Dissertation Research: Anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to denitrification in the Choptank Basin (MD USA)

论文研究：Choptank 盆地的甲烷厌氧氧化与反硝化耦合（美国马里兰州）

• 批准号: 1311302
• 负责人: Thomas Fisher
• 金额: $ 1.96万
• 依托单位: University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-06-01 至 2016-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1311302&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Anaerobic; oxidation; methane

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change, and excess nitrogen in coastal waterways can cause a decline in water quality. A newly discovered microbial process could reduce the amount of methane reaching the atmosphere and nitrogen reaching waterways. This microbial process converts methane into the less potent greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and toxic nitrite into unreactive nitrogen gas. However, it is not known if this microbial process occurs in nature. This study will investigate whether this process occurs in nature, and if so at what rate, in agricultural groundwater on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. This study will provide information on the rates of anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to denitrification in agricultural systems, which tend to have high nitrogen levels. Unlike all previous work on this process that has occurred only in the laboratory, this project will investigate this microbial process using experiments conducted in the field. If this microbial process is better understood, it could potentially be used as a remediation tool to reduce the leaching of nitrogen into surrounding waters and methane emissions. Results from this study will be shared with local farmers and stakeholders in an effort to implement best management practices that would stimulate this new microbial process to reduce nitrogen and methane losses from farm fields. Scientific training of graduate and undergraduate students will be supported by this project through providing experience with biogeochemical methods and instrumentation.

甲烷是一种导致全球气候变化的强效温室气体，沿海水道中过量的氮会导致水质下降。一项新发现的微生物过程可以减少进入大气的甲烷和进入水道的氮的数量。这一微生物过程将甲烷转化为不太有效的温室气体二氧化碳，并将有毒的亚硝酸盐转化为不活泼的氮气。然而，尚不清楚这种微生物过程是否在自然界中发生。这项研究将调查这一过程是否在自然界中发生，如果发生，在马里兰州东海岸的农业地下水中以何种速度发生。这项研究将提供有关农业系统中甲烷厌氧氧化与反硝化耦合的速率的信息，这些系统往往具有高氮水平。与之前在实验室中进行的这一过程的所有工作不同，该项目将通过在现场进行的实验来研究这一微生物过程。如果这一微生物过程被更好地理解，它可能被用作一种补救工具，以减少氮向周围水域的浸出和甲烷的排放。这项研究的结果将与当地农民和利益相关者分享，努力实施最佳管理实践，以刺激这一新的微生物过程，减少农田的氮和甲烷损失。本项目将通过提供生物地球化学方法和仪器的经验，支持研究生和本科生的科学训练。