Methane stimulates massive nitrogen loss from freshwater reservoirs in India

S. Wajih A. Naqvi (), Phyllis Lam, Gayatree Narvenkar, Amit Sarkar, Hema Naik, Anil Pratihary, Damodar M. Shenoy, Mangesh Gauns, Siby Kurian, Samir Damare, Manon Duret, Gaute Lavik and Marcel M. M. Kuypers
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S. Wajih A. Naqvi: CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography
Phyllis Lam: Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1
Gayatree Narvenkar: CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography
Amit Sarkar: CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography
Hema Naik: CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography
Anil Pratihary: CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography
Damodar M. Shenoy: CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography
Mangesh Gauns: CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography
Siby Kurian: CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography
Samir Damare: CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography
Manon Duret: University of Southampton
Gaute Lavik: Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1
Marcel M. M. Kuypers: Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract The fate of the enormous amount of reactive nitrogen released to the environment by human activities in India is unknown. Here we show occurrence of seasonal stratification and generally low concentrations of dissolved inorganic combined nitrogen, and high molecular nitrogen (N2) to argon ratio, thus suggesting seasonal loss to N2 in anoxic hypolimnia of several dam-reservoirs. However, 15N-experiments yielded low rates of denitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium—except in the presence of methane (CH4) that caused ~12-fold increase in denitrification. While nitrite-dependent anaerobic methanotrophs belonging to the NC10 phylum were present, previously considered aerobic methanotrophs were far more abundant (up to 13.9%) in anoxic hypolimnion. Methane accumulation in anoxic freshwater systems seems to facilitate rapid loss of reactive nitrogen, with generally low production of nitrous oxide (N2O), through widespread coupling between methanotrophy and denitrification, potentially mitigating eutrophication and emissions of CH4 and N2O to the atmosphere.

Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03607-z

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