Nitrate Retention and Removal in Sub-Tropical Riparian Zones

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Author
Primary Supervisor
Fran Sheldon
Other Supervisors
Stuart Bunn
Year published
2011
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Worldwide, contamination of streams and groundwater with excess nitrate has been
linked to agricultural land use and particularly to the application of nitrogen fertilisers to
increase agricultural production. Nitrate is an effective contaminant in agricultural areas;
it is highly mobile, having a low affinity for soil sorption, and so moves with runoff and
sub-surface flows. Excess nitrate can cause ecological impacts on waterways and coastal
receiving water through eutrophication and, in some cases, contributes to coastal ‘dead
zones’. Nitrate also has toxicological effects on aquatic organisms and those using
contaminated ...
View more >Worldwide, contamination of streams and groundwater with excess nitrate has been linked to agricultural land use and particularly to the application of nitrogen fertilisers to increase agricultural production. Nitrate is an effective contaminant in agricultural areas; it is highly mobile, having a low affinity for soil sorption, and so moves with runoff and sub-surface flows. Excess nitrate can cause ecological impacts on waterways and coastal receiving water through eutrophication and, in some cases, contributes to coastal ‘dead zones’. Nitrate also has toxicological effects on aquatic organisms and those using contaminated water as a drinking source. Riparian zones, those zones where interaction of aquatic and terrestrial environments occurs, are identified as areas of intense biogeochemical cycling and can act as buffers against excess nitrate by reducing the amount of nitrate reaching stream channels. Nitrate retention processes of biotic uptake and transformation to less mobile forms can increase the residence time of nitrate within the riparian zone, while removal processes of denitrification can permanently remove nitrate-nitrogen in gaseous forms.
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View more >Worldwide, contamination of streams and groundwater with excess nitrate has been linked to agricultural land use and particularly to the application of nitrogen fertilisers to increase agricultural production. Nitrate is an effective contaminant in agricultural areas; it is highly mobile, having a low affinity for soil sorption, and so moves with runoff and sub-surface flows. Excess nitrate can cause ecological impacts on waterways and coastal receiving water through eutrophication and, in some cases, contributes to coastal ‘dead zones’. Nitrate also has toxicological effects on aquatic organisms and those using contaminated water as a drinking source. Riparian zones, those zones where interaction of aquatic and terrestrial environments occurs, are identified as areas of intense biogeochemical cycling and can act as buffers against excess nitrate by reducing the amount of nitrate reaching stream channels. Nitrate retention processes of biotic uptake and transformation to less mobile forms can increase the residence time of nitrate within the riparian zone, while removal processes of denitrification can permanently remove nitrate-nitrogen in gaseous forms.
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Thesis Type
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Degree Program
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Griffith School of Environment
Item Access Status
Public
Subject
Nitrate retention in streams
Riparian nitrate removal
Riparian zones