Effects of pH, temperature and hydraulic disturbance on nitrogen release from sediments in the Sunxi River, Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China

To clarify the influence of changes in the overlying water environment on internal nitrogen release from reservoir sediments, we collected surface sediments at a depth of approximately 10 cm from the Sunxi River in the tail area of the Three Gorges Reservoir area for simulation experiments. By using...

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Main Authors: Yihong Ning, Bin Gao, Haiyan Wang, Wenning Hou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PeerJ Inc. 2025-03-01
Series:PeerJ
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Online Access:https://peerj.com/articles/19161.pdf
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author Yihong Ning
Bin Gao
Haiyan Wang
Wenning Hou
author_facet Yihong Ning
Bin Gao
Haiyan Wang
Wenning Hou
author_sort Yihong Ning
collection DOAJ
description To clarify the influence of changes in the overlying water environment on internal nitrogen release from reservoir sediments, we collected surface sediments at a depth of approximately 10 cm from the Sunxi River in the tail area of the Three Gorges Reservoir area for simulation experiments. By using orthogonal simulation experiments in the laboratory, we studied the effects of water pH, temperature and hydraulic disturbance on nitrogen release in the sediment and established a quantitative linear relationship between the nitrogen release rate from the sediment and the environmental factors of the overlying water. The results indicated that the average concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in the sediment were 430 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg, respectively. The sediment TN concentration had a very significant positive correlation with the sediment organic matter content (P < 0.001). The sediment TN, NO3-N and NH4-N release intensities gradually increased with increasing incubation time, with maximum release rates of 29.24 mg/((m2⋅d), 23.11 mg/(m2⋅d) and 4.32 mg/((m2⋅d), respectively. Range analysis revealed that the significance of the effects of environmental factors on sediment TN and NH4-N release were ranked as follows: temperature > pH > disturbance, and that of NO3-N release was ranked as pH > temperature > disturbance. Temperature plays the most important role in the behavior of different forms of nitrogen release from sediments. The capacity and potential for nitrogen release from sediments offer crucial insights for assessing the risks posed to the overlying water and highlighting the importance of these factors in water quality management and prediction in the reservoir area.
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spelling doaj-art-0dd0e4cec3ba4110a6934ec0ccd2ad6e2025-08-20T02:10:02ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592025-03-0113e1916110.7717/peerj.19161Effects of pH, temperature and hydraulic disturbance on nitrogen release from sediments in the Sunxi River, Three Gorges Reservoir Area, ChinaYihong Ning0Bin Gao1Haiyan Wang2Wenning Hou3State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory of Forest Cultivation and Protection, Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Smart Urban Construction, Guangzhou City Polytechnic, Guangzhou, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory of Forest Cultivation and Protection, Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory of Forest Cultivation and Protection, Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaTo clarify the influence of changes in the overlying water environment on internal nitrogen release from reservoir sediments, we collected surface sediments at a depth of approximately 10 cm from the Sunxi River in the tail area of the Three Gorges Reservoir area for simulation experiments. By using orthogonal simulation experiments in the laboratory, we studied the effects of water pH, temperature and hydraulic disturbance on nitrogen release in the sediment and established a quantitative linear relationship between the nitrogen release rate from the sediment and the environmental factors of the overlying water. The results indicated that the average concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in the sediment were 430 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg, respectively. The sediment TN concentration had a very significant positive correlation with the sediment organic matter content (P < 0.001). The sediment TN, NO3-N and NH4-N release intensities gradually increased with increasing incubation time, with maximum release rates of 29.24 mg/((m2⋅d), 23.11 mg/(m2⋅d) and 4.32 mg/((m2⋅d), respectively. Range analysis revealed that the significance of the effects of environmental factors on sediment TN and NH4-N release were ranked as follows: temperature > pH > disturbance, and that of NO3-N release was ranked as pH > temperature > disturbance. Temperature plays the most important role in the behavior of different forms of nitrogen release from sediments. The capacity and potential for nitrogen release from sediments offer crucial insights for assessing the risks posed to the overlying water and highlighting the importance of these factors in water quality management and prediction in the reservoir area.https://peerj.com/articles/19161.pdfNitrogen releasePollution characteristicsOrthogonal simulation experimentsThe Sunxi RiverSediment
spellingShingle Yihong Ning
Bin Gao
Haiyan Wang
Wenning Hou
Effects of pH, temperature and hydraulic disturbance on nitrogen release from sediments in the Sunxi River, Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China
PeerJ
Nitrogen release
Pollution characteristics
Orthogonal simulation experiments
The Sunxi River
Sediment
title Effects of pH, temperature and hydraulic disturbance on nitrogen release from sediments in the Sunxi River, Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China
title_full Effects of pH, temperature and hydraulic disturbance on nitrogen release from sediments in the Sunxi River, Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China
title_fullStr Effects of pH, temperature and hydraulic disturbance on nitrogen release from sediments in the Sunxi River, Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China
title_full_unstemmed Effects of pH, temperature and hydraulic disturbance on nitrogen release from sediments in the Sunxi River, Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China
title_short Effects of pH, temperature and hydraulic disturbance on nitrogen release from sediments in the Sunxi River, Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China
title_sort effects of ph temperature and hydraulic disturbance on nitrogen release from sediments in the sunxi river three gorges reservoir area china
topic Nitrogen release
Pollution characteristics
Orthogonal simulation experiments
The Sunxi River
Sediment
url https://peerj.com/articles/19161.pdf
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