Dissimilatory nitrate reduction processes at the sediment-water interface in Lake Kuilei
XUE Jing-ya1,2, JIANG Xing-yu1,2, YAO Xiao-long1,2, LI Min1,2, ZHANG Lu2
1. University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China; 2. State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Abstract：Denitrification (DNF) and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) are two major processes of dissimilatory nitrate reduction in aquatic ecosystems. The competition between DNF and DNRA controls the dissimilatory reduction pattern and the final fate of nitrate in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, DNF and DNRA processes at the sediment-water interface (SWI) in Lake Kuilei (a shallow freshwater lake in Lake Taihu basin) were studied by using the stable nitrogen isotope tracing method. DNF and DNRA rates at the SWI and potential contributions to the total dissimilatory nitrate reduction from both processes were quantitatively estimated. Results showed that sediments served as the source of NH4+-N and the sink of NO3--N in Lake Kuilei. DNF and DNRA rates at the SWI were 18.88~54.00 μmol/(kg·h) (mean value of 36.39±3.86 μmol/(kg·h)) and 1.02~5.88 μmol/(kg·h) (mean values of 36.39±3.86, 3.21±1.15 μmol/(kg·h)), respectively. The DNF rate was significantly correlated with the sediment organic matter and the water content, while the DNRA rate was correlated with the sediment oxygen demand (SOD). Moreover, DNF was confirmed as the predominant process of dissimilatory nitrate reduction process in Lake Kuilei, which contributed 84.23~96.90% to the total dissimilatory nitrate reduction compared with only 3.10%~15.77% from DNRA. Compared with marine and estuarine areas, lower DNRA rates and fewer DNRA contributions to the total nitrate reduction were observed in freshwater lake ecosystems.
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