A comparison between high temperature catalytic and persulfate oxidation for the determination of total dissolved nitrogen in natural waters

Total dissolved nitrogen(TDN) is an important parameter for assessing the nutrient cycling and status of natural waters.The accurate determination of TDN in natural waters is essential for assessing its contents and distinguishing different forms of nitrogen in the water.The TDN in various systems has been largely documented,and the concentrations of TDN are usually obtained using high-temperature catalytic(HTC) or persulfate oxidation(PO).However,the accuracy of these methods and their suitability for all types of natural waters are still unclear.To explore both methods in-depth,assorted samples were tested,including eight solutions composed of nitrogen-containing compounds(3 dissolved inorganic nitrogen fractions:NO_(3)^(-),NO_(2)^(-)and NH_(4)^(+);5 organic compounds:EDTA-2Na,vitamin B1,vitamin B12,amino acids,and urea) and 105 natural waters which were collected from an open ocean(Northwest Pacific Ocean,28),a marginal sea(Yellow Sea,34),an estuary(Huanghe River mouth,31),rivers(Huanghe River,4;Licun River,4),and precipitations(4 samples).The results showed that heterocycles and molecular dimensions had certain effects on the oxidation efficiency of the PO method but had little effect on HTC.There was no significant difference between the two methods for natural waters,but HTC was more suitable for deep-sea samples with low TDN concentrations(less than 10 μmol/L) and low organic activity.Overall,HTC has a relatively simple measurement process,a high degree of automation,and low error.Therefore,HTC can be recommended to determine the TDN of samples in freshwater and seawater.

Diatom-based dissolved inorganic nitrogen reconstruction in the Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent areas

A five-component weighted average partial least squares(WA-PLS)calibration model was developed by analysing diatom assemblages in 34 surface sediment samples(collected in 2015)from the Changjiang River estuary(CRE)and its adjacent areas to infer dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN)concentrations.Eighteen additional sets of surface sediment diatoms and corresponding upper water DIN data(collected in 2012)were used to evaluate the accuracy of the model,and the relationship between observed and diatom-inferred DIN(DI-DIN)values(R2=0.85)illustrated the strong performance of the transfer function,indicating that precise reconstructions of former DIN are possible.The diatom-DIN transfer function was applied to the diatom record from a sediment core DH8-2(1962‒2012)collected in the Fujian-Zhejiang area south of the CRE.The reconstruction based on the DI-DIN model showed a significant DIN increase from 1962-2012,reflecting the influence of human activities on the very large increase in eutrophication.Three distinct periods can be seen from the changes in DIN and diatom taxa.In the 1962-1972 period,the DIN content was relatively low,with an average of 5.94μmol/L,and more than 80%of the diatom species identified were benthic taxa.In the 1972-2004 period,as the impact of human activities intensified,large nutrient inputs caused the DIN content to increase,with an average of 8.25μmol/L.The nutrient inputs also caused a significant change in the nutrient components and a distinct increase in small planktonic taxa.In the 2004-2012 period,the DIN content continued to rise,fluctuating at approximately 10μmol/L.A continuous increase in the frequency of planktonic taxa(up to 65.48%)indicated that eutrophication was further intensified,which was confirmed by the transformation from diatom-induced red tide to dinoflagellate-induced red tide during this period.

Concentration,sources and wet deposition of dissolved nitrogen and organic carbon in the Northern Indo-Gangetic Plain during monsoon

Precipitation represents an important phenomenon for carbon and nitrogen deposition.Here,the concentrations and fluxes of dissolved organic carbon(DOC)and total dissolved nitrogen(TDN)with their potential sources were analyzed in wet precipitation during summer monsoon from the Northern Indo-Gangetic Plain(IGP),important but neglected area.The volume-weighted mean(VWM)concentration of DOC and TDN were 687.04 and 1210.23μg/L,respectively.Similarly,the VWM concentration of major ions were in a sequence of NH_(4)^(+)>Ca^(2+)>SO_(4)^(2-)>Na^(+)>K^(+)>NO_(3)~->Cl~->Mg^(2+)>F~->NO_(2)~-,suggesting NH_(4)^(+)and Ca^(2+)from agricultural activities and crustal dust played a vital role in precipitation chemistry.Moreover,the wet deposition flux of DOC and TDN were 9.95 and 17.06 kg/(ha year),respectively.The wet deposition flux of inorganic nitrogen species such as NH_(4)^(+)-N and NO_(3)^(-)-N were 14.31 and 0.47 kg/(ha year),respectively,demonstrating the strong influence of emission sources and precipitation volume.Source attribution from different analysis suggested the influence of biomass burning on DOC and anthropogenic activities(agriculture,animal husbandry)on nitrogenous species.The air-mass back trajectory analysis indicated the influence of air masses originating from the Bay of Bengal,which possibly carried marine and anthropogenic pollutants along with the biomass burning emissions to the sampling site.This study bridges the data gap in the less studied part of the northern IGP region and provides new information for policy makers to deal with pollution control.

Dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in precipitation, throughfall and stemflow from Schima superba and Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations in subtropical China

Despite growing attention to the role of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in forest nutrient cycling, their monthly concentration dynamics in forest ecosystems, especially in subtropical forests only were little known. The goal of this study is to measure the concentrations and monthly dynamics of DOC and DON in precipitation, throughfall and stemflow for two planta- tions of Schima superba (SS) and Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata, CF) in Jianou, Fujian, China. Samples of precipitation, throughfall and stemflow were collected on a rain event base from January 2002 to December 2002. Upon collection, all water samples were analyzed for DOC, NO3 -N, NH4 -N and total dissolved N (TDN). DON was calculated by subtracting NO3 -N and NH4 -N from TDN. The results - + - + showed that the precipitation had a mean DOC concentration of 1.7 mg·L-1 and DON concentration of 0.13 mg·L-1. The mean DOC and DON concentrations in throughfall were 11.2 and 0.24 mg·L-1 in the SS and 10.3 and 0.19 mg·L-1 in the CF respectively. Stemflow DOC and DON concentrations in the CF (19.1 and 0.66 mg·L-1 respectively) were significantly higher than those in the SS (17.6 and 0.48 mg·L-1 respectively). No clear monthly variation in precipitation DOC concentration was found in our study, while DON concentration in precipita- tion tended to be higher in summer or autumn. The monthly variations of DON concentrations were very similar in throughfall and stemflow at both forests, showing an increase at the beginning of the rainy season in March. In contrast, monthly changes of the DOC concentrations in throughfall of the SS and CF were different to those in stemflow. Throughfall DOC concentrations were higher from February to April, while relatively higher DOC concentrations in stemflow were found during September-November period.

Effects of live rock on removal of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in coral aquaria

Maintaining stable water quality is one of the key processes for recirculating coral aquaculture. Traditional aquarium systems which mainly utilized a nitrification of nitrifying bacteria attached to the surface of massive artificial filter material are difficult to maintain the oligotrophic conditions necessary for coral aquaculture. This study investigated the removal effects of dissolved inorganic nitrogen（ammonia and nitrate） by live rock（LR）, a key component in the ＂Berlin system＂ coral aquarium. The expression levels of bacterial functional genes, AOA3,amo A and nos Z, were measured on the exterior and interior of LR. The nitrifying and denitrifying bacterial abundance on LR was quantified and the nitrogen nutrient regulatory effects of LR were evaluated. The results demonstrated that LR mainly removed ammonium（NH_4~＋） from the water with a mean efficiency of 0.141 mg/（kg·h）, while the removal of nitrate（NO_3~–） was not significant. Bacterial diversity analysis showed that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria（AOB） were the most common bacteria on LR, which accounted for 0.5%–1.4% of the total bacterial population, followed by denitrifying bacteria, which accounted for 0.2% of the total population, and the ammonia-oxidizing archaea（AOA） were the least common type（〈0.01%）. The low abundance of denitrifying bacteria may be responsible for the poor nitrate（NO_3~–） removal of LR. Thus, other biological filtration methods are needed in coral aquaria to control nitrates generated from nitrification or biological metabolism.

Distribution of dissolved inorganic nitrogen over the continental slope of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea

Based on survey data from April to May 2009, distribution and its influential factors of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) over the continental slopes of the Yellow Sea (YS) and East China Sea (ECS) are discussed. Influenced by the Changjiang (Yangtze) River water, alongshore currents, and the Kuroshio current off the coast, DIN concentrations were higher in the Changjiang River estuary, but lower (<1 μmol/L) in the northern and eastern YS and outer continental shelf area of the ECS. In the YS, the thermocline formed in spring, and a cold-water mass with higher DIN concentration (about 11 μmol/L) formed in benthonic water around 123.2°E. In Changjiang estuary (around 123°E, 32°N), DIN concentration was higher in the 10 m layer; however, the bottom DIN concentration was lower, possibly influenced by mixing of the Taiwan Warm Current and offshore currents.

Improved speciation of dissolved organic nitrogen in natural waters: amide hydrolysis with fluorescence derivatization

The objective of this study was to improve primary-amine nitrogen (1°-N) quantification in dissolved organic matter (DOM) originating from natural waters where inorganic forms of N, which may cause analytical interference, are commonly encountered. Efforts were targeted at elucidating organic-N structural criteria influencing the response of organic amines to known colorimetric and fluorescent reagents and exploring the use of divalent metal-assisted amide hydrolysis in combination with fluorescence analyse...

Effect of Different Fertilization Patterns on Carbon and Nitrogen Components of Tobacco Topsoil

In order to explore the fertilizing ways and dynamic changes of soil carbon and nitrogen in the main producing areas of tobacco in Guizhou,research was conducted to study the variations of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen,total organic carbon and nitrogen and their ratio of tobacco-topsoil in organic fertilization pattern and conventional cultivation pattern （No fertilizer as control） by pot experiment.The results were as follows：（1） The effects of different fertilization patterns on soil dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen and total organic carbon and nitrogen were significantly different.The content of DOC,DON,TOC and TON in tobaccotopsoil was decreased with the advancing of growth period in conventional fertilization pattern.In the conventional fertilization pattern,the accumulation of DOC and TOC was increased first and then decreased,and the accumulation of DON and TON was decreased first and then increased.（2） The TOC content at the different growing stage and DOC content at the middle and later stage of tobacco were significantly improved in organic fertilization patterns.The accumulation of DON and TON in the conventional fertilization pattern was significantly higher than those in the organic fertilizer pattern and control at the rosette stage and vigorous stage.In the harvest period,the content of DOC,DON,TOC and TON of tobacco-topsoil in the conventional fertilization and organic fertilization pattern was significantly higher than those in the control.（3）The DOC/DON ratio and the TOC/TiON ratio was increased gradually with the advancing of growth period in conventional fertilization pattern,but they were increased first and then decreased in the organic fertilization pattern and CK.The DOC/DON and TOC/TON ratio of tobacco-topsoil in different fertilization patterns was showed as Y J＞ CK＞ CG at the different growing stage.The experiment results revealed that：The organic fertilization pattern may improve significantly the accumulation of DOC,DON,TOC and TON of tobacco-topsoil at the middle and later stage and the DOC/DON and TOC/TON ratio at the different growth stage.It contributed to the continuous and balanced supply of nutrients at the middle and later stage of tobacco and the soil fertility.

Tracing the sources of nutrients through the Tsushima/Korea Strait

The nutrients from the East China Sea(ECS) through the Tsushima/Korea Strait(TS) strongly impact the eco system of the Japan Sea(JS).The complex origins of the Tsushima Warm Current and the various nutrient sources in the ECS result in complex spatial-temporal variations in nutrients in the TS.Using a physical-biological model with a tracking technique,we studied the effects of nutrient sources from the ECS on the TS.Among all the nutrient sources,the Kuroshio has the highest nutrient concentrations in the TS.Its maximum concentration occurs at the bottom,while those of rivers and atmospheric depo sition occur at the surface,and that of the Taiwan Strait occurs in the middle layer.The nutrient transport through the TS exhibits similar seasonal variations,as does the volume transport.The transport of nutrients from the Kuroshio accounts for more than 85% of the total.The transport of nutrients from the Taiwan Strait is greater during autumn and winter.The transport of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) from both rivers and atmospheric deposition through the TS peak in August.Nutrient transport cannot be equated with volume transport.The DIN in the less saline zone originates not only from rivers but also from atmospheric deposition and the Kuroshio.The transport of nutrients from the Taiwan Strait is not as significant as its volume transport in the TS.

Total Maximum Allocated Loads on Stoichiometry of Nitrogen and Identification of Critical Form in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Total pollutant load control management for total dissolved nitrogen(TDN) is an urgent task required to gain a good water quality status in Jiaozhou Bay(JZB), China. In this paper, the stoichiometry of multiform TDN on land-ocean interactions associated with marine biogeochemical reaction(LOIMBR) was studied by modeling the load-response relationship based on a three-dimensional water quality model of nitrogen in JZB. The results showed that the stoichiometry on LOIMBR of dissolved organic nitrogen(DON), NO3-N and NH4-N was 3:1:1, with one-third of the contribution on the concentration of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) in JZB for the land-based DON loads to DIN loads. Based on the stoichiometric relationship of nitrogen forms, the total maximum allocated load(TMAL) of equivalent TDN(ETDN) was approximately 5300 t a^-1 in JZB, equivalent to the TMAL of 5700, 5800 and 15600 t a^-1 for NH4-N, NO3-N and DON, respectively. According to the loads of ETDN, there were four outfalls overloaded in JZB in 2015, which lie in the head of the bay. In the four overloaded outfalls, besides NO3-N, NH4-N was the critical nitrogen control form for Moshui River, while DON for Dagu River and Haibo River. The results of numerical experiments further showed that JZB will achieve good water quality after 7 years by implementation of the 'different emission reduction' based on TMAL of ETDN, which is significantly better than 'equal percent removal'.

Changes in nitrogen and phosphorus and their effects on phytoplankton in the Bohai Sea

Systematic studies of the changes in dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) and dissolved inorganic phosphorus(DIP) and their effects on phytoplankton over the last 30 years in the Bohai Sea are presented.The amount of sewage disposal,use of fertilizer and the Huanghe River runoff were found to have a significant influence on the DIN or DIP concentrations in the Bohai Sea over the last 30 years.Moreover,the changes in DIN and DIP resulted in changes in the limiting nutrients of phytoplankton in the Bohai Sea from nitrogen in the early 1980s to nitrogen-phosphorus in the late 1980s,and then to phosphorus after the 1990s.In addition,changes in nitrogen and phosphorus had a significant effect on the phytoplankton community structure.The half saturation constant(Ks) was used to evaluate the effect of nutrients on the phytoplankton community structure in the Bohai Sea over the last 30 years.Cell abundance percentages of dominant phytoplankton species with high Ks values for phosphorus and low Ks values for nitrogen have decreased since the 1980s,while those of dominant phytoplankton species with low Ks values for phosphorus and high Ks values for nitrogen increased during this period.

Effects of freezing intensity on soil solution nitrogen and microbial biomass nitrogen in an alpine grassland ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau,China

The change of freeze-thaw pattern of the Tibetan Plateau under climate warming is bound to have a profound impact on the soil process of alpine grassland ecosystem;however,the research on the impact of the freeze-thaw action on nitrogen processes of the alpine grassland ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau has not yet attracted much attention.In this study,the impact of the freezing strength on the soil nitrogen components of alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau was studied through laboratory freeze-thaw simulation experiments.The 0–10 cm topsoil was collected from the alpine marsh meadow and alpine meadow in the permafrost region of Beilu River.In the experiment,the soil samples were cultivated at –10℃,–7℃,–5℃,–3℃ and –1℃,respectively for three days and then thawed at 2℃ for one day.The results showed that after the freeze-thaw process,the soil microbial biomass nitrogen significantly decreased while the dissolved organic nitrogen and inorganic nitrogen significantly increased.When the freezing temperature was below –7℃,there was no significant difference between the content of nitrogen components,which implied a change of each nitrogen component might have a response threshold toward the freezing temperature.As the freeze-thaw process can lead to the risk of nitrogen loss in the alpine grassland ecosystem,more attention should be paid to the response of the soil nitrogen cycle of alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau to the freeze-thaw process.

Form Distribution Characteristics of Nitrogen in a Reservoir as Drinking Water Source

Based on field detected water quality data, the distribution characteristics of different forms of nitrogen in a reservoir as drinking water source in Dongguan, which locates at the Pearl River Delta of China, have been analyzed in order to provide theoretical bases for prevention and reduction of eutrophication. The analyzed results show that nitrogen forms in the influent area of the reservoir are given priority to ammonia nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen, whose proportion is more than 45% respectively, and this is probably caused by the pollution of inflow water quality;but in the effluent area, the forms are given priority to nitrate nitrogen, whose proportion is as high as 96% and above;also the proportion of ammonia nitrogen drops by more than 80% during the process from the influent area to the effluent area, and this shows that the natural process of nitrification and denitrification can be well accomplished in the reservoir. We recommend here that to reduce the input amount of ammonia nitrogen and organic nitrogen into the reservoir is the most efficient way to prevent or mitigate eutrophication of water body.

Simultaneous determination of dissolved organic nitrogen, nitrite, nitrate and ammonia using size exclusion chromatography coupled with nitrogen detector

Accurate quantification of dissolved organic nitrogen(DON) has been a challenge due to the cumulative analytical errors in the conventional method via subtracting dissolved inorganic nitrogen species(DIN) from total dissolved nitrogen(TDN). Size exclusion chromatography coupled with an organic nitrogen detector(SEC-OND) has been developed as a direct method for quantification and characterization of DON. However, the applications of SECOND method still subject to poor separations between DON and DIN species and unsatisfied N recoveries of macromolecules. In this study, we packed a series of SEC columns with different lengths and resin materials for separation of different N species and designed an independent vacuum ultraviolet(VUV) oxidation device for complete oxidation converting N species to nitrate. To guarantee sufficient N recoveries, the operation conditions were optimized as oxidation time ≥ 30 min, injection mass(sample concentration × injection volume) < 1000 μL × mg-N/L for macromolecular proteins, and neutral p H mobile eluent. The dissolved O_(2)concentration in SEC mobile phase determined the upper limit of VUV oxidation at a specific oxidation time. Compared to conventional HW50S column(20 × 250 mm),HW40S column(20 × 350 mm) with mobile phase comprising of 1.5 g/L Na2HPO_(4)·2H_(2)O + 2.5g/L KH_(2)PO_(4)(p H = 6.85) could achieve a better separation of DON, nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia. When applied to river water, lake water, wastewater effluent, groundwater, and landfill leachate, the SEC-OND method could quantify DON as well as DIN species accurately and conveniently even the DIN/TDN ratio reached 0.98.

Export of dissolved carbonaceous and nitrogenous substances in rivers of the “Water Tower of Asia”

Rivers are critical links in the carbon and nitrogen cycle in aquatic,terrestrial,and atmospheric environments.Here riverine carbon and nitrogen exports in nine large rivers on the Tibetan Plateau—the＂Water Tower of Asia＂—were investigated in the monsoon season from 2013 to 2015.Compared with the world average,concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon（DIC,30.7 mg/L）were high in river basins of the plateau due to extensive topographic relief and intensive water erosion.Low concentrations of dissolved organic carbon（DOC,1.16 mg/L）were likely due to the low temperature and unproductive land vegetation environments.Average concentrations of riverine DIN（0.32 mg/L）and DON（0.35 mg/L）on the Tibetan Plateau were close to the world average.However,despite its predominantly pristine environment,discharge from agricultural activities and urban areas of the plateau has raised riverine N export.In addition,DOC/DON ratio（C/N,~6.5）in rivers of the Tibetan Plateau was much lower than the global average,indicating that dissolved organic carbon in the rivers of this region might be more bioavailable.Therefore,along with global warming and anthropogenic activities,increasing export of bioavailable riverine carbon and nitrogen from rivers of the Tibetan Plateau can be expected in the future,which will possibly influence the regional carbon and nitrogen cycle.

Environmental control of mesozooplankton community structure in the Hangzhou Bay, China

A quarterly study of mesozooplankton community structure and environmental variables in the Hangzhou Bay was conducted to examine the response of mesozooplankton community to the variation of water mass and environmental condition. The southeast coast of China is a typical region under the intensive influence of Asia monsoon and freshwater discharge from rivers. The water mass and environmental condition of the Hangzhou Bay, which were influenced by the interaction of currents, freshwater discharge of the Qiantang River and Changjiang River Plume, showed significant seasonal variation. Our results showed that both biomass and abundance were significantly higher in summer（（247.7±148.8） mg/m^3 and（350.9±215.6） ind./m^3, respectively）than those in other seasons. Four eco-geographical regions were divided based on the cluster analysis of zooplankton community of the Hangzhou Bay throughout the year, except for winter. Monsoon and the dissolved inorganic nitrogen（DIN） input from freshwater discharge of the Qiantang River and Changjiang River resulted in temporal and spatial variations of environmental gradient in the Hangzhou Bay, which significantly influenced the structure of mesozooplankton community. Redundancy analysis（RDA） indicated that the mesozooplankton community structure was strictly correlated with the DIN gradient, while salinity gradient showed a weak influence in the Hangzhou Bay.

Evidence of temperature-controlled dissolved inorganic nitrogen distribution in a shallow lake

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) plays an important role in aquatic ecosystems as an available source of nitrogen(N). Despite recent advances in our understanding of the effects of climate change on DIN in coastal waters, shallow high-latitude lakes exposed to large seasonal temperature differences have received limited research attention. Therefore,in the present study, Baiyangdian Lake(BYDL) was selected as the study area, as a typical high latitude shallow lake in North China. Based on water and sediment samples collected in spring, summer and winter seasons, DIN accumulation in sedimentary pore water and DIN diffusion fluxes at the sediment-water interface were quantified under different temperature conditions. Correlation analysis was used to establish the effects of temperature on DIN concentration and diffusion in different media. Results show that the diffusion of DIN at the lake sediment-water interface exhibited a strongly positive relationship with temperature, suggesting that high temperature conditions lead to greater DIN release from sediments. Cold temperatures cause DIN accumulation in sedimentary pore water, providing sufficient substrate for N-related bacteria in the sediment under cold temperature conditions. Temperature controls the vertical distribution of DIN by affecting its migratory diffusion and transformation at the sediment-water interface. These findings are valuable for understanding the impact of climate change on the distribution of N in inland shallow lakes,especially in high latitude shallow lakes subjected to large seasonal temperature differences throughout the year.

Transformation mechanism and fate of dissolved organic nitrogen(DON) in a full-scale drinking water treatment

Dissolved organic nitrogen(DON) has attracted much attention in drinking water treatment due to its potential to produce nitrogenous disinfection by-products(N-DBPs). This work was designed to explore the transformation and fate of DON and dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) in drinking water treatment. The changes of DON and formation of N-DBPs were evaluated along the water treatment route(i.e., pre-ozonation and biologicalcontact oxidation, delivery pipes’ transportation, coagulation-sedimentation, sand filtration, post-ozonation, biological activated carbon, ultrafiltration and disinfection) of drinking water treatment plant(DWTP). The transformation mechanism of DON was comprehensively investigated by molecular weight fractionation, three-dimensional fluorescence, LCOCD(Liquid Chromatography-Organic Carbon Detection), total free amino acids. A detailed comparison was made between concentrations and variations of DON and DIN affected by seasons in the drinking water treatment. Regardless of seasonal variation in raw water concentration, the DON removal trends between different treatment processes remain constant in the present study. Compared to other treatment processes, pre-ozonation and coagulation-sedimentation exhibited the dominant DON removal in different seasons, i.e.,11.13%-14.45% and 14.98%-22.49%, respectively. Contrary, biological-contact oxidation and biological activated carbon negatively impacted the DON removal, in which DON increased by 1.76%-6.49% in biological activated carbon. This may be due to the release of soluble microbial products(SMPs) from bacterial metabolism, which was further validated by the rise of biopolymers in LC-OCD.

Microbial bioavailability of dissolved organic nitrogen(DON) in the sediments of Lake Shankou,Northeastern China

Dissolved organic nitrogen（DON）extracted from Lake Shankou sediments using KCl was isolated into hydrophobic and hydrophilic fractions.The bioavailabilities of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic fractions to three types of bacterial communities collected from sediments,activated sludge and compost products were examined.The DON recoveries obtained by DAX-8 and cation exchange resins treatment were 96.17% ± 1.58% and 98.14% ±0% for the samples obtained from N4 and N14 stations,respectively.After 25 days of incubation at 25℃,most DON（59% to 96%）was degraded.Hydrophilic DON exhibited a higher reduction rate than hydrophobic DON during the growth phase.Untreated wastewater from Changshuihe town was the main degradable DON source to station N4,and 93% of hydrophilic DON and 80% of hydrophobic DON were degraded.Station N14 received a large amount of refractory DON from forest soils and exhibited DON degradation rates of 82% and 71% for the hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions,respectively.Amino acid contents and fluorescence intensities were also analyzed.Approximately 27% to 74% of amino acids were taken up by day 5,and their concentration gradually increased in the following days due to the decomposition of dissolved proteins.Parallel factor analysis resulted in identification of tryptophan-like proteins,tyrosine-like proteins and FA-like substances.During the growth phase,40%–51% of the tryptophan-like proteins were taken up by bacteria,and the accumulation of tyrosine-like proteins was attributed to the release of biotic substances.The concentration of the FA-like substances decreased due to microbial decomposition.

Dissolved Organic Nitrogen in Mediterranean Ecosystems

Dissolved organic nitrogen （DON） in soils has recently gained increasing interest because it may be both a direct N source for plants and the dominant available N form in nutrient-poor soils, however, its prevalence in Mediterranean ecosystems remains unclear. The aims of this study were to i） estimate soil DON in a wide set of Mediterranean ecosystems and compare this levels with those for other ecosystems; ii） describe temporal changes in DON and dissolved inorganic nitrogen （DIN） forms （NH＋ and NO3）, and characterize spatial heterogeneity within plant communities; and iii） study the relative proportion of soil DON and DIN forms as a test of Schimel and Bennett＇s hypothesis that the prevalence of different N forms follows a gradient of nutrient availability. The study was carried out in eleven plant communities chosen to represent a wide spectrum of Mediterranean vegetation types, ranging from early to late successional status. DON concentrations in the studied Mediterranean plant communities （0-18.2 mg N kg-1） were consistently lower than those found in the literature for other ecosystems. We found high temporal and spatial variability in soil DON for all plant communities. As predicted by the Schimel and Bennett model for nutrient-poor ecosystems, DON dominance over ammonium and nitrate was observed for most plant communities in winter and spring soil samples. However, mineral-N dominated over DON in summer and autumn. Thus, soil water content may have an important effect on DON versus mineral N dominance in Mediterranean ecosystems