文摘
Integrated Elodea nuttallii-immobilized nitrogen cycling bacteria (INCB) technology was used for ecological restoration in the eutrophic Gonghu Bay, Taihu Lake. Sediment denitrification was investigated through microcosm incubations with four different treatments: bare sediment core as control without restoration, sediment聽+聽E.聽nuttallii, sediment聽+聽E.聽nuttallii聽+聽INCB, and sediment聽+聽INCB. The sediments with E.聽nuttallii-INCB assemblage (E-INCB) had the highest denitrification rates among all the treatments, and the E-INCB increased the denitrification rate by 162% in the sediments. The presence of macrophytes yielded a penetration depth of O2 to more than 20聽mm below the sediment鈥搘ater interface (SWI), while the depth was only 4聽mm in the sediments without macrophytes. The quantity of denitrifier in E-INCB sediments (within ~2聽cm below the SWI) showed a significant increasing trend during one-month incubation, which was one order of magnitudes higher than that in the sediments without INCB. Macrophytes caused deeper O2 penetration and increased oxic-anoxic interface, which could stimulate the coupled nitrification鈥揹enitrification. The high denitrification rate of the E-INCB treatment may result from the increased inorganic nitrogen content in the vicinity of the SWI, causing more nitrate to reach the anoxic denitrification zone. The results showed that E-INCB assemblage could increase benthic N removal by stimulating denitrification via combined O2 penetration and enhanced microbial N cycling processes. E-INCB might be used as a potential restoration method for controlling fresh water system eutrophication.