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Estimating Sediment Denitrification Rates Using Cores and N2O Microsensors
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Nitrate bioreduction in redox-variable low permeability sediments.

Sen Yan1, Yuanyuan Liu2, Chongxuan Liu1

  • 1China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, USA.

The Science of the Total Environment
|September 13, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Low-permeability zones (LPZs) influence groundwater contaminant transport. Nitrate bioreduction rates and end products, like N2O, vary significantly between oxidized and reduced LPZ sediments at the Hanford Site.

Keywords:
Kinetic modelLow permeability zoneNitrate bioreductionNitrous oxideOrganic carbon speciationSubsurface redox transitional sediments

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Geochemistry
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Low-permeability zones (LPZs) are critical in groundwater systems, acting as sinks or secondary sources for contaminant transport.
  • Nitrate contamination is a significant issue at the Hanford Site, stemming from radionuclide waste discharges.
  • LPZ sediments at Hanford exhibit distinct oxidized and reduced layers, influencing subsurface processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the rate and end product of nitrate bioreduction within LPZ sediments.
  • To understand the factors controlling nitrate bioreduction, including sediment redox conditions and functional genes.
  • To assess the role of LPZ sediments as potential nitrate sinks and N2O sources.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental investigation of nitrate bioreduction rates and end products in oxidized and reduced LPZ sediments.
  • RT-PCR analysis to detect the presence of the nosZ gene (N2O reductase).
  • Batch experiments and kinetic modeling to explore the influence of organic carbon, biomass, and electron donor competition.

Main Results:

  • Nitrate bioreduction occurred at significantly different rates in oxidized versus reduced sediments.
  • N2O accumulated in reduced sediments, while oxidized sediments further reduced N2O to N2.
  • The nosZ gene was undetectable in reduced sediments, correlating with N2O accumulation.

Conclusions:

  • Sediment redox conditions and functional gene presence are crucial for understanding and modeling nitrate bioreduction.
  • LPZ sediments can act as significant nitrate sinks.
  • LPZ sediments represent a potential secondary source of N2O, a greenhouse gas, in groundwater systems.