The temperature and flow dependence of nitrate concentration and load estimates based on diffusive gradients in thin films

Abstract

Concentrations determined using diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) have been used to derive time‐averaged loads in streams and rivers. However, DGT provide time‐weighted average concentrations that assume the independence of concentration and flow. Additionally, dynamic and coordinated changes in temperature, flow, and concentration are potential sources of bias in concentration and load calculations. We modeled scenarios in which temperature and flow were correlated to varying degrees with concentration and evaluated the consequences for DGT concentration and load calculations. As the correlation between solution flow and concentration moved toward 1 and –1, the load determined by DGT either overestimated or underestimated the actual load by as much as 30%. In DGT‐based load estimates, the degree of potential bias should be assessed, and the concentration‐flow relation should be characterized. As the correlation of analyte concentration and temperature approached 1 and –1, the deviation of the concentration determined by DGT from the actual concentration increased. In most cases, this bias was < 2%; however, if the changes in concentration and temperature were large (∼10 mg L–1 and ∼10 °C), the bias exceeded 5%. Concentration and temperature are unlikely to be perfectly or strongly correlated or anti‐correlated in natural systems and thus should not affect the accuracy of DGT concentration calculations in most circumstances. The more solution temperature, flow, and concentration were uncorrelated, the closer DGT‐derived concentration and load were to the actual solution concentration and load.