Denitrification measurements in aquatic sediments: A comparison of three methods

Seitzinger, Sybil P.; Nielsen, Lars Peter; Caffrey, Jane M.; Christensen, Peter Bondo

doi:10.1007/bf00023750

Cited by 224 publications

(119 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…The rates for the Bothnian Bay (15 kt N) and Bothnian Sea (35 kt N) by Stockenberg and Johnstone (1997) were much lower than our calculations of 35 and 63 kt N, respectively. In that study, denitrification rates were measured with the "acetylene block" method which is known to underestimate denitrification rates compared to the now standard "Isotope Pairing Technique" because of an acetylene inhibition of the nitrification process which can be an important source for nitrate in the denitrification pathway (Seitzinger et al, 1993;Lohse et al, 1996;Steingruber et al, 2001). The coupled nitrification-denitrification in sediments (D n ) often exceeds the type of denitrification that is based on the diffusion of nitrate from the overlying water into the sediment (D w ) and can reach a contribution of more than 90% to total denitrification (Lohse et al, 1996;Tuominen et al, 1998;Hietanen and Kuparinen, 2008) similar to our findings.…”

Section: Nitrogen Removal Calculated From Different Sediment Mapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Denitrification in sediments as a major nitrogen sink in the Baltic Sea: an extrapolation using sediment characteristics

et al. 2010

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Abstract.Rates of denitrification in sediments were measured with the isotope pairing technique at different sites in the southern and central Baltic Sea. The rates varied between 0.5 µmol N m −2 h −1 in sands and 28.7 µmol N m −2 h −1 in muddy sediments and showed a good correlation to the organic carbon contents of the surface sediments. N-removal rates via sedimentary denitrification were estimated for the entire Baltic Sea calculating sediment specific denitrification rates and interpolating them to the whole Baltic Sea area. Another approach was carried out by using the relationship between the organic carbon content and the rate of denitrification. The N-removal by denitrification in sediments varied between 426-652 kt N a −1 , which is around 48-73% of the external N inputs delivered via rivers, coastal point sources, and atmospheric deposition. Moreover, an expansion of the anoxic bottom areas was considered under the assumption of a rising oxycline from 100 to 80 m water depth. This leads to an increase of the area with anoxic conditions and an overall decrease in sedimentary denitrification by 14%. Overall, we show here that this type of data extrapolation is a powerful tool to estimate the nitrogen losses for a whole coastal sea and may be applicable to other coastal regions and enclosed seas.

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Section: Nitrogen Removal Calculated From Different Sediment Mapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Denitrification in sediments as a major nitrogen sink in the Baltic Sea: an extrapolation using sediment characteristics

et al. 2010

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“…However, there are a number of limitations of the AIT, which most of them are allready listed by Groffman et al (2006) (Seitzinger et al, 1993;Wrage, 2003;Wrage et al, 2004). For short measurement times a suppressed supply of NO − 3 may only have a marginal effect on estimated total denitrification rates; 5. decomposition of C 2 H 2 by C 2 H 2 -degrading microbes (Yeomans and Beauchamp, 1982;Terry and Duxbury, 1985;Topp and Germon, 1986;Flather and Beauchamp, 1992…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Theoretical and practical limitations of the acetylene inhibition technique to determine total denitrification losses

et al. 2012

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Abstract. The loss of N 2 from intensively managed agroecosystems is an important part of the N budget. Flux monitoring of N 2 emissions at the field scale, e.g., by eddy correlation or aerodynamic gradient method, is impossible due to the large atmospheric N 2 background (78 %). The acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) inhibition technique (AIT) is a rather simple and frequently used, albeit imperfect, method to determine N 2 losses from intact soil cores. In principle, AIT allows an estimation of total denitrification at high temporal resolution and on small spatial scales, with limited workload and costs involved. To investigate its potential and limitations, a laboratory system with two different detection systems (photoacoustic IR spectroscopy and gas chromatography) is presented, which allowed simultaneous measurements of up to 7 intact soil cores in air-tight glass tubes in a temperature controlled cabinet (adjusted to field conditions) with automated C 2 H 2 injection.A survey of total denitrification losses (N 2 + N 2 O) over 1.5 yr in soil cores from an intensively managed, cut grassland system in central Switzerland supports previous reports on severe limitations of the AIT, which precluded reliable estimates of total denitrification losses. Further, the unavoidable sampling and transfer of soil samples to the laboratory causes unpredictable deviations from the denitrification activity in the field.

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“…The acetylene blocking method has been heavily criticised (Knowles, 1990), mainly because of a lack of N 2 O reductases inhibition (Seitzinger et al, 1993). However, this method provides a valid basis for measurements of denitrification (Balderston et al, 1976 ;Yoshinari and Knowles, 1976 ;Yeomans and Beauchamp, 1978;Knowles, 1981).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A standardised method for measuring in situ denitrification in shallow aquifers: numerical validation and measurements in riparian wetlands

Sánchez‐Pérez

Bouey

Sauvage

et al. 2003

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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A tracer test to examine in situ denitrification in shallow groundwater by a piezometer with a packer system used bromide as a tracer of dilution and acetylene (10%) to block the denitrification process at the nitrous oxide stage. During the test, dissolved oxygen, nitrate (NO 3 -), bromide (Br-), nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were measured. To calibrate the experimental method, comparison with numerical simulations of the groundwater transfer were carried out, taking into account the environmental characteristics. The method was tested by measurements undertaken in different environmental conditions (geology, land use and hydrology) in two riparian wetlands. Denitrification rates measured by this method ranged from 5.7 10 -6 g N-NO 3 -L -1 h -1 to 1.97 10The method is applicable in shallow aquifers with a permeability from 10 -2 to 10 -4 m s -1 .

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Denitrification measurements in aquatic sediments: A comparison of three methods

Cited by 224 publications

References 62 publications

Denitrification in sediments as a major nitrogen sink in the Baltic Sea: an extrapolation using sediment characteristics

Denitrification in sediments as a major nitrogen sink in the Baltic Sea: an extrapolation using sediment characteristics

Theoretical and practical limitations of the acetylene inhibition technique to determine total denitrification losses

A standardised method for measuring in situ denitrification in shallow aquifers: numerical validation and measurements in riparian wetlands

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