Indicators of nutrient pollution in Long Island, New York, estuarine environments

Marine Environmental Research
2018
Burke Watson, Elizabeth; Powell, Elisabeth; Maher, Nicole P.; Oczkowski, Autumn J.; Paudel, Bhanu; Starke, Adam; Szura, Katelyn; Wigand, Cathleen
PublisherElsevier
Source N/A
Volume / Issue134
Pages109-120
Total Pages13 pages
Article Link
ISBN N/A
DOIdoi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.01.003
Editor(s) N/A
Conference / Book Title N/A
Flag N/A
Tagseutrophication; stable isotope; denitrification; pollution monitoring; water treatment
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Conference Title N/A
Conference Date N/A
Publication DateJanuary 08, 2018
Article Date N/A
GS Citation N/A
AbstractRoughly eight million people live on Long Island, including Brooklyn and Queens, and despite improvements in wastewater treatment, nearly all its coastal waterbodies are impaired by excessive nitrogen. We used nutrient stoichiometry and stable isotope ratios in estuarine biota and soils to identify water pollution hot spots and compare among potential indicators. We found strong gradients in δ15N values, which were correlated with watershed land cover, population density, and wastewater discharges. Weaker correlations were found for δ13C values and nutrient stoichiometric ratios. Structural equation modeling identified contrasts between western Long Island, where δ15N values depended on watershed population density, and eastern Long Island where δ15N values reflected agriculture and sewage discharges. These results illustrate the use of stable isotopes as water quality indicators, and establish a baseline against which the efficacy of strategies to reduce nutrients can be measured.
Created: 12/17/2018 11:29 AM (ET)
Modified: 12/17/2018 11:29 AM (ET)
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