Environmental dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus release from river sediments of arid areas

Human activities lead to the accumulation of a large amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in sediments in rivers.Simultaneously,nitrogen and phosphorus can be affected by environment and re-enter the upper water body,causing secondary pollution of the river water.In this study,laboratory simulation experiments were conducted initially to investigate the release of nitrogen and phosphorus from river sediments in Urumqi City and the surrounding areas in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China and determine the factors that influence their release.The results of this study showed significant short-term differences in nitrogen and phosphorus release characteristics from sediments at different sampling points.The proposed secondary kinetics model(i.e.,pseudo-second-order kinetics model)better fitted the release process of sediment nitrogen and phosphorus.The release of nitrogen and phosphorus from sediments is a complex process driven by multiple factors,therefore,we tested the influence of three factors(pH,temperature,and disturbance intensity)on the release of nitrogen and phosphorus from sediments in this study.The most amount of nitrate nitrogen(NO_(3)^(–)-N)was released under neutral conditions,while the most significant release of ammonia nitrogen(NH_(4)^(+)-N)occurred under acidic and alkaline conditions.The release of nitrite nitrogen(NO_(2)^(-)-N)was less affected by pH.The dissolved total phosphorus(DTP)released significantly in the alkaline water environment,while the release of dissolved organic phosphorus(DOP)was more significant in acidic water.The release amount of soluble reactive phosphorus(SRP)increased with an increase in pH.The sediments released nitrogen and phosphorus at higher temperatures,particularly NH_(4)^(+)-N,NO_(3)^(–)-N,and SRP.The highest amount of DOP was released at 15.0℃.An increase in disturbance intensity exacerbated the release of nitrogen and phosphorus from sediments.NH_(4)^(+)-N,DTP,and SRP levels increased linearly with the intensity of disturbance,while NO_(3)^(–)-N and NO_(2)^(–)-N were more stable.This study provides valuable information for protecting and restoring the water environment in arid areas and has significant practical reference value.

Organic Phosphorus in Shallow Lake Sediments in Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River Area in China

Thirteen sediment core samples(0-10 cm) were taken from the seven lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to determine the contents and distributions of organic phosphorus(P) fractions in the sediments of the shallow lakes in the area.The organic P fractions in the sediments were in the order of moderately labile organic P(MLOP) > moderately resistant organic P(MROP) > highly resistant organic P(HROP) > labile organic P(LOP),with average proportional ratios of 13.2:2.8:1.3:1.0.LOP,MLOP,and MROP were significantly related to the contents of total organic carbon(TOC),water-soluble P(WSP),algal-available P(AAP),NaHCO3-extractable P(Olsen-P),total P(TP),organic P(OP),and inorganic P(IP).However,HROP was significantly related to OP and weakly correlated with TOC,WSP,AAP,Olsen-P,TP or IP.This suggested that organic P,especially LOP and MLOP in sediments,deserved even greater attention than IP in regards to lake eutrophication.In terms of organic P,sediments were more hazardous than soils in lake eutrophication.Although OP concentrations were higher in moderately polluted sediment than those in heavily polluted sediment,LOP and MLOP were higher in the heavily polluted sediment,which indicated that heavily polluted sediment was more hazardous than moderately polluted sediment in lake eutrophication.

Phosphorus fractions and its release in the sediments of Haihe River,China

The amounts and forms of phosphorus （P） in surface sediments of Haihe River, Tianjin, North China, were examined using a sequential chemical extraction procedure. Five fractions of sedimentary P, including loosely sorbed P （NH4Cl-P）, redox-sensitive P （BD-P）, metal oxide bound P （NaOH-P）, calcium bound P （HCI-P）, and residual P （Res-P） （organic and refractory P）, were separately quantified. The results indicated that the contents of different P fractions in the sediments varied greatly. The total P （TP） contents ranged from 968 to 2017 mg/kg. Phosphorus contents in NH4Cl-P, BD-P, NaOH-P, and HCl-P ranged from 6.7 to 26.6 mg/kg, 54.5 to 90.2 mg/kg, 185.2 to 382.5 mg/kg, and 252.3 to 425.5 mg/kg, respectively, which represented 1.2%-3.2%, 7.7%-13%, 33.3%-48.9%, and 36.2%-54.2% of the sedimentary inorganic P, respectively. For all the sediment samples, the rank order of P-fractions was Res-P 〉 HCl-P 〉 NaOH-P 〉 BD-P 〉 NH4Cl-P. The highly positive relationship between the amounts of P released from the sediments and those in the NH4Cl-P and BD-P fractions, indicated that NH4Cl-P and BD-P were the main fractions that can release P easily.

Geochemical records of phosphorus in Jiaozhou Bay sediments—Impli-cations for environmental changes in recent hundred years

Phosphorus is a key element and plays an important role in global biogeochemical cycles. The evolution of sedimentary environment is also influenced by phosphorus concentrations and fractions as well as phosphate sorption characteristics of the marine sediments. The geochemical characteristics of phosphorus and their environmental records were presented in Jiaozhou Bay sediments. Profiles of different forms of phosphorus were measured as well as the roles and vertical distributions of phosphorus forms in response to sedimentary environment changes were investigated. The results showed that inorganic phosphorus （IP） was the major fraction of total phosphorus （TP）; phosphorus which is bound to calcium, iron and occluded phosphorus, as well as the exchangeable phosphorus were the main forms of IP, especially calcium - phosphorus, including detrital carbonate-bound phosphorus （Det- P） and authigenic apatite-bound phosphorus （ACa- P）, are the uppermost constituent of IP in Jiaozhou Bay sediments. Moreover, the lead-210 chronology technology was employed to estimate how much phosphorus was buried ultimately in sediments. And the research showed that the impacts of human activities have increased remarkably in recent years especially between the 1980s and 2000. According to research, the development of Jiaozhou Bay environment in the past hundred years can be divided into three stages ： （ 1 ） before the 1980s characterized by the relatively low sedimentation rate, weak land-derived phosphorus inputs and low anthropogenic impacts; （2） from the 1980s to around 2000, accelerating in the 1990s, during which high sedimentation rates, high phosphorus abundance and burial fluxes due to the severe human activities impacted on the whole environmental system ; （ 3 ） after 2000, the period of the improvement of environment, the whole system has been improved including the decreasing sedimentation rates, concentration and the burial fluxes of phosphorus.

Phosphorus speciation in sediments of Lake Hongfeng, China

This study was conducted to evaluate the distribution characteristics of phosphorus and its species in 14 sediments samples collected from Lake Hongfeng based on sequential extraction. Lake Hongfeng, a major drinking-water source for Guiyang City in southwestern China, is one of the largest artificial reservoirs located in a typical karstic area of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. The results of this study indicate that the average percentages of DP, Al-P, Fe-P, Ca-P and OP in the lake sediments were 0.52, 6.59, 6.09, 42.85 and 40.27, respectively. The concentrations of organic phosphorus (OP) were lower than those of inorganic phosphorus (IP), which consisted mainly of calcium-bound phosphorus (Ca-P). The high concentrations of Ca-P may temporarily control the release of phosphorus from the sediments because it is a relatively stable, inert, and non-bioavailable phosphorus fraction. However, a large number of phosphate solubilizing bacteria can transform insoluble phosphate into bioavailable forms. Moreover, the concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) in the lake sediments were high; thus, the potential for the release of phosphorus from the sediments to the water column and phosphorus bioavailability were still significant. Further statistical analyses of the results revealed significant correlations between phosphorus species in sediments from the lake with two extractable principal component species (PCs) and five selectable cluster levels allowing interpretation of possible origins of phosphorus loading and the release of phosphorus. Furthermore, available remediation measures were briefly assessed for the lake with consideration of its distinctive environmental features.

Forms of phosphorus and silicon in the natural grain size surface sediments of the southern Bohai Sea

The forms of phosphorus and silicon in the natural grain sizes surface sediments of the southern Bohai Sea were studied. In sediments, the organic matter bound form of phosphorus was the main form of transferable phosphorus and ranged from 0.37 μmol/g to 1.57 μmol/g, accounting for 10.7% of the total phosphorus, others were the carbonate bound form, iron manganese oxide bound form and ion exchange able form; the transferable form of phosphorus accounted for 19.2% of the total phosphorus. Silicon’s carbonate bound form was predominant over others among its transferable forms, and content ranged from 1.55 μmol/g to 8.94 μmol/g, accounting for 0.05% of the total silicon; the total amount of transferable silicon forms accounted for only 0.12% of the total silicon. Therefore, 19.2% of the total phosphorus and 0.12% of the total silicon contained in the surface sediments of the southern Bohai Sea could participate in the biogeochemical cycling.

Preliminary Study on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Releases from Creek Sediments in Shanghai Suburbs

A laboratory study was conducted to observe the release ofnitrogen and phosphorus from the sediments under both anaerobic andaerobic conditions. The samples used were five creek sediments and afish-pond sediment (as a comparison) obtained from suburban Shanghai.High loads of nitrogen and phosphorus were found in the creeksediments. Total nitrogen of the sediments ranged form 1.17 to 5.95 gkg^-1; total phosphorus from 608.63 to 2 033.95 mg kg^-1. Making upmore than 90/100 of the total nitrogen, organic nitrogen was thedominant nitrogen fraction in the sediments; whereas inorganicphosphorus was the dominant phosphorus fraction, which made up morethan 85 percent of the total phosphorus. Ca-bound phosphorus fractiondominated inorganic phosphorus, which occupied more than 50/100 ofthe total.

Phosphorus Sorption-desorption Characteristics of Ditch Sediments from Different Land Uses in a Small Headwater Catchment in the Central Sichuan Basin of China

Investigation of phosphorus (P) sorption-desorption characteristics of drainage ditch sediments is important for better understanding on sediment P transport behaviors in ditches. Surface ditch sediment samples were collected from headwater sub-catchment of forestland, sloping cropland, paddy field, and residential area in a representative catchment in the central Sichuan Basin. These sediment samples were used for determination of P sorption-desorption characteristics by a batch equilibrium technique. Results showed that the maximum P sorption capacities (Qm) in the sediments ranged from 159.7 to 263.7 mg/kg, while higher Qm were observed in the ditch sediments from the paddy fields. The Qm was significantly and positively correlated with oxalate-extractable Fe and Al oxides (r=0.97 and 0.98, p < 0.01), clay fraction (r = 0.78, p < 0.05) and organic matter (r = 0.95, p < 0.01). Sediment pH, clay and organic matter influenced the P sorption through amorphous Fe and Al oxides. CaCO3 content was negatively correlated with the Qm (r = -0.83, p < 0.05), implying that saturated CaCO3 (> 50 g/kg) would not increase P sorption capacity in the ditch sediments. The ditch sediments featured a linear desorption curve, suggesting that P release risk would be enhanced with the increase of the P adsorption. The P desorption rate was positively correlated with Olsen P (r = 0.94, p < 0.01), but negatively related to the fine particle-size fractions (r = -0.92, p < 0.01), the sum of the amorphous Fe and Al oxides (r = -0.67, p < 0.05) and the P sorption capacity (r = -0.59, p < 0.05). The ditch sediments from residential area had a higher P release risk than that from the other ditches of forestland, sloping cropland and paddy field. The P sorption index (PSI) derived from single-point measurement was significantly correlated with the P sorption capacity (r = 0.99, p < 0.01), and could be used for estimating Qm as 1.64 times PSI plus 24.0 (Qm = 1.64 PSI + 24.0) for similar sediments with highly calcareous soils and sediments. Ditch cleaning and sediment removal for the ditch in residential area were recommended in this area to reduce the P release risk.

DISTRIBUTIONS OF TOTAL, INORGANIC AND ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS IN THE SEDIMENTS NEAR THE HUANGHE RIVER ESTUARY

For some hundred surface sediment samples from five cores taken in two cruises near the Huanghe River Estuary, total phosphorus (TP (.inorganic phosphorus (IP (and organic phosphorus (OP)were determined.On the average, 527×10-6, 455×10~6 and 72×10-6 were found for TP,IP and OP for the surface sediments taken in the two cruises. The distribution of OP and IP was controlled by the sample particle size: OP content increased with the decreasing of the sample particle size, while the maximal value of IP was found in the silt fraction due to the existence of apatite in our samples. Vertical distributions reflected well the channel change of the Huanghe River. Results from the multiple regressions between the three forms of phosphorus and the percentages of different particle size agreed well with the analytical data.

TRANSFERABLE PHOSPHORUS IN SEDIMENTS OF THE HUANGHE RIVER ESTUARY'S ADJACENT WATERS

Based on a new idea for research on cycling of marine biogenic elements, this study showed that only the leachable form phosphorus in natural grain sizes marine sediments constitutes the transferable phosphorous in the sediments. The transferable phosphorus content in the natural grain sizes surface sediments in the Huanghe River estuary adjacent waters ranges from 58.5-69.8 μg/g, accounting for only 9.1%-11.0% of the total phosphorus content, whereas the leachable form (“transferable") phosphorus content in the sediment after it was totally ground into powder was found to be 454.8-529.2 μg/g, accounting for 73.4%-89.1% of the total phosphorus. Analysis of the correlation between the biomass of benthos and the leachable form (“transferable") phosphorus showed that most of the leachable form (“transferable") phosphorus in the totally ground sediment did not participate in the marine biogeochemical cycling. Furthermore, a synchronous survey on benthos showed that the biomass of meio and macro benthos exhibited good positive correlation with the leachable form of phosphorus in the natural grain sizes sediment, but poorer correlation with the leachable form (“transferable") phosphorus in the totally ground sediment, indicating that transferable phosphorus in marine sediment is the leachable form of phosphorus in the natural grain sizes sediments, and is not the previously known leachable form (“transferable") phosphorus obtained from the totally ground sediment.

BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES OF PHOSPHORUS AND SILICON IN SOUTHERN BOHAI SEA SURFACE SEDIMENTS

Based on the author’s previously obtained results on P and Si forms in southern Bohai Sea surface sediments,this study mainly foucusing on the controlling factors, existence forms, and biogeochemical processes of P and Si showed that the transferable forms of phosphorus in sediments were mainly controlled by the mineralization of organic matters and the reduction of high valence iron; whereas the transferable forms of silicon were possibly controlled by the dissolution and precipitation as well as biochemical processes of living organisms.

Heavy metals and phosphorus in tidal flat sediments of the Yangtze estuary

Concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr and Cd), and phosphorous (P) were determined in surface tidal flat sediments of the Yangtze estuary and Shanghai coast. Results demonstrate that there were significant differences among the accumulation of the heavy metals in sediments, following the order: Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > Cd. The spatial distribution and chemical forms of heavy metals in tidal flat sediments were closely related to the distribution of pollution resources (outlet of sewage) and the local sedimentary and hydrodynamic conditions. The dominated form of non-residual heavy metals is bound to Fe/Mn oxides, and the next form is bound to carbonates. Moreover, contents of total P in sediments range from 18.0 μmol.g?1 to 31.4 μmol.g?1 along the coastline, speciation of P in sediments was different, most of P in tidal flat sediments is associated with calcium phases (as Ca-P) similar to marine sediments.

Characterizing Constituents of Sediment Phosphorus Fractionation in a Freshwater Shallow Lake System

This study aimed to characterize constituents of phosphorus （P） fractionation as wel as reciprocities among factors in sediments of a freshwater shal ow lake. [Method] Surface sediment was discretely sampled at 24 sites through Van Veen grabs. Based on a modified sequential extraction scheme, P fractionation was determined as Fe/Al bound P （Fe/Al-P）, Ca bound P （Ca-P）, solute and re-ductive P （S/R-P） and organic P （OP）. Curve estimation and Pearson product-mo-ment correlation were employed for statistical analysis. [Result] Total P （TP） content ranged from 443 to 774 mg/kg. Inorganic P （IP） was the major component of TP, of which Ca-P was dominated with an average of 51%±9.7%. Average contents of P fractionation were in the fol owing order： Ca-P（51%） 〉 OP（29%） 〉 S/R-P（8%） 〉Fe/Al-P（7%）. The molar ratio of Fe to P was 11 - 20, close to the threshold value of P leaching. [Conclusion] In freshwater shal ow lakes, IP and Ca-P were prone to be relatively high, whereas Fe/Al-P was low compared with deep lakes. Occurrence of spatial y monotonic gradient indicated the primary causation of anthropogenic sources. Imminent sediment P liberation was also expected. Close associations a-mong TP, Fe/Al-P and Ca-P, implying that anthropogenic P was mainly bound to metals in particulates. Significant correlations of TOC and P fractionation highlighted endogenous mechanism and authigenic origin in sediments.

System： Pattern of Phosphorus Sequestration in Different Depths of Sediment

The present study investigated potential effectiveness of certain chemical candidates for controlling internal phosphorus loading, and for delineating inactivation pattern in sediment depths of an eutrophic pond under simulated mesocosm condition. Chemical administration （@ 30 mg/dm3） resulted in phosphate precipitation from water column concomitant with inactivation in sediments, under specific pH range and/or redox regime. The alum-lime combination dosing wrought the maximum reduction in orthophosphate （65.6%） and soluble reactive phosphate （71.9%） in water plus the utmost increment in sediment-P （0.257 ppm）. The inactivated P forms typically exhibited a downhill concentration gradient with highest sequestration in the uppermost sediment stratum. Ironbound P displayed the highest mobility while calcium- and aluminum- bound P behaved almost immune to internal feedback dynamics. The combo-treatment was established as the most effective phosphate scavenging and confiscating agent, to be adopted as chemical remediation regime for de-eutrophication, restoration and rehabilitation of the water body.

Phosphorus fractionation and bio-availability in Taihu Lake(China) sediments

Typical sediments from Taihu Lake, a meso-to-hypereutrophic lake, were collected and examined on the basis of P-fractionation by sequential extraction scheme. Sedimentary inorganic phosphorus were fractioned into four forms and the rank order according to the mean concentration of P-fractions in Taihu Lake was NaOH-P>BD-P>HCl-P>NH_4Cl-P. The concentrations of BD-P were linearly correlated with the content of active Fe(R2=0.96). Also, the linear relationship between the sum of BD-P and NaOH-P and the sum of active Fe and active Al content was observed within the six sediments investigated(R2=0.96). Moreover, the bio-available phosphorus(BAP) content was estimated by the sum of NH_4Cl-P, BD-P, and NaOH-P, viz. BAP=NH_4Cl-P+NaOH-P+BD-P. In Taihu Lake, the BAP contents are ranging from 0.10 mg/g dw to 1.25 mg/g dw, and average 0.40 mg/g dw for all sediment samples. The relative contributions of BAP to total sedimentary phosphorus(TP) and inorganic sedimentary phosphorus(IP) range from 18.67% to 50.79%(33.61% on average) and from 52.82% to 82.09%(67.81% on average), respectively.

Effects of hydrodynamics processes on phosphorus fluxes from sediment in large,shallow Taihu Lake

The turnover of phosphorus （P） in lake sediments, a major cause of eutrophication and subsequent deterioration of water quality, is in need of deep understanding. In this study, effects of resuspension on P release were studied in cylindrical microcosms with Yshape apparatus. The results indicated that there was a positive correlation between flux of suspended substance across sediment-water interface （Fss） and the wind speed, and an increasing Fss during each wind process followed by a steady state. The maximal Fss under fight, moderate, and strong wind conditions were 299.9±41.1,573.4±61.7, and 2093.8±215.7 g/m^2, respectively. However, flux of P across sediment-water interface （Fp） did not follow a similar pattern as Fss responding to wind intensity, which increased and reached the maximum in initial 120 rain for fight wind, then decreased gradually, with maximal flux of 9.4±1.9 mg/m^2. A rapid increase of Fp at the first 30 rain was observed under moderate wind, with maximal flux of 11.2±0.6 mg/m^2. Surprisingly, strong wind caused less Fp than under light and moderate wind conditions with maximal flux of 3.5±0.9 mg/m^2. Fss in water column declined obviously during the sedimentation process after winds, but Fp varied with wind regime. No obvious difference was detected on Fp after 8 h sedimentation process, compared with the initial value, which means little redundant P left in the water column after winds.

Phosphorus in Interstitial Water Induced by Redox Potential in Sediment of Dianchi Lake,China

The sediment redox potential was raised in the laboratory to estimate reduction of internal available phosphorus loads,such as soluble reactive phosphorus(SRP)and total phosphorus(TP),as well as the main elements of sediment extracts in Dianchi Lake.Several strongly reducing substances in sediments,which mainly originated from anaerobic decomposition of primary producer residues,were responsible for the lower redox potential.In a range of -400 to 200 mV raising the redox potential of sediments decreased TP and SRP in interstitial water.Redox potentials exceeding 320 mV caused increases in TP,whereas SRP maintained a relatively constant minimum level.The concentrations of Al,Fe, Ca^(2+),Mg^(2+),K^+,Na^+ and S in interstitial water were also related to the redox potential of sediments,suggesting that the mechanism for redox potential to regulate the concentration of phosphorus in interstitial water was complex.

Geochemical Forms of Phosphorus in Sediments of Three Large, Shallow Lakes of China

A sequential extraction method for the fractionation of phosphorus （P） in lake sediments was used to analyze phos- phorus fractions of sediments taken from three large, shallow. eutrophic freshwater lakes of China-Talhu Lake. Chaohu Lake, and Long.an Lake. All three lakes are located in the lower reaches of the Changjiang River （Yangtze River）. In Taihu Lake and Chaohu Lake, algae blooms occurred every year, while Longgan Lake was a macrophyte-dominated lake. Results showed that exchangeable phosphorus fractions were much higher in the eutrophic lake sediments than in the macrophyte-flourishing lake sediment. Also, the ratio of Fe：P in the sediments of the algae-predomlnant lakes was generally much lower than that in the macrophyte-predominant lakes. Thus, the geochemical fractions of phosphorus in sediments had a closer relationship with the type of aquatic vegetation.

Influence of Sediment Dredging on Chemical Forms and Release of Phosphorus

A laboratory experiment was carried out through a six-month incubation of undredged （control） and dredged cores to study the effect of sediment dredging on phosphorus （P） release from the sediment in the Taihu Lake. During the experiment, dredging the upper 30 cm layer could efficiently reduce the interstitial PO4^3-P concentration and different P forms in the sediment. The P fluxes of the undredged and dredged cores ranged from -5.1 to 3047.6 and -60.7 to 14.4μg·m^-2·d^-1, respectively. The fluxes of the dredged cores were generally lower than those of the control. Differences in the fluxes between the dredged and undredged cores were statistically significant （P 〈 0.05） from March to June 2006. The sediment P in the dredged cores had a lower release potential than that in the control. Dredging can be considered as a useful measure for rehabilitating the aquatic ecosystem after the external P loading in the Talhu Lake catchment was efficiently reduced.

Lake Sediments from Dianchi Lake:A Phosphorus Sink or Source?

Dianchi Lake is a highly eutrophic lake in southwestern China where phosphorus (P) is the limiting element for eutrophication and where lake sediments play an important role in the P cycle. One hundred and eighteen sites were sampled throughout Dianchi Lake in 2002 to investigate the P loading of the lake sediments, while fresh surface sediments were studied in the laboratory to clarify its role for phosphorus. The results showed that concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) in sediments were very high, with a maximum value of 6.66 g kg-1, and decreased with sediment depth. P adsorption on surface sediments was rapid with adsorption amounts higher in acidic than in alkaline conditions. The release experiments showed that P release increased as pH rose from 7.0 to 10.5. Additionally, compared with aerobic conditions, P release was much higher under anaerobic conditions, especially with low P content in the lake water. At present, the sediments in Dianchi Lake still function as a sink for phosphorus at high P levels in lake water. However, if the external P load was reduced and P content in lake water became low, the sediment would have a large potential for P release under anaerobic conditions.