Simulation of Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Reactive Oxygen Species Production in Water-Level Fluctuation Zone due to O2 Recharge from Atmosphere and Surface Water Infiltration
The hydro-fluctuation belt is characterized by dynamic aerobic/anaerobic alternations, and it acts as a hotspot for reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. However, the mechanism underlying vertical ROS production induced by oxygen supply from the vadose zone remains unclear. To depict this pattern, we conducted a series of saturated-unsaturated soil column experiments and developed a coupled water-soil-air three-phase model to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of ROS. With vertical oxygen supply from atmosphere, ROS distribution exhibited the pattern of surface enrichment, sharp decrease with increasing depth, and gradual accumulation over time. When oxygen was vertically suppled by surface water infiltration, ROS distribution was synchronized with the infiltration front of the water flow. Model sensitivity analysis reveals that ROS production is primarily governed by two key factors: reaction rate of reductive species (RS) with dissolved oxygen (DO) and DO supply intensity. The results of this study provide the basis for understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of ROS and associated environmental impacts in water-level fluctuation zone under different conditions.
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