Does zinc in livestock wastewater reduce nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from mangrove soils?

Zinc (Zn) affects nitrogen cycling but the effect of Zn in wastewater on the emission of nitrous oxide (N₂O) from the soil has not been reported. This study compared N₂O emissions from mangrove soil receiving livestock wastewater containing various Zn²⁺ concentrations and evaluated how long the effects of Zn would last in these soil-wastewater microcosms. Significant increases in N₂O flux were observed soon after the discharge of wastewater with a low Zn content. On the other hand, the flux was reduced significantly in the wastewater with high Zn levels but such inhibitory effect was not observed after tidal flushing. Continuous monitoring of the N₂O fluxes also confirmed that the inhibitory effect of Zn was confined within a few hours and the fluxes recovered in 6-9h after the wastewater was completely drained away. These results indicated that the inhibitory effect of Zn on N₂O fluxes occurred immediately after wastewater discharge and disappeared gradually. In the surface soil, nitrate levels increased with the addition of wastewater but there was no significant accumulation of NH4+-N, irrespective of the Zn content in the wastewater. The study also showed that nitrification potential and immediate N₂O emissions were inhibited by high Zn levels in the soil, but the total oxidation of ammonium to nitrate was not affected. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.