The Terrestrial-Marine Interface: Modelling Nitrogen Transformations During its Transfer Through the Scheldt River System and its Estuarine Zone

A budget of nitrogen transformations during its transfer through the river system and the estuary of the Scheldt shows that as much as 70% of total N discharged into the river system is eliminated before reaching the sea. Denitrification and, indirectly, primary production appear as significant processes in this elimination. The factors controlling the intensity of these processes, both in the river system and in the estuary, are identified. This allows mathematical modelling of these processes and prediction of the impact of large scale waste water purification policies on the input of nitrogen into the Belgian coastal zone. © 1986.SCOPUS: ar.k