Denitrification and nitrous oxide production in aquatic systems

我的研究计划的目标是更好地了解水生系统中的主要元素循环。氮负荷到水生系统是这些生态系统中最普遍的化学污染形式。这种氮的一部分可以通过反硝化作用(将硝酸盐还原为氮气)去除，因此反硝化作用具有改善水质的潜力。然而，反硝化的副产品N2O是一种强有力的温室气体。水生系统已经是一氧化二氮的重要来源，随着全球氮肥使用量的增加，这一来源预计还会增加，因此水生系统的氮污染也会增加。

The goal of my research program is to better understand major elemental cycles in aquatic systems. Nitrogen loading to aquatic systems is the most pervasive form of chemical pollution in these ecosystems. Some fraction of this nitrogen can be removed by denitrification (reduction of nitrate to N2), thus denitrification has the potential to improve water quality. However, a byproduct of denitrification, N2O, is a potent greenhouse gas. Aquatic systems are already a significant source of nitrous oxide and this source is projected to increase as global use of nitrogen fertilizers, and therefore nitrogen pollution of aquatic systems, increases.