Natural Nitrate Removal in Shallow Subsurface Stream Flows
Presented by: Abigail Heath – Graduate Student at Illinois State University, aheath1@ilstu.edu Co-authors: Eric Peterson, Catherine O’Reilly, Wondwosen Seyoum Abstract: As agricultural growth increases across the planet, more anthropogenic nitrate from fertilizers and sewage effluent is contributed...
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| Format: | Conference Object |
| Language: | English |
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2021
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2142/109867 https://youtu.be/R_4C3ucBUTk |
| Summary: | Presented by: Abigail Heath – Graduate Student at Illinois State University, aheath1@ilstu.edu Co-authors: Eric Peterson, Catherine O’Reilly, Wondwosen Seyoum Abstract: As agricultural growth increases across the planet, more anthropogenic nitrate from fertilizers and sewage effluent is contributed to the aquatic system, exacerbating both ecosystem- and human-health issues. Nitrate is naturally processed and removed within the environment, and those processes have been observed in a segment of substrata and porewater below streams called the hyporheic zone (HZ). The interaction of stream water with groundwater can promote denitrification; however, the rate of nitrate reduction within the HZ is unknown (Maazouzi et al., 2013). This study determined the extent of surface water-groundwater interactions in a HZ and assessed the nitrate reduction. The chemical composition of the stream water, groundwater, and HZ waters were used in a mixing-model. Results show that stream water and groundwater contribute proportionally inverting amounts to water flow through the depth of the HZ. The conservative ion chloride is a chemical indicator of mixing in waters, and in the studied HZ, chloride concentrations were 48.8% higher in surface water than groundwater, and a gradient of change between these two endmembers was observed along depth throughout the HZ. Reducing nitrate levels along depth can be positively correlated to this gradient of mixing in the HZ. Biography: Abigail is currently pursuing her MS in Hydrogeology with a GIS certification at Illinois State University. She received a BS in Geology from Louisiana State University where she defended her undergraduate thesis on the effects of bioturbation on radiocarbon dating in Antarctic ocean sediments. Abigail’s research interests are in stream restoration technique development and she hopes to pursue her PhD in water science after graduating this spring to further her career goals in stream restoration and water resource management. Open |
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