Nitrite and ammonia in the Tamar estuary
Morris, A.W.; Howland, R.J.M.; Woodward, E.M.S.; Bale, A.J.; Mantoura, R.F.C. (1985). Nitrite and ammonia in the Tamar estuary. Neth. J. Sea Res. 19(3-4): 217-222
In: Netherlands Journal of Sea Research. Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ): Groningen; Den Burg. ISSN 0077-7579; e-ISSN 1873-1406, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Morris, A.W.
- Howland, R.J.M.
- Woodward, E.M.S.
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- Bale, A.J.
- Mantoura, R.F.C.
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| Abstract |
Seasonal variations in the axial distributions of nitrite and ammonia in the Tamar estuary, southwest England, have been recorded by continuous autoanalytical profiling at approximately monthly intervals together with measurements of salinity, turbidity and dissolved oxygen. In contrast to the persistent apparent conservatism of nitrite in this estuary, these reduced species of nitrogen have shown marked non-conservative behavior. Ammonia distributions generally showed a maximum in the middle to upper estuary which was variably located relative to salinity and had a magnitude which tended to vary with the spring-neap tidal condition. These maxima are attributed to releases from the sediment which are facilitated by tidal sediment disturbance. During the winter months, nitrite distributions reflected conservative mixing of riverine nitrite but internal inputs within the low salinity, turbidity maximum zone became increasingly significant from spring to late summer in phase with an increasing degree of local oxygen depletion. It appears that nitrite is generated within the water column by bacterially mediated oxidation of ammonia. Anthropogenic inputs significantly augment both constituents in the outer estuary |
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