1. Denitrification in the Shallow Ground Water of a Tile-Drained, Agricultural Watershed.
- Author
-
Mehnert, Edward, Hue-Hwa Hwang, Johnson, Thomas M., Sanford, Robert A., Beaumont, Will C., and Holm, Thomas R.
- Subjects
NITROGEN ,WATERSHEDS ,GROUNDWATER ,NITROGEN in soils ,DENITRIFYING bacteria ,HYDROGEOLOGY - Abstract
This article discusses the amount of nitrogen which is contributed to ground water from tile-drained corn belt watersheds with fine grained soil in central Illinois. The authors argue that a significant amount of nitrogen reached shallow ground water by transportation past the tile drains. The results also showed that significant levels of nitrogen were added to groundwater by denitrifying bacteria found at depth throughout the watershed. Laboratory tests showed that a nitrate could be rapidly denitrified. They conclude that fine grained soils may act as a significant nitrogen sink in groundwater compared to surface water.
- Published
- 2007
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