Initial Stormwater Runoff Drives Co-Variation of Pollutants and Microbial Communities at the Sediment–Water Interface in Reclaimed Water-Receiving Rivers
Source abstract
Abstract
Reclaimed water-receiving rivers face increased hypoxic and malodorous risks after stormwater runoff. To investigate how initial runoff drives the co-variation of pollutants and microbial communities at the sediment–water interface (SWI), this study constructed a four-channel simulated river system based on the Froude similarity criterion, including two low-intensity rainfall (R-L) treatments and two high-intensity rainfall (R-H) treatments. Each experiment consisted of a 48 h runoff disturbance stage followed by a 48 h recovery stage. The dynamics of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in both water and sediments were systematically analyzed, together with variations in dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition, microbial communities based on 16S rRNA, and predicted N-cycling functional potential. Results showed that R-H exerted a pronounced dilution effect on pollutants in water but significantly enhanced SWI disturbance, facilitating nutrient accumulation within the system. DOM profiles indicated active microbial metabolism, consistent with long-term reclaimed water inputs. Microbial analyses revealed that TN was a key environmental factor influencing community differences. Nitrification and denitrification potentials were higher under R-H, whereas ammonia assimilation was higher under R-L. These findings highlight the importance of managing N accumulation and transformation following rainfall events in reclaimed water-receiving rivers.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics · Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment · Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
CAUPD Beijing Planning & Design Consultants Co., Ltd., Beijing 100044, China
Funding
National Key Research and Development Program of China · Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture
References (54)
Show source-provided references
1. Sources of nitrate-nitrogen in urban runoff over and during rainfall events with different grades10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152069 ↗
2. Estuarine Hypoxia—Identifying High Risk Catchments Now and Under Future Climate Scenarios10.1029/2023WR035026 ↗
3. Water quality variation of a typical urban landscape river replenished with reclaimed water10.1016/j.watcyc.2023.04.001 ↗
4. Phytoplankton in an urban river replenished by reclaimed water: Features, influential factors and simulation10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106090 ↗
5. Feasibility analysis of reclaimed water reuse based on water quality data and microbial community structure study10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174781 ↗
6. Characteristics of GHG flux from water-air interface along a reclaimed water intake area of the Chaobai River in Shunyi, Beijing10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.10.060 ↗
7. On the risks from sediment and overlying water by replenishing urban landscape ponds with reclaimed wastewater10.1016/j.envpol.2018.01.105 ↗
8. Deciphering microbial assembly and coexistence in rivers subjected to long-term reclaimed water replenishment10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125299 ↗
9. Reclaimed water influences bacterioplankton and bacteriobenthos communities differently in river networks10.1016/j.watres.2023.120389 ↗
10. Spatiotemporal features and driving factors identification of urban flood-season pollution phenomenon10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.133581 ↗
11. Transport and sources of nitrogen in stormwater runoff at the urban catchment scale10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150281 ↗
12. Pollutant transport processes in the Odiel River (SW Spain) during rain events
13. Effects of rainfall-induced torrential freshwater injections on river and lagoon sediments biogeochemistry10.1007/s10750-025-05981-4 ↗
14. The microbial nitrogen-cycling network10.1038/nrmicro.2018.9 ↗
15. Nitrogen cycling process rates across urban ecosystems10.1093/femsec/fiw198 ↗
16. Nitrogen transport and sources in urban stormwater with different rainfall characteristics10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155902 ↗
17. Stream microbial communities and ecosystem functioning show complex responses to multiple stressors in wastewater10.1111/gcb.15302 ↗
18. Wastewater microorganisms impact microbial diversity and important ecological functions of stream periphyton10.1016/j.watres.2022.119119 ↗
19. Cooke, J., Rutherford, K., and Milne, P. (2010). A Review of Definitions of “Mixing Zones” and “Reasonable Mixing” in Receiving Waters.
20. Methodological approaches for delimitating mixing zones in rivers: Establishing admissibility criteria and flow regime representation10.1007/s10652-018-9593-9 ↗
21. (2008). Water Quality—Determination of the Chemical Oxygen Demand—Fast Digestion-Spectrophotometric Method (Standard No. HJ 399-2007).
22. (2010). Water Quality—Determination of Ammonia Nitrogen–Nessler’s Reagent Spectrophotometry (Standard No. HJ 535-2009).
23. (1990). Water Quality—Determination of Total Phosphorus—Ammonium Molybdate Spectrophotometric Method (Standard No. GB 11893-89).
24. (2016). Phosphorus Determination Methods of Forest Soils (Standard No. LY/T 1232-2015).
25. (2012). Soil Testing—Part 24: Determination of Total Nitrogen In Soil—Automatic Kjeldahl Apparatus Method (Standard No. NY/T 1121.24-2012).
26. (2012). Soil—Determination of Ammonium, Nitrite and Nitrate by Extraction with Potassium Chloride Solution—Spectrophotometric Methods (Standard No. HJ 634-2012).
27. Dramatic effect of extreme rainfall event and storm on microbial community dynamics in a subtropical coastal region10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178560 ↗
28. Assessing sources of nutrients in small watersheds with different land-use patterns using TN, TP, and NO3−-N10.1016/j.ejrh.2024.101958 ↗
29. Effect of simulated tidal cycle on DOM, nitrogen and phosphorus release from sediment in Dagu River-Jiaozhou Bay estuary10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147158 ↗
30. Analysis of pollutant dispersion patterns in rivers under different rainfall based on an integrated water-land model10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120314 ↗
31. Nutrient Dynamics at the Sediment-Water Interface: Influence of Wastewater Effluents10.1007/s40710-021-00540-0 ↗
32. Dams shift microbial community assembly and imprint nitrogen transformation along the Yangtze River10.1016/j.watres.2020.116579 ↗
33. Both microbial abundance and community composition mattered for N2 production rates of the overlying water in one high-elevation river10.1016/j.envres.2020.109933 ↗
34. Iron and manganese fluxes across the sediment-water interface in a drinking water reservoir10.1016/j.watres.2020.116003 ↗
35. Experimental Study on Sediment Resuspension in Taihu Lake Under Different Hydrodynamic Disturbances10.1016/S1001-6058(10)60182-5 ↗
36. Impacts of human disturbance on the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle in a subtropical river system revealed by nitrifier and denitrifier genes10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141139 ↗
37. Spatial and Temporal Variability in Concentration-Discharge Relationships at the Event Scale10.1029/2020WR029442 ↗
38. Seasonal variation in phosphorus concentration–discharge hysteresis inferred from high-frequency in situ monitoring10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.02.036 ↗
39. Distinct co-succession of dissolved organic matter and bacterial generalists and specialists in inflow rivers of Baiyangdian Lake10.1016/j.envres.2025.121378 ↗
40. Characteristics of dissolved organic matter in two alternative water sources: A comparative study between reclaimed water and stormwater10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158235 ↗
41. Dissolved organic matter in surface sediments along a river-to-ocean continuum: Molecular characteristics and sediment–water exchange dynamics10.1016/j.watres.2025.125238 ↗
42. Microbial community structure in the river sediments from upstream of Guanting Reservoir: Potential impacts of reclaimed water recharge10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142609 ↗
43. Cheng, H., Cheng, L., Wang, L., Zhu, T., Cai, W., Hua, Z., Wang, Y., and Wang, W. (2019). Changes of Bacterial Communities in Response to Prolonged Hydrodynamic Disturbances in the Eutrophic Water-Sediment Systems. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 16.10.3390/ijerph16203868 ↗
44. Spatial and temporal distribution of the microbial community structure in the receiving rivers of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River under the influence of different wastewater types10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132835 ↗
45. Zhang, L., Yuan, L., Xiang, J., Liao, Q., Zhang, D., and Liu, J. (2024). Response of the microbial community structure to the environmental factors during the extreme flood season in Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China. Front. Microbiol., 15.10.3389/fmicb.2024.1362968 ↗
46. Unveiling Microbial Nitrogen Metabolism in Rivers using a Machine Learning Approach10.1021/acs.est.3c09653 ↗
47. Metagenomic insights into nitrogen-cycling microbial communities and their relationships with nitrogen removal potential in the Yangtze River10.1016/j.watres.2024.122229 ↗
48. Nitrogen-cycling gene pool shrunk by species interactions among denser bacterial and archaeal community stimulated by excess organic matter and total nitrogen in a eutrophic bay10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105397 ↗
49. Enhanced nitrogen loss from rivers through coupled nitrification-denitrification caused by suspended sediment10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.181 ↗
50. A pilot-scale deep bed denitrification filter for secondary effluent treatment using sodium acetate as external carbon10.1002/wer.1035 ↗
51. Slight flow volume rises increase nitrogen loading to nitrogen-rich river, while dramatic flow volume rises promote nitrogen consumption10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157013 ↗
52. Organic-C quality as a key driver of microbial nitrogen immobilization in soil: A meta-analysis10.1016/j.geoderma.2020.114784 ↗
53. Environmental factors and microbial diversity and abundance jointly regulate soil nitrogen and carbon biogeochemical processes in Tibetan wetlands10.1021/acs.est.9b06716 ↗
54. Hydroperiodic dynamics of microbial-mediated nitrogen cycling and its multi-element coupling effect in the Weihe River10.1016/j.watres.2025.124057 ↗