Natural Nitrogen-Bearing and Phosphorus-Bearing Nanoparticles in Surface Sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, China: Implications for Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycling in Estuarine and Coastal Ecosystems

Guoqiang Wang, Tianjian Yang (), Mengmeng Zhao, Ting Li (), Cai Zhang, Qinghua Chen, Xinyue Wen and Lirong Dang
Additional contact information
Guoqiang Wang: School of Geographical Sciences, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China
Tianjian Yang: South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
Mengmeng Zhao: South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
Ting Li: South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
Cai Zhang: Shanxi Museum of Geology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Qinghua Chen: South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510655, China
Xinyue Wen: School of Geographical Sciences, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China
Lirong Dang: School of Geographical Sciences, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-17

Abstract: Eutrophication creates multiple environmental problems, threatening the ecological security and sustainability of estuarine and coastal ecosystems worldwide. Key nutrients of concern are nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), which are the main controls in eutrophication. Considering that sediments are inseparable sinks of N and P, concern has grown regarding the forms in which N and P occur in the surface sediments of estuaries and coastal areas. Nonetheless, studies on the natural N-bearing or P-bearing nanoparticles in estuarine and coastal sediments have rarely been reported. Herein, the surface sediments (0–5 cm) of the Pearl River Estuary in China were collected and subjected to analysis. Using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) analysis, numerous natural N-bearing and P-bearing nanoparticles were observed. The results revealed that there are some differences in the occurrence forms of N and P in nanoparticles, suggesting that N and P could be adsorbed by nanoparticles of minerals such as hematite, goethite, muscovite, anorthite and quartz in estuarine and coastal environments, and further form N-bearing and P-bearing nanoparticles. These nanoparticles contained small amounts of N (1.52–3.73 wt%) and P (0.22–1.12 wt%), and were mainly single crystal or polycrystalline in form, with sizes ranging from 10 nm × 50 nm to 250 nm × 400 nm. In addition, P was shown to exist in the form of Ca and Fe phosphate nanoparticles in the estuarine sediments. The Ca and Fe phosphate nanoparticles had higher phosphorus content (5.02–9.97 wt%), mainly amorphous, with sizes ranging from 50 nm × 120 nm to 250 nm × 400 nm. Moreover, N-bearing and P-bearing nanoparticles could influence the migration, precipitation and release processes of N and P, and play a certain role in the N-cycling and P-cycling of estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Furthermore, we explored the role of N-bearing and P-bearing nanoparticles in the N-cycling and P-cycling in estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Thus, this study could provide new ideas for water environment management and other related research fields.

Keywords: natural nanoparticles; transmission electron microscopy (TEM); estuarine and coastal ecosystems; N-cycling; P-cycling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/19/14301/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/19/14301/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:19:p:14301-:d:1249328

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().