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| 2. |
- Conrad, S. R., et al.
(author)
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Land use change increases contaminant sequestration in blue carbon sediments
- 2023
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In: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697. ; 873
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Coastal blue carbon habitats perform many important environmental functions, including long-term carbon and an-thropogenic contaminant storage. Here, we analysed twenty-five 210Pb-dated mangrove, saltmarsh, and seagrass sed-iment cores from six estuaries across a land-use gradient to determine metal, metalloid, and phosphorous sedimentary fluxes. Cadmium, arsenic, iron, and manganese had linear to exponential positive correlations between concentrations, sediment flux, geoaccumulation index, and catchment development. Increases in anthropogenic development (agricul-tural or urban land uses) from > 30 % of the total catchment area enhanced mean concentrations of arsenic, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc between 1.5 and 4.3-fold. A similar to 30 % anthropogenic land-use was the threshold in which blue carbon sediment quality begins to be detrimentally impacted on an entire estuary scale. Fluxes of phosphorous, cadmium, lead, and aluminium responded similarly, increasing 1.2 to 2.5-fold when anthropogenic land-use increased by at least 5 %. Exponential increases in phosphorus flux to estuary sediments seem to precede eutrophication as ob-served in more developed estuaries. Overall, multiple lines of evidence revealed how catchment development drives blue carbon sediment quality across a regional scale.
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| 3. |
- Wadnerkar, P. D., et al.
(author)
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Nitrate removal and nitrous oxide production from hothouse effluent draining to a pipe bioreactor
- 2022
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In: Ecological Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 0925-8574. ; 178
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Agricultural hothouses are intensive food production systems relying on high fertilization and irrigation. Runoff from hothouses can contain high levels of nitrogen (N) and drain into streams. Here, we investigate the effectiveness of buried, inline woodchip bioreactors constructed using PVC pipes in removing nitrate (NO3−-N) and the possibility of pollution swapping from nitrate to the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). Mean dissolved NO3−-N removal and N2O gas production were 6.0 ± 5.2 g N m−3 h−1 (0.9–12.3 g N m−3 h−1), and 35.1 ± 31.4 mg N L−1 h−1 (14–83 mg N L−1 h−1) respectively, across five surveys. NO3−-N removal and N2O-N production occurred primarily in hypoxic to anoxic conditions. Overall, these inline pipe bioreactors achieved nitrate removal efficiencies (NRE) of 14.5 ± 6.8% (8.2%–25.0%) and N2O production equivalent to 0.7 ± 0.6% (0.3–1.4%) of nitrate removal. Comparisons to the literature indicate that our bioreactors have a low NRE but a very high nitrate removal rate (NRR) on a woodchip volume basis. The bioreactor was operating at 21% water capacity. Therefore, increasing the bioreactor water height would be needed to maximize nitrate removal. Our results imply that these bioreactors can efficiently remove NO3-N without major N2O release to the atmosphere. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.
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| 4. |
- White, S. A., et al.
(author)
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Anthropogenic nitrate attenuation versus nitrous oxide release from a woodchip bioreactor
- 2022
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In: Environmental Pollution. - : Elsevier BV. - 0269-7491. ; 300
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nitrogen loss via overland flow from agricultural land use is a global threat to waterways. On-farm denitrifying woodchip bioreactors can mitigate NO3− exports by increasing denitrification capacity. However, denitrification in sub-optimal conditions releases the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O), swapping the pollution from aquatic to atmospheric reservoirs. Here, we assess NO3−-N removal and N2O emissions from a new edge-of-field surface-flow bioreactor during ten rain events on intensive farming land. Nitrate removal rates (NRR) varied between 5.4 and 76.2 g NO3−-N m−3 wetted woodchip d−1 with a mean of 30.3 ± 7.3 g NO3−-N m−3. The nitrate removal efficiency (NRE) was ∼73% in ideal hydrological conditions and ∼18% in non-ideal conditions. The fraction of NO3−-N converted to N2O (rN2O) in the bioreactor was ∼3.3 fold lower than the expected 0.75% IPCC emission factor. We update the global bioreactor estimated Q10 (NRR increase every 10 °C) from a recent meta-analysis with previously unavailable data to >20 °C, yielding a new global Q10 factor of 3.1. Mean N2O CO2-eq emissions (431.9 ± 125.4 g CO2-eq emissions day−1) indicate that the bioreactor was not significantly swapping aquatic NO3− for N2O pollution. Our estimated NO3−-N removal from the bioreactor (9.9 kg NO3−-N ha−1 yr−1) costs US$13.14 per kg NO3−-N removed and represents ∼30% NO3−-N removal when incorporating all flow and overflow events. Overall, edge-of-field surface-flow bioreactors seem to be a cost-effective solution to reduce NO3−-N runoff with minor pollution swapping to N2O. © 2022
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| 5. |
- White, S. A., et al.
(author)
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Natural attenuation of large anthropogenic nitrate loads in a subtropical stream revealed by delta N-15 and delta O-18
- 2021
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In: Journal of Hydrology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-1694. ; 598
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Nitrogen pollution in subtropical waters is rapidly increasing due to land-use change, but specific sources, transformations, and attenuation rates remain understudied compared to cooler temperate catchments. Here, we quantify high-resolution nitrate (NO3--N) loads, sources and natural attenuation in a subtropical creek in Australia over contrasting hydrological conditions. We observed large creek NO3-N loads (ranging from 44 to 2938 mu mol m(-2) catchment d(-1)) exceeding the bottom-up estimates of nitrogen input to the catchment at the most upstream sites. Stable isotope natural abundances (delta N-15 and delta O-18 in NO3--N) and Bayesian analysis revealed that greywater was the dominant source accounting for similar to 55% of NO3--N in the upper creek, but fertilisers (similar to 29%) and rainfall (similar to 16%) were also relevant NO3--N sources. NO3--N loads at the most downstream site were only 0.2-9.7% of loads at the most upstream site. The resulting NO3--N attenuation efficiency (mainly via denitrification) was 52-84% of original upstream load per km of creek, depending on hydrological conditions. This large capacity to attenuate NO3--N during dry and first-flush events exceeds the attenuation found in temperate creeks subject to several decades of pollution in the northern hemisphere. During periods of high water flow and saturated soils, high NO3--N loads were exported downstream, turning the creek from a natural bioreactor to a system resembling a flow-through pipe. In spite of effective natural nitrogen attenuation providing a valuable ecosystem service, concentrations and loads remained well above expected for natural systems and water quality guidelines. Overall, our results highlight the need for modifying fertiliser use, capturing nitrogen on farms and reducing greywater nitrogen to prevent significant losses to subtropical waterways.
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| 6. |
- Woodrow, R. L., et al.
(author)
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Nitrous oxide hot moments and cold spots in a subtropical estuary: Floods and mangroves
- 2022
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In: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0272-7714. ; 264
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Flood events can transport large nitrogen loads to the ocean in short periods with the potential to produce significant nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions along an estuarine gradient. Here, we evaluate temporal and spatial N2O air-water fluxes from both seasonal, and flood-event timescales in an urban subtropical estuary surrounded by mangroves (Coffs Creek, Australia). Overall, the estuary was a minor atmospheric source of N2O with emissions of 3.9 ± 1.2 μmol m−2 d−1. However, the mangrove-dominated lower estuary was a sink of N2O in the dry months (−5.4 ± 2.2 μmol m−2 d−1), then a source in the wet months (11.7 ± 1.6 μmol m−2 d−1) and also during an eight-day flood event (66.9 ± 9.8 μmol m−2 d−1). The flood event drove changes in estuary N2O dynamics, creating a ‘hot moment’ with the highest N2O emissions following the transport of nitrate + nitrite (NOX) from the modified catchment. The hot moment coincided with a 13-fold increase in mean daily N2O emissions and increased annual net emissions estimates to the atmosphere by 41%. In the mangrove-dominated creek sections, N2O was consumed in the dry conditions (cold spots). Seasonal variation was prominent in the attenuation and consumption of N2O in the mangrove dominated sections of the creek, while flood events potentially reduce natural creek NOX attenuation capacity and elevate N2O emissions. Without observation s in both seasonal and episodic rainfall timeframes, estuarine N2O studies in subtropical regions may underestimate N2O emissions and budgets. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
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| 7. |
- Conrad, S. R., et al.
(author)
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Cryptic night-time trace metal and metalloid contamination in an intensively cultivated coastal catchment
- 2021
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In: Environmental Pollution. - : Elsevier BV. - 0269-7491. ; 276
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Detailed, high resolution time-series observations were performed to investigate sources, diel cycling, natural attenuation, and loadings of dissolved trace metals/metalloids in a subtropical headwater stream draining intensive horticulture in Australia. A transect of similar to 3 km away from the source (farms) showed >75% reduction in concentration and loads of most trace elements. Mercury and arsenic had elevated loads downstream relative to other elements. Hourly time-series sampling revealed elevated creek discharge at night, accompanied by elevated nickel, selenium, copper, and mercury loads. Inputs from groundwater or treated sewage used for irrigation within the catchment are likely sources. Groundwater bore and treated sewage samples were highly contaminated with either zinc, copper, or mercury. Comparisons of daily and hourly samples indicated common sampling strategies can underestimate horticultural contaminant loadings. Load estimates for mercury and copper derived from hourly samples were 1.6- to 7- fold greater than loads from daily sample data collected over 79 days with varying rainfall. These high contaminant concentrations and loads are of concern to food products receiving irrigation and protected waterbodies downstream. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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