Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

2° Amines to N-Nitrosamines: Reaction with NaNO201:20

2° Amines to N-Nitrosamines: Reaction with NaNO2

Secondary amines react with nitrous acid to form N-nitrosamines, as depicted in Figure 1. Nitrous acid, a weak and unstable acid, is formed in situ from an aqueous solution of sodium nitrite and strong acids, such as hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid, in cold conditions. In the presence of an acid, the nitrous acid gets protonated. The subsequent loss of water results in the formation of the electrophile known as nitrosonium ion.
Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation01:22

Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation

Nitrogen is an essential element in biological systems, forming a crucial component of proteins, nucleic acids, and other cellular constituents. Many bacteria and archaea acquire nitrogen in the form of nitrate (NO₃⁻) or ammonia (NH₃), which are then assimilated into biomolecules through specific enzymatic pathways.Assimilatory Nitrate ReductionWhen nitrate enters the cell, it undergoes a two-step reduction process known as assimilatory nitrate reduction. Initially, the enzyme nitrate reductase...
Primary Production01:06

Primary Production

The total amount of energy acquired by primary producers in an ecosystem is called gross primary production (GPP). However, of this energy, producers use some for metabolic processes, and some is lost as heat, decreasing the amount of energy available to the next trophic level. The remaining usable amount of energy is called the net primary productivity (NPP). In terrestrial ecosystems, NPP is driven by climate, while light penetration and nutrient availability drive NPP in aquatic ecosystems.
Acid Mine Drainage01:19

Acid Mine Drainage

Mining activities that disturb sulfide-rich rocks, particularly those containing pyrite (FeS₂), initiate a cascade of geochemical and microbiological processes with serious environmental implications. When exposed to air and water, pyrite undergoes oxidation, releasing sulfate, ultimately forming sulfuric acid and mobilizing heavy metals into surrounding water systems. This phenomenon, known as acid mine drainage (AMD), results in low pH waters laden with toxic elements that threaten aquatic...
Microbial Wastewater Treatment01:30

Microbial Wastewater Treatment

Microbial communities in aquatic ecosystems play a key role in the natural breakdown of contaminants introduced through domestic and industrial effluents. Acting as biological catalysts, these microbes change and mineralize a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants under different redox conditions.In oxygen-rich surface waters, aerobic heterotrophs lead organic matter breakdown, using oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor to efficiently oxidize substrates to carbon dioxide and water.
Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism01:20

Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism

Nitrogen is a very important element for life because it is a major constituent of proteins and nucleic acids. It is a macronutrient, and in nature, it is recycled from organic compounds and stored in the form of  ammonia, ammonium ions, nitrate, nitrite, or  nitrogen gas by many metabolic processes. Many of these metabolic processes are carried out only by prokaryotes.
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this nitrogen...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Microbial communities change along the 300 km length of the Grand River for extreme high- and low-flow regimes.

Canadian journal of microbiology·2024
Same author

Enigmatic persistence of aerobic methanotrophs in oxygen-limiting freshwater habitats.

The ISME journal·2024
Same author

High Voltage: The Molecular Properties of Redox-Active Dissolved Organic Matter in Northern High-Latitude Lakes.

Environmental science & technology·2023
Same author

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Treatment Can Be Sustainable During on-Site Wastewater Disposal.

Ground water·2023
Same author

Large Fractionation in Iron Isotopes Implicates Metabolic Pathways for Iron Cycling in Boreal Shield Lakes.

Environmental science & technology·2022
Same author

Composition Wheels: Visualizing dissolved organic matter using common composition metrics across a variety of Canadian ecozones.

PloS one·2021
Same journal

Assessing the performance of aged field-scale woodchip bioreactors in Iowa.

Journal of environmental quality·2026
Same journal

Spatial structuring dominates over seasonality in tropical coastal microbiomes: Insights from New Caledonia's Indo-Pacific lagoon.

Journal of environmental quality·2026
Same journal

Neonicotinoid contamination in aquatic ecosystems: A comprehensive review of toxic effects, underlying mechanisms, and mitigation strategies with implications for farmed teleosts.

Journal of environmental quality·2026
Same journal

Macroaggregates dominate colloidal phosphorus sequestration in Ultisol paddies: Evidence from size-fractionation experiments.

Journal of environmental quality·2026
Same journal

Harnessing biochar and plant growth-promoting bacteria for sustainable crop production under reclaimed water irrigation: A review.

Journal of environmental quality·2026
Same journal

Invasive plant species for compost production: Review of environmental and economic insights.

Journal of environmental quality·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O
08:05

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O

Published on: October 7, 2020

Persistent elevated nitrate in a riparian zone aquifer.

William D Robertson1, Sherry L Schiff

  • 1Dep. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada. wroberts@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca

Journal of Environmental Quality
|April 10, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Riparian zones do not always attenuate groundwater nitrate. At the Zorra site, nitrate persisted due to the aquifer's old age and low organic carbon, limiting denitrification.

More Related Videos

Continuous Instream Monitoring of Nutrients and Sediment in Agricultural Watersheds
12:50

Continuous Instream Monitoring of Nutrients and Sediment in Agricultural Watersheds

Published on: September 26, 2017

Understanding Dissolved Organic Matter Biogeochemistry Through In Situ Nutrient Manipulations in Stream Ecosystems
09:38

Understanding Dissolved Organic Matter Biogeochemistry Through In Situ Nutrient Manipulations in Stream Ecosystems

Published on: October 29, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O
08:05

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O

Published on: October 7, 2020

Continuous Instream Monitoring of Nutrients and Sediment in Agricultural Watersheds
12:50

Continuous Instream Monitoring of Nutrients and Sediment in Agricultural Watersheds

Published on: September 26, 2017

Understanding Dissolved Organic Matter Biogeochemistry Through In Situ Nutrient Manipulations in Stream Ecosystems
09:38

Understanding Dissolved Organic Matter Biogeochemistry Through In Situ Nutrient Manipulations in Stream Ecosystems

Published on: October 29, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Hydrogeology
  • Soil Science

Background:

  • Streamside vegetated buffer strips, or riparian zones, are commonly believed to reduce groundwater nitrate (NO3(-)) levels.
  • However, studies suggest this attenuation is not universal and depends on site-specific conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate nitrate (NO3(-)) persistence in a riparian floodplain at the Zorra site in southwestern Ontario.
  • To identify the factors controlling nitrate attenuation and denitrification within this specific riparian environment.

Main Methods:

  • Detailed monitoring of groundwater nitrate (NO3(-)), chloride (Cl(-)), sulfate (SO4(2-)), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC).
  • Analysis of N/Cl ratios and nitrate isotopic composition (delta15N and delta18O).
  • Examination of soil organic carbon (OC) content in recent alluvium and older glacial outwash aquifer.

Main Results:

  • Elevated NO3(-)-N concentrations (4-93 mg L(-1)) were found throughout the 100-m-wide riparian floodplain.
  • Denitrification was limited, occurring only in a narrow zone near the alluvium-aquifer contact and in a poultry manure compost zone with high DOC.
  • Older groundwater near the river discharge point showed insufficient denitrification to deplete NO3(-).

Conclusions:

  • The persistence of NO3(-) at the Zorra site is attributed to the Pleistocene age and low organic carbon (OC) content of the underlying glacial outwash aquifer.
  • Sediment age and origin, specifically low OC content in older aquifers, are critical factors limiting riparian zone denitrification.
  • Riparian zones may not always effectively attenuate groundwater nitrate, contrary to common assumptions.