Effects of temperature on nitrous oxide (N2O) emission from intensive aquaculture system

Shukra Raj Paudel; Ohkyung Choi; Samir Kumar Khanal; Kartik Chandran; Sungpyo Kim; Jae Woo Lee

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.02.076

Effects of temperature on nitrous oxide (N2O) emission from intensive aquaculture system

Sci Total Environ. 2015 Jun 15:518-519:16-23. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.02.076. Epub 2015 Mar 3.

Authors

Shukra Raj Paudel¹, Ohkyung Choi², Samir Kumar Khanal³, Kartik Chandran⁴, Sungpyo Kim⁵, Jae Woo Lee⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Science and Technology, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Republic of Korea.
² Program in Environmental Technology and Policy, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
⁴ Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, 500 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA.
⁵ Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Science and Technology, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Republic of Korea; Program in Environmental Technology and Policy, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Republic of Korea.
⁶ Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Science and Technology, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Republic of Korea; Program in Environmental Technology and Policy, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jaewoo@korea.ac.kr.

PMID: 25747359
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.02.076

Abstract

This study examines the effects of temperature on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in a bench-scale intensive aquaculture system rearing Koi fish. The water temperature varied from 15 to 24 °C at interval of 3 °C. Both volumetric and specific rate for nitrification and denitrification declined as the temperature decreased. The concentrations of ammonia and nitrite, however, were lower than the inhibitory level for Koi fish regardless of temperature. The effects of temperature on N2O emissions were significant, with the emission rate and emission factor increasing from 1.11 to 1.82 mg N2O-N/d and 0.49 to 0.94 mg N2O-N/kg fish as the temperature decreased from 24 to 15 °C. A global map of N2O emission from aquaculture was established by using the N2O emission factor depending on temperature. This study demonstrates that N2O emission from aquaculture is strongly dependent on regional water temperatures as well as on fish production.

Keywords: Aquaculture system; Denitrification; Greenhouse gas (GHG); Nitrification; Nitrous oxide (N(2)O); Temperature.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants / analysis*
Aquaculture*
Environmental Monitoring*
Nitrification
Nitrous Oxide / analysis*
Temperature*

Substances

Air Pollutants
Nitrous Oxide