Dentrification and nitrate reduction in Wisconsin lake sediments

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1972 · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1972.00472425000100020011x· OSTI ID:5776850

Chen, R L; Keeney, D R; Graetz, D A; Holding, A J

The fate of /sup 15/N-labelled NO/sub 3/-N in Wisconsin lake sediment-water systems was investigated in laboratory and field experiments. In the laboratory, approximately 90% of the added NO/sub 3/-N disappeared from a calcareous sediment (Lake Mendota) compared to about 40% from a noncalcareous sediment (Trout Lake) after 48 hours when incubated under He. About 10% (Mendota) and 5% (Trout) of the added NO/sub 3/-N was recovered as organic-N and NH/sub 4/-N. The presence of significant amounts of 15NH/sub 4/-N, particularly in Lake Mendota sediment, indicated that immobilized N was subject to rapid mineralization. Nitrate-/sup 15/N not accounted for was assumed lost through denitrification. Under aerobic conditions 10% (Mendota) and 2% (Trout) of the /sup 15/N was recovered as organic N but little /sup 15/N appeared in the NH/sub 4/-N fraction. In a field investigation, /sup 15/NO/sub 3/-N, added to Lake Mendota sediment samples and returned to the lake bottom in wide-mouth plastic bottles, disappeared within 4-days. After 4 days about 37% of the added NO/sub 3/-N was in the organic and NH/sub 4/-N fractions, while the remaining 63% was likely lost through denitrification. These data illustrate that denitrification and NO/sub 3/-N reduction in sediments receiving NO/sub 3/-N in ground waters must be evaluated in calculating nitrogen budgets of seepage lakes.

• OSTI ID: 5776850
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 1:2; ISSN JEVQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACIDIFICATION
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DENITRIFICATION
FEDERAL REGION V
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LAKES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NITRATES
NITROGEN 15
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN CYCLE
NITROGEN ISOTOPES
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REDUCTION
SEDIMENTS
STABLE ISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
USA
WATER CHEMISTRY
WISCONSIN