Trends of the response-relationship between net anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus inputs (NANI/NAPI) and TN/TP export fluxes in Raohe basin, China

Chemosphere. 2022 Jan;286(Pt 1):131662. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131662. Epub 2021 Jul 24.

Abstract

The intensification of anthropogenic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs profoundly affects water environmental quality. Hence it is pivotal to clarify the response relationship between riverine TN/TP export and anthropogenic N/P inputs to provide strategies guidance in N/P management. Based on the variation of net anthropogenic N and P inputs (NANI/NAPI) in the Raohe basin from 1990 to 2018, we constructed the response relationship between NANI/NAPI and total nitrogen and phosphorus (TN/TP) export fluxes in the riverine, which successfully predicted N and P export at the basin scale management. We found N export ratio (ratio of TN export to NANI) increased with slight fluctuation and was mainly affected by the combined effects of Nfer (fertilizer N inputs) and Ndep (atmospheric N deposition) etc., while the decrease of P export ratio (ratio of TP export to NAPI) was mainly due to intensive retention effect of the soil and sediment induced by anthropogenic influence to P transportation process. These results indicate that the downstream aquatic systems take a high risk of increasing N load pressure and the basin systems suffer a danger from rising P load pressure. Therefore, it is recommended to concentrate more on downstream aquatic systems during the N management strategy implementation and pay closer attention to the whereabouts of P in the basin system.

Keywords: Net anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus inputs; Nitrogen and phosphorus export fluxes; Nitrogen and phosphorus export ratio; Raohe basin; Response model.

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Fertilizers
  • Nitrogen / analysis
  • Phosphorus* / analysis
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
  • Water Quality

Substances

  • Fertilizers
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Phosphorus
  • Nitrogen