Denitrification in river sediments: relationship between process rate and properties of water and sediment
Year: 1998
Type: article
Abstract: 1. A survey was made of denitrification and nitrous oxide (N2O) production in river sediments at fifty sites in north‐east England during one season in order to investigate the relationship between rates and environmental factors likely to influence these processes. The sites were chosen to represent a wide range of physical and chemical conditions. Denitrification rate and N2O production were measured within 5 h of sampling using the slurry acetylene blockage technique. 2. Denitrification rate ranged from less than 0.005–260 nmol N g–1 DW h–1, tending to increase in a downstream direction. N2O production ranged from negative values (net consumption) to 13 nmol N2O‐N g–1 DW h–1 and accounted for 0–115% of the N gases produced. 3. Denitrification rate and N2O concentration in the sediment were correlated positively with nitrate concentration in the water column, water content of the sediment and percentage of fine (< 100 μm) particles in the sediment. 4. The variation in denitrification rate was satisfactorily explained (64% total variance) by a model employing measurements of water nitrate and water content of sediments. No simple or multiple relationship was found for N2O production.
Source: Freshwater Biology
Authors: García‐ruiz, Pattinson, Whitton
Institutions: Universidad de Málaga, Durham University
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Chemistry
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2043358842