Chronic enrichment affects nitrogen removal in tidal freshwater river and estuarine creek sediments.

ABSTRACT: Population growth in coastal areas increases nitrogen inputs to receiving waterways and degrades water quality. Wetland habitats, including floodplain forests and marshes, can be effective nitrogen sinks; however, little is known about the effects of chronic point source nutrient enrichment on sediment nitrogen removal in tidally influenced coastal systems. This study characterizes enrichment patterns in two tidal systems affected by wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) effluent and assesses the impact on habitat nitrogen removal via denitrification. We collected intact sediment cores from prevalent habitats in a tidal freshwater river (TFZ; swamp forest) and a tidal estuarine creek system (EST; salt marsh) upstream and downstream of a WWTF outfall, and quantified dissolved gas fluxes acro

SUBMITTER: Smiley AMH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11893282 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar-Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature