Effects of salinity on NH4
+ adsorption capacity, nitrification, and denitrification in Danish estuarine sediments |
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| Authors: | Søren Rysgaard Peter Thastum Tage Dalsgaard Peter Bondo Christensen Niels P Sloth |
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| Institution: | (1) Institute of Biology, SDU, Odense University, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark |
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| Abstract: | The regulatory effect of salinity on nitrogen dynamics in estuarine sediments was investigated in the Randers Fjord estuary, Denmark, using sediment slurries and intact sediment cores and applying 15N-isotope techniques. Sediment was sampled at three representative stations varying in salinity, and all experiments were run at 0‰, 10‰, 20‰, and 30‰. The sediment NH4 + adsorption capacity decreased markedly at all stations when salinity was increased from 0‰ to 10‰; further increase showed little effect. In situ nitrification and denitrification also decreased with increasing salinities, with the most pronounced reduction of approximately 50% being observed when the salinity was raised from 0‰ to 10‰. The salinity-induced reduction in NH4 + adsorption capacity and stimulation of NH4 + efflux has previously been argued to cause a reduction in nitrification activity since the nitrifying bacteria become limited by NH4 + availability at higher salinities. However, using a potential nitrification assay where NH4 + was added in excess, it was demonstrated that potential nitrification activity also decreased with increasing salinity, indicating that the inhibitory salinity effect may also be a physiological effect on the microorganisms. This hypothesis was supported by the finding that denitrification based on NO3 − from the overlying water (Dw), which is independent of the nitrification process, and hence NH4 + availability, also decreased with increasing salinity. We conclude that changes in salinity have a significant effect on nitrogen dynamics in estuarine sediments, which must be considered when nitrogen transformations are measured and evaluated. |
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