Aquaculture source of atmospheric N2O in China: Comparison of system types, management practices and measurement methods

Yifei Zhang; Guanghui Zhao; Ping Yang; Changchun Song; Yang Wang; Yiwen Zhang; Yuxing Zou; Zhuangpeng Zheng; Kam W Tang; Siyue Li

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2024.120685

Aquaculture source of atmospheric N₂O in China: Comparison of system types, management practices and measurement methods

Environ Res. 2024 Dec 21:267:120685. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.120685. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yifei Zhang¹, Guanghui Zhao², Ping Yang³, Changchun Song⁴, Yang Wang⁵, Yiwen Zhang⁵, Yuxing Zou⁶, Zhuangpeng Zheng⁷, Kam W Tang⁸, Siyue Li⁹

Affiliations

¹ School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Institute of Changjiang Water Environment and Ecological Security, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China; Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130102, China.
² Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Shanxi Institute of Technology, Yangquan, 045000, China.
³ School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350117, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130102, China.
⁵ School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Institute of Changjiang Water Environment and Ecological Security, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China.
⁶ College of Tourism and Resources Environment, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang, 277160, China.
⁷ School of Tourismand Historical Culture, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, 526061, China.
⁸ Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, TX 78412, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁹ School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Institute of Changjiang Water Environment and Ecological Security, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39710234
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.120685

Abstract

Aquaculture systems contribute to atmospheric N₂O, but the magnitude of this N₂O source is largely uncertain. Here, we synthesized data from 139 aquaculture sites based on 59 peer-reviewed publications, and estimated that China's aquaculture systems emitted 9.68 Gg N yr^-1 (4.12 Tg CO₂-eq yr^-1). N₂O emission varied significantly according to system types, farmed species, physical dimensions of the system, hydrographical conditions, and management practices. Of these, inland pond systems had a higher N₂O flux (268.38 ± 75.96 mg N m^-2 yr^-1) and indirect N₂O emission factor (4.4 ± 0.9‰) than the other system types. Mixed species farming tended to emit less N₂O than monospecific farming, whereas small (<1 ha) and shallow ponds (<1 m) were hotspots for N₂O emission. Flux values based on different wind-driven diffusion models varied widely, and the model CC98 agreed most closely with direct measurements using floating chamber. Overall, aquaculture waters had a lower emission intensity than streams, rivers and reservoirs, but comparable to estuaries and lakes. Rapid expansion of the aquaculture sector and the limited N₂O data for this sector, especially for rice-aquaculture co-culture systems, highlight the need for better monitoring and on-site measurements to refine the inventory of greenhouse gas emissions from the aquaculture systems.

Keywords: Aquaculture systems; Emission factor; Management strategy; Monitoring methods; N(2)O flux.