Anthropogenic activities have increased the amount of reactive nitrogen (Nr) available for biological processes in the environment and the increasing input of Nr have induced critical eco-environmental problems in estuarine and coastal regions, by causing widespread anoxia, increasing frequency of algal blooms, and decreasing biodiversity. Denitrification and anammox are two major processes of nitrogen loss, which play important roles in the transformation from fixed nitrogen to N2. However, it is not well constrained the contributions of and controls organic matter supply on the nitrogen loss pathways in estuarine environment with overloading of Nr.
The experiments with microcosm incubations were designed to investigate the effects of organic matter on denitrification and anammox rates in quality and quantity. Besides, homogenized sediments from the Pearl River Estuary were incubated in mesocosms to simulate the fate of nitrogen loss processes with high and low organic matter (glucose) loading for observing the dynamic of DIN(NH4+, NO3-, NO2-) and parameters. This study will deep insight into the relationship between the organic matter consumption and the nitrogen loss in the estuary.
