Abiotic versus biotic immobilization of inorganic nitrogen in sediment as a potential pathway of nitrogen sequestration from coastal marine ecosystems.
Open accessAbstract
Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), such as NO2– and NH4+, is known to react abiotically with organic matter to form organic N under specific conditions. However, the contribution of abiotic processes to the dynamics of DIN in marine environments has not been sufficiently evaluated. In this study, I demonstrated using 15N-labeled tracers that abiotic immobilization of DIN (particularly NO2–) occurred in coastal marine sediments after samples were autoclaved or treated with HgCl2, and compared it with the biotic immobilization (bacterial assimilation) of DIN in terms of reaction rate, product yield, and the degradability of the organic N produced. Abiotic and biotic immobilization of N from DIN into solid sediment occurred within a period of days to a few weeks. NH4+, NO2–, and NO3– were significantly immobilized by biotic processes in the sediment investigated, although microbial dissimilatory reduction seemed to be the primary sink for NO2– and NO3–. In contrast, only NO2– was significantly immobilized in the sediment by abiotic processes. Abiotic immobilization of NO2– apparently obeyed first-order kinetics when the concentration of NO2– was <200 μM. Decomposition experiments with natural sedimentary bacteria demonstrated that organic N formed biotically from NH4+ and abiotically from NO2– was operationally separated into a readily decomposable fraction and a refractory fraction. The refractory fraction of immobilized N ranged from 22% to 68% and was apparently dependent on the physical nature of the sediment (e.g., specific surface area), rather than whether it had been produced biotically or abiotically. This observation suggested that abiotically immobilized N can be preserved in sediment to a similar extent, and by similar mechanisms, as biotically produced organic N.
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N derived from dead microorganisms, which does not directly serve as substrate for other microorganisms in the decomposer succession, might be further transformed and fixed to recalcitrant organic molecules.
“N derived from dead microorganisms, which does not directly serve as substrate for other microorganisms in the decomposer succession (Bastian et al., 2009), might be further transformed and fixed to recalcitrant organic molecules (Miyajima, 2015; Wei et al., 2017).”
From Potential of Wheat Straw, Spruce Sawdust, and Lignin as High Organic Carbon Soil Amendments to Improve Agricultural Nitrogen Retention Capacity: An Incubation Study (2018) · cites this paper as Miyajima, 2015
The Introduction (page unavailable) says degradation products of detrital organic matter can be resynthesized into complex macromolecules and links this process to highly refractory organic matter. The paper does not specifically identify nitrogen from dead microorganisms as the material undergoing that transformation; its experiments instead examine immobilization of inorganic nitrogen in marine sediment. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredLess prominent ways of abiotic N immobilization were reported, for example the reaction of nitrite with HCA-derived lignin or its derivatives.
“In addition to biotic N immobilization and N adsorption in soil, also less prominent ways of abiotic N immobilization were reported (Miyajima, 2015), e.g., the reaction of nitrite with HCA-derived lignin or its derivatives (Wei et al., 2017).”
From Potential of Wheat Straw, Spruce Sawdust, and Lignin as High Organic Carbon Soil Amendments to Improve Agricultural Nitrogen Retention Capacity: An Incubation Study (2018) · cites this paper as Miyajima, 2015
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- Authors
- Miyajima, T.
- Affiliations
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo (JP)
- Corresponding author
- Miyajima, Toshihiro
- ORCID
- Miyajima, Toshihiro
- Venue
- GEOCHEMICAL JOURNAL
- Publisher
- Geochemical Society of Japan
- Published
- 2015
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 453-468
- ISSN
- 0016-7002 (ISSN-L)
- 1880-5973
- OpenAlex
- W2165031106
- Cited by
- 7
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 1.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Locations
- GEOCHEMICAL JOURNAL (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Tokyo
- Tokyo University of Agriculture
- Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (21651003, 25291098)
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Keywords
- dissolved inorganic nitrogen, nitrite, ammonium, nitrate, marine sediment, nitrogen sequestration, bacterial assimilation, coastal marine ecosystems
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