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Environmental Monitoring

Honors Theses

Theses/Dissertations

Nitrogen

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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen Dynamics In Swash Zone Sands Of Long Bay, Sc, Alexis F. Echols Apr 2019

Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen Dynamics In Swash Zone Sands Of Long Bay, Sc, Alexis F. Echols

Honors Theses

A key component affecting the biogeochemistry of the sedimentary environment is pore water between grains of sediments. Sedimentary microorganisms are constantly modifying chemical compounds as part of their life functions which are then exchanged between the sediment column and the overlying water column. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen, a major element for life, takes on several forms including nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium which vary in concentration throughout the sediment and with respect to each other. The relative concentrations of these nitrogen species have been previously briefly explored in sandy columns, where redox gradients that control their relative concentrations can be fairly deep …


A Novel Method For Determination Of Ammonium Isotope Ratios With Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry, Rebecca J. Chmiel Jan 2017

A Novel Method For Determination Of Ammonium Isotope Ratios With Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry, Rebecca J. Chmiel

Honors Theses

Nitrogen (15N) isotope tracer studies are an invaluable tool for understanding the rate of N transformations in the environment. A mechanistic understanding of N cycling is critical to management of excess N availability in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Conventional methods for measuring 15N:14N of dissolved inorganic nitrogen species are time consuming and require large sample volumes. Here, we present a technique for measuring 15N:14N in ammonium (NH4+) using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). NH4+ present in small volumes of sample (3 ml) is complexed with phenol via …


The Impact Of Dams On Nitrogen Cycling In The Messalonskee Stream, Rebecca K. Forgrave Jan 2014

The Impact Of Dams On Nitrogen Cycling In The Messalonskee Stream, Rebecca K. Forgrave

Honors Theses

The Messalonskee Stream in central Maine has five hydroelectric dams on 16.6km. Each dam drastically changes the flow regime of the stream, dividing it into segments with different patterns of sediment settling and organic matter retention. I investigated how these disruptions impact nitrogen cycling, specifically nitrification rates above and below each dam. I expected higher nitrification rates above the dams, where levels of organic matter are higher, and lower rates below the dam where scouring removes organic matter and fine sediment from the streambed. I measured sediment nitrification rates with a nitrapyrin-inhibition assay and potential drivers of nitrification including sediment …