Fractions and Release Risk of Phosphorus in Surface Sediments of Three Headwater Streams with Different Styles of Water Supply

Abstract

From May to September 2015, seasonal sediment samples were collected from three headwater streams and ditches which were discharged from sewage plant tail water, food processing wastewater and agricultural drainage-groundwater seepage, respectively, in Hefei, Chaohu Lake basin. The stream-bed sediments were analyzed for phosphorus fractions. The risk assessment on phosphorus release from sediments was conducted using the phosphorus sorption index (PSI), degree of phosphorus saturation (DPS) and the phosphorus release risk index (ERI). Moreover, nonparametric tests method was used to explore the difference among the three studied streams and ditches. Study results showed that:1 Guanzhenhe Distributary and Taochong Stream were seriously damaged by phosphorus pollution both in waters and stream-bed sediment, and the phosphorus pollution levels could be arranged in the order of Guanzhenhe Distributary >Taochong Stream >Modian Stream. The mean content of total phosphorus (TP) in sediments in Guanzhenhe Distributary was 1376.95 mg·kg-1, which was 2.94 and 1.91 times as high as those of Modian Stream and Taochong Stream, respectively. 2 Significant differences and different sort orders in contents of phosphorus fractions were found for each of the three streams. 3 Obvious seasonal variations existed in PSI for the three streams, and all the sampling points in the same stream had similar changing law, namely, the maximum content emerged in autumn, followed by winter, and the minimum occurred in spring or summer. 4 The same conclusions were drawn in phosphorus release risk according to the PSI, DPS and ERI, and the risk ranked as follows:Guanzhenhe Distributary >Taochong Stream >Modian Stream. 5 According to the difference analysis, significant differences existed in almost all of the indexes among the three streams.