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Effects of Redox Potential on the Environmental Behavior of Nitrogen in Riparian Zones of West Dongting Lake Wetlands, China

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Abstract

Nitrogen pollution in wetland ecosystems has become a pressing global issue in recent years. The effects of redox potential on the environmental behavior of nitrogen remain elusive. In the present work, both field experiments and laboratory analyses have been carried out to characterize the spatial-temporal changes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (NO3−, NO2−, NH4+) and redox potential in the riparian zones of West Dongting Lake Wetland, China. The stability field of groundwater for inorganic nitrogen was represented in an Eh-pH diagram. It is noted that NH4+ is the most abundant species in groundwater when −500 mV < Eh < +300 mV at pH < 9.23; while under oxidizing conditions (Eh > 400 mV), nitrogen is generally in the form of NO3−. The range of both Eh and pH scales was from −381 to 193 mV and from 6.84 to 7.32, respectively, which involved two types of reduction, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia and denitrification, and the inhibition of the oxidation pathway by nitrification. In groundwater, NH4+ accounted for 50%–90% of the total concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, in accordance with the Eh-pH diagram. This study reveals the severe contamination of groundwater by NH4+ in the riparian zones of Li and Yuan. It provided a theoretical basis to predict nitrogen pollution preliminarily and facilitate management and protection of wetlands.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks the editor and anonymous reviewers for their comments on this manuscript. This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.41702241).

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  1. College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University, 1550 Haigang Ave, Shanghai, 201306, People’s Republic of China

    Shan Zhao & Baoju Zhang

  2. Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, People’s Republic of China

    Nianqing Zhou

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Correspondence to Shan Zhao.

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Zhao, S., Zhang, B. & Zhou, N. Effects of Redox Potential on the Environmental Behavior of Nitrogen in Riparian Zones of West Dongting Lake Wetlands, China. Wetlands 40, 1307–1316 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-020-01301-9

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