilometers inland from the coast, have been extensively studied under varying seasonal conditions. The results reveal that physical features such as flaser bedding, herringbone ...

  18. Deposition of reactive nitrogen during the Rocky Mountain Airborne Nitrogen and Sulfur (RoMANS) study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beem, Katherine B.; Raja, Suresh; Schwandner, Florian M.; Taylor, Courtney; Lee, Taehyoung; Sullivan, Amy P.; Carrico, Christian M.; McMeeking, Gavin R.; Day, Derek; Levin, Ezra; Hand, Jenny; Kreidenweis, Sonia M.; Schichtel, Bret; Malm, William C.; Collett, Jeffrey L.

    2010-01-01

    Increases in reactive nitrogen deposition are a growing concern in the U.S. Rocky Mountain west. The Rocky Mountain Airborne Nitrogen and Sulfur (RoMANS) study was designed to improve understanding of the species and pathways that contribute to nitrogen deposition in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). During two 5-week field campaigns in spring and summer of 2006, the largest contributor to reactive nitrogen deposition in RMNP was found to be wet deposition of ammonium (34% spring and summer), followed by wet deposition of nitrate (24% spring, 28% summer). The third and fourth most important reactive nitrogen deposition pathways were found to be wet deposition of organic nitrogen (17%, 12%) and dry deposition of ammonia (14%, 16%), neither of which is routinely measured by air quality/deposition networks operating in the region. Total reactive nitrogen deposition during the spring campaign was determined to be 0.45 kg ha -1 and more than doubled to 0.95 kg ha -1 during the summer campaign. - The reactive nitrogen deposition budget for Rocky Mountain National Park.

  19. Freezing and fractionation: effects of preservation on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of some limnetic organisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolf, J Marshall; Johnson, Brett; Silver, Douglas; Pate, William; Christianson, Kyle

    2016-03-15

    Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen have become important natural tracers for studying food-web structure and function. Considerable research has demonstrated that chemical preservatives and fixatives shift the isotopic ratios of aquatic organisms. Much less is known about the effects of freezing as a preservation method although this technique is commonly used. We conducted a controlled experiment to test the effects of freezing (-10 °C) and flash freezing (–79 °C) on the carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of zooplankton (Cladocera), Mysis diluviana and Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Subsamples (~0.5 mg) of dried material were analyzed for percentage carbon, percentage nitrogen, and the relative abundance of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13C and δ15N values) using a Carlo Erba NC2500 elemental analyzer interfaced to a ThermoFinnigan MAT Delta Plus isotope ratio mass spectrometer. The effects of freezing were taxon-dependent. Freezing had no effect on the isotopic or elemental values of Rainbow Trout muscle. Effects on the δ13C and δ15N values of zooplankton and Mysis were statistically significant but small relative to typical values of trophic fractionation. The treatment-control offsets had larger absolute values for Mysis (δ13C: ≤0.76 ± 0.41‰, δ15N: ≤0.37 ± 0.16‰) than for zooplankton (δ13C: ≤0.12 ± 0.06‰, δ15N: ≤0.30 ± 0.27‰). The effects of freezing were more variable for the δ13C values of Mysis, and more variable for the δ15N values of zooplankton. Generally, both freezing methods reduced the carbon content of zooplankton and Mysis, but freezing had a negative effect on the %N of zooplankton and a positive effect on the %N of Mysis. The species-dependencies and variability of freezing effects on aquatic organisms suggest that more research is needed to understand the mechanisms responsible for freezing-related fractionation before standardized protocols for freezing as a preservation method can be adopted.

  20. Sedimentary environments: processes, facies, and stratigraphy

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Reading, H. G; Reading, Harold G

    1996-01-01

    ... and chemical systems, 6 2.1.2 Climate, 7 2.1.3 Tectonic movements and subsidence, 11 2.1.4 Sea-level changes, 11 2.1.5 Milankovitch processes and orbital forcing, 14 2.1.6 Intrinsic sedimentary processes,...

  1. Morphology and modern sedimentary deposits of the macrotidal Marapanim Estuary (Amazon, Brazil)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araújo da Silva, Cléa; Souza-Filho, Pedro Walfir M.; Rodrigues, Suzan W. P.

    2009-03-01

    The northern Brazilian coast, east of the Amazon River is characterized by several macrotidal estuarine systems that harbor large mangrove areas with approximately 7600 km 2. The Marapanim Estuary is influenced by macrotidal regime with moderate waves influence. Morphologic units were investigated by using remote sensing images (i.e., Landsat-7 ETM+, RADARSAT- 1 Wide and SRTM) integrated with bathymetric data. The modern sedimentary deposits were analyzed from 67 cores collected by Vibracore and Rammkersonde systems. Analysis of morphology and surface sedimentary deposits of the Marapanim River reveal they are strongly influenced by the interaction of tidal, wave and fluvial currents. Based on these processes it was possible to recognize three distinct longitudinal facies zonation that revels the geological filling of a macrotidal estuary. The estuary mouth contain fine to medium marine sands strongly influenced by waves and tides, responsible for macrotidal sandy beaches and estuarine channel development, which are characterized by wave-ripple bedding and longitudinal cross-bedding sands. The estuary funnel is mainly influenced by tides that form wide tidal mudflats, colonized by mangroves, along the estuarine margin, with parallel laminations, lenticular bedding, root fragments and organic matter lenses. The upstream estuary contains coarse sand to gravel of fluvial origin. Massive mud with organic matter lenses, marks and roots fragments occur in the floodplain accumulates during seasonal flooding providing a slowly aggrading in the alluvial plain. This morphologic and depositional pattern show easily a tripartite zonation of a macrotidal estuary, that are in the final stage of filling.

  2. Influence of Nitrogen Source on 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol Production by the Biocontrol Strain Pf-5

    OpenAIRE

    M, Hultberg; B, Alsanius

    2008-01-01

    The production of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG) by the biocontrol agent Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf-5 was studied in nutrient-solution based media with varying nitrogen content. No production of DAPG was observed when organic nitrogen was omitted from the media, regardless of the inorganic nitrogen source used. Furthermore, a micromolar concentration range of organic nitrogen was insufficient to sustain production. When a millimolar concentration range of organic nitrogen was used, DAPG pr...

  3. Sediment biogeochemistry in an East African mangrove forest (Gazi Bay, Kenya)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Middelburg, J.J.; Nieuwenhuize, J.; Slim, F.J.; Ohowa, B.

    1996-01-01

    The biogeochemistry of mangrove sediments was investigated in several mangrove forest communities in Gazi Bay, a coastal lagoon in Kenya, Africa. Carbon dioxide fluxes, sediment median grain sizes, sedimentary organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents and pore-water characteristics (ammonium,

  4. The influences of the AMO and NAO on the sedimentary infill in an Azores Archipelago lake since ca. 1350 CE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández, Armand; Sáez, Alberto; Bao, Roberto; Raposeiro, Pedro M.; Trigo, Ricardo M.; Doolittle, Sara; Masqué, Pere; Rull, Valentí; Gonçalves, Vítor; Vázquez-Loureiro, David; Rubio-Inglés, María J.; Sánchez-López, Guiomar; Giralt, Santiago

    2017-07-01

    The location of the Azores Archipelago in the North Atlantic makes this group of islands an excellent setting to study the long-term behavior of large oceanic and atmospheric climate dynamic patterns, such as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Here, we present the impacts of these patterns on Lake Empadadas (Azores Archipelago) from the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) - Little Ice Age (LIA) transition to the present based on sedimentological, geochemical and biological characterizations of the sedimentary record. Multivariate analyses of a number of proxies including X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), total organic and inorganic carbon (TOC and TIC) and diatom life forms abundance reveal that the sedimentary infill evolution has been controlled by (i) fluctuations in the lake level and (ii) variations in organic matter accumulation. Both processes are governed by climate variability and modulated by anthropogenic activities associated with changes on the lake catchment. Changes in these two sedimentary processes have been used to infer five stages: (i) the MCA-LIA transition (ca. 1350-1450 CE) was characterized by a predominantly positive AMO phase, which led to intermediate lake levels and high organic matter concentration; (ii) the first half of the LIA (ca. 1450-1600 CE) was characterized by predominant lowstand conditions and intermediate organic matter deposition mainly related to negative AMO phases; (iii) the second half of the LIA (ca. 1600-1850 CE) was characterized by negative AMO and NAO phases, implying intermediate lake levels and high organic matter deposition; (iv) the Industrial era (ca. 1850-1980 CE) was characterized by the lowest lake level and organic matter accumulation associated with negative AMO phases; and (v) the period spanning between 1980 CE and the present reveals the highest lake levels and low organic matter deposition, being associated with very positive AMO

  5. The sedimentary dynamics in natural and human-influenced delta channel belts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hobo, N.

    2015-01-01

    This study investigates the increased anthropogenic influence on the within-channel belt sedimentary dynamics in the Rhine delta. To make this investigation, the sedimentary dynamics within the life-cycle of a single channel belt were reconstructed for three key periods of increasing human impact,

  6. Nitrogen and phosphorus release from organic wastes and suitability as bio-based fertilizers in a circular economy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Case, Sean; Jensen, Lars Stoumann

    2018-01-01

    The drive to a more circular economy has created increasing interest in recycling organic wastes as bio-based fertilizers. This study screened 15 different manures, digestates, sludges, composts, industry by-products, and struvites. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) release was compared following...... of the material (r = −0.6). Composted, dried, or raw organic waste materials released less N (mean of 10.8 ± 0.5%, 45.3 ± 7.2%, and 47.4 ± 3.2% of total N added respectively) than digestates, industry-derived organic fertilizer products, and struvites (mean of 58.2 ± 2.8%, 77.7 ± 6.0%, and 100.0 ± 13.1% of total...

  7. Repeated fault rupture recorded by paleoenvironmental changes in a wetland sedimentary sequence ponded against the Alpine Fault, New Zealand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, K.; Berryman, K. R.; Cochran, U. A.; Bartholomew, T.; Turner, G. M.

    2010-12-01

    At Hokuri Creek, in south Westland, New Zealand, an 18 m thickness of Holocene sediments has accumulated against the upthrown side of the Alpine Fault. Recent fluvial incision has created numerous exposures of this sedimentary sequence. At a decimetre to metre scale there are two dominant types of sedimentary units: clastic-dominated, grey silt packages, and organic-dominated, light brown peaty-silt units. These units represent repeated alternations of the paleoenvironment due to fault rupture over the past 7000 years. We have located the event horizons within the sedimentary sequence, and identified evidence to support earthquake-driven paleoenvironmental change (rather than climatic variability), and developed a model of paleoenvironmental changes over a typical seismic cycle. To quantitatively characterise the sediments we use high resolution photography, x-ray imaging, magnetic-susceptibility and total carbon analysis. To understand the depositional environment we used diatom and pollen studies. The organic-rich units have very low magnetic susceptibility and density values, with high greyscale and high total carbon values. Diatoms indicate these units represent stable wetland environments with standing water and predominantly in-situ organic material deposition. The clastic-rich units are characterised by higher magnetic susceptibility and density values, with low greyscale and total carbon. The clastic-rich units represent environments of flowing water and deep pond settings that received predominantly catchment-derived silt and sand. The event horizon is located at the upper contact of the organic-rich horizons. The event horizon contact marks a drastic change in hydrologic regime as fault rupture changed the stream base level and there was a synchronous influx of clastic sediment as the catchment responded to earthquake shaking. During the interseismic period the flowing-water environment gradually stabilised and returned to an organic-rich wetland. Such

  8. Hydrologic Control on Bacterial Nitrogen Fixation in the Holocene Black Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulton, J. M.; Arthur, M. A.; Freeman, K. H.

    2008-12-01

    Stratified oceans of the Phanerozoic Oceanic Anoxic Events apparently were dominated by bacterial nitrogen fixation. Decreased marine N:P nutrient ratios resulting from increased denitrification and decreased phosphate burial efficiency under anoxic waters drove this nutrient regime. This model is upheld by the presence of cyanobacterial hopanoid biomarkers in sedimentary records and δ15N values indicative of nitrogen fixation. However, in the largest modern redox-stratified marine basin, the Black Sea, bacterial nitrogen fixation seems to be only a minor contributor to the nitrogen cycle. In this study, we use geochemical proxies to evaluate the role of bacterial nitrogen fixation during the deposition of the Holocene Black Sea sapropel, starting 7.8 ka. We report compound-specific nitrogen and carbon stable isotope values of pyropheophytin a, a chlorophyll degradation product, and bacteriochlorophyll e produced by green sulfur bacteria. We also present the surprising finding of scytonemin, a pigment produced only by filamentous cyanobacteria exposed to ultraviolet radiation, in certain intervals in these sediments. In the Holocene, nitrogen fixation in the Black Sea is most prominent during times of reduced river water influx. This directly decreases the external flux of nitrate into the surface waters. Reduced freshwater influx also decreases the volume of low salinity water dispersed around the sea by the Rim Current, allowing the chemocline to shoal along the margins. Previous geochemical studies have described this changing chemocline geometry. The exposure of shallow water sediments to anoxic waters further stimulates nitrogen fixation by releasing more phosphorus to the system. Nitrogen fixation is recorded in the sediments as bulk and compound-specific pyropheophytin a δ15N values near 0 ‰ and -5 ‰, respectively. We have also detected scytonemin in two intervals characterized by especially low δ15N values. This compound suggests abundant filamentous

  9. Molecular biological and isotopic biogeochemical prognoses of the nitrification-driven dynamic microbial nitrogen cycle in hadopelagic sediments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nunoura, Takuro; Nishizawa, Manabu; Kikuchi, Tohru; Tsubouchi, Taishi; Hirai, Miho; Koide, Osamu; Miyazaki, Junichi; Hirayama, Hisako; Koba, Keisuke; Takai, Ken

    2013-11-01

    There has been much progress in understanding the nitrogen cycle in oceanic waters including the recent identification of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and anaerobic ammonia oxidizing (anammox) bacteria, and in the comprehensive estimation in abundance and activity of these microbial populations. However, compared with the nitrogen cycle in oceanic waters, there are fewer studies concerning the oceanic benthic nitrogen cycle. To further elucidate the dynamic nitrogen cycle in deep-sea sediments, a sediment core obtained from the Ogasawara Trench at a water depth of 9760 m was analysed in this study. The profiles obtained for the pore-water chemistry, and nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopic compositions of pore-water nitrate in the hadopelagic sediments could not be explained by the depth segregation of nitrifiers and nitrate reducers, suggesting the co-occurrence of nitrification and nitrate reduction in the shallowest nitrate reduction zone. The abundance of SSU rRNA and functional genes related to nitrification and denitrification are consistent with the co-occurrence of nitrification and nitrate reduction observed in the geochemical analyses. This study presents the first example of cooperation between aerobic and anaerobic nitrogen metabolism in the deep-sea sedimentary environments. © 2013 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. The Global Nitrogen Cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galloway, J. N.

    2003-12-01

    transfer depended on the reactivity of the emitted material. At the lower extreme of reactivity are the noble gases, neon and argon. Most neon and argon emitted during the degassing of the newly formed Earth is still in the atmosphere, and essentially none has been transferred to the hydrosphere or crust. At the other extreme are carbon and sulfur. Over 99% of the carbon and sulfur emitted during degassing are no longer in the atmosphere, but reside in the hydrosphere or the crust. Nitrogen is intermediate. Of the ˜6×106 TgN in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and crust, ˜2/3 is in the atmosphere as N2 with most of the remainder in the crust. The atmosphere is a large nitrogen reservoir primarily, because the triple bond of the N2 molecule requires a significant amount of energy to break. In the early atmosphere, the only sources of such energy were solar radiation and electrical discharges.At this point we had an earth with mostly N2 and devoid of life. How did we get to an earth with mostly N2 and teeming with life? First, N2 had to be converted into reactive N (Nr). (The term reactive nitrogen (Nr) includes all biologically active, photochemically reactive, and radiatively active nitrogen compounds in the atmosphere and biosphere of the Earth. Thus, Nr includes inorganic reduced forms of nitrogen (e.g., NH3 and NH4+), inorganic oxidized forms (e.g., NOx, HNO3, N2O, and NO3-), and organic compounds (e.g., urea, amines, and proteins).) The early atmosphere was reducing and had limited NH3. However, NH3 was a necessary ingredient in forming early organic matter. One possibility for NH3 generation was the cycling of seawater through volcanics (Holland, 1984). Under such a process, NH3 could then be released to the atmosphere where, when combined with CH4, H2, H2O, and electrical energy, organic molecules including amino acids could be formed (Miller, 1953). In essence, electrical discharges and UV radiation can convert mixtures of reduced gases into mixtures of organic

  11. Elevated rates of organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus accumulation in a highly impacted mangrove wetland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, Christian J.; Eyre, Bradley D.; Santos, Isaac R.; Machado, Wilson; Luiz-Silva, Wanilson; Smoak, Joseph M.; Breithaupt, Joshua L.; Ketterer, Michael E.; Sanders, Luciana; Marotta, Humberto; Silva-Filho, Emmanoel

    2014-04-01

    The effect of nutrient enrichment on mangrove sediment accretion and carbon accumulation rates is poorly understood. Here we quantify sediment accretion through radionuclide tracers to determine organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) accumulation rates during the previous 60 years in both a nutrient-enriched and a pristine mangrove forest within the same geomorphological region of southeastern Brazil. The forest receiving high nutrient loads has accumulated OC, TN, and TP at rates that are fourfold, twofold, and eightfold respectively, higher than those from the undisturbed mangrove. Organic carbon and TN stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) reflect an increased presence of organic matter (OM) originating with either phytoplankton, benthic algae, or another allochthonous source within the more rapidly accumulated sediments of the impacted mangrove. This suggests that the accumulation rate of OM in eutrophic mangrove systems may be enhanced through the addition of autochthonous and allochthonous nonmangrove material.

  12. Re-Os geochronology of a Mesoproterozoic sedimentary succession, Taoudeni basin, Mauritania: Implications for basin-wide correlations and Re-Os organic-rich sediments systematics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rooney, Alan D.; Selby, David; Houzay, Jean-Pierre; Renne, Paul R.

    2010-01-01

    The exceptionally well-preserved sedimentary rocks of the Taoudeni basin, NW Africa represent one of the world's most widespread (> 1 M km 2) Proterozoic successions. Hitherto, the sedimentary rocks were considered to be Mid Tonian based on Rb-Sr illite and glauconite geochronology of the Atar Group. However, new Re-Os organic-rich sediment (ORS) geochronology from two drill cores indicates that the Proterozoic Atar Group is ˜ 200 Ma older (1107 ± 12 Ma, 1109 ± 22 Ma and 1105 ± 37 Ma). The Re-Os geochronology suggests that the Rb-Sr geochronology records the age of diagenetic events possibly associated with the Pan African collision. The new Re-Os geochronology data provide absolute age constraints for recent carbon isotope chemostratigraphy which suggests that the Atar Group is Mesoproterozoic and not Neoproterozoic. The new Re-Os ORS geochronology supports previous studies that suggest that rapid hydrocarbon generation (flash pyrolysis) from contact metamorphism of a dolerite sill does not significantly disturb the Re-Os ORS systematics. Modelled contact conditions suggest that the Re-Os ORS systematics remain undisturbed at ˜ 650 °C at the sill/shale contact and ≥ 280 °C 20 m from the sill/shale contact. Moreover, the Re-Os geochronology indicates that the West African craton has a depositional history that predates 1100 Ma and that ORS can be correlated on a basin-wide scale. In addition, the Re-Os depositional ages for the ORS of the Taoudeni basin are comparable to those of ORS from the São Francisco craton, suggesting that these cratons are correlatable. This postulate is further supported by identical Os i values for the Atar Group and the Vazante Group of the São Francisco craton.

  13. CHEMISTRY OF FOG WATERS IN CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL VALLEY - PART 3: CONCENTRATIONS AND SPECIATION OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC NITROGEN. (R825433)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Although organic nitrogen (ON) has been found to be a ubiquitous and significant component in wet and dry deposition, almost nothing is known about its concentration or composition in fog waters. To address this gap, we have investigated the concentration and composition of ON...

  14. Carbon and nitrogen stoichiometry across stream ecosystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wymore, A.; Kaushal, S.; McDowell, W. H.; Kortelainen, P.; Bernhardt, E. S.; Johnes, P.; Dodds, W. K.; Johnson, S.; Brookshire, J.; Spencer, R.; Rodriguez-Cardona, B.; Helton, A. M.; Barnes, R.; Argerich, A.; Haq, S.; Sullivan, P. L.; López-Lloreda, C.; Coble, A. A.; Daley, M.

    2017-12-01

    Anthropogenic activities are altering carbon and nitrogen concentrations in surface waters globally. The stoichiometry of carbon and nitrogen regulates important watershed biogeochemical cycles; however, controls on carbon and nitrogen ratios in aquatic environments are poorly understood. Here we use a multi-biome and global dataset (tropics to Arctic) of stream water chemistry to assess relationships between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrate, ammonium and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), providing a new conceptual framework to consider interactions between DOC and the multiple forms of dissolved nitrogen. We found that across streams the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) pool is comprised of very little ammonium and as DOC concentrations increase the TDN pool shifts from nitrate to DON dominated. This suggests that in high DOC systems, DON serves as the primary source of nitrogen. At the global scale, DOC and DON are positively correlated (r2 = 0.67) and the average C: N ratio of dissolved organic matter (molar ratio of DOC: DON) across our data set is approximately 31. At the biome and smaller regional scale the relationship between DOC and DON is highly variable (r2 = 0.07 - 0.56) with the strongest relationships found in streams draining the mixed temperate forests of the northeastern United States. DOC: DON relationships also display spatial and temporal variability including latitudinal and seasonal trends, and interactions with land-use. DOC: DON ratios correlated positively with gradients of energy versus nutrient limitation pointing to the ecological role (energy source versus nutrient source) that DON plays with stream ecosystems. Contrary to previous findings we found consistently weak relationships between DON and nitrate which may reflect DON's duality as an energy or nutrient source. Collectively these analyses demonstrate how gradients of DOC drive compositional changes in the TDN pool and reveal a high degree of variability in the C: N ratio

  15. Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen release from boreal Holocene permafrost and seasonally frozen soils of Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wickland, Kimberly P.; Waldrop, Mark P.; Aiken, George R.; Koch, Joshua C.; Torre Jorgenson, M.; Striegl, Robert G.

    2018-06-01

    Permafrost (perennially frozen) soils store vast amounts of organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) that are vulnerable to mobilization as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic and inorganic nitrogen (DON, DIN) upon thaw. Such releases will affect the biogeochemistry of permafrost regions, yet little is known about the chemical composition and source variability of active-layer (seasonally frozen) and permafrost soil DOC, DON and DIN. We quantified DOC, total dissolved N (TDN), DON, and DIN leachate yields from deep active-layer and near-surface boreal Holocene permafrost soils in interior Alaska varying in soil C and N content and radiocarbon age to determine potential release upon thaw. Soil cores were collected at three sites distributed across the Alaska boreal region in late winter, cut in 15 cm thick sections, and deep active-layer and shallow permafrost sections were thawed and leached. Leachates were analyzed for DOC, TDN, nitrate (NO3 ‑), and ammonium (NH4 +) concentrations, dissolved organic matter optical properties, and DOC biodegradability. Soils were analyzed for C, N, and radiocarbon (14C) content. Soil DOC, TDN, DON, and DIN yields increased linearly with soil C and N content, and decreased with increasing radiocarbon age. These relationships were significantly different for active-layer and permafrost soils such that for a given soil C or N content, or radiocarbon age, permafrost soils released more DOC and TDN (mostly as DON) per gram soil than active-layer soils. Permafrost soil DOC biodegradability was significantly correlated with soil Δ14C and DOM optical properties. Our results demonstrate that near-surface Holocene permafrost soils preserve greater relative potential DOC and TDN yields than overlying seasonally frozen soils that are exposed to annual leaching and decomposition. While many factors control the fate of DOC and TDN, the greater relative yields from newly thawed Holocene permafrost soils will have the largest

  16. Long-term atmospheric wet deposition of dissolved organic nitrogen in a typical red-soil agro-ecosystem, Southeastern China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Jian; Zhou, Jing; Peng, Ying; He, Yuan Q; Yang, Hao; Xu, Liang J; Chan, Andy

    2014-05-01

    Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) from atmospheric deposition has been a growing concern in the world and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is increasing quickly in China especially Southeastern China. In our study, DON wet deposition was estimated by collecting and analyzing rainwater samples continuously over eight years (2005-2012) in a typical red-soil farmland ecosystem, Southeast China. Results showed that the volume-weighted-average DON concentration varied from 0.2 to 3.3 mg N L(-1) with an average of 1.2 mg N L(-1). DON flux ranged from 5.7 to 71.6 kg N ha(-1) year(-1) and averaged 19.7 kg N ha(-1) year(-1) which accounted for 34.6% of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) in wet deposition during the eight-year period. Analysis of DON concentration and flux, contribution of DON to TDN, rainfall, rain frequency, air temperature and wind frequency and the application of pig manure revealed possible pollution sources. Significant positive linear relation of annual DON flux and usage of pig manure (Pcycle in the red-soil agro-ecosystem in the future.

  17. The Rusty Sink: Iron Promotes the Preservation of Organic Matter in Sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lalonde, K. M.; Mucci, A.; Moritz, A.; Ouellet, A.; Gelinas, Y.

    2011-12-01

    The biogeochemical cycles of iron (Fe) and organic carbon (OC) are strongly interlinked. In oceanic waters, organic ligands have been shown to control the concentration of dissolved Fe [1], whereas in soils, solid Fe phases provide a sheltering and preservative effect for organic matter [2]. Until now however, the role of iron in the preservation of OC in sediments has not been clearly established. Here we show that 21.5 ± 8.6% of the OC in sediments is directly bound to reactive iron phases, which promote the preservation of OC in sediments. Iron-bound OC represents a global mass of 19 to 45 × 10^15 g of OC in surface marine sediments. This pool of OC is different from the rest of sedimentary OC, with 13C and nitrogen-enriched organic matter preferentially bound to Fe which suggests that biochemical fractionation occurs with OC-Fe binding. Preferential binding also affects the recovery of high molecular weight lipid biomarkers and acidic lignin oxidation products, changing the environmental message of proxies derived from these biomarkers. [1] Johnson, K. S., Gordon, R. M. & Coale, K. H. What controls dissolved iron in the world ocean? Marine Chemistry 57, 137-161 (1997). [2] Kaiser, K. & Guggenberger, G. The role of DOM sorption to mineral surfaces in the preservation of organic matter in soils. Organic Geochemistry 31, 711-725 (2000).

  18. Carbon-nitrogen interactions in forest ecosystems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gundersen, Per; Berg, Bjørn; Currie, W.S.

    This report is a summary of the main results from the EU project “Carbon – Nitrogen Interactions in Forest Ecosystems” (CNTER). Since carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are bound together in organic matter we studied both the effect of N deposition on C cycling in forest ecosystems, and the effect of C ...

  19. Thermal conductivity of sedimentary rocks as function of Biot’s coefficient

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Orlander, Tobias; Pasquinelli, Lisa; Asmussen, J.J.

    2017-01-01

    A theoretical model for prediction of effective thermal conductivity with application to sedimentary rocks is presented. Effective thermal conductivity of sedimentary rocks can be estimated from empirical relations or theoretically modelled. Empirical relations are limited to the empirical...... conductivity of solids is typically orders of magnitude larger than that of fluids, grain contacts constituting the solid connectivity governs the heat transfer of sedi-mentary rocks and hence should be the basis for modelling effective thermal con-ductivity. By introducing Biot’s coefficient, α, we propose (1...... – α) as a measure of the solid connectivity and show how effective thermal conductivity of water saturated and dry sandstones can be modelled....

  20. Influence of temperature upon the mobilization of nitrogen in peat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Armi Kaila

    1953-01-01

    Full Text Available The preliminary experiments the results of which are recorded in the present paper, have been carried out in order to obtain some information on the microbiological and chemical mobilization of peat nitrogen at various temperatures. In the incubation experiment at 5°, 20°, 35°, 50°, and 65CC the accumulation of ammonia nitrogen increased with a rising temperature except in the limed series where a minimum was found at 20°. The maximum of nitrate-nitrogen lay at 20 in both the series. The amount of nitrite-nitrogen was almost negligible in all the samples. The mineral nitrogen in the samples incubated at 50° and 65° represented 10—20 % of the total nitrogen. Thus, the organic nitrogen in peat soils can be mobilized to a marked extent, if the conditions are favourable. Accumulation of mineral nitrogen could be stated also at the lower temperatures where the reutilization of released nitrogen in the synthesis of new microbial substance is always more intensive than in the range of thermophilic organisms. Even at 5° a release of nitrogen was noticable. In these experiments liming did not show any beneficial effect upon the accumulation of mineral nitrogen, on the contrary, the values for total nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen were lower in the limed series. The nitrate formation was generally somewhat higher in the limed samples than in the corresponding unlimed ones. It was supposed that the considerable increase in the ammonia content of the samples incubated at 50° and 65° was partly due to purely chemical transformations, since the mere heating of moist samples at 75° for two hours brought about a marked accumulation of ammonia nitrogen. The treatment with dry heat was less effective except when the temperature was raised to 200° in which case a carbonization of the peat took place. The losses of organic matter and of total nitrogen due to the heating were almost negligible at the temperatures below 150°. At 150° and at 200

  1. Provenance of zircon of the lowermost sedimentary cover, Estonia, East-European Craton

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Konsa, M.

    1999-12-01

    Full Text Available Bulk and accessory mineral composition of fresh and weathered crystalline rocks, and sedimentary deposits overlying the crystalline-sedimentary unconformity have been examined in core samples from 28 drill holes in Estonia. Before the Late Vendian to Early Cambrian regional subsidence and sedimentation, the region represented a flat plateau within the Svecofennian Domain. Palaeo-and Mesoproterozoic crystalline rocks, regardless their different initial mineral composition, subcrop under the Upper Vendian/Lower Cambrian sedimentary cover as usually intensely weathered rocks (saprolites composed of residual quartz, altered micas and prevailing clay minerals mainly of the kaolinite group. Thus, the bulk mineral composition of any basement crystalline rocks imparts no specific inherited rock-forming minerals into the covering sedimentary rocks. From the variety of accessory and opaque minerals of crystalline rocks, only zircon populations survived in saprolites. Crystalline rocks of different origin yield different zircons. Relationships between the zircon typology of the basement rocks having specific areas of distribution and the sedimentary rocks immediately overlying those crystalline rocks were the main subject of this study. The result is that siliciclastic sedimentary rocks covering weathered crystalline rocks only in places inherited zircons with typological features characteristic of specific basement areas. In northeastern Estonia, local lenses of the Oru Member (the earliest Upper Vendian sedimentary rocks in Estonia resembling the debris of weathered crystalline rocks yield accessory zircon which in a 1-2 m thick layer above the basement surface is similar to the zircons of the underlying weathering mantle of certain crystalline rocks. In the next unit, the Moldova Member, up to 43 m above the basement surface, a mixture of zircons resembling those of various local basement rocks has been found. Further upwards, in the Vendian and Lower

  2. Mineral nitrogen sources differently affect root glutamine synthetase isoforms and amino acid balance among organs in maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prinsi, Bhakti; Espen, Luca

    2015-04-03

    Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyzes the first step of nitrogen assimilation in plant cell. The main GS are classified as cytosolic GS1 and plastidial GS2, of which the functionality is variable according to the nitrogen sources, organs and developmental stages. In maize (Zea mays L.) one gene for GS2 and five genes for GS1 subunits are known, but their roles in root metabolism are not yet well defined. In this work, proteomic and biochemical approaches have been used to study root GS enzymes and nitrogen assimilation in maize plants re-supplied with nitrate, ammonium or both. The plant metabolic status highlighted the relevance of root system in maize nitrogen assimilation during both nitrate and ammonium nutrition. The analysis of root proteomes allowed a study to be made of the accumulation and phosphorylation of six GS proteins. Three forms of GS2 were identified, among which only the phosphorylated one showed an accumulation trend consistent with plastidial GS activity. Nitrogen availabilities enabled increments in root total GS synthetase activity, associated with different GS1 isoforms according to the nitrogen sources. Nitrate nutrition induced the specific accumulation of GS1-5 while ammonium led to up-accumulation of both GS1-1 and GS1-5, highlighting co-participation. Moreover, the changes in thermal sensitivity of root GS transferase activity suggested differential rearrangements of the native enzyme. The amino acid accumulation and composition in roots, xylem sap and leaves deeply changed in response to mineral sources. Glutamine showed the prevalent changes in all nitrogen nutritions. Besides, the ammonium nutrition was associated with an accumulation of asparagine and reducing sugars and a drop in glutamic acid level, significantly alleviated by the co-provision with nitrate. This work provides new information about the multifaceted regulation of the GS enzyme in maize roots, indicating the involvement of specific isoenzymes/isoforms, post

  3. Study on flow and mass transport through fractured sedimentary rocks (2)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimo, Michito; Kumamoto, Sou; Karasaki, Kenzi; Sato, Hisashi; Sawada, Atsushi

    2009-03-01

    It is important for safety assessment of HLW geological disposal to understand hydro-geological conditions at the investigation area, and to evaluate groundwater flow and mass transport model and parameters, at each investigation phase. Traditionally, for Neogene sedimentary rock, the grain spacing of sediments has been considered as the dominant migration path. However, fractures of sedimentary rock could act as dominant paths, although they were soft sedimentary rocks. In this study, as part of developing groundwater flow and mass transport evaluation methodologies of such a fractured sedimentary rock' distributed area, we conducted two different scale of studies; 1) core rock sample scale and 2) several kilometer scale. For the core rock sample scale, some of laboratory hydraulic and tracer experiments have conducted using the rock cores with tailored parallel fracture, obtained at pilot borehole drilled in the vicinity of ventilation shaft. From the test results, hydraulic conductivity, diffusion coefficient, transport aperture, dispersion length and etc. was evaluated. Based on these test results, the influence of these parameters onto mass transport behavior of fractures sedimentary rocks was examined. For larger scale, such as several kilometer scale, the regional scale groundwater flow was examined using temperature data observed along the boreholes at Horonobe site. The results show that the low permeable zone between the boreholes might be estimated. (author)

  4. Cover Crops and Fertilization Alter Nitrogen Loss in Organic and Conventional Conservation Agriculture Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shelton, Rebecca E.; Jacobsen, Krista L.; McCulley, Rebecca L.

    2018-01-01

    Agroecosystem nitrogen (N) loss produces greenhouse gases, induces eutrophication, and is costly for farmers; therefore, conservation agricultural management practices aimed at reducing N loss are increasingly adopted. However, the ecosystem consequences of these practices have not been well-studied. We quantified N loss via leaching, NH3 volatilization, N2O emissions, and N retention in plant and soil pools of corn conservation agroecosystems in Kentucky, USA. Three systems were evaluated: (1) an unfertilized, organic system with cover crops hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), or a mix of the two (bi-culture); (2) an organic system with a hairy vetch cover crop employing three fertilization schemes (0 N, organic N, or a fertilizer N-credit approach); and (3) a conventional system with a winter wheat cover crop and three fertilization schemes (0 N, urea N, or organic N). In the unfertilized organic system, cover crop species affected NO3-N leaching (vetch > bi-culture > wheat) and N2O-N emissions and yield during corn growth (vetch, bi-culture > wheat). Fertilization increased soil inorganic N, gaseous N loss, N leaching, and yield in the organic vetch and conventional wheat systems. Fertilizer scheme affected the magnitude of growing season N2O-N loss in the organic vetch system (organic N > fertilizer N-credit) and the timing of loss (organic N delayed N2O-N loss vs. urea) and NO3-N leaching (urea >> organic N) in the conventional wheat system, but had no effect on yield. Cover crop selection and N fertilization techniques can reduce N leaching and greenhouse gas emissions without sacrificing yield, thereby enhancing N conservation in both organic and conventional conservation agriculture systems. PMID:29403512

  5. Cover Crops and Fertilization Alter Nitrogen Loss in Organic and Conventional Conservation Agriculture Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca E. Shelton

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Agroecosystem nitrogen (N loss produces greenhouse gases, induces eutrophication, and is costly for farmers; therefore, conservation agricultural management practices aimed at reducing N loss are increasingly adopted. However, the ecosystem consequences of these practices have not been well-studied. We quantified N loss via leaching, NH3 volatilization, N2O emissions, and N retention in plant and soil pools of corn conservation agroecosystems in Kentucky, USA. Three systems were evaluated: (1 an unfertilized, organic system with cover crops hairy vetch (Vicia villosa, winter wheat (Triticum aestivum, or a mix of the two (bi-culture; (2 an organic system with a hairy vetch cover crop employing three fertilization schemes (0 N, organic N, or a fertilizer N-credit approach; and (3 a conventional system with a winter wheat cover crop and three fertilization schemes (0 N, urea N, or organic N. In the unfertilized organic system, cover crop species affected NO3-N leaching (vetch > bi-culture > wheat and N2O-N emissions and yield during corn growth (vetch, bi-culture > wheat. Fertilization increased soil inorganic N, gaseous N loss, N leaching, and yield in the organic vetch and conventional wheat systems. Fertilizer scheme affected the magnitude of growing season N2O-N loss in the organic vetch system (organic N > fertilizer N-credit and the timing of loss (organic N delayed N2O-N loss vs. urea and NO3-N leaching (urea >> organic N in the conventional wheat system, but had no effect on yield. Cover crop selection and N fertilization techniques can reduce N leaching and greenhouse gas emissions without sacrificing yield, thereby enhancing N conservation in both organic and conventional conservation agriculture systems.

  6. Effect of Different Sources of Nitrogen and Organic Fertilizers on Yield and Yield Components of Ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    zahra saydi

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi L. is an annual medicinal plant of the family Apiaceae which can reach 30 -100 cm in height. and its growth is highly depended on the availability of mineral nutrients in the soil. But, it has been shown that utilization of chemical fertilizers for growth promotion of Ajown could have negative impacts on environment and ecological systems. Nowadays, sustainable agriculture is the best approach to overcome such problems and prevent the excess accumulation of chemical fertilizers deposited within the soil. Application of bio-fertilizers as an alternative to chemical fertilizers is a new sustainable approach which have been raised in the new era of Agriculture. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the application of various source of biological fertilizers such as Vermicompost, Alkazotplus and Humic Acid in combination with nitrogen fertilizers on growth behavior, yield and yield components of Ajowan under Ahvaz growing condition. Materials and methods This research was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station of Shahid Chamran University in 2014-2015 to determine the effects of different sources of nitrogen and organic fertilizers on the yield and yield components of Ajowan based on two way randomized complete block design with three replications. The first factor of the experiment was Application of four different nitrogen sources including: Urea (U, Sulfur-coated Urea (SCU, %50 Sulfur-coated urea (1/2 SCU + Alkazot Plus biological fertilizer and Control (no nitrogen source used. Organic fertilizers were also applied at four levels, consisting of Humic Acid, Vermicompost, %50 Vermicompost + Humic Acid and Control (no organic Fertilizer as the second factor. After soil preparation, approximately four Kg.ha-1 of the seeds were planted on the rows with 30 cm distance. Plant height, number of sub branches, number of umbels per plant, number of seeds per umbel , 1000 seeds weight, biological

  7. Sedimentary environment and facies of St Lucia Estuary Mouth, Zululand, South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, C. I.; Mason, T. R.

    The St. Lucia Estuary is situated on the subtropical, predominantly microtidal Zululand coast. Modern sedimentary environments within the estuary fall into three categories: (1) barrier environments; (2) abandoned channel environments; and (3) estuarine/lagoonal environments. The barrier-associated environment includes tidal inlet channel, inlet beach face, flood-tidal delta, ebb-tidal delta, spit, backspit and aeolian dune facies. The abandoned channel environment comprises washover fan, tidal creek tidal creek delta and back-barrier lagoon facies. The estuarine/lagoonal environment includes subtidal estuarine channel, side-attached bar, channel margin, mangrove fringe and channel island facies. Each sedimentary facies is characterised by sedimentary and biogenic structures, grain-size and sedimentary processes. Vertical facies sequences produced by inlet channel migration and lagoonal infilling are sufficiently distinct to be recognized in the geological record and are typical of a prograding shoreline.

  8. Nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbon with a high surface area, synthesized through organic-inorganic coassembly, and its application in supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Yanfang; Li, Li; Wang, Yonggang; Wang, Congxiao; Guo, Zaipin; Xia, Yongyao

    2014-07-21

    A new nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbon (N-doped OMC) is synthesized by using an organic-inorganic coassembly method, in which resol is used as the carbon precursor, dicyandiamide as the nitrogen precursor, silicate oligomers as the inorganic precursors, and F127 as the soft template. The N-doped OMC possesses a surface area as high as 1374 m(2)  g(-1) and a large pore size of 7.4 nm. As an electrode material for supercapacitors, the obtained carbon exhibits excellent cycling stability and delivers a reversible specific capacitance as high as 308 F g(-1) in 1 mol L(-1) H(2)SO(4) aqueous electrolyte, of which 58 % of the capacity is due to pseudo-capacitance. The large specific capacitance is attributed to proper pore size distributions, large surface area, and high nitrogen content. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Energy saving processes for nitrogen removal in organic wastewater from food processing industries in Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansen, N H; Suksawad, N; Balslev, P

    2004-01-01

    Nitrogen removal from organic wastewater is becoming a demand in developed communities. The use of nitrite as intermediate in the treatment of wastewater has been largely ignored, but is actually a relevant energy saving process compared to conventional nitrification/denitrification using nitrate as intermediate. Full-scale results and pilot-scale results using this process are presented. The process needs some additional process considerations and process control to be utilized. Especially under tropical conditions the nitritation process will round easily, and it must be expected that many AS treatment plants in the food industry already produce NO2-N. This uncontrolled nitrogen conversion can be the main cause for sludge bulking problems. It is expected that sludge bulking problems in many cases can be solved just by changing the process control in order to run a more consequent nitritation. Theoretically this process will decrease the oxygen consumption for oxidation by 25% and the use of carbon source for the reduction will be decreased by 40% compared to the conventional process.

  10. Glacier inputs influence organic matter composition and prokaryotic distribution in a high Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard)

    KAUST Repository

    Bourgeois, Solveig

    2016-08-23

    With climate change, the strong seasonality and tight pelagic-benthic coupling in the Arctic is expected to change in the next few decades. It is currently unclear how the benthos will be affected by changes of environmental conditions such as supplies of organic matter (OM) from the water column. In the last decade, Kongsfjorden (79°N), a high Arctic fjord in Svalbard influenced by several glaciers and Atlantic water inflow, has been a site of great interest owing to its high sensitivity to climate change, evidenced by a reduction in ice cover and an increase in melting freshwater. To investigate how spatial and seasonal changes in vertical fluxes can impact the benthic compartment of Kongsfjorden, we studied the organic matter characteristics (in terms of quantity and quality) and prokaryotic distribution in sediments from 3 stations along a transect extending from the glacier into the outer fjord in 4 different seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter) in 2012–2013. The biochemical parameters used to describe the sedimentary organic matter were organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen, bulk stable isotope ratios, pigments (chorophyll-a and phaeopigments) and biopolymeric carbon (BPC), which is the sum of the main macromolecules, i.e. lipids, proteins and carbohydrates. Prokaryotic abundance and distribution were estimated by 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. This study identifies a well-marked quantitative gradient of biogenic compounds throughout all seasons and also highlights a discrepancy between the quantity and quality of sedimentary organic matter within the fjord. The sediments near the glacier were organic-poor (< 0.3%OC), however the high primary productivity in the water column displayed during spring was reflected in summer sediments, and exhibited higher freshness of material at the inner station compared to the outer basin (means C-chlorophyll-a/OC ~ 5 and 1.5%, respectively). However, sediments at the glacier front were depleted

  11. Enzymology and ecology of the nitrogen cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Espinosa, Rosa María; Cole, Jeffrey A; Richardson, David J; Watmough, Nicholas J

    2011-01-01

    The nitrogen cycle describes the processes through which nitrogen is converted between its various chemical forms. These transformations involve both biological and abiotic redox processes. The principal processes involved in the nitrogen cycle are nitrogen fixation, nitrification, nitrate assimilation, respiratory reduction of nitrate to ammonia, anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) and denitrification. All of these are carried out by micro-organisms, including bacteria, archaea and some specialized fungi. In the present article, we provide a brief introduction to both the biochemical and ecological aspects of these processes and consider how human activity over the last 100 years has changed the historic balance of the global nitrogen cycle.

  12. The Hidden Watershed's Journals: the Informational Characteristics of Biomarkers in Sedimentary Deposits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guerrero, F. J.; Hatten, J. A.

    2014-12-01

    The historical reconstruction of past environmental changes in watersheds is essential to understand watershed response to disturbances and how those diturbances could affect the provision of valuable goods like water. That reconstruction requires the interpretation of natural records, mainly associated to sedimentary deposits that store detailed information in the form of specific biogenic molecules (i.e. biomarkers). In forested watersheds terrestrial vegetation is an important source of biomarkers like those associated to Lignin, a complex organic polymer used by plants to provide physical support in its tissues. Through litter inputs Lignin is deposited in soils and then is transported to sedimentary environments by rivers (e.g. floodplains, lake bottoms), serving as a source of information about vegetation changes in watersheds. In spite of the critical character of the information extracted from biomarkers in sedimentary records, the very concept of information is still used in a metaphorical sense, even though it was formally defined more than 60 years ago and has been applied extensively in ecology (e.g. Shannon's diversity index). Furthermore, sophisticated techniques are being used to deliver more complex molecular data that require examination and validation as indicators for watershed historical reconstructions. My research aims to explore the applicability of some information metrics (i.e. diversity indices, information coefficients) to a diverse molecular set derived from the chemical depolymerization of lignin deposited in floodplains and lake sediments in different basins. This approach attempts to assess the informational characteristics of Lignin as an indicator of natural/human-induced perturbations in forested watersheds. The formal assessment of the informational characteristics of natural records could have a profound impact not only in our methodological approaches but also in our philosophical view about information and communication in

  13. Molecular characterization of water soluble organic nitrogen in marine rainwater by ultra-high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. E. Altieri

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Atmospheric water soluble organic nitrogen (WSON is a subset of the complex organic matter in aerosols and rainwater, which impacts cloud condensation processes and aerosol chemical and optical properties and may play a significant role in the biogeochemical cycle of N. However, its sources, composition, connections to inorganic N, and variability are largely unknown. Rainwater samples were collected on the island of Bermuda (32.27° N, 64.87° W, which experiences both anthropogenic and marine influenced air masses. Samples were analyzed by ultra-high resolution electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to chemically characterize the WSON. Elemental compositions of 2281 N containing compounds were determined over the mass range m/z+ 50 to 500. The five compound classes with the largest number of elemental formulas identified, in order from the highest number of formulas to the lowest, contained carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (CHON+, CHON compounds that contained sulfur (CHONS+, CHON compounds that contained phosphorus (CHONP+, CHON compounds that contained both sulfur and phosphorus (CHONSP+, and compounds that contained only carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen (CHN+. Compared to rainwater collected in the continental USA, average O:C ratios of all N containing compound classes were lower in the marine samples whereas double bond equivalent values were higher, suggesting a reduced role of secondary formation mechanisms. Despite their prevalence in continental rainwater, no organonitrates or nitrooxy-organosulfates were detected, but there was an increased presence of organic S and organic P containing compounds in the marine rainwater. Cluster analysis showed a clear chemical distinction between samples collected during the cold season (October to March which have anthropogenic air mass origins and samples collected during the warm season (April to September with remote

  14. Understanding Nitrogen Fixation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paul J. Chirik

    2012-05-25

    The purpose of our program is to explore fundamental chemistry relevant to the discovery of energy efficient methods for the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N{sub 2}) into more value-added nitrogen-containing organic molecules. Such transformations are key for domestic energy security and the reduction of fossil fuel dependencies. With DOE support, we have synthesized families of zirconium and hafnium dinitrogen complexes with elongated and activated N-N bonds that exhibit rich N{sub 2} functionalization chemistry. Having elucidated new methods for N-H bond formation from dihydrogen, C-H bonds and Broensted acids, we have since turned our attention to N-C bond construction. These reactions are particularly important for the synthesis of amines, heterocycles and hydrazines with a range of applications in the fine and commodity chemicals industries and as fuels. One recent highlight was the discovery of a new N{sub 2} cleavage reaction upon addition of carbon monoxide which resulted in the synthesis of an important fertilizer, oxamide, from the diatomics with the two strongest bonds in chemistry. Nitrogen-carbon bonds form the backbone of many important organic molecules, especially those used in the fertilizer and pharamaceutical industries. During the past year, we have continued our work in the synthesis of hydrazines of various substitution patterns, many of which are important precursors for heterocycles. In most instances, the direct functionalization of N{sub 2} offers a more efficient synthetic route than traditional organic methods. In addition, we have also discovered a unique CO-induced N{sub 2} bond cleavage reaction that simultaneously cleaves the N-N bond of the metal dinitrogen compound and assembles new C-C bond and two new N-C bonds. Treatment of the CO-functionalized core with weak Broensted acids liberated oxamide, H{sub 2}NC(O)C(O)NH{sub 2}, an important slow release fertilizer that is of interest to replace urea in many applications. The

  15. Biophysical Controls over Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks in Desert Playa Wetlands

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenna, O. P.; Sala, O. E.

    2014-12-01

    Playas are ephemeral desert wetlands situated at the bottom of closed catchments. Desert playas in the Southwestern US have not been intensively studied despite their potential importance for the functioning of desert ecosystems. We want to know which geomorphic and ecological variables control of the stock size of soil organic carbon, and soil total nitrogen in playas. We hypothesize that the magnitude of carbon and nitrogen stocks depends on: (a) catchment size, (b) catchment slope, (d) catchment vegetation cover, (e) bare-ground patch size, and (f) catchment soil texture. We chose thirty playas from across the Jornada Basin (Las Cruces, NM) ranging from 0.5-60ha in area and with varying catchment characteristics. We used the available 5m digital elevation map (DEM) to calculate the catchment size and catchment slope for these thirty playas. We measured percent cover, and patch size using the point-intercept method with three 10m transects in each catchment. We used the Bouyoucos-hydrometer soil particle analysis to determine catchment soil texture. Stocks of organic carbon and nitrogen were measured from soil samples at four depths (0-10 cm, 10-30 cm, 30-60 cm, 60-100 cm) using C/N combustion analysis. In terms of nitrogen and organic carbon storage, we found soil nitrogen values in the top 10cm ranging from 41.963-214.365 gN/m2, and soil organic carbon values in the top 10cm ranging from 594.339-2375.326 gC/m2. The results of a multiple regression analysis show a positive relationship between catchment slope and both organic carbon and nitrogen stock size (nitrogen: y= 56.801 +47.053, R2=0.621; organic carbon: y= 683.200 + 499.290x, R2= 0.536). These data support our hypothesis that catchment slope is one of factors controlling carbon and nitrogen stock in desert playas. We also applied our model to the 69 other playas of the Jornada Basin and estimated stock sizes (0-10cm) between 415.07-447.97 Mg for total soil nitrogen and 4627.99-5043.51 Mg for soil organic

  16. The Effect of Organic Phosphorus and Nitrogen Enriched Manure on Nutritive Value of Sweet Corn Stover

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukiwati, D. R.; Pujaningsih, R. I.; Murwani, R.

    2018-02-01

    The experiment aimed to evaluate the effect of some manure enriched with phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) organic (‘manure plus’) on crude protein and mineral production of sweet corn (Zea mays saccharata)and quality of fermented stover as livestock feed. A field experiment was conducted on a vertisol soil (low pH, nitrogen and low available Bray II extractable P). Randomized block design with 9 treatments in 3 replicates was used in this experiment. The treatments were T1(TSP), T2 (SA), T3 (TSP+SA), T4 (manure), T5 (manure+PR), T6 (manure+guano), T7 (manure+N-legume), T8 (manure+PR+N-legume), T9 (manure +guano+N-legume). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the differences between treatment means were examined by Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Results of the experiment showed that the treatment significantly affected to the crude protein and calcium production of stover and nutrient concentration of fermented stover, but it is not affected to P production of stover. The result of DMRT showed that the effect of ‘manure plus’ was not significantly different on CP and Ca production of stover, mineral concentration, in vitro DMD and OMD of fermented stover, compared to inorganic fertilization. Conclusion, manure enriched with organic NP, resulted in similar on CP and Ca production of stover and nutrient concentration of fermented stover compared to inorganic fertilizer. Thus, organic-NP enriched manure could be an alternative and viable technology to utilize low grade of phosphate rock, guano and Gliricidea sepium to produce sweet corn in vertisol soil.

  17. Study on ionizing radiation effects in diesel and crude oil: organic compounds, hydrocarbon, sulfur and nitrogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrade, Luana dos Santos

    2014-01-01

    Petroleum is the most important energy and pollution source in the world, nowadays. New technologies in petrochemical industry aim to minimize energy spending at the process and to reduce pollution products. Sulfur and nitrogen compounds generate environmental problems; the most relevant is air pollution that affects the population health directly. The nuclear technology has been used in environmental protection through pollutants removal by free radicals produced at action of the radiation in water molecule. The objective of this study is to evaluate the radiation effects on oil and diesel, mainly in the hydrocarbons, organic sulfur, and nitrogen compounds. It was studied a molecule model of sulfur, named benzothiophene, diesel and crude oil samples. The samples were irradiated using a Co-60 source, Gammacell type. The total sulfur concentration in the samples was determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, and organic compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The study of molecular model showed that 95% was degraded at 20 kGy dose rate. Irradiation at 15 kGy of absorbed dose showed some cracking in petrol hydrocarbons, however with higher doses it was observed polymerization and low efficiency of cracking. It was observed that the sulfur compounds from diesel and petroleum was efficiently reduced. The applied doses of 15 kGy and 30 kGy were the most efficient on desulfurization of petroleum, and for diesel the highest variation was observed with 30 kGy and 50 kGy of absorbed dose. The distillation and chromatographic separation using an open column with palladium chloride as stationary phase showed a preferential separation of organic sulfur compounds in petroleum. (author)

  18. Leaf nitrogen remobilisation for plant development and grain filling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masclaux-Daubresse, C; Reisdorf-Cren, M; Orsel, M

    2008-09-01

    A major challenge of modern agriculture is to reduce the excessive input of fertilisers and, at the same time, to improve grain quality without affecting yield. One way to achieve this goal is to improve plant nitrogen economy through manipulating nitrogen recycling, and especially nitrogen remobilisation, from senescing plant organs. In this review, the contribution of nitrogen remobilisation efficiency (NRE) to global nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and tools dedicated to the determination of NRE are described. An overall examination of the physiological, metabolic and genetic aspects of nitrogen remobilisation is presented.

  19. Water Soluble Organic Nitrogen (WSON) in Ambient Fine Particles Over a Megacity in South China: Spatiotemporal Variations and Source Apportionment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Xu; Yu, Qingqing; Zhu, Ming; Tang, Mingjin; Li, Sheng; Yang, Weiqiang; Zhang, Yanli; Deng, Wei; Li, Guanghui; Yu, Yuegang; Huang, Zhonghui; Song, Wei; Ding, Xiang; Hu, Qihou; Li, Jun; Bi, Xinhui; Wang, Xinming

    2017-12-01

    Organic nitrogen aerosols are complex mixtures and important compositions in ambient fine particulate matters (PM2.5), yet their sources and spatiotemporal patterns are not well understood particularly in regions influenced by intensive human activities. In this study, filter-based ambient PM2.5 samples at four stations (one urban, two rural, plus one urban roadside) and PM samples from combustion sources (vehicle exhaust, ship emission, and biomass burning) were collected in the coastal megacity Guangzhou, south China, for determining water soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) along with other organic and inorganic species. The annual average WSON concentrations, as well as the ratios of WSON to water soluble total nitrogen, were all significantly higher at rural sites than urban sites. Average WSON concentrations at the four sites during the wet season were quite near each other, ranging from 0.41 to 0.49 μg/m3; however, they became 2 times higher at the rural sites than at the urban sites during the dry season. Five major sources for WSON were identified through positive matrix factorization analysis. Vehicle emission (29.3%), biomass burning (22.8%), and secondary formation (20.2%) were three dominant sources of WSON at the urban station, while vehicle emission (45.4%) and dust (28.6%) were two dominant sources at the urban roadside station. At the two rural sites biomass burning (51.1% and 34.1%, respectively) and secondary formation (17.8% and 30.5%, respectively) were dominant sources of WSON. Ship emission contributed 8-12% of WSON at the four sites. Natural vegetation seemed to have very minor contribution to WSON.

  20. Forest fuel reduces the nitrogen load

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lundborg, A.

    1993-03-01

    A study of the literature was made on the basis of the following hypothesis: ''If nitrogen-rich felling residues are removed from the forest, the nitrogen load on the forest ecosystem is decreased and the risk of nitrogen saturation also decreases''. The study was designed to provide information on how the nitrogen situation is influenced if felling residues are removed from nitrogen-loaded forests and used as fuel. Felling residues release very little nitrogen during the first years after felling. They can immobilize nitrogen from the surroundings, make up a considerable addition to the nitrogen store in the soil, but also release nitrogen in later stages of degradation. The slash has an influence on the soil climate and thus on soil processes. Often there is an increase in the mineralization of litter and humus below the felling residues. At the same time, nitrification is favoured, particularly if the slash is left in heaps. Felling residues contain easily soluble nutrients that stimulate the metabolization of organic matter that otherwise is rather resistant to degradation. The slash also inhibits the clear-cut vegetation and its uptake of nitrogen. These effects result in increased leaching of nitrogen and minerals if the felling residues are left on the site. (99 refs.)

  1. Efficient assimilation of cyanobacterial nitrogen by water hyacinth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Hongjie; Zhang, Zhiyong; Liu, Minhui; Wang, Yan; Wen, Xuezheng; Yan, Shaohua; Zhang, Yingying; Liu, Haiqin

    2017-10-01

    A 15 N labeling technique was used to study nitrogen transfer from cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to water hyacinth. 15 N atom abundance in M. aeruginosa peaked (15.52%) after cultivation in 15 N-labeled medium for 3weeks. Over 87% of algal nitrogen was transferred into water hyacinth after the 4-week co-cultivation period. The nitrogen quickly super-accumulated in the water hyacinth roots, and the labeled nitrogen was re-distributed to different organs (i.e., roots, stalks, and leaves). This study provides a new strategy for further research on cyanobacterial bloom control, nitrogen migration, and nitrogen cycle in eutrophic waters. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Lower Tertiary Sedimentary Turbidite Facies at the Chicontepec Basin, East-Central Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Santillán-Piña N.

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The study area comprises the northwestern portion of the Chicontepec Basin at southeastern San Luis Potosí and northeastern Hidalgo States. At the stratigraphy sequences of the Chicontepec Formation from Lower Paleocene in isolated outocrops, were herein interpreted two major sedimentary sub-environments into the fan model: the middle and the external sedimentary settings; the applied criteria for their identification were: (a lithostratigraphic (thickness, geometry and distribution; (b internal and external primary sedimentary structures, and (c intra-formational deformation structures. The sedimentary facies are composed of siliciclastic and calcareous particles sourced from the Sierra Madre Oriental, western; the Tuxpan paleo-island, eastern; and from the Teziutlan Massif, southern; the sediments were massively transported by slideing, slumping, flow debris and turbidity currents, then deposited as massive, tabular, lenticular and lobely in shape at the slope foot and on the sea marine floor.

  3. Potentiality if Rb-Sr method for dating the argillous sedimentary rocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomaz Filho, A.

    1976-01-01

    The potentiality of application Rb-Sr method in argillous sediments, using samples from paleozoic and mesozoic formation in brazilian sedimentaries basin was tested. Physical, chemistry and isotopic analysis of thirty eight samples were made in the laboratories of geochronology Research Center from the University of Sao Paulo. Four isochronic diagrams for the argillous sedimentary rocks were also proposed. (author)

  4. Relationships between stratigraphy, deformation and thermal history in sedimentary basins. Impact of geodynamic concepts in petroleum exploration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarmiento, Luis Fernando

    2002-01-01

    The natural processes that generate petroleum accumulations in a sedimentary basin require several ingredients: (1) the petroleum system elements: source, reservoir, seal and overburden rocks, which are the result of sedimentation processes in a subsiding basin; (2) petroleum traps, which in many cases are the result of deformation and (3) heat to convert suitable organic matter into petroleum. Although these different phenomena are considered independent at the scale of an oil field, at the lithosphere scale thermal phenomena, (2) vertical movements of the earth surface responsible for sedimentation and erosion and (3) tectonic deformation are not independent phenomena, physical quantitative laws intimately relate them. These mutual inter relationships are useful in petroleum exploration to predict one factor having knowledge of the others. Applications of these concepts can contribute to understand the tectonic history of complex areas, such as the Colombian sedimentary basins and reduce exploration risk

  5. Coupled effects of light and nitrogen source on the urea cycle and nitrogen metabolism over a diel cycle in the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bender, Sara J; Parker, Micaela S; Armbrust, E Virginia

    2012-03-01

    Diatoms are photoautotrophic organisms capable of growing on a variety of inorganic and organic nitrogen sources. Discovery of a complete urea cycle in diatoms was surprising, as this pathway commonly functions in heterotrophic organisms to rid cells of waste nitrogen. To determine how the urea cycle is integrated into cellular nitrogen metabolism and energy management, the centric diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana was maintained in semi-continuous batch cultures on nitrate, ammonium, or urea as the sole nitrogen source, under a 16: 8 light: dark cycle and at light intensities that were low, saturating, or high for growth. Steady-state transcript levels were determined for genes encoding enzymes linked to the urea cycle, urea hydrolysis, glutamine synthesis, pyrimidine synthesis, photorespiration, and energy storage. Transcript abundances were significantly affected by nitrogen source, light intensity and a diel cycle. The impact of N source on differential transcript accumulation was most apparent under the highest light intensity. Models of cellular metabolism under high light were developed based on changes in transcript abundance and predicted enzyme localizations. We hypothesize that the urea cycle is integrated into nitrogen metabolism through its connection to glutamine and in the eventual production of urea. These findings have important implications for nitrogen flow in the cell over diel cycles at surface ocean irradiances. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  6. Effect of Vertical Annealing on the Nitrogen Dioxide Response of Organic Thin Film Transistors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sihui Hou

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Nitrogen dioxide (NO2 sensors based on organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs were fabricated by conventional annealing (horizontal and vertical annealing processes of organic semiconductor (OSC films. The NO2 responsivity of OTFTs to 15 ppm of NO2 is 1408% under conditions of vertical annealing and only 72% when conventional annealing is applied. Moreover, gas sensors obtained by vertical annealing achieve a high sensing performance of 589% already at 1 ppm of NO2, while showing a preferential response to NO2 compared with SO2, NH3, CO, and H2S. To analyze the mechanism of performance improvement of OTFT gas sensors, the morphologies of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl-pentacene (TIPS-pentacene films were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM in tapping mode. The results show that, in well-aligned TIPS-pentacene films, a large number of effective grain boundaries inside the conducting channel contribute to the enhancement of NO2 gas sensing performance.

  7. [Effects of organic-inorganic mixed fertilizers on rice yield and nitrogen use efficiency].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiao-li; Meng, Lin; Wang, Qiu-jun; Luo, Jia; Huang, Qi-wei; Xu, Yang-chun; Yang, Xing-ming; Shen, Qi-rong

    2009-03-01

    A field experiment was carried to study the effects of organic-inorganic mixed fertilizers on rice yield, nitrogen (N) use efficiency, soil N supply, and soil microbial diversity. Rapeseed cake compost (RCC), pig manure compost (PMC), and Chinese medicine residue compost (MRC) were mixed with chemical N, P and K fertilizers. All the treatments except CK received the same rate of N. The results showed that all N fertilizer application treatments had higher rice yield (7918.8-9449.2 kg x hm(-2)) than the control (6947.9 kg x hm(-2)). Compared with that of chemical fertilizers (CF) treatment (7918.8 kg x hm(-2)), the yield of the three organic-inorganic mixed fertilizers treatments ranged in 8532.0-9449.2 kg x hm(-2), and the increment was 7.7%-19.3%. Compared with treatment CF, the treatments of organic-inorganic mixed fertilizers were significantly higher in N accumulation, N transportation efficiency, N recovery rate, agronomic N use efficiency, and physiological N use efficiency. These mixed fertilizers treatments promoted rice N uptake and improved soil N supply, and thus, increased N use efficiency, compared with treatments CF and CK. Neighbor joining analysis indicated that soil bacterial communities in the five treatments could be classified into three categories, i.e., CF and CK, PMC and MRC, and RCC, implying that the application of exogenous organic materials could affect soil bacterial communities, while applying chemical fertilizers had little effect on them.

  8. Fluxes and burial of particulate organic carbon along the Adriatic mud-wedge (Mediterranean Sea)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tesi, T.; Langone, L.; Giani, M.; Ravaioli, M.; Miserocchi, S.

    2012-04-01

    Clinoform-shaped deposits are ubiquitous sedimentological bodies of modern continental margins, including both carbonate and silicoclastic platforms. They formed after the attainment of the modern sea level high-stand (mid-late Holocene) when river outlets and shoreline migrated landward. As clinoform-shape deposits are essential building blocks of the infill of sedimentary basins, they are sites of intense organic carbon (OC) deposition and account for a significant fraction of OC burial in the ocean during interglacial periods. In this study, we focused on sigmoid clinoforms that are generally associated with low-energy environments. In particular, we characterized the modern accumulation and burial of OC along the late-Holocene sigmoid in the Western Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea). This sedimentary body consists of a mud wedge recognizable on seismic profiles as a progradational unit lying on top the maximum flooding surface that marks the time of maximum landward shift of the shoreline attained around 5.5 kyr cal BP. In the last two decades, several projects have investigated sediment dynamics and organic geochemistry along the Adriatic mud wedge (e.g., PRISMA, EURODELTA, EuroSTRATAFORM, PASTA, CIPE, VECTOR). All these studies increased our understanding of strata formation and organic matter cycling in this epicontinental margin. The overarching goal of this study was to combine the results gained during these projects with newly acquired data to assess fluxes to seabed and burial efficiency of organic carbon along the uppermost strata of the Adriatic mud-wedge. Our study benefited of an extensive number of radionuclide-based (Pb-210, and Cs-137) sediment accumulation rates and numerous biogeochemical data of surface sediments and sediment cores (organic carbon, total nitrogen, radiocarbon measurements, carbon stable isotopes, and biomarkers). In addition, because the accumulation of river-borne sediment may or may not be linked to a specific source, another

  9. Distribution and sources of organic carbon, nitrogen and their isotopic signatures in sediments from the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) continental shelf, northern Andaman Sea

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Ramaswamy, V.; Gaye, B.; Shirodkar, P.V.; Rao, P.S.; Chivas, A.R.; Wheeler, D.; Thwin, S.

    Total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and their delta sup(13) C and delta sup (15) N values were determined from 110 sediment samples from the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) continental shelf, northern Andaman Sea to decipher the concentration...

  10. Nitrogen isotopic analysis of carbonate-bound organic matter in modern and fossil fish otoliths

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lueders-Dumont, Jessica A.; Wang, Xingchen T.; Jensen, Olaf P.; Sigman, Daniel M.; Ward, Bess B.

    2018-03-01

    The nitrogen isotopic composition (δ15N) of otolith-bound organic matter (OM) is a potential source of information on dietary history of bony fishes. In contrast to the δ15N of white muscle tissue, the most commonly used tissue for ecological studies, the δ15N of otolith-bound OM (δ15Noto) provides a record of whole life history. More importantly, δ15Noto can be measured in contexts where tissue is not available, for example, in otolith archives and sedimentary deposits. The utility and robustness of otolith δ15N analysis was heretofore limited by the low N content of otoliths, which precluded the routine measurement of individual otoliths as well as the thorough cleaning of otolith material prior to analysis. Here, we introduce a new method based on oxidation to nitrate followed by bacterial conversion to N2O. The method requires 200-fold less N compared to traditional combustion approaches, allowing for thorough pre-cleaning and replicated analysis of individual otoliths of nearly any size. Long term precision of δ15Noto is 0.3‰. Using an internal standard of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) otoliths, we examine the parameters of the oxidative cleaning step with regard to oxidant (potassium persulfate and sodium hypochlorite), temperature, and time. We also report initial results that verify the usefulness of δ15Noto for ecological studies. For three salmonid species, left and right otoliths from the same fish are indistinguishable. We find that the δ15Noto of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) is related to the size of the fish for this species. We find that intra-cohort δ15Noto standard deviation for wild pink salmon, farmed brown trout (Salmo trutta), and farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are all 0.4‰ or less, suggesting that δ15Noto will be valuable for population-level studies. Lastly, our protocol yields reproducible data for both δ15Noto and otolith N content in 17th century Atlantic cod otoliths. We find that 17th century cod are

  11. EFFECT OF BLUE GREEN ALGAE ON SOIL NITROGEN

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Yagya Prasad Paudel

    2012-07-31

    Jul 31, 2012 ... associated with soil dessication at the end of the cultivation cycle and algal growth ... blue-green algae (BGA) on soil nitrogen was carried out from June to December 2005. .... Nitrogen fixation by free living Micro-organisms.

  12. Organic carbon and nitrogen availability determine bacterial community composition in paddy fields of the Indo-Gangetic plain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Arvind; Rai, Lal Chand

    2017-07-01

    Soil quality is an important factor and maintained by inhabited microorganisms. Soil physicochemical characteristics determine indigenous microbial population and rice provides food security to major population of the world. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of physicochemical variables on bacterial community composition and diversity in conventional paddy fields which could reflect a real picture of the bacterial communities operating in the paddy agro-ecosystem. To fulfill the objective; soil physicochemical characterization, bacterial community composition and diversity analysis was carried out using culture-independent PCR-DGGE method from twenty soils distributed across eight districts. Bacterial communities were grouped into three clusters based on UPGMA cluster analysis of DGGE banding pattern. The linkage of measured physicochemical variables with bacterial community composition was analyzed by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). CCA ordination biplot results were similar to UPGMA cluster analysis. High levels of species-environment correlations (0.989 and 0.959) were observed and the largest proportion of species data variability was explained by total organic carbon (TOC), available nitrogen, total nitrogen and pH. Thus, results suggest that TOC and nitrogen are key regulators of bacterial community composition in the conventional paddy fields. Further, high diversity indices and evenness values demonstrated heterogeneity and co-abundance of the bacterial communities.

  13. Enzymology of biological nitrogen fixation. Final report, May 1, 1987--April 30, 1996

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-05-01

    Biological nitrogen fixation is of central importance in the earth`s nitrogen economy. Fixation of nitrogen is accomplished by a variety of microorganisms, all of them procaryotic. Some operate independently and some function symbiotically or associatively with photosynthesizing plants. Biological nitrogen fixation is accomplished via the reaction: N{sub 2} + 8H{sup +} + 8e{sup {minus}} {yields} 2NH{sub 3} + H{sub 2}. This reaction requires a minimum of 16 ATP under ideal laboratory conditions, so it is obvious that the energy demand of the reaction is very high. When certain nitrogen-fixing organisms are supplied fixed nitrogen (e.g., ammonium) the organisms use the fixed nitrogen and turn off their nitrogenase system, thus conserving energy. When the fixed nitrogen is exhausted, the organism reactivates its nitrogenase. The system is turned off by dinitrogenase reductase ADP-ribosyl transferase (DRAT) and turned back on by dinitrogenase reductase-activating glycohydrolase (DRAG). The authors have investigated the details of how DRAT and DRAG are formed, how they function, and the genetics of their formation and operation.

  14. Modeling Nitrogen Decrease in Water Lettuce Ponds from Waste Stabilization Ponds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putri, Gitta Agnes; Sunarsih

    2018-02-01

    This paper presents about the dynamic modeling of the Water Lettuce ponds as a form of improvement from the Water Hyacinth ponds. The purpose of this paper is to predict nitrogen decrease and nitrogen transformation in Water Lettuce ponds integrated with Waste Stabilization Ponds. The model consists of 4 mass balances, namely Dissolved Organic Nitrogen (DON), Particulate Organic Nitrogen (PON), ammonium (NH4+), Nitrate and Nitrite (NOx). The process of nitrogen transformation which considered in a Water Lettuce ponds, namely hydrolysis, mineralization, nitrification, denitrification, plant and bacterial uptake processes. Numerical simulations are performed by giving the values of parameters and the initial values of nitrogen compounds based on a review of previous studies. Numerical results show that the rate of change in the concentration of nitrogen compounds in the integration ponds of waste stabilization and water lettuce decreases and reaches stable at different times.

  15. Cycling of grain legume residue nitrogen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, E.S.

    1995-01-01

    Symbiotic nitrogen fixation by legumes is the main input of nitrogen in ecological agriculture. The cycling of N-15-labelled mature pea (Pisum sativum L.) residues was studied during three years in small field plots and lysimeters. The residual organic labelled N declined rapidly during the initial...... management methods in order to conserve grain legume residue N sources within the soil-plant system....

  16. Alteration of Sedimentary Clasts in Martian Meteorite Northwest Africa 7034

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCubbin, F. M.; Tartese, R.; Santos, A. R.; Domokos, G.; Muttik, N.; Szabo, T.; Vazquez, J.; Boyce, J. W.; Keller, L. P.; Jerolmack, D. J.; hide

    2014-01-01

    The martian meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034 and pairings represent the first brecciated hand sample available for study from the martian surface [1]. Detailed investigations of NWA 7034 have revealed substantial lithologic diversity among the clasts [2-3], making NWA 7034 a polymict breccia. NWA 7034 consists of igneous clasts, impact-melt clasts, and "sedimentary" clasts represented by prior generations of brecciated material. In the present study we conduct a detailed textural and geochemical analysis of the sedimentary clasts.

  17. Governing processes for reactive nitrogen compounds in the European atmosphere

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hertel, Ole; Skjøth, Carsten Ambelas; Reis, S.

    2012-01-01

    +)), oxidized nitrogen (NOy: nitrogen monoxide (NO) + nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and their reaction products) as well as organic nitrogen compounds (organic N). Pollution abatement strategies need to take into account the differences in the governing processes of these compounds when assessing their impact...... on ecosystem services, biodiversity, human health and climate. NOx (NO+NO2) emitted from traffic affects human health in urban areas where the presence of buildings increases the residence time in streets. In urban areas this leads to enhanced exposure of the population to NOx concentrations. NOx emissions.......5 and PM10 (mass of aerosols with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 and 10 mu m, respectively) with an impact on radiation balance as well as potentially on human health. Little is known quantitatively and qualitatively about organic N in the atmosphere, other than that it contributes a significant...

  18. Agronomic performance and chemical response of sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) to some organic nitrogen sources and conventional nitrogen fertilizers under sandy soil conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Helmy, A. M.; Fawzy Ramadan, M. F.

    2009-07-01

    Sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) is an option for oilseed production, particularly in dry land areas due to good root system development. In this study, two field experiments were performed in the El-Khattara region (Sharkia Governorate, Egypt) during the 2005 season. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of organic nitrogen (ON) sources and their combinations as well as to compare the effect of ON and ammonium sulfate (AS) as a conventional fertilizer added individually or in combination on growth, yield components, oil percentage and the uptake of some macro nutrients by sunflowers grown on sandy soil.The treatments of chicken manure (CM) and a mixture of farmyard manure (FYM) with CM were superior to the other treatments and gave the highest yield, dry matter yield, NPK uptake by plants at all growth stages along with seed yield at the mature stage. The effect of the different ON on crop yield and its components may follow the order; CM> palma residues (PR)> FYM. This was more emphasized when the materials were mixed with AS at a ratio of 3:1 and 1:1. The uptake of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) by plants was affected by the addition of different N sources and treatments. The highest nutrient content and uptake by straw were obtained when treated with CM followed by PR at all growth stages, while it was PR followed by CM for seeds. Oil recovery was shown to respond to the N supply and the changes in individual fatty acids were not statistically different. However, it seems that the application of organic fertilizers resulted in an increase in total unsaturated fatty acids compared to the control. (Author) 58 refs.

  19. Bacterial nitrogen fixation in sand bioreactors treating winery wastewater with a high carbon to nitrogen ratio.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welz, Pamela J; Ramond, Jean-Baptiste; Braun, Lorenz; Vikram, Surendra; Le Roes-Hill, Marilize

    2018-02-01

    Heterotrophic bacteria proliferate in organic-rich environments and systems containing sufficient essential nutrients. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are the nutrients required in the highest concentrations. The ratio of carbon to nitrogen is an important consideration for wastewater bioremediation because insufficient nitrogen may result in decreased treatment efficiency. It has been shown that during the treatment of effluent from the pulp and paper industry, bacterial nitrogen fixation can supplement the nitrogen requirements of suspended growth systems. This study was conducted using physicochemical analyses and culture-dependent and -independent techniques to ascertain whether nitrogen-fixing bacteria were selected in biological sand filters used to treat synthetic winery wastewater with a high carbon to nitrogen ratio (193:1). The systems performed well, with the influent COD of 1351 mg/L being reduced by 84-89%. It was shown that the nitrogen fixing bacterial population was influenced by the presence of synthetic winery effluent in the surface layers of the biological sand filters, but not in the deeper layers. It was hypothesised that this was due to the greater availability of atmospheric nitrogen at the surface. The numbers of culture-able nitrogen-fixing bacteria, including presumptive Azotobacter spp. exhibited 1-2 log increases at the surface. The results of this study confirm that nitrogen fixation is an important mechanism to be considered during treatment of high carbon to nitrogen wastewater. If biological treatment systems can be operated to stimulate this phenomenon, it may obviate the need for nitrogen addition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Nitrogen dynamics in a soil-sugar cane system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, Julio Cesar Martins de; Reichardt, Klaus; Bacchi, Osny O.S.; Timm, Luis Carlos; Tominaga, Tania Toyomi; Castro Navarro, Roberta de; Cassaro, Fabio Augusto Meira; Dourado-Neto, Durval; Trivelin, Paulo Cesar Ocheuse; Piccolo, Marisa de Cassia

    2000-01-01

    Results of an organic matter management experiment of a sugar cane crop are reported for the first cropping year. Sugar cane was planted in October 1997, and labeled with a 15 N fertilizer pulse to study the fate of organic matter in the soil-plant system. A nitrogen balance is presented, partitioning the system in plant components (stalk, tip and straw), soil components (five soil organic matter fractions) and evaluating leaching losses. The 15 N label permitted to determine, at the end of the growing season, amounts of nitrogen derived from the fertilizer, present in the above mentioned compartments. (author)

  1. Ultraviolet-B Radiation and Nitrogen Affect Nutrient Concentrations and the Amount of Nutrients Acquired by Above-Ground Organs of Maize

    OpenAIRE

    Correia, Carlos M.; Coutinho, João F.; Bacelar, Eunice A.; Gonçalves, Berta M.; Björn, Lars Olof; Moutinho Pereira, José

    2012-01-01

    UV-B radiation effects on nutrient concentrations in above-ground organs of maize were investigated at silking and maturity at different levels of applied nitrogen under field conditions. The experiment simulated a 20% stratospheric ozone depletion over Portugal. At silking, UV-B increased N, K, Ca, and Zn concentrations, whereas at maturity Ca, Mg, Zn, and Cu increased and N, P and Mn decreased in some plant organs. Generally, at maturity, N, Ca, Cu, and Mn were lower, while P, K, and Zn con...

  2. Concentration, composition, bioavailability, and N-nitrosodimethylamine formation potential of particulate and dissolved organic nitrogen in wastewater effluents: A comparative study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, Haidong; Ma, Haijun; Ding, Lili; Geng, Jinju; Xu, Ke; Huang, Hui; Zhang, Yingying; Ren, Hongqiang

    2016-01-01

    Wastewater-derived organic nitrogen (org-N) can act as both nutrients and carcinogenic nitrogenous disinfection byproduct precursors. In this study, the concentration, composition, bioavailability, and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation potential of particulate organic nitrogen (PON) from three different municipal wastewater treatment plants were characterized and compared with that of effluent dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). The average effluent PON and DON concentrations ranged from 0.09 to 0.55 mg N/L and from 0.91 to 1.88 mg N/L, respectively. According to principal component analysis, org-N composition and characterization differed in PON and DON samples (n = 20). Compared with DON, PON tended to be enriched in protein and nucleic acids, and showed a more proteinaceous character. Composition of org-N functional groups estimated from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy N 1s spectra indicate no significant differences in the molecular weight distribution of the protein-like materials between PON and DON. Moreover, PON exhibited a significantly higher bioavailability (61.0 ± 13.3%) compared to DON (38.5 ± 12.4%, p < 0.05, t-test) and a significantly higher NDMA yields (791.4 ± 404.0 ng/mg-N) compared to DON (374.8 ± 62.5 ng/mg-N, p < 0.05, t-test). Accordingly, PON contributed to approximately 12.3–41.7% of the total bioavailable org-N and 22.0–38.4% of the total NDMA precursors in wastewater effluents. Thus, the potential adverse effects of PON on wastewater discharge and reuse applications should not be overlooked, even though it only accounted for 7.4–26.8% of the total effluent org-N. - Highlights: • The concentration, composition, bioavailability, and NDMA FP of PON and DON in wastewater effluents are compared. • PON is enriched in protein and nucleic acids. • PON is more bioavailable and shows higher NDMA yields compared to DON. • PON contributes12–42% of total bioavailable org-N and 22–38% of total NDMA precursors.

  3. Concentration, composition, bioavailability, and N-nitrosodimethylamine formation potential of particulate and dissolved organic nitrogen in wastewater effluents: A comparative study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Haidong; Ma, Haijun; Ding, Lili; Geng, Jinju; Xu, Ke; Huang, Hui; Zhang, Yingying; Ren, Hongqiang, E-mail: hqren@nju.edu.cn

    2016-11-01

    Wastewater-derived organic nitrogen (org-N) can act as both nutrients and carcinogenic nitrogenous disinfection byproduct precursors. In this study, the concentration, composition, bioavailability, and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation potential of particulate organic nitrogen (PON) from three different municipal wastewater treatment plants were characterized and compared with that of effluent dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). The average effluent PON and DON concentrations ranged from 0.09 to 0.55 mg N/L and from 0.91 to 1.88 mg N/L, respectively. According to principal component analysis, org-N composition and characterization differed in PON and DON samples (n = 20). Compared with DON, PON tended to be enriched in protein and nucleic acids, and showed a more proteinaceous character. Composition of org-N functional groups estimated from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy N 1s spectra indicate no significant differences in the molecular weight distribution of the protein-like materials between PON and DON. Moreover, PON exhibited a significantly higher bioavailability (61.0 ± 13.3%) compared to DON (38.5 ± 12.4%, p < 0.05, t-test) and a significantly higher NDMA yields (791.4 ± 404.0 ng/mg-N) compared to DON (374.8 ± 62.5 ng/mg-N, p < 0.05, t-test). Accordingly, PON contributed to approximately 12.3–41.7% of the total bioavailable org-N and 22.0–38.4% of the total NDMA precursors in wastewater effluents. Thus, the potential adverse effects of PON on wastewater discharge and reuse applications should not be overlooked, even though it only accounted for 7.4–26.8% of the total effluent org-N. - Highlights: • The concentration, composition, bioavailability, and NDMA FP of PON and DON in wastewater effluents are compared. • PON is enriched in protein and nucleic acids. • PON is more bioavailable and shows higher NDMA yields compared to DON. • PON contributes12–42% of total bioavailable org-N and 22–38% of total NDMA precursors.

  4. Study on flow and mass transport through fractured soft sedimentary rocks (Contact research)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimo, Michito; Kumamoto, Sou; Maekawa, Keisuke

    2007-03-01

    It is important for safety assessment of HLW geological disposal to evaluate groundwater flow and mass transport in deep underground accurately. Though it is considered that the mass transport in sedimentary rock occurs in pores between grains mainly, fractures of sedimentary rock can be main paths. The objective of this study is to establish a conceptual model for flow and mass transport in fractured soft sedimentary rock. In previous study, a series of laboratory hydraulic and tracer tests and numerical analyses were carried out using sedimentary rock specimens obtained from Koetoi and Wakkanai formation. Single natural fractured cores and rock block specimen were used for the tests and analyses. The results indicated that the matrix diffusion played an important role for mass transport in the fractured soft sedimentary rocks. In this study, the following two tasks were carried out: (1) laboratory hydraulic and tracer experiments of rock cores of Koetoi and Wakkanai formation obtained at HDB-9, HDB-10 and HDB-11 boreholes and a rock block specimen, Wakkanai formation, obtained at an outcrop in the Horonobe area, (2) a numerical study on the conceptual model of flow and mass transport through fractured soft sedimentary rocks. Non-sorbing tracer experiments using naturally fractured cores and rock block specimens were carried out. Pottasium iodide was used as a tracer. The obtained breakthrough curves were interpreted and fitted by using a numerical simulator, and mass transport parameters, such as longitudinal dispersivity, matrix diffusion coefficient, transport aperture, were obtained. Mass transport simulations using a fracture network model, a continuum model and a double porosity model were performed to study the applicability of continuum model and double porosity model for transport in fractured sedimentary rock. (author)

  5. [Effects of nitrogen and irrigation water application on yield, water and nitrogen utilization and soil nitrate nitrogen accumulation in summer cotton].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Si, Zhuan Yun; Gao, Yang; Shen, Xiao Jun; Liu, Hao; Gong, Xue Wen; Duan, Ai Wang

    2017-12-01

    A field experiment was carried out to study the effects of nitrogen and irrigation water application on growth, yield, and water and nitrogen use efficiency of summer cotton, and to develop the optimal water and nitrogen management model for suitable yield and less nitrogen loss in summer cotton field in the Huang-Huai region. Two experimental factors were arranged in a split plot design. The main plots were used for arranging nitrogen factor which consisted of five nitrogen fertilizer le-vels(0, 60, 120, 180, 240 kg·hm -2 , referred as N 0 , N 1 , N 2 , N 3 , N 4 ), and the subplots for irrigation factor which consisted of three irrigation quota levels (30, 22.5, 15 mm, referred as I 1 , I 2 , I 3 ). There were 15 treatments with three replications. Water was applied with drip irrigation system. Experimental results showed that both irrigation and nitrogen fertilization promoted cotton growth and yield obviously, but nitrogen fertilizer showed more important effects than irrigation and was the main factor of regulating growth and yield of summer cotton in the experimental region. With the increase of nitrogen fertilization rate and irrigation amount, the dry mater accumulation of reproductive organs, the above-ground biomass at the flowering-bolling stage and seed cotton yield increased gradually, reached peak values at nitrogen fertilization rate of 180 kg·hm -2 and decreased slowly with the nitrogen fertilization rate further increased. The maximum yield of 4016 kg·hm -2 was observed in the treatment of N 3 I 1 . Increasing nitrogen fertilizer amount would improve significantly total N absorption of shoots and N content of stem and leaf, but decrease nitrogen partial factor productivity. The maximum irrigation-water use efficiency of 5.40 kg·m -3 and field water use efficiency of 1.24 kg·m -3 were found in the treatments of N 3 I 3 and N 3 I 1 , respectively. With increasing nitrogen fertilization amount, soil NO 3 - -N content increased and the main soil

  6. Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen mineralization strongly affect co2 emissions following lime application to acidic soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaaban, M.; Peng, Q.; Lin, S.; Wu, Y.

    2014-01-01

    Emission of greenhouse gases from agricultural soils has main contribution to the climatic change and global warming. Dynamics of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen mineralization can affect CO/sub 2/ emission from soils. Influence of DOC and nitrogen mineralization on CO/sub 2/ emissions following lime application to acidic soil was investigated in current study. Laboratory experiment was conducted under aerobic conditions with 25% moisture contents (66% water-filled pore space) at 25 degree C in the dark conditions. Different treatments of lime were applied to acidic soil as follows: CK (control), L (low rate of lime: 0.2g lime / 100 g soil) and H (high rate of lime: 0.5g lime /100g soil). CO/sub 2/ emissions were measured by gas chromatography and dissolved organic carbon, NH4 +-N, NO/sub 3/ --N and soil pH were measured during incubation study. Addition of lime to acidic soil significantly increased the concentration of DOC and N mineralization rate. Higher concentrations of DOC and N mineralization, consequently, increased the CO/sub 2/ emissions from lime treated soils. Cumulative CO/sub 2/ emission was 75% and 71% higher from L and H treatments as compared to CK. The results of current study suggest that DOC and N mineralization are critical in controlling gaseous emissions of CO/sub 2/ from acidic soils following lime application. (author)

  7. Soil Microbial Communities and Gas Dynamics Contribute to Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Nitrogen Uptake and Transfer to Plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hestrin, R.; Harrison, M. J.; Lehmann, J.

    2016-12-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associate with most terrestrial plants and influence ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry. There is evidence that AMF play a role in soil nitrogen cycling, in part by taking up nitrogen and transferring it to plants. However, many aspects of this process are poorly understood, including the factors that control fungal access to nitrogen stored in soil organic matter. In this study, we used stable isotopes and root exclusion to track nitrogen movement from organic matter into AMF and host plants. AMF significantly increased total plant biomass and nitrogen content, but both AMF and other soil microbes seemed to compete with plants for nitrogen. Surprisingly, gaseous nitrogen species also contributed significantly to plant nitrogen content under alkaline soil conditions. Our current experiments investigate whether free-living microbial communities that have evolved under a soil nitrogen gradient influence AMF access to soil organic nitrogen and subsequent nitrogen transfer to plants. This research links interactions between plants, mycorrhizal symbionts, and free-living microbes with terrestrial carbon and nitrogen dynamics.

  8. Method of removing nitrogen monoxide from a nitrogen monoxide-containing gas using a water-soluble iron ion-dithiocarbamate, xanthate or thioxanthate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, D. Kwok-Keung; Chang, Shih-Ger

    1987-08-25

    The present invention relates to a method of removing of nitrogen monoxide from a nitrogen monoxide-containing gas which method comprises contacting a nitrogen oxide-containing gas with an aqueous solution of water soluble organic compound-iron ion chelate complex. The NO absorption efficiency of ferrous urea-dithiocarbamate and ferrous diethanolamine-xanthate as a function of time, oxygen content and solution ph is presented. 3 figs., 1 tab.

  9. [Interactions of straw, nitrogen fertilizer and bacterivorous nematodes on soil labile carbon and nitrogen and greenhouse gas emissions].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Teng-Hao; Wang, Nan; Liu, Man-Qiang; Li, Fang-Hui; Zhu, Kang-Li; Li, Hui-Xin; Hu, Feng

    2014-11-01

    A 3 x 2 factorial design of microcosm experiment was conducted to investigate the interactive effects of straw, nitrogen fertilizer and bacterivorous nematodes on soil microbial biomass carbon (C(mic)) and nitrogen (N(mic)), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON), mineral nitrogen (NH(4+)-N and NO(3-)-N), and greenhouse gas (CO2, N2O and CH4) emissions. Results showed that straw amendment remarkably increased the numbers of bacterivorous nematodes and the contents of Cmic and Nmic, but Cmic and Nmic decreased with the increasing dose of nitrogen fertilization. The effects of bacterivorous nematodes strongly depended on either straw or nitrogen fertilization. The interactions of straw, nitrogen fertilization and bacterivorous nematodes on soil DOC, DON and mineral nitrogen were strong. Straw and nitrogen fertilization increased DOC and mineral nitrogen contents, but their influences on DON depended on the bacterivorous nematodes. The DOC and mineral nitrogen were negatively and positively influenced by the bacterivorous nematodes, re- spectively. Straw significantly promoted CO2 and N2O emissions but inhibited CH4 emission, while interactions between nematodes and nitrogen fertilization on emissions of greenhouse gases were obvious. In the presence of straw, nematodes increased cumulative CO2 emissions with low nitrogen fertilization, but decreased CO2 and N2O emissions with high nitrogen fertilization on the 56th day after incubation. In summary, mechanical understanding the soil ecological process would inevitably needs to consider the roles of soil microfauna.

  10. The Effect of Application of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Nano-Organic Manure on Yield, Yield Components and Essential Oil of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgar Mill.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Khoshpeyk

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Since discovery of food, clothing and shelter, human wanted to improve their physical sufferings, and using experience separated toxic plants from non – toxic ones and medicinal herbs from non – medicine. Medicinal herbs are agricultural products which have a very important role in the health of people in society. Among the medicinal herbs, fennel with scientific name (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. traditionally was used for treating problems such as Inflammation and Cramping. Now, one of the main objectives of the modern agriculture is decreasing the consumption of fertilizers and greater the use of organic fertilizers especially livestock fertilizers. The use of organic fertilizers in nano-dimensions can absorb the nutrients needed to plant. Better use of nano- technology for producing organic fertilizers, suitable for recruiting plant can help plants in variable environmental conditions and be effective in the growth, quantity and quality performance (Sumner, 2000. By the considering the same management of organic and chemical fertilizers consumption especially nano–organic fertilizers, is of great importance and necessitate further research and consideration in all kinds of plants, medical and aromatic herbs and plants in particular. Materials and Methods A factorial experiment, arranged in a randomized complete blocks design with three replications, was conducted in the Saffron Research Institute at Torbat - Heydarieh University in 2014. The geographical location of the experimental station was 35º 20´ N and 59º 13´ E with the altitude of 1450 m. Factors, including utilization of nano-organic fertilizer in four levels (zero, 10, 20 and 30 tons per hectare and nitrogen fertilizers application in four levels (0, 25 , 50 and 75 kg per hectare. Each experimental plot was 3 m long and 2 m wide and contained 4 rows with 50 cm distance. Seeds were directly sown by hand in late May. First irrigation was done 10 days after seedling

  11. Synchronous response of sedimentary organic carbon accumulation on the inner shelf of the East China Sea to the water impoundment of Three Gorges and Gezhouba Dams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Jia; Zhu, Qing; Hong, Yuehui; Yuan, Lirong; Liu, Jinzhong; Xu, Xiaoming; Wang, Jianghai

    2018-01-01

    Coastal seas, located between continents and the open ocean, are an important active carbon pool. The sedimentary total organic carbon (TOC) in these areas is a mixture of terrestrial and marine sources, and can be a powerful proxy for tracing natural processes and human activities. In this study, one fine-grained sediment core (DH5-1) from the inner shelf of the East China Sea was systematically analyzed for TOC and black carbon (BC) contents and TOC stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C). By combining these data with 210Pb dating, an improved carbon correction model and a two end-member mixing model, we reconstructed century-scale high-resolution sequences of corrected TOC, terrestrial TOC and marine TOC contents and identified two carbon depletion events in the DH5-1 record. The two events, shown as two minima in the TOC profiles, correspond temporally to 1985-1987 AD and 2003-2006 AD, which exactly matches the water impoundment of the Gezhouba Dam and Three Gorges Dam, respectively. In addition, the variations in TOC contents and δ13C values before, during or after the minima demonstrate a relationship between the depletion events and water impoundment of the dams on the Changjiang River. The TOC reductions may represent synchronous responses of sedimentary TOC and resultant ecological effects on the inner shelf of the East China Sea to the water impoundment of the dams. These new TOC records reflect the interaction between natural and anthropogenic processes and, accordingly, provide a deep insight and important references for assessing marine ecological effects resulting from water impoundment of largescale dams.

  12. High frequency of phylogenetically diverse reductive dehalogenase-homologous genes in deep subseafloor sedimentary metagenomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikihiko eKawai

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Marine subsurface sediments on the Pacific margin harbor diverse microbial communities even at depths of several hundreds meters below the seafloor (mbsf or more. Previous PCR-based molecular analysis showed the presence of diverse reductive dehalogenase gene (rdhA homologs in marine subsurface sediment, suggesting that anaerobic respiration of organohalides is one of the possible energy-yielding pathways in the organic-rich sedimentary habitat. However, primer-independent molecular characterization of rdhA has remained to be demonstrated. Here, we studied the diversity and frequency of rdhA homologs by metagenomic analysis of five different depth horizons (0.8, 5.1, 18.6, 48.5 and 107.0 mbsf at Site C9001 off the Shimokita Peninsula of Japan. From all metagenomic pools, remarkably diverse rdhA-homologous sequences, some of which are affiliated with novel clusters, were observed with high frequency. As a comparison, we also examined frequency of dissimilatory sulfite reductase genes (dsrAB, key functional genes for microbial sulfate reduction. The dsrAB were also widely observed in the metagenomic pools whereas the frequency of dsrAB genes was generally smaller than that of rdhA-homologous genes. The phylogenetic composition of rdhA-homologous genes was similar among the five depth horizons. Our metagenomic data revealed that subseafloor rdhA homologs are more diverse than previously identified from PCR-based molecular studies. Spatial distribution of similar rdhA homologs across wide depositional ages indicates that the heterotrophic metabolic processes mediated by the genes can be ecologically important, functioning in the organic-rich subseafloor sedimentary biosphere.

  13. 长江口外海域沉积物中有机物的来源及分布%Spatial distributions of organic carbon and nitrogen and their isotopic compositions in sediments of the Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent sea area

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    高建华; 汪亚平; 潘少明; 张瑞; 李军; 白风龙

    2008-01-01

    The spatial distribution patterns of total organic carbon and total nitrogen show significant correlations with currents of the East China Sea Shelf. Corresponding to distributions of these currents, the study area could be divided into four different parts. Total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and organic carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in sediments show linear correlations with mean grain size, respectively, thus "grain size effect" is an important factor that influences their distributions. C/N ratios can reflect source information of organic matter to a certain degree. In contrast, nitrogen stable isotope shows different spatial distribution patterns with C/N and organic carbon stable isotope, according to their relationships and regional distributions. The highest contribution (up to 50%) of terrestrial organic carbon appears near the Changjiang Estuary with isolines projecting towards northeast, indicating the influence of the Changjiang dilution water. Terrestrial particulate organic matter suffers from effects of diagenesis, benthos and incessant inputting of dead organic matter of plankton,after depositing in seabed. Therefore, the contribution of terrestrial organic carbon to particulate organic matter is obviously greater than that to organic matter in sediments in the same place.

  14. Favorability for uranium in tertiary sedimentary rocks, southwestern Montana

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wopat, M.A.; Curry, W.E.; Robins, J.W.; Marjaniemi, D.K.

    1977-10-01

    Tertiary sedimentary rocks in the basins of southwestern Montana were studied to determine their favorability for potential uranium resources. Uranium in the Tertiary sedimentary rocks was probably derived from the Boulder batholith and from silicic volcanic material. The batholith contains numerous uranium occurrences and is the most favorable plutonic source for uranium in the study area. Subjective favorability categories of good, moderate, and poor, based on the number and type of favorable criteria present, were used to classify the rock sequences studied. Rocks judged to have good favorability for uranium deposits are (1) Eocene and Oligocene strata and undifferentiated Tertiary rocks in the western Three Forks basin and (2) Oligocene rocks in the Helena basin. Rocks having moderate favorability consist of (1) Eocene and Oligocene strata in the Jefferson River, Beaverhead River, and lower Ruby River basins, (2) Oligocene rocks in the Townsend and Clarkston basins, (3) Miocene and Pliocene rocks in the Upper Ruby River basin, and (4) all Tertiary sedimentary formations in the eastern Three Forks basin, and in the Grasshopper Creek, Horse Prairie, Medicine Lodge Creek, Big Sheep Creek, Deer Lodge, Big Hole River, and Bull Creek basins. The following have poor favorability: (1) the Beaverhead Conglomerate in the Red Rock and Centennial basins, (2) Eocene and Oligocene rocks in the Upper Ruby River basin, (3) Miocene and Pliocene rocks in the Townsend, Clarkston, Smith River, and Divide Creek basins, (4) Miocene through Pleistocene rocks in the Jefferson River, Beaverhead River, and Lower Ruby River basins, and (5) all Tertiary sedimentary rocks in the Boulder River, Sage Creek, Muddy Creek, Madison River, Flint Creek, Gold Creek, and Bitterroot basins

  15. EarthN: A new Earth System Nitrogen Model

    OpenAIRE

    Goldblatt, Colin; Johnson, Benjamin

    2018-01-01

    The amount of nitrogen in the atmosphere, oceans, crust, and mantle have important ramifications for Earth’s biologic and geologic history. Despite this importance, the history and cycling of nitrogen in the Earth system is poorly constrained over time. For example, various models and proxies contrastingly support atmospheric mass stasis, net outgassing, or net ingassing over time. In addition, the amount available to and processing of nitrogen by organisms is intricately linked with and prov...

  16. EarthN: A new Earth System Nitrogen Model

    OpenAIRE

    Johnson, Benjamin W.; Goldblatt, Colin

    2018-01-01

    The amount of nitrogen in the atmosphere, oceans, crust, and mantle have important ramifications for Earth's biologic and geologic history. Despite this importance, the history and cycling of nitrogen in the Earth system is poorly constrained over time. For example, various models and proxies contrastingly support atmospheric mass stasis, net outgassing, or net ingassing over time. In addition, the amount available to and processing of nitrogen by organisms is intricately linked with and prov...

  17. Application of MSS/LANDSAT images to the structural study of recent sedimentary areas: Campos Sedimentary Basin, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parada, N. D. J. (Principal Investigator); Barbosa, M. P.

    1983-01-01

    Visual and computer aided interpretation of MSS/LANDSAT data identified linear and circular features which represent the ""reflexes'' of the crystalline basement structures in the Cenozoic sediments of the emergent part of the Campos Sedimentary Basin.

  18. Transformation of nitrogen and distribution of nitrogen-related bacteria in a polluted urban stream.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, Y; Jin, W B; Zhao, Q L; Zhang, G D; Yan, Y; Wan, J

    2009-01-01

    Most researchers focused on either nitrogen species or microbial community for polluted urban stream while ignoring the interaction between them and its effect on nitrogen transformation, which restricted the rational selection of an effective and feasible remediation technology. Taking Buji stream in Shenzhen (China) as target stream, the distribution of nitrogen-related bacteria was investigated by most probable number (MPN) besides analysis of nitrogen species etc. The nitrogen-related bacteria in sediment were 10(2) times richer than those in water. Owing to their faster growth, the MPN of ammonifying bacteria and denitrifying bacteria were 10(5) and 10(2) times higher than those of nitrifying bacteria, respectively. The ammonifying bacteria numbers were significantly related to BOD5 in water, while nitrifying bacteria in sediment correlated well with nitrate in water. Thus, nitrification occurred mainly in sediment surface and was limited by low proportion of nitrifying bacteria. The denitrifying bacteria in sediment had good relationship with BOD5 and nitrite and nitrate in water. Low DO and rich organic compounds were beneficial to denitrification but unfavourable to nitrification. Denitrification was restricted by low nitrite and nitrate concentration. These results could be served as a reference for implementing the remediation scheme of nitrogen polluted urban stream.

  19. Sorption and migration of neptunium in porous sedimentary materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Tadao; Mukai, Masayuki; Nakayama, Shinichi

    2005-01-01

    Column migration experiments of neptunium were conducted for porous sedimentary materials: coastal sand, tuffaceous sand, ando soil, reddish soil, yellowish soil and loess, and migration behavior, sorption mechanisms and chemical formation of Np were investigated. The migration behavior of Np in each material was much different each other, due to chemical formation in solution and/or sorption mechanism of Np. Mathematical models of different concepts were applied to the experimental results to interpret the sorption mechanism and the migration behavior. It can be concluded that both of instantaneous equilibrium sorption and sorption-desorption kinetics have to be considered to model the Np migration in sedimentary materials. (author)

  20. A study about the long-term stability of sedimentary rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshino, Naoto; Miyanomae, Shun-ichi; Inoue, Hiroyuki; Nashimoto, Yutaka

    2005-02-01

    In this paper, following two issues were examined and estimated, (1) the influence of near field condition factor to the dynamical behavior of sedimentary soft rock, (2) the long term estimation of the dynamical behavior considering the condition of Horonobe area. As the study about the influence of near field condition factor to the dynamical behavior of sedimentary soft rock, the thermal factor was focused on and the laboratory tests using test pieces which were sampled in Horonobe area were carried out under the water temperature were 20 degrees and 80 degrees. As a result, the time dependence parameter in variable-compliance-type constitutive-equation could be obtained. And comparison between creep property under 20 degrees and 80 degrees was conducted. In addition, the general properties of sedimentary soft rock under several conditions were identified by the survey of the literature. And the way how to confirm the dynamical properties of sedimentary soft rock with in-situ test were presented. For the study on the short-term and long-term stability of rock surrounding buffer materials, numerical simulations were carried out assuming several conditions. The direction of disposal tunnels and the ratio of rock strength by initial stress were estimated to be the main factor affecting the short-term stability of rock. Time dependency of rock and the stiffness of buffer material were estimated to be the main factor affecting the long-term stability of rock. (author)

  1. Global Drainage Patterns to Modern Terrestrial Sedimentary Basins and its Influence on Large River Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyberg, B.; Helland-Hansen, W.

    2017-12-01

    Long-term preservation of alluvial sediments is dependent on the hydrological processes that deposit sediments solely within an area that has available accomodation space and net subsidence know as a sedimentary basin. An understanding of the river processes contributing to terrestrial sedimentary basins is essential to fundamentally constrain and quantify controls on the modern terrestrial sink. Furthermore, the terrestrial source to sink controls place constraints on the entire coastal, shelf and deep marine sediment routing systems. In addition, the geographical importance of modern terrestrial sedimentary basins for agriculture and human settlements has resulted in significant upstream anthropogenic catchment modification for irrigation and energy needs. Yet to our knowledge, a global catchment model depicting the drainage patterns to modern terrestrial sedimentary basins has previously not been established that may be used to address these challenging issues. Here we present a new database of 180,737 global catchments that show the surface drainage patterns to modern terrestrial sedimentary basins. This is achieved by using high resolution river networks derived from digital elevation models in relation to newly acquired maps on global modern sedimentary basins to identify terrestrial sinks. The results show that active tectonic regimes are typically characterized by larger terrestrial sedimentary basins, numerous smaller source catchments and a high source to sink relief ratio. To the contrary passive margins drain catchments to smaller terrestrial sedimentary basins, are composed of fewer source catchments that are relatively larger and a lower source to sink relief ratio. The different geomorphological characteristics of source catchments by tectonic setting influence the spatial and temporal patterns of fluvial architecture within sedimentary basins and the anthropogenic methods of exploiting those rivers. The new digital database resource is aimed to help

  2. Comparing carbon to carbon: Organic and inorganic carbon balances across nitrogen fertilization gradients in rainfed vs. irrigated Midwest US cropland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, S. K.; McGill, B.

    2017-12-01

    The top meter of the earth's soil contains about twice the amount of carbon than the atmosphere. Agricultural management practices influence whether a cropland soil is a net carbon source or sink. These practices affect both organic and inorganic carbon cycling although the vast majority of studies examine the former. We will present results from several rarely-compared carbon fluxes: carbon dioxide emissions and sequestration from lime (calcium carbonate) weathering, dissolved gases emitted from groundwater-fed irrigation, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) leaching to groundwater, and soil organic matter storage. These were compared in a corn-soybean-wheat rotation under no-till management across a nitrogen fertilizer gradient where half of the replicated blocks are irrigated with groundwater. DOC and liming fluxes are also estimated from a complementary study in neighboring plots comparing a gradient of management practices from conventional to biologically-based annuals and perennials. These studies were conducted at the Kellogg Biological Station Long Term Ecological Research site in Michigan where previous work estimated that carbon dioxide emissions from liming accounted for about one quarter of the total global warming impact (GWI) from no-till systems—our work refines that figure. We will present a first time look at the GWI of gases dissolved in groundwater that are emitted when the water equilibrates with the atmosphere. We will explore whether nitrogen fertilizer and irrigation increase soil organic carbon sequestration by producing greater crop biomass and residues or if they enhance microbial activity, increasing decomposition of organic matter. These results are critical for more accurately estimating how intensive agricultural practices affect the carbon balance of cropping systems.

  3. Compaction and sedimentary basin analysis on Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gabasova, Leila R.; Kite, Edwin S.

    2018-03-01

    Many of the sedimentary basins of Mars show patterns of faults and off-horizontal layers that, if correctly understood, could serve as a key to basin history. Sediment compaction is a possible cause of these patterns. We quantified the possible role of differential sediment compaction for two Martian sedimentary basins: the sediment fill of Gunjur crater (which shows concentric graben), and the sediment fill of Gale crater (which shows outward-dipping layers). We assume that basement topography for these craters is similar to the present-day topography of complex craters that lack sediment infill. For Gunjur, we find that differential compaction produces maximum strains consistent with the locations of observed graben. For Gale, we were able to approximately reproduce the observed layer orientations measured from orbiter image-based digital terrain models, but only with a >3 km-thick donut-shaped past overburden. It is not immediately obvious what geologic processes could produce this shape.

  4. Riverine Carbon and the Sedimentary Record on the Continental Shelves

    Science.gov (United States)

    2005-09-30

    focused on the Gulf of Lions: collecting sediment samples and carrying out elemental and stable carbon isotopic analysis . The field work was carried...organisms. For example, the predominance of nitrogen-free biomacromolecules (e.g. tannin , lignin, cellulose, cutin and suberin) over proteins (C:N ≈ 3-4...are cooperating with J. Fabres and A. Calafat (CRG Marine Geosciences) in carrying out elemental and isotopic analysis on suspended material

  5. Influencing factors on δ(13C) of organic matter and carbonate in labke sediments on songnen plain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ou Wenjia; Zhang Chengjun

    2009-01-01

    Carbon isotopic compositions of organic matter and carbonate in surface sediments from lakes in Songnen Plain, northeast of China, were carried out.n-alkanes carbon distribution characteristics of the organic matter in lake sediments were also analyzed to identify the source of organic matter and sedimentary environment in these lakes. With the limnological characteristics of water and sediment, the influencing factors on isotopic composition in sedimentary organic matter and carbonate were discussed. The results showed that types of organic matter affected the carbon isotopic composition. 13 C of carbonate depleted by input of biologic organic matter and enriched by input of oil pollution. (authors)

  6. Estimating tectonic history through basin simulation-enhanced seismic inversion: Geoinformatics for sedimentary basins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tandon, K.; Tuncay, K.; Hubbard, K.; Comer, J.; Ortoleva, P.

    2004-01-01

    A data assimilation approach is demonstrated whereby seismic inversion is both automated and enhanced using a comprehensive numerical sedimentary basin simulator to study the physics and chemistry of sedimentary basin processes in response to geothermal gradient in much greater detail than previously attempted. The approach not only reduces costs by integrating the basin analysis and seismic inversion activities to understand the sedimentary basin evolution with respect to geodynamic parameters-but the technique also has the potential for serving as a geoinfomatics platform for understanding various physical and chemical processes operating at different scales within a sedimentary basin. Tectonic history has a first-order effect on the physical and chemical processes that govern the evolution of sedimentary basins. We demonstrate how such tectonic parameters may be estimated by minimizing the difference between observed seismic reflection data and synthetic ones constructed from the output of a reaction, transport, mechanical (RTM) basin model. We demonstrate the method by reconstructing the geothermal gradient. As thermal history strongly affects the rate of RTM processes operating in a sedimentary basin, variations in geothermal gradient history alter the present-day fluid pressure, effective stress, porosity, fracture statistics and hydrocarbon distribution. All these properties, in turn, affect the mechanical wave velocity and sediment density profiles for a sedimentary basin. The present-day state of the sedimentary basin is imaged by reflection seismology data to a high degree of resolution, but it does not give any indication of the processes that contributed to the evolution of the basin or causes for heterogeneities within the basin that are being imaged. Using texture and fluid properties predicted by our Basin RTM simulator, we generate synthetic seismograms. Linear correlation using power spectra as an error measure and an efficient quadratic

  7. Sedimentary architecture of a sub-lacustrine debris fan: Eocene Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, east China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jianping; Xian, Benzhong; Wang, Junhui; Ji, Youliang; Lu, Zhiyong; Liu, Saijun

    2017-12-01

    The sedimentary architectures of submarine/sublacustrine fans are controlled by sedimentary processes, geomorphology and sediment composition in sediment gravity flows. To advance understanding of sedimentary architecture of debris fans formed predominantly by debris flows in deep-water environments, a sub-lacustrine fan (Y11 fan) within a lacustrine succession has been identified and studied through the integration of core data, well logging data and 3D seismic data in the Eocene Dongying Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, east China. Six types of resedimented lithofacies can be recognized, which are further grouped into five broad lithofacies associations. Quantification of gravity flow processes on the Y11 fan is suggested by quantitative lithofacies analysis, which demonstrates that the fan is dominated by debris flows, while turbidity currents and sandy slumps are less important. The distribution, geometry and sedimentary architecture are documented using well data and 3D seismic data. A well-developed depositional lobe with a high aspect ratio is identified based on a sandstone isopach map. Canyons and/or channels are absent, which is probably due to the unsteady sediment supply from delta-front collapse. Distributary tongue-shaped debris flow deposits can be observed at different stages of fan growth, suggesting a lobe constructed by debrite tongue complexes. Within each stage of the tongue complexes, architectural elements are interpreted by wireline log motifs showing amalgamated debrite tongues, which constitute the primary fan elements. Based on lateral lithofacies distribution and vertical sequence analysis, it is proposed that lakefloor erosion, entrainment and dilution in the flow direction lead to an organized distribution of sandy debrites, muddy debrites and turbidites on individual debrite tongues. Plastic rheology of debris flows combined with fault-related topography are considered the major factors that control sediment distribution and fan

  8. Biochar Decelerates Soil Organic Nitrogen Cycling but Stimulates Soil Nitrification in a Temperate Arable Field Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prommer, Judith; Wanek, Wolfgang; Hofhansl, Florian; Trojan, Daniela; Offre, Pierre; Urich, Tim; Schleper, Christa; Sassmann, Stefan; Kitzler, Barbara; Soja, Gerhard; Hood-Nowotny, Rebecca Clare

    2014-01-01

    Biochar production and subsequent soil incorporation could provide carbon farming solutions to global climate change and escalating food demand. There is evidence that biochar amendment causes fundamental changes in soil nutrient cycles, often resulting in marked increases in crop production, particularly in acidic and in infertile soils with low soil organic matter contents, although comparable outcomes in temperate soils are variable. We offer insight into the mechanisms underlying these findings by focusing attention on the soil nitrogen (N) cycle, specifically on hitherto unmeasured processes of organic N cycling in arable soils. We here investigated the impacts of biochar addition on soil organic and inorganic N pools and on gross transformation rates of both pools in a biochar field trial on arable land (Chernozem) in Traismauer, Lower Austria. We found that biochar increased total soil organic carbon but decreased the extractable organic C pool and soil nitrate. While gross rates of organic N transformation processes were reduced by 50–80%, gross N mineralization of organic N was not affected. In contrast, biochar promoted soil ammonia-oxidizer populations (bacterial and archaeal nitrifiers) and accelerated gross nitrification rates more than two-fold. Our findings indicate a de-coupling of the soil organic and inorganic N cycles, with a build-up of organic N, and deceleration of inorganic N release from this pool. The results therefore suggest that addition of inorganic fertilizer-N in combination with biochar could compensate for the reduction in organic N mineralization, with plants and microbes drawing on fertilizer-N for growth, in turn fuelling the belowground build-up of organic N. We conclude that combined addition of biochar with fertilizer-N may increase soil organic N in turn enhancing soil carbon sequestration and thereby could play a fundamental role in future soil management strategies. PMID:24497947

  9. Biochar decelerates soil organic nitrogen cycling but stimulates soil nitrification in a temperate arable field trial.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Judith Prommer

    Full Text Available Biochar production and subsequent soil incorporation could provide carbon farming solutions to global climate change and escalating food demand. There is evidence that biochar amendment causes fundamental changes in soil nutrient cycles, often resulting in marked increases in crop production, particularly in acidic and in infertile soils with low soil organic matter contents, although comparable outcomes in temperate soils are variable. We offer insight into the mechanisms underlying these findings by focusing attention on the soil nitrogen (N cycle, specifically on hitherto unmeasured processes of organic N cycling in arable soils. We here investigated the impacts of biochar addition on soil organic and inorganic N pools and on gross transformation rates of both pools in a biochar field trial on arable land (Chernozem in Traismauer, Lower Austria. We found that biochar increased total soil organic carbon but decreased the extractable organic C pool and soil nitrate. While gross rates of organic N transformation processes were reduced by 50-80%, gross N mineralization of organic N was not affected. In contrast, biochar promoted soil ammonia-oxidizer populations (bacterial and archaeal nitrifiers and accelerated gross nitrification rates more than two-fold. Our findings indicate a de-coupling of the soil organic and inorganic N cycles, with a build-up of organic N, and deceleration of inorganic N release from this pool. The results therefore suggest that addition of inorganic fertilizer-N in combination with biochar could compensate for the reduction in organic N mineralization, with plants and microbes drawing on fertilizer-N for growth, in turn fuelling the belowground build-up of organic N. We conclude that combined addition of biochar with fertilizer-N may increase soil organic N in turn enhancing soil carbon sequestration and thereby could play a fundamental role in future soil management strategies.

  10. Biochar decelerates soil organic nitrogen cycling but stimulates soil nitrification in a temperate arable field trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prommer, Judith; Wanek, Wolfgang; Hofhansl, Florian; Trojan, Daniela; Offre, Pierre; Urich, Tim; Schleper, Christa; Sassmann, Stefan; Kitzler, Barbara; Soja, Gerhard; Hood-Nowotny, Rebecca Clare

    2014-01-01

    Biochar production and subsequent soil incorporation could provide carbon farming solutions to global climate change and escalating food demand. There is evidence that biochar amendment causes fundamental changes in soil nutrient cycles, often resulting in marked increases in crop production, particularly in acidic and in infertile soils with low soil organic matter contents, although comparable outcomes in temperate soils are variable. We offer insight into the mechanisms underlying these findings by focusing attention on the soil nitrogen (N) cycle, specifically on hitherto unmeasured processes of organic N cycling in arable soils. We here investigated the impacts of biochar addition on soil organic and inorganic N pools and on gross transformation rates of both pools in a biochar field trial on arable land (Chernozem) in Traismauer, Lower Austria. We found that biochar increased total soil organic carbon but decreased the extractable organic C pool and soil nitrate. While gross rates of organic N transformation processes were reduced by 50-80%, gross N mineralization of organic N was not affected. In contrast, biochar promoted soil ammonia-oxidizer populations (bacterial and archaeal nitrifiers) and accelerated gross nitrification rates more than two-fold. Our findings indicate a de-coupling of the soil organic and inorganic N cycles, with a build-up of organic N, and deceleration of inorganic N release from this pool. The results therefore suggest that addition of inorganic fertilizer-N in combination with biochar could compensate for the reduction in organic N mineralization, with plants and microbes drawing on fertilizer-N for growth, in turn fuelling the belowground build-up of organic N. We conclude that combined addition of biochar with fertilizer-N may increase soil organic N in turn enhancing soil carbon sequestration and thereby could play a fundamental role in future soil management strategies.

  11. Analysis of carbon and nitrogen signatures with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy; the quest for organics under Mars-like conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dequaire, T.; Meslin, P.-Y.; Beck, P.; Jaber, M.; Cousin, A.; Rapin, W.; Lasne, J.; Gasnault, O.; Maurice, S.; Buch, A.; Szopa, C.; Coll, P.

    2017-05-01

    Organic matter has been continuously delivered by meteorites and comets to Mars since its formation, and possibly formed in situ by abiogenic and/or biogenic processes. This organic matter may be preserved from the harsh oxidizing environment of Mars in specific locations. Together with water, organic molecules are necessary to the emergence of life as we know it. Since the first martian landers, scientists have been searching for organics and until today, only one positive detection has been made by a Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) instrument onboard the Curiosity rover. In this article we investigate a complementary approach to guide the search for organic matter using ChemCam, the first Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument on Mars. This experimental study focuses on the analysis of carbon and nitrogen LIBS signatures in organoclay samples and allows the determination of the critical level (Lc) and limit of detection (LoD) of these elements with LIBS under Mars-like conditions, giving new insights into the search of organic matter on Mars.

  12. Sedimentary uranium deposits in France and French Union

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kervella, F.

    1958-01-01

    The author gives the actual state of our knowledge on uranium deposits found in recent years. Till now in precambrian formations only one important deposit has been found, at Mounana (Gabon) in a series of conglomeratic sandstones belonging to the 'Francevillien'. The observed mineralization is of the uranium-vanadium type. To the carboniferous formations corresponds in France a series of deposits, among which the most important ones are located at Saint-Hippolyte. Uranium as carburans, organic-bound complexes, is contained in lacustrine schists of Westphalian or lower Stephanian formations. A number of occurrences are also known in permo-triassic formations, particularly in the Vanoise Alps, in the Maritime Alps and in the Herault, where important occurrences have recently been found not far from Lodeve. The cretaceous and tertiary systems contain uranium deposits in phosphate rocks (Morocco, Senegal, Togo, Middle-Congo). Two sedimentary oligocene deposits are known in France. Lastly, the Vinaninkarena deposit in Madagascar, known for a long time, is the only important one reported in the quaternary series. (author) [fr

  13. Postclosure safety assessment of a used fuel repository in sedimentary rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gobien, M.; Garisto, F.; Hunt, N.; Kremer, E.

    2014-01-01

    The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is responsible for the implementation of Adaptive Phased Management (APM), the federally-approved plan for safe long-term management of Canada's used nuclear fuel. Under the APM plan, used nuclear fuel will ultimately be placed within a deep geological repository in a suitable rock formation. This paper summarizes an illustrative case study of the current multi-barrier design and postclosure safety of a deep geological repository in a hypothetical sedimentary Michigan Basin setting. The purpose of this postclosure safety assessment is to determine potential effects of the repository on the health and safety of persons and the environment. Results are compared against acceptance criteria established for the protection of persons and the environment from potential radiological and non-radiological hazards. (author)

  14. Postclosure safety assessment of a used fuel repository in sedimentary rock

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gobien, M.; Garisto, F.; Hunt, N.; Kremer, E. [Nuclear Waste Management Organization, Toronto, ON (Canada)

    2014-07-01

    The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is responsible for the implementation of Adaptive Phased Management (APM), the federally-approved plan for safe long-term management of Canada's used nuclear fuel. Under the APM plan, used nuclear fuel will ultimately be placed within a deep geological repository in a suitable rock formation. This paper summarizes an illustrative case study of the current multi-barrier design and postclosure safety of a deep geological repository in a hypothetical sedimentary Michigan Basin setting. The purpose of this postclosure safety assessment is to determine potential effects of the repository on the health and safety of persons and the environment. Results are compared against acceptance criteria established for the protection of persons and the environment from potential radiological and non-radiological hazards. (author)

  15. Dissolved organic nitrogen and its biodegradable portion in a water treatment plant with ozone oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wadhawan, Tanush; Simsek, Halis; Kasi, Murthy; Knutson, Kristofer; Prüβ, Birgit; McEvoy, John; Khan, Eakalak

    2014-05-01

    Biodegradability of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) has been studied in wastewater, freshwater and marine water but not in drinking water. Presence of biodegradable DON (BDON) in water prior to and after chlorination may promote formation of nitrogenous disinfectant by-products and growth of microorganisms in the distribution system. In this study, an existing bioassay to determine BDON in wastewater was adapted and optimized, and its application was tested on samples from four treatment stages of a water treatment plant including ozonation and biologically active filtration. The optimized bioassay was able to detect BDON in 50 μg L(-1) as N of glycine and glutamic solutions. BDON in raw (144-275 μg L(-1) as N), softened (59-226 μg L(-1) as N), ozonated (190-254 μg L(-1) as N), and biologically filtered (17-103 μg L(-1) as N) water samples varied over a sampling period of 2 years. The plant on average removed 30% of DON and 68% of BDON. Ozonation played a major role in increasing the amount of BDON (31%) and biologically active filtration removed 71% of BDON in ozonated water. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Impact of Crab Bioturbation on Nitrogen-Fixation Rates in Red Sea Mangrove Sediment

    KAUST Repository

    Qashqari, Maryam S.

    2017-05-01

    Mangrove plants are a productive ecosystem that provide several benefits for marine organisms and industry. They are considered to be a food source and habitat for many organisms. However, mangrove growth is limited by nutrient availability. According to some recent studies, the dwarfism of the mangrove plants is due to the limitation of nitrogen in the environment. Biological nitrogen fixation is the process by which atmospheric nitrogen is fixed into ammonium. Then, this fixed nitrogen can be uptaken by plants. Hence, biological nitrogen fixation increases the input of nitrogen in the mangrove ecosystem. In this project, we focus on measuring the rates of nitrogen fixation on Red Sea mangrove (Avicennia marina) located at Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. The nitrogen fixation rates are calculated by the acetylene reduction assay. The experimental setup will allow us to analyze the effect of crab bioturbation on nitrogen fixing rates. This study will help to better understand the nitrogen dynamics in mangrove ecosystems in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, this study points out the importance of the sediment microbial community in mangrove trees development. Finally, the role of nitrogen fixing bacteria should be taken in account for future restoration activities.

  17. Transfer and mobility of trace metallic elements in the sedimentary column of continental hydro-systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Devallois, V.

    2009-02-01

    In freshwater systems, trace metal pollutants are transferred into water and sedimentary columns under dissolved forms and/or fixed onto solid particles. Accumulated in the sedimentary areas, these latter ones can constitute important stocks of materials and associated pollutants and may impair water quality when environmental changes lead to increase their mobility. The mobility of the stocks of pollutants is mainly depending on the erosion, on the interstitial diffusion of the mobile phases (dissolved and colloidal) and on the bioturbation. In this context, this study involves the analysis of the mobility by interstitial diffusion. This topic consists in studying trace metal fractionation between their mobile (dissolved and colloidal) and non mobile (fixed onto the particles) forms. This point is governed by sorption/desorption processes at the particle surfaces. These processes are regulated by physico-chemical parameters (pH, redox potential, ionic strength...) and are influenced by biogeochemical reactions resulting from the oxidation of the organic matter by the microbial activity. These reactions generate vertical profiles of nutrients and metal concentrations along the sedimentary column. To understand these processes, this work is based on a mixed approach that combines in situ, analysis and modelling. In situ experimental part consists in sampling natural sediments cores collected at 4 different sites (1 site in Durance and 3 sites on the Rhone). These samples are analyzed according to an analytical protocol that provides the vertical distribution of physicochemical parameters (pH, redox potential, size distribution, porosity), nutrients and solid - liquid forms of trace metals (cobalt, copper, nickel, lead, zinc). The analysis and interpretation of these experimental results are based on a model that was developed during this study and that includes: 1) model of interstitial diffusion (Boudreau, 1997), 2) biogeochemical model (Wang and Van Cappellen

  18. Sedimentary Environments Offshore Norway - Palaeozoic to Recent

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinsen, Ole J.; Dreyer, Tom [eds.

    1999-07-01

    The report includes the extended abstracts from the conference, 71 in number. The presentations discuss the sedimentary characteristics of the North Sea area and the the methods used in the research, a thorough knowledge of which is important for economic exploration of the oil and gas resources of the North Sea.

  19. Is it really organic? – Multi-isotopic analysis as a tool to discriminate between organic and conventional plants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, K.H.; Mihailova, A.; Kelly, S.D.

    2013-01-01

    for discrimination of organically and conventionally grown plants. The study was based on wheat, barley, faba bean and potato produced in rigorously controlled long-term field trials comprising 144 experimental plots. Nitrogen isotope analysis revealed the use of animal manure, but was unable to discriminate between......Novel procedures for analytical authentication of organic plant products are urgently needed. Here we present the first study encompassing stable isotopes of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, magnesium and sulphur as well as compound-specific nitrogen and oxygen isotope analysis of nitrate...... plants that were fertilised with synthetic nitrogen fertilisers or green manures from atmospheric nitrogen fixing legumes. This limitation was bypassed using oxygen isotope analysis of nitrate in potato tubers, while hydrogen isotope analysis allowed complete discrimination of organic and conventional...

  20. Sedimentary condensation and authigenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Föllmi, Karl

    2016-04-01

    Most marine authigenic minerals form in sediments, which are subjected to condensation. Condensation processes lead to the formation of well individualized, extremely thin ( 100ky), and which experienced authigenesis and the precipitation of glaucony, verdine, phosphate, iron and manganese oxyhydroxides, iron sulfide, carbonate and/or silica. They usually show complex internal stratigraphies, which result from an interplay of sediment accumulation, halts in sedimentation, sediment winnowing, erosion, reworking and bypass. They may include amalgamated faunas of different origin and age. Hardgrounds may be part of condensed beds and may embody strongly condensed beds by themselves. Sedimentary condensation is the result of a hydrodynamically active depositional regime, in which sediment accumulation, winnowing, erosion, reworking and bypass are processes, which alternate as a function of changes in the location and intensity of currents, and/or as the result of episodic high-energy events engendered by storms and gravity flow. Sedimentary condensation has been and still is a widespread phenomenon in past and present-day oceans. The present-day distribution of glaucony and verdine-rich sediments on shelves and upper slopes, phosphate-rich sediments and phosphorite on outer shelves and upper slopes, ferromanganese crusts on slopes, seamounts and submarine plateaus, and ferromanganese nodules on abyssal seafloors is a good indication of the importance of condensation processes today. In the past, we may add the occurrence of oolitic ironstone, carbonate hardgrounds, and eventually also silica layers in banded iron formations as indicators of the importance of condensation processes. Besides their economic value, condensed sediments are useful both as a carrier of geochemical proxies of paleoceanographic and paleoenvironmental change, as well as the product of episodes of paleoceanographic and paleoenvironmental change themselves.

  1. In-situ heating test in sedimentary soft rock. Phase 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ikenoya, Takafumi; Takakura, Nozomu; Okada, Tetsuji; Sawada, Masataka; Hirano, Kouhei; Tani, Kazuo

    2011-01-01

    Various researches have been conducted on high level radioactive waste geological disposal in sedimentary soft rocks. It is noted that the long-term mechanical behaviors of sedimentary soft rocks can be affected by various environmental factors such as temperatures or hydraulic conditions. Therefore, in-situ heater test was conducted in an underground cavern at a depth of 50 m for the purpose of improving thermo-hydro-mechanical coupled analysis code. This report presents the test result demonstrating the changes of temperature and strain distributions with time at the elevated temperature of the heater up to 90degC. (author)

  2. Bioavailability of wastewater derived dissolved organic nitrogen to green microalgae Selenastrum capricornutum, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and Chlorella vulgaris with/without presence of bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jingyi; Simsek, Halis

    2017-07-01

    Effluent dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is problematic in nutrient sensitive surface waters and needs to be reduced to meet demanding total dissolved nitrogen discharge limits. Bioavailable DON (ABDON) is a portion of DON utilized by algae or algae+bacteria, while biodegradable DON (BDON) is a portion of DON decomposable by bacteria. ABDON and BDON in a two-stage trickling filter (TF) wastewater treatment plant was evaluated using three different microalgal species, Selenastrum capricornutum, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Chlorella vulgaris and mixed cultured bacteria. Results showed that up to 80% of DON was bioavailable to algae or algae+bacteria inoculum while up to 60% of DON was biodegradable in all the samples. Results showed that C. reinhardtii and C. vulgaris can be used as a test species the same as S. capricornutum since there were no significant differences among these three algae species based on their ability to remove nitrogen species. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  3. Xylem sap nitrogen compounds of some Crotalaria species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vitória Angela Pierre

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available Thirteen species of Crotalaria were analysed for nitrogen compounds in the xylem root bleeding sap. Amino acids were the main form of organic nitrogen found, but only traces of ureides were present. Of the four species analysed for amino acid composition, asparagine was found to be the major amino acid, accounting for over 68% of the nitrogen transported. No striking deviations from this general pattern was found between species, between vegetative and floral stages of development, or between nodulated and non-nodulated plants. It was concluded that the Crotalaria species studied here have an asparagine-based nitrogen metabolism, consistent with many other non-ureide-producing legume species.

  4. Age and sedimentary record of inland eolian sediments in Lithuania, NE European Sand Belt

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kalińska-Nartiša, Edyta; Thiel, Christine; Nartišs, Maris

    2015-01-01

    in any detail. The sedimentary structural-textural features are investigated and a chronology was derived using optically stimulated luminescence on both quartz and feldspar. The sedimentary structures and the rounding and surface characteristics of the quartz grains argue for a predominance of eolian...

  5. Nitrogen utilization and environmental losses in organic greenhouse lettuce amended with two distinct biochars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, Engil Isadora Pujol; Conz, Rafaela Feola; Six, Johan

    2017-11-15

    The potential of biochar to prevent nitrogen (N) losses and improve plant performance were studied across various levels of N input for two growing seasons in mesocosms simulating an organic lettuce production system. A silt loam soil was amended with pine chip (PC) and walnut shell (WS) biochar (10tha -1 ) in combination with five organic N fertilization rates (0, 56, 112, 168, and 225kgNha -1 ). The N output through harvest, leachate, and N 2 O emissions were measured to assess N utilization and environmental losses of biochar-amended soils. For both biochars, only at the 100% N fertilization rate was lettuce biomass production improved with significant increases in N use efficiency (NUE); however, only PC biochar decreased N losses via leaching (at 100% N fertilization rate) and seasonal N 2 O emissions (at 50% N fertilization rate). Thus, due to increases in plant biomass and decreases in N losses, PC biochar significantly decreased the ratio of N lost over N exported in biomass. Findings from this study suggest that both WS and PC biochars can improve organic lettuce production but only at 225kgNha -1 . Decreases in N losses via leachate and N 2 O emissions vary with fertilization level and biochar type. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Hybrid process for nitrogen oxides reduction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Epperly, W.R.; Sprague, B.N.

    1991-09-10

    This patent describes a process for reducing the nitrogen oxide concentration in the effluent from the combustion of a carbonaceous fuel. It comprises introducing into the effluent a first treatment agent comprising a nitrogenous composition selected from the group consisting of urea, ammonia, hexamethylenetetramine, ammonium salts of organic acids, 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic hydrocarbons having at least one cyclic nitrogen, hydroxy amino hydrocarbons, NH{sub 4}-lignosulfonate, fur-furylamine, tetrahydrofurylamine, hexamethylenediamine, barbituric acid, guanidine, guanidine carbonate, biguanidine, guanylurea sulfate, melamine, dicyandiamide, biuret, 1.1{prime}-azobisformamide, methylol urea, methylol urea-urea condensation product, dimethylol urea, methyl urea, dimethyl urea, calcium cyanamide, and mixtures thereof under conditions effective to reduce the nitrogen oxides concentration and ensure the presence of ammonia in the effluent; introducing into the effluent a second treatment agent comprising an oxygenated hydrocarbon at an effluent temperature of about 500{degrees} F. to about 1600{degrees} F. under conditions effective to oxidize nitric oxide in the effluent to nitrogen dioxide and ensure the presence of ammonia at a weight ratio of ammonia to nitrogen dioxide of about 1:5 to about 5:1; and contacting the effluent with an aqueous scrubbing solution having a pH of 12 or lower under conditions effective to cause nitrogen dioxide to be absorbed therein.

  7. The role microbial sulfate reduction in the direct mediation of sedimentary authigenic carbonate precipitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turchyn, A. V.; Walker, K.; Sun, X.

    2016-12-01

    The majority of modern deep marine sediments are bathed in water that is undersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate. However, within marine sediments changing chemical conditions, driven largely by the microbial oxidation of organic carbon in the absence of oxygen, lead to supersaturated conditions and drive calcium carbonate precipitation. This sedimentary calcium carbonate is often called `authigenic carbonate', and is found in the form of cements and disseminated crystals within the marine sedimentary pile. As this precipitation of this calcium carbonate is microbially mediated, identifying authigenic carbonate within the geological record and understanding what information its geochemical and/or isotopic signature may hold is key for understanding its importance and what information it may contain past life. However, the modern controls on authigenic carbonate precipitation remain enigmatic because the myriad of microbially mediated reactions occurring within sediments both directly and indirectly impact the proton balance. In this submission we present data from 25 ocean sediment cores spanning the globe where we explore the deviation from the stoichiometrically predicted relationships among alkalinity, calcium and sulfate concentrations. In theory for every mol of organic carbon reduced by sulfate, two mol of alkalinity is produced, and to precipitate subsurface calcium carbonate one mol of calcium is used to consume two mol of alkalinity. We use this data with a model to explore changes in carbonate saturation state with depth below the seafloor. Alkalinity changes in the subsurface are poorly correlated with changes in calcium concentrations, however calcium concentrations are directly and tightly coupled to changes in sulfate concentrations in all studied sites. This suggests a direct role for sulfate reducing bacteria in the precipitation of subsurface carbonate cements.

  8. Effects of wetland recovery on soil labile carbon and nitrogen in the Sanjiang Plain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jingyu; Song, Changchun; Nkrumah, Philip Nti

    2013-07-01

    Soil management significantly affects the soil labile organic factors. Understanding carbon and nitrogen dynamics is extremely helpful in conducting research on active carbon and nitrogen components for different kinds of soil management. In this paper, we examined the changes in microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) to assess the effect and mechanisms of land types, organic input, soil respiration, microbial species, and vegetation recovery under Deyeuxia angustifolia freshwater marshes (DAMs) and recovered freshwater marsh (RFM) in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. Identifying the relationship among the dynamics of labile carbon, nitrogen, and soil qualification mechanism using different land management practices is therefore important. Cultivation and land use affect intensely the DOC, DON, MBC, and MBN in the soil. After DAM soil tillage, the DOC, DON, MBC, and MBN at the surface of the agricultural soil layer declined significantly. In contrast, their recovery was significant in the RFM surface soil. A long time was needed for the concentration of cultivated soil total organic carbon and total nitrogen to be restored to the wetland level. The labile carbon and nitrogen fractions can reach a level similar to that of the wetland within a short time. Typical wetland ecosystem signs, such as vegetation, microbes, and animals, can be recovered by soil labile carbon and nitrogen fraction restoration. In this paper, the D. angustifolia biomass attained natural wetland level after 8 years, indicating that wetland soil labile fractions can support wetland eco-function in a short period of time (4 to 8 years) for reconstructed wetland under suitable environmental conditions.

  9. NEMA, a functional-structural model of nitrogen economy within wheat culms after flowering. I. Model description.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertheloot, Jessica; Cournède, Paul-Henry; Andrieu, Bruno

    2011-10-01

    Models simulating nitrogen use by plants are potentially efficient tools to optimize the use of fertilizers in agriculture. Most crop models assume that a target nitrogen concentration can be defined for plant tissues and formalize a demand for nitrogen, depending on the difference between the target and actual nitrogen concentrations. However, the teleonomic nature of the approach has been criticized. This paper proposes a mechanistic model of nitrogen economy, NEMA (Nitrogen Economy Model within plant Architecture), which links nitrogen fluxes to nitrogen concentration and physiological processes. A functional-structural approach is used: plant aerial parts are described in a botanically realistic way and physiological processes are expressed at the scale of each aerial organ or root compartment as a function of local conditions (light and resources). NEMA was developed for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) after flowering. The model simulates the nitrogen (N) content of each photosynthetic organ as regulated by Rubisco turnover, which depends on intercepted light and a mobile N pool shared by all organs. This pool is enriched by N acquisition from the soil and N release from vegetative organs, and is depleted by grain uptake and protein synthesis in vegetative organs; NEMA accounts for the negative feedback from circulating N on N acquisition from the soil, which is supposed to follow the activities of nitrate transport systems. Organ N content and intercepted light determine dry matter production via photosynthesis, which is distributed between organs according to a demand-driven approach. NEMA integrates the main feedbacks known to regulate plant N economy. Other novel features are the simulation of N for all photosynthetic tissues and the use of an explicit description of the plant that allows how the local environment of tissues regulates their N content to be taken into account. We believe this represents an appropriate frame for modelling nitrogen in

  10. Provenance discrimination of the last glacial sediments from the northeastern South China Sea and its paleoenvironmental indications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang Liu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available A total of 849 core samples collected from two drilling core STD235 and ZSQD289 in the northeastern South China Sea were analyzed for elemental composition including total organic carbon (TOC, total nitrogen (TN, stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition (δ13C, δ15N, and clay mineral composition. Based on clay mineral assemblages and organic geochemistry characteristics, it is supposed that the terrestrial source for sediments at STD235 and ZSQD289 is mainly from southwestern Taiwan. Moreover, the sedimentary organic matter of site ZSQD289 was probably directly inputted from southwestern Taiwan submarine canyon, while the sedimentary organic matter of core STD235 was probably transported by deep water current. The chronology suggested that it covered the record since ~19.7 and 34.6 ka BP in site STD235 and ZSQD289 respectively. Before the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, high TOC/TN ratios with low δ13C and δ15N values might indicate that terrestrial organic input and nitrogen fixation was enhanced. During the LGM, gradually increased TOC, TN, δ13C, and δ15N values might result from the enhanced burial of organic carbon and higher marine primary production constrained by the strong winter monsoon. TOC/TN ratios and δ13C values generally present a decreased trend from LGM to Holocene (18 - 11 cal ka BP, strongly correlated to the terrestrial organic input and marine primary production reduced during this period. Since Holocene, the terrestrial organic input to both sites further reduced and maintained a low level, in according with a high sea level and a gradual intensified summer monsoon.

  11. Geochemical prerequisites of petroleum-gas formation in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary layer of the world's oceans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trotsyuk, V Ya

    1979-05-01

    A summarization is given of the latest material on the geochemistry of trace organic matter of Mesozoic-Cenozoic deposits of the world's oceans, obtained as a result of deep-sea drilling. Trace organic matter was found to be present in the sedimentary layers of the ocean outskirts in amounts near that found in the continental stratosphere, but that content was five times less in the interior region of the oceans. The trace organic matter of deposits in the marginal region of the oceans was found to have a significant petroleum-gas matrix potential with respect to the level of content and composition characteristics. The distribution of organic carbon was found to be uneven in variously aged horizons of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic. The maximum content of organic carbon was noted in the Neogene-Quaternary and lower Cretaceous deposits. An elevated content of trace organic matter was found to be characteristic of the oceanic stratisphere in lithological mixed sediments: terrigenous-carbonate and terrigenous-silicons was 1.5 times greater than the trace organic matter in clays. Fundamental geochemical propagation laws were formulated, possibly for petroleum-gas-bearing sediment basins under the ocean bottom and beyond the shelf. 18 references, 3 figures.

  12. Characterization of phosphorus in the sedimentary environments of inundated agricultural soils around the Huainan Coal Mines, Anhui, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yi, Qitao; Xie, Kai; Sun, Pengfei; Kim, Youngchul

    2014-02-15

    Extensive coal mining in the Huainan Coal Mines, Anhui China, in light of the local hydrology and geology, has resulted in extensive land subsidence and submergence around the mines. This has led to the formation of large (>100 km(2)) lakes. Three representative lakes were selected to study the mechanisms of phosphorus (P) unavailability for primary production from the perspective of sedimentary environments, which in turn owe their formation to permanently inundated agricultural soils. Two important issues were considered: (1) potential of P transport from the cultivated soil column toward surface sediments and (2) characterization of P behavior in view of regional ecological rehabilitation and conservation. Accordingly, we conducted field sediment analyses, combined with simulation experiments of soil column inundation/submergence lasting for four months. Enrichment of Fe-(hydr)oxides in surface sediments was verified to be the main reason for limitations in regional P availability in water bodies. Iron (Fe), but not its bound P, moved upward from the submerged soil column to the surface. However, an increasing upward gradient in the contents of organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (TP), and different P fractions was caused by spatial heterogeneity in soil properties. Phosphorus was unable to migrate upward toward the surface sediments as envisioned, because of complex secondary reactions within soil minerals. Phosphorus bound to Fe and/or Al comprised over 50% of TP, which has important implications for local ecological rehabilitation and water conservation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. NEMA, a functional-structural model of nitrogen economy within wheat culms after flowering. II. Evaluation and sensitivity analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertheloot, Jessica; Wu, Qiongli; Cournède, Paul-Henry; Andrieu, Bruno

    2011-10-01

    Simulating nitrogen economy in crop plants requires formalizing the interactions between soil nitrogen availability, root nitrogen acquisition, distribution between vegetative organs and remobilization towards grains. This study evaluates and analyses the functional-structural and mechanistic model of nitrogen economy, NEMA (Nitrogen Economy Model within plant Architecture), developed for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) after flowering. NEMA was calibrated for field plants under three nitrogen fertilization treatments at flowering. Model behaviour was investigated and sensitivity to parameter values was analysed. Nitrogen content of all photosynthetic organs and in particular nitrogen vertical distribution along the stem and remobilization patterns in response to fertilization were simulated accurately by the model, from Rubisco turnover modulated by light intercepted by the organ and a mobile nitrogen pool. This pool proved to be a reliable indicator of plant nitrogen status, allowing efficient regulation of nitrogen acquisition by roots, remobilization from vegetative organs and accumulation in grains in response to nitrogen treatments. In our simulations, root capacity to import carbon, rather than carbon availability, limited nitrogen acquisition and ultimately nitrogen accumulation in grains, while Rubisco turnover intensity mostly affected dry matter accumulation in grains. NEMA enabled interpretation of several key patterns usually observed in field conditions and the identification of plausible processes limiting for grain yield, protein content and root nitrogen acquisition that could be targets for plant breeding; however, further understanding requires more mechanistic formalization of carbon metabolism. Its strong physiological basis and its realistic behaviour support its use to gain insights into nitrogen economy after flowering.

  14. Effects of potassium application on the accumulated nitrogen source and yield of peanut

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yuefu; Kang Yujie; Wang Minglun; Zhao Changxing

    2013-01-01

    Pot experiments and were carried out respectively to study the effects of different potassium application on soil nitrogen uptake, fertilizer nitrogen uptake, nodule nitrogen fixation and their proportion and yield of peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) by "1"5N tracer technique, and explore the reasons, which may provide a theoretical basis and technical guidance for peanut production in the scientific fertilizer application. Results showed that nitrogen in peanut all mainly accumulated in the kernel for different treatments of potassium fertilizer application. However, with increasing of potassium application, the increasing extent of nitrogen content of stems was the biggest during all the peanut organs, with nut shells the smallest. Properly increasing the amount of potassium can improve nitrogen content, "1"5N abundance, nitrogen and "1"5N accumulation of every organ, and promote absorption and utilization three nitrogen-source especially with the most effect for the kernel biomass (economic output). The ratio of fertilizer nitrogen, soil nitrogen and atmospheric nitrogen absorbed by peanut was respectively between 12.37%-13.10%, 38.29%-45.10%, and 42.53%-48.31% respectively. Properly increasing potassium fertilizer application improved the absorption ratio of fertilizer nitrogen and nodule nitrogen fixation, reduced the proportion of soil uptake and enhanced fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency. However, the influences of excessive application of potassium fertilizer decreased. (authors)

  15. Evaluation of Data for Collisions of Electrons with Nitrogen Molecule and Nitrogen Molecular Ion. Summary Report of an IAEA Consultants Meeting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Hyun-Kyung; Mason, Nigel J.

    2014-02-01

    A Consultants' Meeting (CM) on Evaluation of Data for Collisions of Electrons with Nitrogen Molecules and Nitrogen Molecular Ions was held at IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, Austria, from 5th to 6th December 2013. The meeting was organized in collaboration between the European eMOL project led by Prof N. J. Mason of the Open University, UK, and the Atomic and Molecular Data Unit of the IAEA. Seven experts from six countries participated in the meeting to evaluate currently available electron scattering data for nitrogen and nitrogen molecular ions and to develop general guidelines for data evaluation as a structured small group activity

  16. Late Holocene sedimentary changes in floodplain and shelf environments of the Tagus River (Portugal)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vis, G.J.; Kasse, C.; Kroon, D.; Jung, S.J.A.; Zuur, H.; Prick, A.C.H.

    2010-01-01

    Sedimentary changes during the last ∼2500 years have been reconstructed from cored sedimentary records from the deltaic floodplain of the Lower Tagus Valley and the Tagus mudbelt on the continental shelf offshore Lisbon. We used a multi-proxy approach consisting of sedimentology, grainsize, pollen

  17. Bulk deposition of organic and inorganic nitrogen in southwest China from 2008 to 2013.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Ling; Kuang, Fuhong; Skiba, Ute; Zhu, Bo; Liu, Xuejun; Levy, Peter; Dore, Anthony; Fowler, David

    2017-08-01

    China is regarded as one of the nitrogen deposition hotspots in the world. Measurements to-date have focused mainly on the North China Plain, ignoring the fact that atmospheric chemical and physical properties vary across the country and that there may be other hotspots regions that should be investigated. For this reason we have conducted a six year study, measuring the bulk deposition of reduced (NH 4 -N), oxidized (NO 3 -N), and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) at three contrasting sites in the Sichuan province, southwest China. The study sites were a high altitude forest in the Gongga Mountains (GG), an agriculture dominated region in Yanting (YT) and an urban site in the mega city Chengdu (CD). The annual average bulk deposition fluxes of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) were 7.4, 23.1 and 36.6 kg N ha -1 yr -1 at GG, YT and CD sites, respectively, during the study period 2008 to 2013. The contributions of NH 4 -N, NO 3 -N and DON to the TDN were in the range of 48.4-57.8%, 28.8-43.7%, and 8.0-15.6%, respectively. DON bulk deposition was mainly dominated by agricultural activities. TDN bulk deposition fluxes showed increasing trends at the agricultural and urban sites from 2008 to 2013, but there was little change at the remote forest (GG) site. While reduced N dominated bulk N deposition at all the three sites, its contribution showed a decreasing trend, suggesting a gradual increase in the importance of oxidized N. These results reveal the value of long term monitoring in detecting changes in the atmospheric chemical composition of this rapidly changing region, and their inclusion in the policy debate regarding which sources should be controlled in order to reduce the long term impacts of N deposition, especially for southwest China, where there are few measurements of N deposition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen release from Holocene permafrost and seasonally frozen soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wickland, K.; Waldrop, M. P.; Koch, J. C.; Jorgenson, T.; Striegl, R. G.

    2017-12-01

    Permafrost (perennially frozen) soils store vast amounts of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) that are vulnerable to mobilization to the atmosphere as greenhouse gases and to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) upon thaw. Such releases will affect the biogeochemistry of arctic and boreal regions, yet little is known about active layer (seasonally frozen) and permafrost source variability that determines DOC and TDN mobilization. We quantified DOC and TDN leachate yields from a range of active layer and permafrost soils in Alaska varying in age and C and N content to determine potential release upon thaw. Soil cores from the upper 1 meter were collected in late winter, when soils were frozen, from three locations representing a range in geographic position, landscape setting, permafrost depth, and soil types across interior Alaska. Two 15 cm-thick segments were extracted from each core: a deep active-layer horizon and a shallow permafrost horizon. Soils were thawed and leached for DOC and TDN yields, dissolved organic matter optical properties, and DOC biodegradability; soils were analyzed for C and N content, and radiocarbon content. Soils had wide-ranging C and N content (<1-44% C, <0.1-2.3% N), and varied in radiocarbon age from 450-9200 years before present - thus capturing typical ranges of boreal and arctic soils. Soil DOC and TDN yields increased linearly with soil C and N content, and decreased with increasing radiocarbon age. However, across all sites DOC and TDN yields were significantly greater from permafrost soils (0.387 ± 0.324 mg DOC g-1 soil; 0.271 ± 0.0271 mg N g-1 soil) than from active layer soils (0.210 ± 0.192 mg DOC g-1 soil; 0.00716 ± 0.00569 mg N g-1 soil). DOC biodegradability increased with increasing radiocarbon age, and was statistically similar for active layer and permafrost soils. Our findings suggest that the continuously frozen state of permafrost soils has preserved

  19. Sorting of Terrestrial and Marine Organic Matter along a Marginal Submarine Canyon: Radiocarbon and Biomarker Signatures of Surface Sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Close, H. G.; Doherty, S.; Campbell, P.; McCarthy, M. D.; Prouty, N.

    2016-02-01

    Submarine canyons are incised features of many continental margins that can have significant influence on the hydrodynamic distribution of sediments and organic matter (OM) eroded and deposited from the continents. Baltimore Canyon, on the U.S. mid-Atlantic margin, contains a complex set of sedimentary processes that simultaneously create unique benthic habitats and control the deposition of OM. Along the canyon axis, loci of net erosion, net deposition, and intense winnowing each host diverse faunal assemblages and varying mixtures of sedimentary OM derived both from production in the overlying water column and from mobilized sediments. Bioavailable components of this deposited OM sustain benthic communities, while recalcitrant components can contribute to long-term carbon burial in the deep sea. Here we probe in detail the terrestrial versus marine origins of OM along a transect of Baltimore Canyon, as well as its bioavailability for benthic fauna, in order to explore how canyon-specific sediment dynamics might emplace a functional sorting of OM from shelf to open ocean. Determining the provenance of sedimentary OM is a continual challenge: commonly-measured bulk geochemical properties often provide insufficient information to distinguish end-member sources. We present a novel approach to separate functional classes of OM and investigate sources and degradative pathways of OM in Baltimore Canyon. In combination with bulk geochemical characteristics, surface sediments from water depths of 200-1200 meters were sequentially extracted (solvent-extracted, acid-hydrolyzed, and demineralized) to separate pools containing different prevalence of terrigenous, marine, and recalcitrant OM. Each class was analyzed for biomarker distributions; amino acid content, 13C signatures, and degradation indicators; bulk carbon and nitrogen isotopes; and radiocarbon content in order to characterize potential end-member sources within the mixture, as well as their age profiles. These

  20. Redistribution of soil nitrogen, carbon and organic matter by mechanical disturbance during whole-tree harvesting in northern hardwoods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan, D.F.; Huntington, T.G.; Wayne, Martin C.

    1992-01-01

    To investigate whether mechanical mixing during harvesting could account for losses observed from forest floor, we measured surface disturbance on a 22 ha watershed that was whole-tree harvested. Surface soil on each 10 cm interval along 81, randomly placed transects was classified immediately after harvesting as mineral or organic, and as undisturbed, depressed, rutted, mounded, scarified, or scalped (forest floor scraped away). We quantitatively sampled these surface categories to collect soil in which preharvest forest floor might reside after harvest. Mechanically mixed mineral and organic soil horizons were readily identified. Buried forest floor under mixed mineral soil occurred in 57% of mounds with mineral surface soil. Harvesting disturbed 65% of the watershed surface and removed forest floor from 25% of the area. Mechanically mixed soil under ruts with organic or mineral surface soil, and mounds with mineral surface soil contained organic carbon and nitrogen pools significantly greater than undisturbed forest floor. Mechanical mixing into underlying mineral soil could account for the loss of forest floor observed between the preharvest condition and the second growing season after whole-tree harvesting. ?? 1992.

  1. Shallow Sedimentary Structure of the Brahmaputra Valley Constraint from Receiver Functions Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saikia, Sowrav; Chopra, Sumer; Baruah, Santanu; Singh, Upendra K.

    2017-01-01

    In this study, receiver functions from ten Broadband seismograph stations on Cenozoic sediment formations of Brahmaputra valley and its neighboring region in northeastern part of India are determined. Receiver function traces from this region show delay in peak by 1-2.5 s and associated minor peaks with the direct P-phase peak. Based on such observation, we try to image sedimentary structure of the Brahmaputra valley plain, adjacent Shillong plateau and Himalayan foredeep region. An adapted hybrid global waveform inversion technique has been applied to extract sedimentary basin structure beneath each site. The sedimentary cover of the basin is about 0.5-6.5 km thick across the valley, 0.5-1.0 km on Shillong plateau and 2.0-5.0 km in nearby foredeep region. We have found that sedimentary thickness increases from SW to NE along the Brahmaputra valley and towards the Eastern Himalayan syntaxes. The estimated sediment thickness and S wave velocity structure agree well with the results of previous active source, gravity, and deep borehole studies carried out in this region. The thick crustal low velocity sediment cover in Brahmaputra valley is expected to amplify ground motions during earthquakes and therefore important for seismic hazard assessment of the region.

  2. Catalytic/non-catalytic combination process for nitrogen oxides reduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luftglass, B.K.; Sun, W.H.; Hofmann, J.E.

    1992-01-01

    This patent describes a process for the reduction of nitrogen oxides in the effluent from the combustion of a carbonaceous fuel. It comprises introducing a nitrogenous treatment agent comprising urea, one or more of the hydrolysis products of urea, ammonia, compounds which produce ammonia as a by-product, ammonium salts of organic acids, 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic hydrocarbons having at least one cyclic nitrogen, hydroxy amino hydrocarbons, or mixtures thereof into the effluent at an effluent temperature between about 1200 degrees F and about 2100 degrees F; and contacting the treated effluent under conditions effective to reduce the nitrogen oxides in the effluent with a catalyst effective for the reduction of nitrogen oxides in the presence of ammonia

  3. Pore water colloid properties in argillaceous sedimentary rocks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Degueldre, Claude, E-mail: c.degueldre@lancaster.ac.uk [Engineering Department, University of Lancaster, LA1 4YW Lancaster (United Kingdom); ChiAM & Institute of Environment, University of Geneva, 1211 Genève 4, Swizerland (Switzerland); Earlier, NES, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen (Switzerland); Cloet, Veerle [NAGRA, Hardstrasse 73, 5430 Wettingen (Switzerland)

    2016-11-01

    The focus of this work is to evaluate the colloid nature, concentration and size distribution in the pore water of Opalinus Clay and other sedimentary host rocks identified for a potential radioactive waste repository in Switzerland. Because colloids could not be measured in representative undisturbed porewater of these host rocks, predictive modelling based on data from field and laboratory studies is applied. This approach allowed estimating the nature, concentration and size distributions of the colloids in the pore water of these host rocks. As a result of field campaigns, groundwater colloid concentrations are investigated on the basis of their size distribution quantified experimentally using single particle counting techniques. The colloid properties are estimated considering data gained from analogue hydrogeochemical systems ranging from mylonite features in crystalline fissures to sedimentary formations. The colloid concentrations were analysed as a function of the alkaline and alkaline earth element concentrations. Laboratory batch results on clay colloid generation from compacted pellets in quasi-stagnant water are also reported. Experiments with colloids in batch containers indicate that the size distribution of a colloidal suspension evolves toward a common particle size distribution independently of initial conditions. The final suspension size distribution was found to be a function of the attachment factor of the colloids. Finally, calculations were performed using a novel colloid distribution model based on colloid generation, aggregation and sedimentation rates to predict under in-situ conditions what makes colloid concentrations and size distributions batch- or fracture-size dependent. The data presented so far are compared with the field and laboratory data. The colloid occurrence, stability and mobility have been evaluated for the water of the considered potential host rocks. In the pore water of the considered sedimentary host rocks, the clay

  4. Characterization of organic nitrogen in aerosols at a forest site in the southern Appalachian Mountains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xi; Xie, Mingjie; Hays, Michael D.; Edgerton, Eric; Schwede, Donna; Walker, John T.

    2018-05-01

    This study investigates the composition of organic particulate matter in PM2.5 in a remote montane forest in the southeastern US, focusing on the role of organic nitrogen (N) in sulfur-containing secondary organic aerosol (nitrooxy-organosulfates) and aerosols associated with biomass burning (nitro-aromatics). Bulk water-soluble organic N (WSON) represented ˜ 14 % w/w of water-soluble total N (WSTN) in PM2.5 on average across seasonal measurement campaigns conducted in the spring, summer, and fall of 2015. The largest contributions of WSON to WSTN were observed in spring ( ˜ 18 % w/w) and the lowest in the fall ( ˜ 10 % w/w). On average, identified nitro-aromatic and nitrooxy-organosulfate compounds accounted for a small fraction of WSON, ranging from ˜ 1 % in spring to ˜ 4 % in fall, though were observed to contribute as much as 28 % w/w of WSON in individual samples that were impacted by local biomass burning. The highest concentrations of oxidized organic N species occurred during summer (average of 0.65 ng N m-3) along with a greater relative abundance of higher-generation oxygenated terpenoic acids, indicating an association with more aged aerosol. The highest concentrations of nitro-aromatics (e.g., nitrocatechol and methyl-nitrocatechol), levoglucosan, and aged SOA tracers were observed during fall, associated with aged biomass burning plumes. Nighttime nitrate radical chemistry is the most likely formation pathway for nitrooxy-organosulfates observed at this low NOx site (generally chemistry and deposition of reactive N.

  5. Modelling nitrogen saturation and carbon accumulation in heathland soils under elevated nitrogen deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evans, C.D.; Caporn, S.J.M.; Carroll, J.A.; Pilkington, M.G.; Wilson, D.B.; Ray, N.; Cresswell, N.

    2006-01-01

    A simple model of nitrogen (N) saturation, based on an extension of the biogeochemical model MAGIC, has been tested at two long-running heathland N manipulation experiments. The model simulates N immobilisation as a function of organic soil C/N ratio, but permits a proportion of immobilised N to be accompanied by accumulation of soil carbon (C), slowing the rate of C/N ratio change and subsequent N saturation. The model successfully reproduced observed treatment effects on soil C and N, and inorganic N leaching, for both sites. At the C-rich upland site, N addition led to relatively small reductions in soil C/N, low inorganic N leaching, and a substantial increase in organic soil C. At the C-poor lowland site, soil C/N ratio decreases and N leaching increases were much more dramatic, and soil C accumulation predicted to be smaller. The study suggests that (i) a simple model can effectively simulate observed changes in soil and leachate N; (ii) previous model predictions based on a constant soil C pool may overpredict future N leaching; (iii) N saturation may develop most rapidly in dry, organic-poor, high-decomposition systems; and (iv) N deposition may lead to significantly enhanced soil C sequestration, particularly in wet, nutrient-poor, organic-rich systems. - Enhanced carbon sequestration may slow the rate of nitrogen saturation in heathlands

  6. Nitrogen assimilation in denitrifier Bacillus azotoformans LMG 9581T.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Yihua; De Vos, Paul; Willems, Anne

    2017-12-01

    Until recently, it has not been generally known that some bacteria can contain the gene inventory for both denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate (NO 3 - )/nitrite (NO 2 - ) reduction to ammonium (NH 4 + ) (DNRA). Detailed studies of these microorganisms could shed light on the differentiating environmental drivers of both processes without interference of organism-specific variation. Genome analysis of Bacillus azotoformans LMG 9581 T shows a remarkable redundancy of dissimilatory nitrogen reduction, with multiple copies of each denitrification gene as well as DNRA genes nrfAH, but a reduced capacity for nitrogen assimilation, with no nas operon nor amtB gene. Here, we explored nitrogen assimilation in detail using growth experiments in media with different organic and inorganic nitrogen sources at different concentrations. Monitoring of growth, NO 3 - NO 2 - , NH 4 + concentration and N 2 O production revealed that B. azotoformans LMG 9581 T could not grow with NH 4 + as sole nitrogen source and confirmed the hypothesis of reduced nitrogen assimilation pathways. However, NH 4 + could be assimilated and contributed up to 50% of biomass if yeast extract was also provided. NH 4 + also had a significant but concentration-dependent influence on growth rate. The mechanisms behind these observations remain to be resolved but hypotheses for this deficiency in nitrogen assimilation are discussed. In addition, in all growth conditions tested a denitrification phenotype was observed, with all supplied NO 3 - converted to nitrous oxide (N 2 O).

  7. Vertical nitrogen flux from the oceanic photic zone by diel migrant zooplankton and nekton

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longhurst, Alan R.; Glen Harrison, W.

    1988-06-01

    Where the photic zone is a biological steady-state, the downward flux of organic material across the pycnocline to the interior of the ocean is thought to be balanced by upward turbulent flux of inorganic nitrogen across the nutricline. This model ignores a significant downward dissolved nitrogen flux caused by the diel vertical migration of interzonal zooplankton and nekton that feed in the photic zone at night and excrete nitrogenous compounds at depth by day. In the oligotrophic ocean this flux can be equivalent to the flux of particulate organic nitrogen from the photic zone in the form of faecal pellets and organic flocculates. Where nitrogen is the limiting plant nutrient, and the flux by diel migration of interzonal plankton is significant compared to other nitrogen exports from the photic zone, there must be an upward revision of previous estimates for the ratio of new to total primary production in the photic zone if a nutrient balance is to be maintained. This upward revision is of the order 5-100% depending on the oceanographic regime.

  8. Reactive Transport Modeling Investigation of High Dissolved Sulfide Concentrations in Sedimentary Basin Rocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, M.; Mayer, U. K.; MacQuarrie, K. T. B.

    2017-12-01

    Water with total dissolved sulfide in excess of 1 mmol L-1is widely found in groundwater at intermediate depths in sedimentary basins, including regions of the Michigan basin in southeastern Ontario, Canada. Conversely, at deeper and shallower depths, relatively low total dissolved sulfide concentrations have been reported. The mechanisms responsible for the occurrence of these brackish sulfide-containing waters are not fully understood. Anaerobic microbial sulfate reduction is a common process resulting in the formation of high sulfide concentrations. Sulfate reduction rates depend on many factors including the concentration of sulfate, the abundance of organic substances, redox conditions, temperature, salinity and the species of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB). A sedimentary basin-specific conceptual model considering the effect of salinity on the rate of sulfate reduction was developed and implemented in the reactive transport model MIN3P-THCm. Generic 2D basin-scale simulations were undertaken to provide a potential explanation for the dissolved sulfide distribution observed in the Michigan basin. The model is 440 km in the horizontal dimension and 4 km in depth, and contains fourteen sedimentary rock units including shales, sandstones, limestones, dolostone and evaporites. The main processes considered are non-isothermal density dependent flow, kinetically-controlled mineral dissolution/precipitation and its feedback on hydraulic properties, cation exchange, redox reactions, biogenic sulfate reduction, and hydromechanical coupling due to glaciation-deglaciation events. Two scenarios were investigated focusing on conditions during an interglacial period and the transient evolution during a glaciation-deglaciation cycle. Inter-glaciation simulations illustrate that the presence of high salinity brines strongly suppress biogenic sulfate reduction. The transient simulations show that glaciation-deglaciation cycles can have an impact on the maximum depth of

  9. FIREX (Fire Influence on Regional and Global Environments Experiment): Measurements of Nitrogen Containing Volatile Organic Compounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warneke, C.; Schwarz, J. P.; Yokelson, R. J.; Roberts, J. M.; Koss, A.; Coggon, M.; Yuan, B.; Sekimoto, K.

    2017-12-01

    A combination of a warmer, drier climate with fire-control practices over the last century have produced a situation in which we can expect more frequent fires and fires of larger magnitude in the Western U.S. and Canada. There are urgent needs to better understand the impacts of wildfire and biomass burning (BB) on the atmosphere and climate system, and for policy-relevant science to aid in the process of managing fires. The FIREX (Fire Influence on Regional and Global Environment Experiment) research effort is a multi-year, multi-agency measurement campaign focused on the impact of BB on climate and air quality from western North American wild fires, where research takes place on scales ranging from the flame-front to the global atmosphere. FIREX includes methods development and small- and large-scale laboratory and field experiments. FIREX will include: emission factor measurements from typical North American fuels in the fire science laboratory in Missoula, Montana; mobile laboratory deployments; ground site measurements at sites influenced by BB from several western states. The main FIREX effort will be a large field study with multiple aircraft and mobile labs in the fire season of 2019. One of the main advances of FIREX is the availability of various new measurement techniques that allows for smoke evaluation in unprecedented detail. The first major effort of FIREX was the fire science laboratory measurements in October 2016, where a large number of previously understudied Nitrogen containing volatile organic compounds (NVOCs) were measured using H3O+CIMS and I-CIMS instruments. The contribution of NVOCs to the total reactive Nitrogen budget and the relationship to the Nitrogen content of the fuel are investigated.

  10. Significance of Isotopically Labile Organic Hydrogen in Thermal Maturation of Organic Matter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arndt Schimmelmann; Maria Mastalerz

    2010-03-30

    Isotopically labile organic hydrogen in fossil fuels occupies chemical positions that participate in isotopic exchange and in chemical reactions during thermal maturation from kerogen to bitumen, oil and gas. Carbon-bound organic hydrogen is isotopically far less exchangeable than hydrogen bound to nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur. We explore why organic hydrogen isotope ratios express a relationship with organic nitrogen isotope ratios in kerogen at low to moderate maturity. We develop and apply new techniques to utilize organic D/H ratios in organic matter fractions and on a molecular level as tools for exploration for fossil fuels and for paleoenvironmental research. The scope of our samples includes naturally and artificially matured substrates, such as coal, shale, oil and gas.

  11. Excess europium content in Precambrian sedimentary rocks and continental evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakes, P.; Taylor, S. R.

    1974-01-01

    It is proposed that the europium excess in Precambrian sedimentary rocks, relative to those of younger age, is derived from volcanic rocks of ancient island arcs, which were the source materials for the sediments. Precambrian sedimentary rocks and present-day volcanic rocks of island arcs have similar REE patterns, total REE abundances, and excess Eu, relative to the North American shale composite. The present upper crustal REE pattern, as exemplified by that of sediments, is depleted in Eu, relative to chondrites. This depletion is considered to be a consequence of development of a granodioritic upper crust by partial melting in the lower crust, which selectively retains europium.

  12. Exogenous Glycine Nitrogen Enhances Accumulation of Glycosylated Flavonoids and Antioxidant Activity in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

    OpenAIRE

    Xiao Yang; Xiaoxian Cui; Xiaoxian Cui; Li Zhao; Doudou Guo; Lei Feng; Shiwei Wei; Chao Zhao; Chao Zhao; Danfeng Huang

    2017-01-01

    Glycine, the simplest amino acid in nature and one of the most abundant free amino acids in soil, is regarded as a model nutrient in organic nitrogen studies. To date, many studies have focused on the uptake, metabolism and distribution of organic nitrogen in plants, but few have investigated the nutritional performance of plants supplied with organic nitrogen. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), one of the most widely consumed leafy vegetables worldwide, is a significant source of antioxidants and ...

  13. Bioavailability of nitrogen from sewage sludge using 15N-labelled ammonium sulphate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Motaium, R.A.

    2001-01-01

    The high nutrient nitrogen and organic matter contents of sewage sludge (SS) make it a potential organic fertilizer for sandy soil. In this study, 15 N-labelled ammonium sulphate was used to investigate the availability of nitrogen from irradiated and non-irradiated sewage sludge to tomato plants. The application of sewage sludge to sandy soil increased dry matter production (DMP), nitrogen yield (NY) and nitrogen recovery (NR) over two successive years. A positive relationship was found between sludge application rate and DMP and NY. The increase was significantly higher (P=0.05) in irradiated than non-irradiated sewage sludge. Total nitrogen derived from non-irradiated sewage sludge are : 48.0, 63.7, 73.5, 105.2 Kg/ha, whereas, the total nitrogen derived from irradiated sewage sludge are: 55.1, 72.5, 88.9, 141.4 Kg/ha corresponding to application rates of 10 t/ha, 20 t/ha, 30 t/ha, respectively. This was attributed to higher dry matter production in the later than the former. A highly significant correlation (0.945**) was found between dry matter production and sludge nitrogen yield (i.e. nitrogen derived from sewage sludge). Fertilizer nitrogen yield (total nitrogen derived from fertilizer) was high in treatment receiving mineral fertilizer, however, the 15 N recovery by tomato was only 13.8%. Soil did not contribute well towards total nitrogen yield in tomato and most nitrogen was derived from sewage sludge. Percent nitrogen derived from sewage sludge was in the range 88-92%, depending on the application rate

  14. Imaging the Moho beneath Sedimentary Basins: A Comparative Study of Virtual Deep Seismic Sounding (VDSS) and P Wave Receiver Functions (PRF)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, T.; Klemperer, S. L.; Yu, C.; Ning, J.

    2017-12-01

    In the past decades, P wave receiver functions (PRF) have been routinely used to image the Moho, although it is well known that PRFs are susceptible to contamination from sedimentary multiples. Recently, Virtual Deep Seismic Sounding (VDSS) emerged as a novel method to image the Moho. However, despite successful applications of VDSS on multiple datasets from different areas, how sedimentary basins affect the waveforms of post-critical SsPmp, the Moho reflection phase used in VDSS, is not widely understood. Here, motivated by a dataset collected in the Ordos plateau, which shows distinct effects of sedimentary basins on SsPmp and Pms waveforms, we use synthetic seismograms to study the effects of sedimentary basins on SsPmp and Pms, the phases used in VDSS and PRF respectively. The results show that when the sedimentary thickness is on the same order of magnitude as the dominant wavelength of the incident S wave, SsPmp amplitude decreases significantly with S velocity of the sedimentary layer, whereas increasing sedimentary thickness has little effect in SsPmp amplitude. Our explanation is that the low S velocity layer at the virtual source reduces the incident angle of S wave at the free surface, thus decreases the S-to-P reflection coefficient at the virtual source. In addition, transmission loss associated with the bottom of sedimentary basins also contributes to reducing SsPmp amplitude. This explains not only our observations from the Ordos plateau, but also observations from other areas where post-critical SsPmp is expected to be observable, but instead is too weak to be identified. As for Pms, we observe that increasing sedimentary thickness and decreasing sedimentary velocities both can cause interference between sedimentary multiples and Pms, rendering the Moho depths inferred from Pms arrival times unreliable. The reason is that although Pms amplitude does not vary with sedimentary thickness or velocities, as sedimentary velocities decrease and thickness

  15. A multi-proxy study of sedimentary humic substances in the salt marsh of the Changjiang Estuary, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yaoling; Du, Jinzhou; Zhao, Xin; Wu, Wangsuo; Peng, Bo; Zhang, Jing

    2014-12-01

    To better understand the origin, composition, and reactivity of sedimentary humic substances (HSs) in salt marshes in the Changjiang Estuary, HS samples were isolated from a sediment core that was collected from the Eastern Chongming salt marsh. Chemical and spectroscopic methods were used to analyze the features of these HSs. The results indicate that the studied HSs in the salt marsh sediments are mainly terrestrial-derived and that the sedimentary organic matter (SOM) in the top layer may contain more organic matter from marine sources and/or autochthonous materials due to the dramatic decreasing of the sediment supply as a result of damming. The degradation of labile carbohydrates and proteins and the preservation of refractory lignin components dominate the early diagenetic reactions of SOM in the salt marsh area. The average contents of the carboxylic groups in FAs and HAs are 11.64 ± 1.08 and 7.13 ± 0.16 meq/gC, and those of phenolic groups are 1.95 ± 0.13 and 2.40 ± 0.44 meq/gC, respectively. The content of carboxylic groups increased with increasing depth, while there were no obvious changes in the content of phenolic groups. The average concentration of total proton-binding sites is approximately 12.5 μmol/g sediment for the studied HSs. These values may provide insight into the migration and fate of HS-bound contaminants in sediments and the overlying sea water in the salt marsh areas of the Changjiang Estuary.

  16. Soil organic nitrogen mineralization across a global latitudinal gradient

    Science.gov (United States)

    D.L. Jones; K. Kielland; F.L. Sinclair; R.A. Dahlgren; K.K. Newsham; J.F. Farrar; D.V. Murphy

    2009-01-01

    Understanding and accurately predicting the fate of carbon and nitrogen in the terrestrial biosphere remains a central goal in ecosystem science. Amino acids represent a key pool of C and N in soil, and their availability to plants and microorganisms has been implicated as a major driver in regulating ecosystem functioning. Because of potential differences in...

  17. A Compilation of Global Soil Microbial Biomass Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Data

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This data set provides the concentrations of soil microbial biomass carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total...

  18. Gene Deletions Resulting in Increased Nitrogen Release by Azotobacter vinelandii: Application of a Novel Nitrogen Biosensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eberhart, Lauren J.; Ohlert, Janet M.; Knutson, Carolann M.; Plunkett, Mary H.

    2015-01-01

    Azotobacter vinelandii is a widely studied model diazotrophic (nitrogen-fixing) bacterium and also an obligate aerobe, differentiating it from many other diazotrophs that require environments low in oxygen for the function of the nitrogenase. As a free-living bacterium, A. vinelandii has evolved enzymes and transporters to minimize the loss of fixed nitrogen to the surrounding environment. In this study, we pursued efforts to target specific enzymes and further developed screens to identify individual colonies of A. vinelandii producing elevated levels of extracellular nitrogen. Targeted deletions were done to convert urea into a terminal product by disrupting the urease genes that influence the ability of A. vinelandii to recycle the urea nitrogen within the cell. Construction of a nitrogen biosensor strain was done to rapidly screen several thousand colonies disrupted by transposon insertional mutagenesis to identify strains with increased extracellular nitrogen production. Several disruptions were identified in the ammonium transporter gene amtB that resulted in the production of sufficient levels of extracellular nitrogen to support the growth of the biosensor strain. Further studies substituting the biosensor strain with the green alga Chlorella sorokiniana confirmed that levels of nitrogen produced were sufficient to support the growth of this organism when the medium was supplemented with sufficient sucrose to support the growth of the A. vinelandii in coculture. The nature and quantities of nitrogen released by urease and amtB disruptions were further compared to strains reported in previous efforts that altered the nifLA regulatory system to produce elevated levels of ammonium. These results reveal alternative approaches that can be used in various combinations to yield new strains that might have further application in biofertilizer schemes. PMID:25888177

  19. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of particulate organic matter and biogeochemical processes in the eutrophic Danshuei Estuary in northern Taiwan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, K.-K.; Kao, S.-J.; Wen, L.-S.; Chen, K.-L.

    2007-01-01

    The Danshuei Estuary is distinctive for the relatively short residence time (1-2 d) of its estuarine water and the very high concentration of ammonia, which is the dominant species of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in the estuary, except near the river mouth. These characteristics make the dynamics of nitrogen cycling distinctively different from previously studied estuaries and result in unusual isotopic compositions of particulate nitrogen (PN). The δ 15 N PN values ranging from - 16.4 per mille to 3.8 per mille lie in the lower end of nitrogen isotopic compositions (- 16.4 to + 18.7 per mille ) of suspended particulate matter observed in estuaries, while the δ 13 C values of particulate organic carbon (POC) and the C/N (organic carbon to nitrogen) ratios showed rather normal ranges from - 25.5 per mille to - 19.0 per mille and from 6.0 to 11.3, respectively. There were three major types of particulate organic matter (POM) in the estuary: natural terrigenous materials consisting mainly of soils and bedrock-derived sediments, anthropogenic wastes and autochthonous materials from the aquatic system. During the typhoon induced flood period in August 2000, the flux-weighted mean of δ 13 C POC values was - 24.4 per mille , that of δ 15 N PN values was + 2.3 per mille and that of C/N ratio was 9.3. During non-typhoon periods, the concentration-weighted mean was - 23.6 per mille for δ 13 C POC , - 2.6 per mille for δ 15 N PN and 8.0 for C/N ratio. From the distribution of δ 15 N PN values of highly polluted estuarine waters, we identified the waste-dominated samples and calculated their mean properties: δ 13 C POC value of - 23.6 ± 0.7 per mille , δ 15 N PN value of - 3.0 ± 0.1 per mille and C/N ratio of 8.0 ± 1.4. Using a three end-member mixing model based on δ 15 N PN values and C/N ratios, we calculated contributions of the three major allochthonous sources of POC, namely, wastes, soils and bedrock-derived sediments, to the estuary. Their contributions

  20. Ultraviolet-B radiation and nitrogen affect nutrient concentrations and the amount of nutrients acquired by above-ground organs of maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correia, Carlos M; Coutinho, João F; Bacelar, Eunice A; Gonçalves, Berta M; Björn, Lars Olof; Moutinho Pereira, José

    2012-01-01

    UV-B radiation effects on nutrient concentrations in above-ground organs of maize were investigated at silking and maturity at different levels of applied nitrogen under field conditions. The experiment simulated a 20% stratospheric ozone depletion over Portugal. At silking, UV-B increased N, K, Ca, and Zn concentrations, whereas at maturity Ca, Mg, Zn, and Cu increased and N, P and Mn decreased in some plant organs. Generally, at maturity, N, Ca, Cu, and Mn were lower, while P, K, and Zn concentrations in stems and nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) were higher in N-starved plants. UV-B and N effects on shoot dry biomass were more pronounced than on nutrient concentrations. Nutrient uptake decreased under high UV-B and increased with increasing N application, mainly at maturity harvest. Significant interactions UV-B x N were observed for NUE and for concentration and mass of some elements. For instance, under enhanced UV-B, N, Cu, Zn, and Mn concentrations decreased in leaves, except on N-stressed plants, whereas they were less affected by N nutrition. In order to minimize nutritional, economical, and environmental negative consequences, fertiliser recommendations based on element concentration or yield goals may need to be adjusted.

  1. Ultraviolet-B Radiation and Nitrogen Affect Nutrient Concentrations and the Amount of Nutrients Acquired by Above-Ground Organs of Maize

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos M. Correia

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available UV-B radiation effects on nutrient concentrations in above-ground organs of maize were investigated at silking and maturity at different levels of applied nitrogen under field conditions. The experiment simulated a 20% stratospheric ozone depletion over Portugal. At silking, UV-B increased N, K, Ca, and Zn concentrations, whereas at maturity Ca, Mg, Zn, and Cu increased and N, P and Mn decreased in some plant organs. Generally, at maturity, N, Ca, Cu, and Mn were lower, while P, K, and Zn concentrations in stems and nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE were higher in N-starved plants. UV-B and N effects on shoot dry biomass were more pronounced than on nutrient concentrations. Nutrient uptake decreased under high UV-B and increased with increasing N application, mainly at maturity harvest. Significant interactions UV-B x N were observed for NUE and for concentration and mass of some elements. For instance, under enhanced UV-B, N, Cu, Zn, and Mn concentrations decreased in leaves, except on N-stressed plants, whereas they were less affected by N nutrition. In order to minimize nutritional, economical, and environmental negative consequences, fertiliser recommendations based on element concentration or yield goals may need to be adjusted.

  2. Real-time analysis of nitrogen translocation in plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hayashi, Hiroaki

    2000-01-01

    Nitrogen absorbed by roots is transported to the leaves through xylem vessels and then retranslocated to the new leaves, such as root and storage organs through sieve tubes. It is very important to know how this nitrogen movement occurs in the plants and what mechanisms are involved in controlling this movement in order to increase the efficiency of fertilizer. In this experiments, 13 N and 15 N was used to detect the nitrogen circulation in plants, in combination with the technique for positron detection in real time and for collection of sap in sieve tubes and analysis of 15 N in it. By using 13 N, nitrogen movement from root to shoot was analyzed within 10 min after 13 N was applied to the roots. On the other hand, nitrogen retranslocation through sieve tubes was detected by the analysis of 15 N in the phloem sap over 6 hrs. All data suggest the dynamic translocation of nitrogen in rice plants. (author)

  3. Variations in the stable carbon isotope compositions of individual lipids from the leaves of modern angiosperms: implications for the study of higher land plant-derived sedimentary organic matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lockheart, M.J.; Bergen, P.F. van; Evershed, R.P.

    1997-01-01

    Seasonal changes in δ 13 C values for individual lipids from the leaves of several species of tree have been studied in order to provide essential background information for use in future investigations of the isotopic signatures of terrigenous sedimentary organic matter. The n-alkanes of Betula ermanii, Quercus castaneifolia and Fagus japonica revealed increased δ 13 C in autumn leaves compared with leaves sampled at the start of the growing season. Samples taken from Q. castaneifolia and F. sylvatica at monthly intervals showed gradual depletion of 13 C in bulk tissues and n-alkanes through the growing season. This may be a consequence of either recycling of depleted internal carbon in order to replace weathered waxes, or increased fractionation against 13 C by the enzyme ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase in response to increasing summer temperatures. Sitosterol exhibited similar isotopic trends as the n-alkanes in F. sylvatica, but showed the opposite behaviour in Q. castaneifolia. The effect of sunlight intensity on δ 13 C was investigated in foliage sampled at different compass positions around two trees, Q. robur and F. sylvatica. Bulk tissue and lipids from inner shade leaves were consistently more depleted in 13 C than those from the corresponding sun leaf. The leaves receiving the highest sunlight irradiance on average, i.e. southern foliage, exhibited the lowest δ 13 C in lipids and bulk tissues. The variability of δ 13 C values with irradiance level may be due to changes in photosynthetic assimilation rates and the adaptation of the leaf epidermis and stomata in response to its light environment. Lipids and bulk tissues from leaves of Quercus species were found to possess slightly more depleted δ 13 C values than those in Fagus species, although interspecies variability was quite large. This study has important implications for the study of terrestrially derived organic matter preserved in ancient sediments. The results demonstrate the

  4. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) profile during backwashing cycle of drinking water biofiltration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Bing; Gu, Li; Yu, Xin; Yu, Guozhong; Zhang, Huining; Xu, Jinli

    2012-01-01

    A comprehensive investigation was made in this study on the variation of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) during a whole backwashing cycle of the biofiltration for drinking water treatment. In such a cycle, the normalized DON concentration (C(effluent)/C(influent)) was decreased from 0.98 to 0.90 in the first 1.5h, and then gradually increased to about 1.5 in the following 8h. Finally, it remained stable until the end of this 24-hour cycle. This clearly 3-stage profile of DON could be explained by three aspects as follows: (1) the impact of the backwashing on the biomass and the microbial activity; (2) the release of soluble microbial products (SMPs) during the biofiltration; (3) the competition between heterotrophic bacteria and nitrifying bacteria. All the facts supported that more DON was generated during later part of the backwashing cycle. The significance of the conclusion is that the shorter backwashing intervals between backwashing for the drinking water biofilter should further decrease the DON concentration in effluent of biofilter. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. The investigation of sedimentary facies and stacking pattern in the Mulid River (Southeastern Qayen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marzieh Fayazi Borujeni

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction In the most gravel bed rivers, particle size exponentially decreases to the downstream. The study of particle size fining trend to the downstream and determination of the effective processes on it along the recent rivers is accomplished in the different parts of Iran. The river sedimentary facies are deposited in the channel and overbank areas and they are provided important information about sedimentary environment and deposition rate, the extent and development of the river channel and floodplain. These sedimentary facies that are deposited in the different depositional conditions have been achieved from variations of flow regime and/ or variation in the depositional environment in the large scale. The aim of this study is to investigate of the particle size variations and the effective controllers of fining trend to downstream, to determine of the important factors in creating sedimentary discontinuities and to study of the sedimentary facies, architectural elements, determination of depositional model and some paleohydraulic parameters of river. The Mulid River catchment with elongated shape is located in 120 km of southeast Qayen in the Southern Khorasan Province, in the 33̊ 24ʹ 44.3ʺ to 33̊ 35ʹ 11.4ʺ east latitude and 59̊ 56ʹ 42.5ʺ to 59̊ 58ʹ 44ʺ north longitude. According to the geological classification of Iran, this basin is a part of the East Iran flysch and mélange belt that is located in the east of the Lut Block.  Materials and Methods  In order to sedimentological studies, 30 sediment samples unsystematically were collected from upstream to downstream and from about 20 cm depth of the main channel bottom of river (with 30 km long. The granulometry analysis of the studied samples were achieved using the dry sieving method with 0.5 φ intervals and weight percent of gravel, sand and mud size particles were estimated. The sediment naming is done using Folk (1980 classification and the estimation of sorting

  6. Recent developments in the structural organization and regulation of nitrogen fixation genes in Herbaspirillum seropedicae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedrosa, F O; Benelli, E M; Yates, M G; Wassem, R; Monteiro, R A; Klassen, G; Steffens, M B; Souza, E M; Chubatsu, L S; Rigo, L U

    2001-10-04

    Herbaspirillum seropedicae is a nitrogen-fixing bacterium found in association with economically important gramineae. Regulation of nitrogen fixation involves the transcriptional activator NifA protein. The regulation of NifA protein and its truncated mutant proteins is described and compared with that of other nitrogen fixation bacteria. Nitrogen fixation control in H. seropedicae, of the beta-subgroup of Proteobacteria, has regulatory features in common with Klebsiella pneumoniae, of the gamma-subgroup, at the level of nifA expression and with rhizobia and Azospirillum brasilense, of the alpha-subgroup, at the level of control of NifA by oxygen.

  7. Microbial mat-induced sedimentary structures in siliciclastic sediments

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    This paper addresses macroscopic signatures of microbial mat-related structures within the. 1.6Ga-old Chorhat Sandstone ... Sandstone differentiated in facies superposed one over the other and their respective structural assemblages (b). may be ..... within the classification of primary sedimentary struc- tures; J. Sed. Res.

  8. A study of radionuclide transfer between invertebrates and their marine sedimentary environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amiard-Triquet, Claude.

    1975-11-01

    Exchanges between sediment and marine organisms were studied in some benthic marine invertebrates, especially Arenicola marina L. (an Annelid). Experiments were carried out on the transfer of 60 Co, 137 Cs and accessorily 59 Fe and 144 Ce. Water was the chief vector for benthic marine invertebrates. These invertebrates seemed to act mainly in sedimentary areas on the redistribution of adsorbed radionuclides within the sediment. Radioactive contamination of the invertebrates was affected by various physiological or ecological factors. Benthic marine invertebrates were then studied as links in food chains. The transfer of 60 Co was studied in three food chains or fractions of food chains. The procedure allowed interesting observations from the health protection point of view and more fundamental investigations on cobalt metabolism (regulation, excretion) in a mollusc, a crustacea and a teleost [fr

  9. Pre- and post-impoundment nitrogen in the lower Missouri River

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blevins, Dale W.; Wilkison, Donald H.; Niesen, Shelley L.

    2013-01-01

    Large water-sample sets collected from 1899 through 1902, 1907, and in the early 1950s allow comparisons of pre-impoundment and post-impoundment (1969 through 2008) nitrogen concentrations in the lower Missouri River. Although urban wastes were not large enough to detectably increase annual loads of total nitrogen at the beginning of the 20th century, carcass waste, stock-yard manure, and untreated human wastes measurably increased ammonia and organic-nitrogen concentrations during low flows. Average total-nitrogen concentrations in both periods were about 2.5 mg/l, but much of the particulate-organic nitrogen, which was the dominant form of nitrogen around 1900, has been replaced by nitrate. This change in speciation was caused by the nearly 80% decrease in suspended-sediment concentrations that occurred after impoundment, modern agriculture, drainage of riparian wetlands, and sewage treatment. Nevertheless, bioavailable nitrogen has not been low enough to limit primary production in the Missouri River since the beginning of the 20th century. Nitrate concentrations have increased more rapidly from 2000 through 2008 (5 to 12% per year), thus increasing bioavailable nitrogen delivered to the Mississippi River and affecting Gulf Coast hypoxia. The increase in nitrate concentrations with distance downstream is much greater during the post-impoundment period. If strategies to decrease total-nitrogen loads focus on particulate N, substantial decreases will be difficult because particulate nitrogen is now only 23% of total nitrogen in the Missouri River. A strategy aimed at decreasing particulates also could further exacerbate land loss along the Gulf of Mexico, which has been sediment starved since Missouri River impoundment. In contrast, strategies or benchmarks aimed at decreasing nitrate loads could substantially decrease nitrogen loadings because nitrates now constitute over half of the Missouri's nitrogen input to the Mississippi. Ongoing restoration and creation

  10. Ultrasound coupled with Fenton oxidation pre-treatment of sludge to release organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gong, Changxiu [School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Jiang, Jianguo, E-mail: jianguoj@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn [School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Key Laboratory for Solid Waste Management and Environment Safety, Ministry of Education of China (China); Collaborative Innovation Center for Regional Environmental Quality, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China); Li, De' an [School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

    2015-11-01

    We focused on the effects of ultrasound and Fenton reagent in ultrasonic coupling Fenton oxidation (U + F) pre-treatment processes on the disintegration of wastewater treatment plant sludge. The results demonstrated that U + F treatment could significantly increase soluble COD, TOC, total N, proteins, total P and PO{sub 4}{sup 3−} concentrations in sludge supernatant. This method was more effective than ultrasonic (U) or Fenton oxidation (F) treatment alone. U + F treatment increased the soluble COD by 2.1- and 1.4-fold compared with U and F alone, respectively. U + F treatment increased the total N and P by 1.7- and 2.2-fold, respectively, compared with F alone. After U + F treatment, sludge showed a considerably finer particle size and looser microstructure based on scanning electron microscopy, and the highest OH· signal intensity increased from 568.7 by F treatment to 1106.3 using electron spin resonance. This demonstrated that U + F treatment induces disintegration of sludge and release of organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus better. - Highlights: • Combined ultrasound–Fenton pre-treatment was proposed for sludge disintegration. • Ultrasound–Fenton significantly increased carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus release. • Higher level of OH· was detected after combined disintegration than Fenton.

  11. Ultrasound coupled with Fenton oxidation pre-treatment of sludge to release organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gong, Changxiu; Jiang, Jianguo; Li, De'an

    2015-01-01

    We focused on the effects of ultrasound and Fenton reagent in ultrasonic coupling Fenton oxidation (U + F) pre-treatment processes on the disintegration of wastewater treatment plant sludge. The results demonstrated that U + F treatment could significantly increase soluble COD, TOC, total N, proteins, total P and PO 4 3− concentrations in sludge supernatant. This method was more effective than ultrasonic (U) or Fenton oxidation (F) treatment alone. U + F treatment increased the soluble COD by 2.1- and 1.4-fold compared with U and F alone, respectively. U + F treatment increased the total N and P by 1.7- and 2.2-fold, respectively, compared with F alone. After U + F treatment, sludge showed a considerably finer particle size and looser microstructure based on scanning electron microscopy, and the highest OH· signal intensity increased from 568.7 by F treatment to 1106.3 using electron spin resonance. This demonstrated that U + F treatment induces disintegration of sludge and release of organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus better. - Highlights: • Combined ultrasound–Fenton pre-treatment was proposed for sludge disintegration. • Ultrasound–Fenton significantly increased carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus release. • Higher level of OH· was detected after combined disintegration than Fenton

  12. Current emission trends for nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds by month and state: Methodology and results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kohout, E.J.; Miller, D.J.; Nieves, L.A.; Rothman, D.S.; Saricks, C.L.; Stodolsky, F.; Hanson, D.A.

    1990-08-01

    This report presents estimates of monthly sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen oxides (NO x ), and nonmethane voltatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by sector, region, and state in the contiguous United States for the years 1975 through 1988. This work has been funded as part of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program's Emissions and Controls Task Group by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy (FE). The DOE project officer is Edward C. Trexler, DOE/FE Office of Planning and Environment

  13. Different nitrogen sources change the transcriptome of welan gum-producing strain Sphingomonas sp. ATCC 31555.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xiaopeng; Nie, Zuoming; Zheng, Zhiyong; Zhu, Li; Zhang, Hongtao; Zhan, Xiaobei

    2017-09-01

    To reveal effects of different nitrogen sources on the expressions and functions of genes in Sphingomonas sp. ATCC 31555, it was cultivated in medium containing inorganic nitrogen (IN), organic nitrogen (ON), or inorganic-organic combined nitrogen (CN). Welan gum production and bacterial biomass were determined, and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the different ATCC 31555 groups were identified, and their functions were analyzed. Welan gum production and bacterial biomass were significantly higher in the ON and CN groups compared with those in the IN group. RNA-seq produced 660 unigenes, among which 488, 731, and 844 DEGs were identified between the IN vs. ON, IN vs. CN, and ON vs. CN groups, respectively. All the DEGs were related significantly to metabolic process and signal transduction. DEGs between the IN vs. CN and ON vs. CN groups were potentially associated with bacterial chemotaxis. Real-time PCR confirmed the expressions of selected DEGs. Organic nitrogen led to higher bacterial biomass and welan gum production than inorganic nitrogen, which might reflect differences in gene expression associated with metabolic process, signal transduction, and bacterial chemotaxis induced by different nitrogen sources.

  14. Comparisons between three nitrogen fertilizers (nitric, ammoniacal and uric) in an andic soil of the Comoro Islands. Studies in a controlled medium with nitrogen 15

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egoumenides, C.; Pichot, J.; Haribou, A.

    1980-01-01

    The fixation rate (nitrogen in the plant + nitrogen remaining in the soil) was measured for nitrogen from three different labelled fertilizers: calcium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and urea. This experiment, which was realized in pots with and without cultures led to the following observations: the same fixation rates occur for all fertilizers, which are greater when cultures are employed then when they are not employed (86% ans 72% respectively); the utilization rate of nitrogen fertilizers by plants is significantly higher with the nitric form of fertilizer than with the two other forms (73% and 63% respectively). With cultures, the nitrogen nonutilized by the plant is found in nitrogen organic forms of the soil. On the other hand, in the case of bare soil, the reorganization of nitrogen fertilizers (above all nitric fertilizers) is found to be highly limited, the greatest proportion of the fertilizer's nitrogen remaining in the mineral form [fr

  15. The role of the sedimentary regime in shaping the distribution of subtidal sandbank environments and the associated meiofaunal nematode communities: an example from the southern North Sea.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michaela Schratzberger

    Full Text Available We combined sediment and faunal data to explore the role of the sedimentary regime in shaping the distribution of subtidal sandbank environments and the associated meiofaunal nematode communities at Broken Bank and Swarte Bank, in the southern North Sea. A variety of sediment transport processes occur in the area, differing in the frequency and magnitude of sediment mobility, and the continuum between erosion, translation and sediment accumulation. The seabed contained a variety of bedforms, including longitudinal furrows, and small to very large sandwaves. The bed sediments were dominated by fine and medium sands, with admixtures of silt and gravel. Based on sedimentary bedforms and grain size analysis, a total of 11 sedimentary facies were delineated, of which 8 were analysed in detail for their relationships with the meiofauna. The sedimentary facies fell clearly into groups of facies, respectively representing high, high-moderate and moderate, and episodic sediment mobility. For those sedimentary facies where daily movement of sediments and bedforms occurred ('high' sediment mobility, the resulting spatially homogeneous environments were dominated by an impoverished nematode community comprising small deposit feeders and large predators. Resistance to sediment movement and the ability to exploit alternative food sources were prominent functional features of the successful colonisers. Those facies characterised by relatively infrequent sediment mobility ('episodic' and 'high-moderate and moderate' sediment mobility comprised a heterogeneous suite of benthic habitats, containing taxonomically and functionally diverse assemblages of nematodes of various sizes, feeding types and reproductive potential. Faunal distribution patterns here indicated trade-offs between the resistance to sediment movement, environmental tolerance and competitive abilities. Our focus on diverse assemblages of organisms with high turnover times, inhabiting highly

  16. The Role of the Sedimentary Regime in Shaping the Distribution of Subtidal Sandbank Environments and the Associated Meiofaunal Nematode Communities: An Example from the Southern North Sea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schratzberger, Michaela; Larcombe, Piers

    2014-01-01

    We combined sediment and faunal data to explore the role of the sedimentary regime in shaping the distribution of subtidal sandbank environments and the associated meiofaunal nematode communities at Broken Bank and Swarte Bank, in the southern North Sea. A variety of sediment transport processes occur in the area, differing in the frequency and magnitude of sediment mobility, and the continuum between erosion, translation and sediment accumulation. The seabed contained a variety of bedforms, including longitudinal furrows, and small to very large sandwaves. The bed sediments were dominated by fine and medium sands, with admixtures of silt and gravel. Based on sedimentary bedforms and grain size analysis, a total of 11 sedimentary facies were delineated, of which 8 were analysed in detail for their relationships with the meiofauna. The sedimentary facies fell clearly into groups of facies, respectively representing high, high-moderate and moderate, and episodic sediment mobility. For those sedimentary facies where daily movement of sediments and bedforms occurred (‘high’ sediment mobility), the resulting spatially homogeneous environments were dominated by an impoverished nematode community comprising small deposit feeders and large predators. Resistance to sediment movement and the ability to exploit alternative food sources were prominent functional features of the successful colonisers. Those facies characterised by relatively infrequent sediment mobility (‘episodic’ and ‘high-moderate and moderate’ sediment mobility) comprised a heterogeneous suite of benthic habitats, containing taxonomically and functionally diverse assemblages of nematodes of various sizes, feeding types and reproductive potential. Faunal distribution patterns here indicated trade-offs between the resistance to sediment movement, environmental tolerance and competitive abilities. Our focus on diverse assemblages of organisms with high turnover times, inhabiting highly dynamic

  17. Modern sedimentary processes along the Doce river adjacent continental shelf

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valéria da Silva Quaresma

    Full Text Available In areas of the continental shelf where sediment supply is greater than the sediment dispersion capacity, an extensive terrigenous deposits and consequently submerged deltas can be formed. The Eastern Brazilian shelf is characterized by the occurrence of river feed deltas in between starving coasts. Herein, modern sedimentary processes acting along the Doce river adjacent continental shelf are investigated. The main objective was to understand the shelf sediment distribution, recognizing distinct sedimentary patterns and the major influence of river sediment discharge in the formation of shelf deposits. The study used 98 surficial samples that were analyzed for grain size, composition and bulk density. Results revealed 3 distinct sectors: south - dominated by mud fraction with a recent deposition from riverine input until 30 m deep and from this depth bioclastic sands dominate; central north - sand mud dominated, been recognized as a bypass zone of resuspended sediment during high energy events; and north - relict sands with high carbonate content. The modern sedimentation processes along the Doce river continental shelf is dominated by distinct sedimentary regimes, showing a strong fluvial influence associated with wave/wind induced sediment dispersion and a carbonate regime along the outer shelf. These regimes seem to be controlled by the distance from the river mouth and bathymetric gradients.

  18. Influence of sulfur and nitrogen supply on the susceptibility of Pisum sativum to SO/sub 2/

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klein, H; Jaeger, H J; Steubing, L

    1974-01-01

    The susceptibility of Pisum to SO/sub 2/ injury was examined in relation to the sulfur and nitrogen nutrition. The injury was measured by comparing the dry matter yield to control and treated plants. SO/sub 2/ effects on metabolism were established by determining the content of organic and inorganic sulfur and, indirectly, by measuring total nitrogen, amino acid nitrogen, and protein nitrogen. The plants grown in nutrient solutions deficient in sulfur or nitrogen showed a decreased sensitivity to SO/sub 2/ pollution compared to the control. The higher content of amino acid nitrogen and organic sulfur of the plants grown in a nitrogen-deficient solution suggests that an increased synthesis of sulfur containing amino acids occurs. The slighter injury of the plants deficient in sulfur may be explained by the delayed sulfur supply.

  19. Ultrasmall Tin Nanodots Embedded in Nitrogen-Doped Mesoporous Carbon: Metal-Organic-Framework Derivation and Electrochemical Application as Highly Stable Anode for Lithium Ion Batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dai, Ruoling; Sun, Weiwei; Wang, Yong

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Sn-based metal-organic-framework (MOF) is prepared. • Ultrasmall tin nanodots (2–3 nm) are embedded in nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon. • The Sn/C composite anode shows high capacity and ultralong cycle life. - Abstract: This work reports a facile metal-organic-framework based approach to synthesize Sn/C composite, in which ultrasmall Sn nanodots with typical size of 2–3 nm are uniformly embedded in the nitrogen-doped porous carbon matrix (denoted as Sn@NPC). The effect of thermal treatment and nitrogen doping are also explored. Owing to the delicate size control and confined volume change within carbon matrix, the Sn@NPC composite can exhibit reversible capacities of 575 mAh g −1 (Sn contribution: 1091 mAh g −1 ) after 500 cycles at 0.2 A g −1 and 507 mAh g −1 (Sn contribution: 1077 mAh g −1 ) after 1500 cycles at 1 A g −1 . The excellent long-life electrochemical stability of the Sn@NPC anode has been mainly attributed to the uniform distribution of ultrasmall Sn nanodots and the highly-conductive and flexible N-doped carbon matrix, which can effectively facilitate lithium ion/electron diffusion, buffer the large volume change and improve the structure stability of the electrode during repetitive cycling with lithium ions.

  20. Geochemistry of organic carbon and nitrogen in surface sediments of coastal Bohai Bay inferred from their ratios and stable isotopic signatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Xuelu; Yang Yuwei; Wang Chuanyuan

    2012-01-01

    Total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and their δ 13 C and δ 15 N values were determined for 42 surface sediments from coastal Bohai Bay in order to determine the concentration and identify the source of organic matter. The sampling sites covered both the marine region of coastal Bohai Bay and the major rivers it connects with. More abundant TOC and TN in sediments from rivers than from the marine region reflect the situation that most of the terrestrial organic matter is deposited before it meets the sea. The spatial variation in δ 13 C and δ 15 N signatures implies that the input of organic matter from anthropogenic activities has a more significant influence on its distribution than that from natural processes. Taking the area as a whole, surface sediments in the marine region of coastal Bohai Bay are dominated by marine derived organic carbon, which on average accounts for 62 ± 11% of TOC.

  1. Soil organic matter regulates molybdenum storage and mobility in forests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marks, Jade A; Perakis, Steven; King, Elizabeth K.; Pett-Ridge, Julie

    2015-01-01

    The trace element molybdenum (Mo) is essential to a suite of nitrogen (N) cycling processes in ecosystems, but there is limited information on its distribution within soils and relationship to plant and bedrock pools. We examined soil, bedrock, and plant Mo variation across 24 forests spanning wide soil pH gradients on both basaltic and sedimentary lithologies in the Oregon Coast Range. We found that the oxidizable organic fraction of surface mineral soil accounted for an average of 33 %of bulk soil Mo across all sites, followed by 1.4 % associated with reducible Fe, Al, and Mn-oxides, and 1.4 % in exchangeable ion form. Exchangeable Mo was greatest at low pH, and its positive correlation with soil carbon (C) suggests organic matter as the source of readily exchangeable Mo. Molybdenum accumulation integrated over soil profiles to 1 m depth (τMoNb) increased with soil C, indicating that soil organic matter regulates long-term Mo retention and loss from soil. Foliar Mo concentrations displayed no relationship with bulk soil Mo, and were not correlated with organic horizon Mo or soil extractable Mo, suggesting active plant regulation of Mo uptake and/or poor fidelity of extractable pools to bioavailability. We estimate from precipitation sampling that atmospheric deposition supplies, on average, over 10 times more Mo annually than does litterfall to soil. In contrast, bedrock lithology had negligible effects on foliar and soil Mo concentrations and on Mo distribution among soil fractions. We conclude that atmospheric inputs may be a significant source of Mo to forest ecosystems, and that strong Mo retention by soil organic matter limits ecosystem Mo loss via dissolution and leaching pathways.

  2. Nitrogen Utilization and Environmental Losses from Organic Farming and Biochar's Potential to Improve N Efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, E. I.; SIX, J. W. U. A.

    2014-12-01

    The response of plant performance and nitrogen (N) dynamics to biochar amendments were studied across various levels of N input for two growing seasons in mesocosms representing an organic lettuce production systems. A silt loam soil was amended with pine chip (PC) and walnut shell (WS) biochar (10 t ha-1) in combination with five organic N fertilization rates 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of 225 kg N ha-1. N output through harvest, leachate, and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions were determined to assess N utilization and environmental losses of biochar-amended soils. Analysis of plant performance indicate that PC and WS biochar did not provide any increases in plant biomass in soils that received less than business-as-usual fertilization rates. At 100% N fertilization rate, biochar amendments (both PC and WS) improved lettuce biomass production, which resulted in significant increases in NUE with no effects on N2O emissions. Furthermore, N losses via leaching were decreased by PC biochar at 100% N fertilization rates. Thus, due to increases in plant biomass and decreases in N losses via leachate, PC biochar significantly decreased the ratio of N lost over N exported in biomass. Findings from this study suggest that biochar can provide some beneficial effects to organic farming systems, however, not in all circumstances, given the effects seem to vary with biochar type and fertilization level.

  3. Biological nitrogen fixation in non-legume plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santi, Carole; Bogusz, Didier; Franche, Claudine

    2013-05-01

    Nitrogen is an essential nutrient in plant growth. The ability of a plant to supply all or part of its requirements from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) thanks to interactions with endosymbiotic, associative and endophytic symbionts, confers a great competitive advantage over non-nitrogen-fixing plants. Because BNF in legumes is well documented, this review focuses on BNF in non-legume plants. Despite the phylogenic and ecological diversity among diazotrophic bacteria and their hosts, tightly regulated communication is always necessary between the microorganisms and the host plant to achieve a successful interaction. Ongoing research efforts to improve knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying these original relationships and some common strategies leading to a successful relationship between the nitrogen-fixing microorganisms and their hosts are presented. Understanding the molecular mechanism of BNF outside the legume-rhizobium symbiosis could have important agronomic implications and enable the use of N-fertilizers to be reduced or even avoided. Indeed, in the short term, improved understanding could lead to more sustainable exploitation of the biodiversity of nitrogen-fixing organisms and, in the longer term, to the transfer of endosymbiotic nitrogen-fixation capacities to major non-legume crops.

  4. Revisiting nitrogen species in covalent triazine frameworks

    KAUST Repository

    Osadchii, Dmitrii Yu.

    2017-11-28

    Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are porous organic materials promising for applications in catalysis and separation due to their high stability, adjustable porosity and intrinsic nitrogen functionalities. CTFs are prepared by ionothermal trimerization of aromatic nitriles, however, multiple side reactions also occur under synthesis conditions, and their influence on the material properties is still poorly described. Here we report the systematic characterization of nitrogen in CTFs using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). With the use of model compounds, we could distinguish several types of nitrogen species. By combining these data with textural properties, we unravel the influence that the reaction temperature, the catalyst and the monomer structure and composition have on the properties of the resulting CTF materials.

  5. Revisiting nitrogen species in covalent triazine frameworks

    KAUST Repository

    Osadchii, Dmitrii Yu.; Olivos Suarez, Alma Itzel; Bavykina, Anastasiya V.; Gascon, Jorge

    2017-01-01

    Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are porous organic materials promising for applications in catalysis and separation due to their high stability, adjustable porosity and intrinsic nitrogen functionalities. CTFs are prepared by ionothermal trimerization of aromatic nitriles, however, multiple side reactions also occur under synthesis conditions, and their influence on the material properties is still poorly described. Here we report the systematic characterization of nitrogen in CTFs using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). With the use of model compounds, we could distinguish several types of nitrogen species. By combining these data with textural properties, we unravel the influence that the reaction temperature, the catalyst and the monomer structure and composition have on the properties of the resulting CTF materials.

  6. Relationship between Mineral and Organic Matter in Shales: The Case of Shahejie Formation, Dongying Sag, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiang Zeng

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Types of organic matter and mineral associations and microstructures of shales can reflect the depositional mechanism and sedimentary environment. Therefore, analysis of organic matter and mineral associations is a prerequisite for research on fine-grained sedimentary rocks. Shales from the Eocene Shahejie Formation in the Dongying Sag of China were selected to classify their lithofacies and to investigate the characteristics of their organic matter and mineral associations. This analysis identified six lithofacies (e.g., laminated shales and massive mudstones; in all the lithofacies, clay minerals exhibit a positive correlation with detrital minerals, thus indicating that they were derived from the same source. The comprehensive analysis of mineral and organic matter associations reveals that detrital minerals were deposited with low-hydrogen index (HI OM. The deposition of detrital minerals was mainly a physical process. Clay minerals can undergo deposition in one of two ways due to their surface charge: they can either aggregate with high-HI OM via chemical deposition, thus forming organic-rich laminae, or they can be deposited together with low-HI OM via physical deposition, thus forming clay-rich laminae or a massive matrix. Carbonate minerals, which often coexist with high-HI OM, are biological sediments. The analysis of the sedimentary characteristics of these organic matter and mineral associations indicates that the sedimentary processes differ between various lithofacies: e.g., the discontinuous laminated shale represents the product of biophysical processes. Differences in depositional mechanisms are also present in each sub-member. Therefore, it is important to analyze the properties of minerals and organic matter, as well as their associations, to more deeply understand the classification of lithofacies and the depositional processes of shales and mudstones.

  7. Bioremediation of oil-contaminated shorelines: Effects of different nitrogen sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramstad, S.; Sveum, P.

    1995-01-01

    The present study was designed to examine the fate and effect of various nitrogen sources in oil-contaminated sediments in a continuous-flow seawater column system fed with nutrient-enriched seawater. Degradation of oil components is stimulated by a supply of an enhanced concentration of nitrogen. The most pronounced effect was found with nitrate, compared to ammonium and organic nitrogen. Ammonium was more readily sorbed by the sediment system, either by chemical adsorption or by microbial immobilization

  8. High-nitrogen compost as a medium for organic container-grown crops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raviv, Michael; Oka, Yuji; Katan, Jaacov; Hadar, Yitzhak; Yogev, Anat; Medina, Shlomit; Krasnovsky, Arkady; Ziadna, Hammam

    2005-03-01

    Compost was tested as a medium for organic container-grown crops. Nitrogen (N) loss during composting of separated cow manure (SCM) was minimized using high C/N (wheat straw, WS; grape marc, GM) or a slightly acidic (orange peels, OP) additives. N conservation values in the resultant composts were 82%, 95% and 98% for GM-SCM, OP-SCM and WS-SCM, respectively. Physical characteristics of the composts were compatible with use as growing media. The nutritional contribution of the composts was assessed using cherry tomato (Lycopersicon esculantum Mill.) and by means of incubation experiments. Media were either unfertilized or fertilized with guano (sea-bird manure). Plant responses suggest that N availability is the main variable affecting growth. Unfertilized OP-SCM and WS-SCM supplied the N needed for at least 4 months of plant growth. Root-galling index (GI) of tomato roots and number of eggs of the nematode Meloidogyne javanica were reduced by the composts, with the highest reduction obtained by OP-SCM and WS-SCM, at 50% concentrations. These composts, but not peat, reduced the incidence of crown and root-rot disease in tomato as well as the population size of the causal pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici.

  9. Mobilization of interactions between functional diversity of plant and soil organisms on nitrogen availability and use

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drut, Baptiste; Cassagne, Nathalie; Cannavacciuolo, Mario; Brauman, Alain; Le Floch, Gaëtan; Cobo, Jose; Fustec, Joëlle

    2017-04-01

    Keywords: legumes, earthworms, microorganisms, nitrogen, interactions Both aboveground and belowground biodiversity and their interactions can play an important role in crop productivity. Plant functional diversity, such as legume based intercrops have been shown to improve yields through plant complementarity for nitrogen use (Corre-Hellou et al., 2006). Moreover, plant species or plant genotype may influence the structure of soil microorganism communities through the composition of rhizodeposits in the rhizosphere (Dennis et al., 2010). Belowground diversity can also positively influence plant performance especially related to functional dissimilarity between soil organisms (Eisenhauer, 2012). Earthworms through their burrowing activity influence soil microbial decomposers and nutrient availability and have thus been reported to increase plant growth (Brown, 1995; Brown et al., 2004). We hypothesize that i) plant functional (genetic and/or specific) diversity associated to functional earthworms diversity are key drivers of interactions balance to improve crop performances and ii) the improvement of plant performances can be related to change in the structure of soil microorganism communities due to the diversity of rhizodeposits and the burrowing activity of earthworms. In a first mesocosm experiment, we investigated the effect of a gradient of plant diversity - one cultivar of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), 3 different wheat cultivars, and 3 different cultivars intercropped with clover (Trifolium hybridum L.) - and the presence of one (endogeic) or two (endogeic and anecic) categories of earthworms on biomass and nitrogen accumulation of wheat. In a second mesocosm experiment, we investigated the influence of three species with different rhizodeposition - wheat, rapeseed (Brassica napus L. ) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) in pure stand or intercropped - and the presence of endogeic earthworms on microbial activity and nitrogen availability. In the first experiment

  10. Amino acids in the sedimentary humic and fulvic acids

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Sardessai, S.

    acids in the coastal Arabian Sea sediments: whereas amino acids content of fulvic acids was lower than that of humic acids in the coastal sediments of Bay of Bengal. Slope sedimentary humic acids were relatively enriched in amino acids as compared...

  11. Reaction of thiolesters with nitrogen ylides

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Voltrová, Svatava; Šrogl, Jiří

    -, č. 10 (2008), s. 1677-1679 ISSN 1434-193X Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : thiolesters * nitrogen ylides * ammonium salts * tetrahydrothiophenes * 1,2-thiolata shift Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 3.016, year: 2008

  12. Planning of the in-situ creep test in sedimentary soft rocks under high temperature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takakura, Nozomu; Yoshikawa, Kazuo; Okada, Tetsuji; Sawada, Masataka; Tani, Kazuo; Takeda, Kayo

    2007-01-01

    Research has been conducted on underground facilities for energy storage and waste disposal in sedimentary soft rocks. One of the research topics is that the long-term mechanical behaviors of sedimentary soft rocks can be affected by various environmental factors such as temperatures or hydraulic conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method for evaluating the long-term stability of caverns in sedimentary soft rocks as influenced by changes in the external environment. This report presents the plan of field creep test for the purpose to establish the evaluation method of long-term stability of caverns in soft rocks. A series of field creep test is performed to study the influence of high temperature in an underground facility at a depth of 50 meters. (author)

  13. Microbial Habitability in Gale Crater: Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument Detection of Microbial Essential Carbon and Nitrogen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutter, B.; Ming, D. W.; Eigenbrode, J. E.; Steele, A.; Stern, J. C.; Gonzalez, R. N.; McAdam, A. C.; Mahaffy, P. R.

    2016-01-01

    Chemical analyses of Mars soils and sediments from previous landed missions have demonstrated that Mars surface materials possessed major (e.g., P, K, Ca, Mg, S) and minor (e.g., Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cl) elements essential to support microbial life. However, the detection of microbial essential organic-carbon (C) and nitrate have been more elusive until the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover mission. Nitrate and organic-C in Gale Crater, Mars have been detected by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard the MSL Curiosity rover. Eolian fines and drilled sedimentary rock samples were heated in the SAM oven from approximately 30 to 860 degrees Centigrade where evolved gases (e.g., nitrous oxide (NO) and CO2) were released and analyzed by SAM’s quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS). The temperatures of evolved NO was assigned to nitrate while evolved CO2 was assigned to organic-C and carbonate. The CO2 releases in several samples occurred below 450 degrees Centigrade suggesting organic-C dominated in those samples. As much as 7 micromoles NO3-N per gram and 200 micromoles CO2-C per gram have been detected in the Gale Crater materials. These N and C levels coupled with assumed microbial biomass (9 x 10 (sup -7) micrograms per cell) C (0.5 micrograms C per micrograms cell) and N (0.14 micrograms N per micrograms cell) requirements, suggests that less than 1 percent and less than 10 percent of Gale Crater C and N, respectively, would be required if available, to accommodate biomass requirements of 1 by 10 (sup 5) cells per gram sediment. While nitrogen is the limiting nutrient, the potential exists that sufficient N and organic-C were present to support limited heterotrophic microbial populations that may have existed on ancient Mars.

  14. Sedimentary Facies Mapping Based on Tidal Channel Network and Topographic Features

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryu, J. H.; Lee, Y. K.; Kim, K.; Kim, B.

    2015-12-01

    Tidal flats on the west coast of Korea suffer intensive changes in their surface sedimentary facies as a result of the influence of natural and artificial changes. Spatial relationships between surface sedimentary facies distribution and benthic environments were estimated for the open-type Ganghwa tidal flat and semi closed-type Hwangdo tidal flat, Korea. In this study, we standardized the surface sedimentary facies and tidal channel index of the channel density, distance, thickness and order. To extract tidal channel information, we used remotely sensed data, such as those from the Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite (KOMPSAT)-2, KOMPSAT-3, and aerial photographs. Surface sedimentary facies maps were generated based on field data using an interpolation method.The tidal channels in each sediment facies had relatively constant meandering patterns, but the density and complexity were distinguishable. The second fractal dimension was 1.7-1.8 in the mud flat, about 1.4 in the mixed flat, and about 1.3 in the sand flat. The channel density was 0.03-0.06 m/m2 in the mud flat and less than 0.02 m/m2 in the mixed and sand flat areas of the two test areas. Low values of the tidal channel index, which indicated a simple pattern of tidal channel distribution, were identified at areas having low elevation and coarse-grained sediments. By contrast, high values of the tidal channel index, which indicated a dendritic pattern of tidal channel distribution, were identified at areas having high elevation and fine-grained sediments. Surface sediment classification based on remotely sensed data must circumspectly consider an effective critical grain size, water content, local topography, and intertidal structures.

  15. Sedimentary phosphorus and iron cycling in and below the oxygen minimum zone of the northern Arabian Sea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Kraal

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we investigate phosphorus (P and iron (Fe cycling in sediments along a depth transect from within to well below the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ in the northern Arabian Sea (Murray Ridge. Pore-water and solid-phase analyses show that authigenic formation of calcium phosphate minerals (Ca-P is largely restricted to where the OMZ intersects the seafloor topography, likely due to higher depositional fluxes of reactive P. Nonetheless, increased ratios of organic carbon to organic P (Corg/Porg and to total reactive P (Corg/Preactive in surface sediments indicate that the overall burial efficiency of P relative to Corg decreases under the low bottom water oxygen concentrations (BWO in the OMZ. The relatively constant Fe/Al ratio in surface sediments along the depth transect suggest that corresponding changes in Fe burial are limited. Sedimentary pyrite contents are low throughout the ~25 cm sediment cores at most stations, as commonly observed in the Arabian Sea OMZ. However, pyrite is an important sink for reactive Fe at one station in the OMZ. A reactive transport model (RTM was applied to quantitatively investigate P and Fe diagenesis at an intermediate station at the lower boundary of the OMZ (bottom water O2: ~14 μmol L−1. The RTM results contrast with earlier findings in showing that Fe redox cycling can control authigenic apatite formation and P burial in Arabian Sea sediment. In addition, results suggest that a large fraction of the sedimentary Ca-P is not authigenic, but is instead deposited from the water column and buried. Dust is likely a major source of this Ca-P. Inclusion of the unreactive Ca-P pool in the Corg/P ratio leads to an overestimation of the burial efficiency of reactive P relative to Corg along the depth transect. Moreover, the unreactive Ca-P accounts for ~85% of total Ca-P burial. In general, our results reveal

  16. Widespread Anthropogenic Nitrogen in Northwestern Pacific Ocean Sediment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Haryun; Lee, Kitack; Lim, Dhong-Il; Nam, Seung-Il; Kim, Tae-Wook; Yang, Jin-Yu T; Ko, Young Ho; Shin, Kyung-Hoon; Lee, Eunil

    2017-06-06

    Sediment samples from the East China and Yellow seas collected adjacent to continental China were found to have lower δ 15 N values (expressed as δ 15 N = [ 15 N: 14 N sample / 15 N: 14 N air - 1] × 1000‰; the sediment 15 N: 14 N ratio relative to the air nitrogen 15 N: 14 N ratio). In contrast, the Arctic sediments from the Chukchi Sea, the sampling region furthest from China, showed higher δ 15 N values (2-3‰ higher than those representing the East China and the Yellow sea sediments). Across the sites sampled, the levels of sediment δ 15 N increased with increasing distance from China, which is broadly consistent with the decreasing influence of anthropogenic nitrogen (N ANTH ) resulting from fossil fuel combustion and fertilizer use. We concluded that, of several processes, the input of N ANTH appears to be emerging as a new driver of change in the sediment δ 15 N value in marginal seas adjacent to China. The present results indicate that the effect of N ANTH has extended beyond the ocean water column into the deep sedimentary environment, presumably via biological assimilation of N ANTH followed by deposition. Further, the findings indicate that N ANTH is taking over from the conventional paradigm of nitrate flux from nitrate-rich deep water as the primary driver of biological export production in this region of the Pacific Ocean.

  17. Carbono orgânico e Nitrogênio em agregados de um Latossolo Vermelho distrófico sob duas coberturas vegetais Organic carbon and Nitrogen in aggregates of a Dystrophic Red Latosol under two vegetation covers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renato Ribeiro Passos

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available A matéria orgânica do solo apresenta constituição variada, incluindo desde frações ativas a mais estáveis, com diferentes taxas de ciclagem. Práticas de manejo alteram os teores de carbono orgânico e N, a qualidade da matéria orgânica e a agregação dos solos. Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de caracterizar o carbono orgânico e o N em agregados de um Latossolo Vermelho distrófico de Minas Gerais sob vegetação natural de Cerradão e sob cultivo com milho durante 30 anos. Para isso, retiraram-se amostras do solo em quatro pontos diferentes nas profundidades de 5-10 e 15-20 cm, que foram fracionadas, por via seca, nas classes de agregados de: 4,75-2,0; 2,0-1,0; 1,0-0,5; 0,5-0,25; 0,25-0,105; e Soil organic matter is constituted by a vast array of compounds that include active and more stable fractions, with different cycling rates. Management practices affect organic carbon and nitrogen contents, organic matter quality, and soil aggregation. The present study aimed to characterize organic carbon and nitrogen in aggregates of a Dystrophic Red Latosol of Minas Gerais State, Brazil, in an area of native vegetation (Cerradão and another one that has been for 30 years under conventional corn cultivation. Soil samples were collected at depths of 5-10 and 15-20 cm at four different sites. The dried samples were fractioned in the following aggregate classes: diameter 4.75-2.0; 2.0-1.0; 1.0-0.5; 0.5-0.25; 0.25-0.105; and less than 0.105 mm. Total organic carbon (COT, water soluble organic carbon (COS, total nitrogen (NT and anaerobically-mineralized nitrogen (NMA were determined for each sample. On average, the COT contents of soil aggregates under conventional tillage were higher, while NT contents were greater in the aggregates of the Cerradão surface layer. The COS and NMA contents, that correspond to more active fractions of organic matter, were significantly higher in aggregates of Cerradão soil. Aggregates of smaller size

  18. Long-term nitrogen behavior under treated wastewater infiltration basins in a soil-aquifer treatment (SAT) system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mienis, Omer; Arye, Gilboa

    2018-05-01

    The long term behavior of total nitrogen and its components was investigated in a soil aquifer treatment system of the Dan Region Reclamation Project (Shafdan), Tel-Aviv, Israel. Use is made of the previous 40 years' secondary data for the main nitrogen components (ammonium, nitrate and organic nitrogen) in recharged effluent and observation wells located inside an infiltration basin. The wells were drilled to 106 and 67 m, both in a similar position within the basin. The transport characteristics of each nitrogen component were evaluated based on chloride travel-time, calculated by a cross-correlation between its concentration in the recharge effluent and the observation wells. Changes in the source of recharge effluent, wastewater treatment technology and recharge regime were found to be the main factors affecting turnover in total nitrogen and its components. During aerobic operation of the infiltration basins, most organic nitrogen and ammonium will be converted to nitrate. Total nitrogen removal in the upper part of the aquifer was found to be 47-63% by denitrification and absorption, and overall removal, including the lower part of the aquifer, was 49-83%. To maintain the aerobic operation of the infiltration fields, the total nitrogen load should remain below 10 mg/L. Above this limit, ammonium and organic nitrogen will be displaced into the aquifer. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Nitrogen metabolism in a grapevine in vitro system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuria Llorens

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available Ammonium, nitrate, nitrite, protein and individual and total amino acid contents were determined in grapevine (cv Sauvignon cultured in vitro. The enzyme activities of nitrate and nitrite reductases, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthetase and dehydrogenase were also determined. The nitrogen taken up by the plants was 70% of the total nitrogen in the medium after 75 days of in vitro culture. Most of the nitrogen taken up was recovered in the leaves, yet only ammonia and amino acid concentrations were significantly higher in leaves. In roots, glutamine was the most abundant amino acid. In leaves, the most abundant amino acids were aspartate, glutamate, glutamine, alanine, arginine and g-aminobutirate. All enzyme activities were higher in roots than in leaves. These results suggest that both roots and leaves incorporate inorganic nitrogen into organic forms.

  20. Nitrogen-responsive genes are differentially regulated in planta during Fusarium oxyspsorum f. sp. lycopersici infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Divon, Hege H; Rothan-Denoyes, Beatrice; Davydov, Olga; DI Pietro, Antonio; Fluhr, Robert

    2005-07-01

    SUMMARY Nitrogen is an essential growth component whose availability will limit microbial spread, and as such it serves as a key control point in dictating an organism's adaptation to various environments. Little is known about fungal nutrition in planta. To enhance our understanding of this process we examined the transcriptional adaptation of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, the causal agent for vascular wilt in tomato, during nutritional stress and plant colonization. Using RT-PCR and microarray technology we compared fungal gene expression in planta to axenic nitrogen starvation culture. Several expressed sequence tags, representing at least four genes, were identified that are concomitantly induced during nitrogen starvation and in planta growth. Three of these genes show similarity to a general amino acid permease, a peptide transporter and an uricase, all functioning in organic nitrogen acquisition. We further show that these genes represent a distinguishable subset of the nitrogen-responsive transcripts that respond to amino acids commonly available in the plant. Our results indicate that nitrogen starvation partially mimics in planta growth conditions, and further suggest that minute levels of organic nitrogen sources dictate the final outcome of fungal gene expression in planta. The nature of the identified transcripts suggests modes of nutrient uptake and survival for Fusarium during colonization.