Abstract. Heterotrophic microbes colonizing detritus obtain nitrogen (N) for growth by assimilating N from their substrate or immobilizing exogenous inorganic N. Microbial use of these two pools has different implications for N cycling and organic matter decomposition in the face of the global increase in biologically available N. We used sugar maple leaves labeled with 15 N to differentiate between microbial N that had been assimilated from the leaf substrate (enriched with 15 N) or immobilized from the water (natural abundance 15 N: 14 N) in five Appalachian streams ranging in ambient NO 3 -N concentrations from about 5 to 900 lg NO 3 -N/L. Ambient NO 3 À concentration increased sugar maple decomposition rate but did not influence the proportion of microbial N derived from substrate or exogenous pools. Instead, these proportions were strongly influenced by the percentage of detrital ash-free dry mass (AFDM) remaining. Substrate-derived N made up a large proportion of the microbial N after the first 24 h in all streams. Detrital and microbial isotopic 15 N signatures approached that of the water as decomposition progressed in all streams, suggesting that exogenous N may be the predominant source of N for meeting microbial requirements even when exogenous N concentrations are low. Our results support predictions of more rapid decomposition of organic matter in response to increased N availability and highlight the tight coupling of processes driving microbial N cycling and organic matter decomposition.

Environmental context. Silver nanoparticles discharged with municipal wastewater may contaminate surface waters and harm aquatic ecosystems. We applied several analytical techniques to investigate the persistence and transformation of silver nanoparticles in a natural lake environment, and show, through multiple lines of evidence, that they persisted in lake water for several weeks after addition. The nanoparticles were releasing silver ions through dissolution, but these toxic ions were likely binding with natural organic matter in the lake water.Abstract. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) may be released into surface waters, where they can affect aquatic organisms. However, agglomeration, dissolution, surface modifications and chemical speciation are important processes that control the toxicity of AgNPs. The purpose of the study was to apply various methods for monitoring the persistence and transformation of AgNPs added to littoral lake mesocosms. Analysis of total Ag showed that the levels in the mesocosms declined rapidly in the first 12 h after addition, followed by a slower rate of dissipation with a half-life (t 1/2 ) of ,20 days. Analysis using single particle ICP-MS (spICP-MS) showed no evidence of extensive homo-agglomeration of AgNPs. The stability of AgNPs was likely due to the low ionic strength and high concentrations of humic-rich dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the lake water. Analyses by spICP-MS, cloud point extraction (CPE) and asymmetric flow field flow fractionation coupled to ICP-MS (AF4-ICP-MS) all indicated that the concentrations of AgNP decreased over time, and the nanoparticles underwent dissolution. However, the concentrations of dissolved silver, which includes Ag þ , were generally below detection limits when analysed by centrifugal ultrafiltration and spICP-MS. It is likely that the majority of free ions released by dissolution were complexing with natural organic material, such as DOC. An association with DOC would be expected to reduce the toxicity of Ag þ in natural waters. Overall, we were able to characterise AgNP transformations in natural waters at toxicologically relevant concentrations through the use of multiple analytical techniques that compensate for the limitations of the individual methods.

Analyses of 21 15 N stable isotope tracer experiments, designed to examine food web dynamics in streams around the world, indicated that the isotopic composition of food resources assimilated by primary consumers (mostly invertebrates) poorly reflected the presumed food sources. Modeling indicated that consumers assimilated only 33-50% of the N available in sampled food sources such as decomposing leaves, epilithon, and fine particulate detritus over feeding periods of weeks or more. Thus, common methods of sampling food sources consumed by animals in streams do not sufficiently reflect the pool of N they assimilate. Isotope tracer studies, combined with modeling and food separation techniques, can improve estimation of N pools in food sources that are assimilated by consumers. Food web studies that use putative food samples composed of actively cycling (more readily assimilable) and refractory (less assimilable) N fractions may draw erroneous conclusions about diets, N turnover, and trophic linkages of consumers. By extension, food web studies using stoichiometric or natural abundance approaches that rely on an accurate description of food-source composition could result in errors when an actively cycling pool that is only a fraction of the N pool in sampled food resources is not accounted for.

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