Impact of Point-Source Pollution on Phosphorus and Nitrogen Cycling in Stream-Bed Sediments

Palmer-Felgate, Elizabeth J.; Mortimer, Robert J.G.; Krom, Michael D.; Jarvie, Helen P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4984-1607. 2010 Impact of Point-Source Pollution on Phosphorus and Nitrogen Cycling in Stream-Bed Sediments. Environmental Science & Technology, 44 (3). 908-914. https://doi.org/10.1021/es902706r

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Official URL: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es902706

Abstract/Summary

Diffusive equilibration in thin films (DET) was used to study the cycling of phosphorus and nitrogen at the sediment-water interface in-situ and with minimal disturbance to redox conditions. Soluble reactive phosphate (SRP), nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, sulphate, iron and manganese profiles were measured in a rural stream, 12m upstream, adjacent to and 8m downstream of a septic tank discharge. Sewage fungus adjacent to the discharge resulted in anoxic conditions directly above the sediment. SRP and ammonium increased with depth through the fungus layer to environmentally-significant concentrations (440 µM and 1800 µM, respectively) due to release at the sediment surface. This compared to only 0.8 µM of SRP and 2.0 µM of ammonium in the water column upstream of the discharge. Concomitant removal of ammonium, nitrite and nitrate within 0.5 cm below the fungus-water interface provided evidence for anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox). ‘Hotspots’ of porewater SRP (up to 350 µM) at the downstream site demonstrated potential in-stream storage of the elevated P concentrations from the effluent. These results provide direct in-situ evidence of phosphorus and nitrogen release from river-bed sediments under anoxic conditions created by sewage-fungus, and highlight the wider importance of redox conditions and rural point sources on in-stream nutrient cycling.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1021/es902706r
Programmes:	CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Water > WA02 Quantifying processes that link water quality and quantity, biota and physical environment > WA02.2 Hydrochemical and sediment processes CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Acreman
ISSN:	0013-936X
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Hydrology
Date made live:	10 Mar 2010 11:02 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/9188

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1021/es902706r

Programmes:

CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Water > WA02 Quantifying processes that link water quality and quantity, biota and physical environment > WA02.2 Hydrochemical and sediment processes
CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Water

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Acreman

ISSN:

0013-936X

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment
Hydrology