Surface Water Total Phosphorus Research Articles

Changes in the spatial distribution of total phosphorus in sediment and water column of a shallow subtropical lake

Julian PJ II, Schafer T, Cohen MJ, Jones P, Osborne TZ. 2023. Changes in the spatial distribution of total phosphorus in sediment and water column of a shallow subtropical lake. Lake Reserv Manage. 39:213–230. In shallow lakes, interactions between bed sediment and the water column strongly influence the availability and transport of nutrients. Lake Okeechobee, in South Florida, is a eutrophic, shallow, polymictic lake that exhibits frequent mixing of the water column and resuspension of unconsolidated sediments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the temporal and spatial patterns of water and sediment characteristics and evaluate the linkage of sediment and water column total phosphorus (TP) concentrations. Spatiotemporal generalized additive models identified key periods during which both surface water total suspended solids (TSS) and TP increased, corresponding to hurricane and tropical storm activity. Our models identified regions with persistently greater water column concentrations than the lake average, indicating potential hot spots in resuspension processes and/or internal loading. Sediment bulk density (BD) and TP were inversely correlated, indicating that light, less dense sediments have greater TP concentrations, potentially contributing to the redistribution of sediments and P. An integrated evaluation of surface water and sediment characteristics using a generalized additive model revealed that sediment TP strongly influences water column TP concentrations, potentially explaining the spatial distribution of surface water TP concentrations. The area of the lake with sediment TP concentration ≤500 mg/kg is increasing while the low bulk density sediments area is decreasing, marking a potential improvement in sediment conditions. If this trend persists, it indicates that the lake is increasingly storing P in sediments that can resist entrainment, with significant implications for assessing the trajectory of lake restoration.

Exploration of the factors that influence total phosphorus in surface water and an evaluation of surface water vulnerability based on an advanced algorithm and traditional index method

Due to the continuous influence of human activities, phosphorus pollution in surface water has become a persistent problem that needs to be addressed since phosphorous entails certain risks and degrees of damage to ecosystems and humans. The presence and accumulation of total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in surface waters is the result of a combined effect of many natural and anthropogenic factors, and it is often difficult to intuitively identify the individual importance of each factor in regard to the pollution of the aquatic environment. Considering these issues, this study provides a new methodology to better understand the vulnerability of surface water to TP pollution and the factors that influence TP pollution through the application of two modeling approaches. This includes the boosted regression tree (BRT), an advanced machine learning method, and the traditional comprehensive index method (CIM). Different factors, such as natural variables (including slope, soil texture, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), precipitation, and drainage density) and point and nonpoint source anthropogenic factors were included to model the vulnerability of surface water to TP pollution. Two methods were used to produce a vulnerability map of surface water to TP pollution. Pearson correlation analysis was used to validate the two vulnerability assessment methods. The results showed that BRT was more strongly correlated than CIM. In addition, the importance ranking results showed that slope, precipitation, NDVI, decentralized livestock farming and soil texture had a greater influence on TP pollution. Industrial activities, scale livestock farming and population density, which are all contributing sources of pollution, were all relatively less important. The introduced methodology can be used to quickly identify the area most vulnerable to TP pollution and to develop problem specific adaptive policies and measures to reduce the damage from TP pollution.

Severity Differences and Mechanisms of Algal Blooms Among Sections in Pengxi River of the Three Gorges Reservoir

Since the impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam, 50% of the first-order tributaries in the reservoir area have had frequent algal blooms but with variations regarding the geographical locations of the seriously bloomed sections and the scope of the latter being influenced by the mainstream. This study took the Pengxi River, a first-order tributary of the reservoir area, as an example in order to explore the difference in eutrophication among the river sections and the influence of the Yangtze River on its tributaries. During the spring bloom season of 2019, sampling was carried out in one-week intervals for a total duration of one month. Seven sampling sections (PX1-PX7) were set up from the confluence to upstream. According to the profiles of vertical water temperature and conductivity of each section, the influence scope and form of the backwater of the Yangtze River were inferred; in addition, severity differences and mechanisms of algal blooms among sections were explored through the comparison of the hydrology, water quality, and sediment nutrients among Gaoyang Lake (PX5), which has had serious algal blooms, and the upstream (PX6) and downstream (PX4) sections of PX5, which are both 4 km away from PX5. The results showed that during the sampling month, the average ρ(Chl-a) in the confluence area of the Pengxi River (PX1-PX4) and in the upstream (PX5-PX7) were in the range of 14.55-44.00 μg·L-1 and 42.66-175.40 μg·L-1, respectively. The ρ(Chl-a) of PX5 was up to 413.00 μg·L-1, which was significantly higher than that of other sections (P<0.05). Temperature and conductivity results showed that the backwater from Yangtze River flowed into the Pengxi River from the middle and bottom layers during the period from April to May. The confluence (PX1-PX4) sections were in the intersection area of the backwater from Yangtze River and the upstream of the Pengxi River; thus, the waterbody was unstable, which was not conducive to the formation of algal blooms. However, the upstream (PX5-PX7) sections were not directly affected by the backwater from Yangtze River, leading the nutrient exchange mainly vertically. Most averages of n(TN)/n(TP) and n(DTN)/n(DTP) of PX4-PX6 were all greater than 16, indicating a phosphorus-limited state. During sampling, the average sediment total phosphorus of PX5 was 91% of that in upstream PX6, which was only 4 km away, whereas the surface water total phosphorus of PX5 was 180% of that in PX6. The important reason for this phenomenon is that the water surface width of PX5 was 3.6-4.7 times that of PX6, indicating longer wind fetch in the former section. Owing to the mountainous landscape in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) region where windy weather is rare, the disturbance effect of wind and waves on PX5 was stronger than that of PX6, and the nutrients released from the sediment at the PX5 section caused by wind and waves resupplied the surface water more easily, causing more serious algal blooms at PX5 than those at the remaining sections in the Pengxi River. The main causes of the algal blooms in the tributaries of the TGR area lied in the stability of water stratification and the supply of internal phosphorus. The stability of water stratification was mainly affected by the backwater from Yangtze River, and the supply of internal phosphorus in the algal bloom season was affected by the special water stratification phenomenon of the tributaries of TGR-the "surface density layers." The duration and degree of weather disturbance to the surface density layers can be used to predict the time and scale of algal blooms.

Influence of Chroma and Turbidity on Determination of Total Phosphorus in Surface Water

Influence of Chroma and Turbidity on Determination of Total Phosphorus in Surface Water

Optofluidic Platform for Rapid On-Chip Analysis of Total Phosphorus in Surface Water Using Absorption Spectrometry.

Optofluidic devices are of high interest for online monitoring and analyzing biochemical targets in water by integrating the complex on-chip pretreatment of target analytes and spectral analysis. Compared with the traditional bulk equipment, versatile optical detection and biochemical analysis are more easily integrated on an optofluidic chip, which promotes the development of on-chip real-time rapid detection and monitoring. Here, we report an optofluidic platform for online monitoring total phosphorous in water by absorption spectrometry, which naturally combines the merits of both the photo-Fenton effect and microfluidics to realize the rapid on-chip digestion of phosphate at room temperature and normal pressure. The functional cells for chromogenic reaction and optical absorption detection are, respectively, fabricated on the platform to analyze the content of total phosphorus in surface water. In the experiment, the on-chip digestion time of phosphate is dramatically declined to 8.6 sec, and thus, the detection time is greatly shortened to a few minutes. The detection range of total phosphorus is demonstrated as 0.005-1.00mg L-1, which satisfies the detection requirements of most environmental water samples. Its availability for measuring the total phosphorous in real water samples is also verified. Predictably, this platform is adapted to on-chip analysis of many other biochemical targets in water.

Exploration of the Factors that Influence Total Phosphorus in Surface Water and an Evaluation of Surface Water Vulnerability Based on an Advanced Algorithm and Traditional Index Method

Exploration of the Factors that Influence Total Phosphorus in Surface Water and an Evaluation of Surface Water Vulnerability Based on an Advanced Algorithm and Traditional Index Method

Water Pollution Control and Treatment Based on Quantum Dot Chemical and Biological High-Sensitivity Sensing

Inorganic pollutants in water can have an important impact on ecosystems and human health, so the development of rapid and sensitive detection methods for typical inorganic pollutants in water samples is important for understanding the pollution status of the water environment, as well as water pollution prevention and protection of drinking water safety. Fluorescence sensing technology has the advantages of fast response, high sensitivity, simple operation, and low cost but still has the problems of low quantum yield, cumbersome construction process, and limited practical applications. Based on the excellent fluorescence properties, a series of fluorescence sensing was constructed for the rapid, highly sensitive, and selective detection of various typical inorganic pollutants in water. And the related fluorescence sensing mechanism was investigated in this paper. In this paper, nitrogen/sulfur codoped carbon quantum dots (N, S-CQDs) were prepared for the sensitive and selective detection of sulfide and ferric ion. The blue fluorescent N, S-CQDs were prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method using ammonium citrate and L-cysteine as raw materials, which have excitation wavelength dependence and fluorescence quantum yield of 16.1% for the selective detection of sulfides with a detection limit (S/N=3) of 11.0 nM (about 0.35 μg/L). CQDs with significantly higher fluorescence quantum yields (69%) and no excitation dependence were prepared when citric acid was used instead of ammonium citrate and were used for the selective detection of ferric ion with a detection limit of 14.0 nM (~0.8 μg/L). The method has been successfully applied to the determination of total phosphorus in surface water and human urine, and the fluorescence color change of the dual-emission sensing can be used for the naked-eye identification and semiquantitative detection of phosphate.

A 25-year retrospective analysis of factors influencing success of aluminum treatment for lake restoration

For more than 50 years, aluminum (Al)-salts have been used with varying degrees of success to inactivate excess mobile phosphorus (P) in lake sediments and restore lake water quality. Here, we analyzed the factors influencing effectiveness and longevity of Al-treatments performed in six Swedish lakes over the past 25 years. Trends in post-treatment measurements of total phosphorus (TP), Chlorophyll a (Chl_a), Secchi disk depth (SD) and internal P loading rates (Li) were analyzed and compared to pre-treatment conditions. All measured water quality parameters improved significantly during at least the first 4 years post-treatment and determination of direct effects of Al-treatment on sediment P release (Li) was possible for three lakes. Improvements in TP (-29 to -80%), Chl_a (-50 to -78%), SD (7 to 121%) and Li (-68 to -94%) were observed. Treatment longevity, determined via decreases in surface water TP after treatment, varied from 7 to >47 years. Lake type, Al dose, and relative watershed area were related to longevity. In addition, greater binding efficiency between Al and P was positively related to treatment longevity, which has not previously been shown. Our findings also demonstrate that adequate, long-term monitoring programs, including proper determination of external loads, are crucial to document the effect of Al-treatment on sediment P release and lake water quality.

Current status of nitrogen and phosphorus losses and related factors in Chinese paddy fields: A review

Rice is one of the main crops in China. Therefore, it is important to understand the current status and influencing factors of nitrogen and phosphorus losses from paddy fields in China, which would facilitate assessing the potential of chemical fertilizer reduction in different rice cultivating regions. We summarized the current knowledge on nitrogen and phosphorus losses from surface runoff in major rice cultivating areas in China, as well as their influencing factors, such as rainfall, planting pattern, cultivation techniques, fertilization management, water management strategies, etc. The total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) losses from runoff in six major rice cropping areas ranged from 5.09 to 21.32 and 0.70 to 3.22 kg·hm-2, respectively. The highest losses of TN and TP were the South China double rice cropping area. The TN runoff losses were the lowest in the North China single rice cropping area, while the lowest TP runoff losses occurred in plateau single and double rice cropping area of the Southwest China. The peaks of TN and TP in surface water of paddy fields were generally higher than those of the runoff water based on farmers' conventional fertilization in different rice cropping areas. The peak period of nitrogen and phosphorus losses was in a week after rice fertilization. There could be a potential of 20% reduction of nitrogen and phospho-rus for farmers' conventional fertilization compared with the optimized fertilization. Among all the factors, rainfall and fertilization management were the main ones affecting the runoff losses of nitrogen and phosphorus in paddy fields. Fertilization management and water management strategies were the mostly controllable, including reduction of fertilizers, application of new fertilizers, replacement of chemical fertilizers by organic fertilizers, water-saving irrigation, etc. Overall, the risk of nitrogen and phosphorus losses in paddy fields was more prominent in the Southern China than in any other areas of China. Rice cultivation should be carried out in a more resource-efficient way to reduce nutrient loss. Future research should focus on non-point source pollution monitoring of paddy fields, nitrogen and phosphorus losses risk assessment, nitrogen and phosphorus losses characteristics and mechanisms, and new technologies for reducing chemical fertilization inputs and environmental risks.

Effects of a rainbow trout stocking moratorium on the Daphnia species composition and water quality of Square Lake (Minnesota)

Hembre, LK. 2019. Effects of a rainbow trout stocking moratorium on the Daphnia species composition and water quality of Square Lake (Minnesota). Lake Reserv Manage. 35:127–139.Square Lake is among the clearest lakes in the Minneapolis–St. Paul (Minnesota) metropolitan area, but its water clarity has decreased over the past several decades despite levels of total phosphorus (TP) remaining relatively stable. Predation by zooplanktivorous rainbow trout annually stocked since the early 1980s was hypothesized to be the cause for this eutrophication trend. To evaluate this hypothesis, a 3-year moratorium on trout stocking was imposed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) and water quality and zooplankton monitoring data from 2 years prior to the moratorium (2010 and 2012) were compared to data from the 3 moratorium years (2013–2015). Significant changes observed during the moratorium years that support the hypothesis include (1) an increase in biomass concentrations of the large-bodied Daphnia pulicaria, (2) a coincident decrease in biomass concentrations of the smaller bodied D. mendotae, and (3) more pronounced spring clear-water phases when D. pulicaria reached peak densities. In addition, the volume of hypoxic water (dissolved oxygen [DO] < 1 mg/L) that developed in deep water was less in moratorium years compared to the premoratorium years. Unexpectedly, surface water TP concentrations were significantly lower during the moratorium years than in premoratorium years. Greater sequestration of P in the biomass of Daphnia during the moratorium years is the likely cause for the decrease in surface water TP levels in those years. Natural resource managers from the MNDNR have extended the moratorium and are using the conclusions from this study to determine the future fisheries management plan for Square Lake.

Relationship Between Phosphorus Fractions in Paddy Soil and Phosphorus Release to Runoff Amended with Manure

This paper presents a study of the relationship between phosphorus fractions and phosphorus release in the presence of manure. Dynamic changes in the characteristics of total phosphorus in surface water are simulated by waterlogged incubation. The study was carried out by comparing sterilized and non‐sterilized treatments to analyze the effect of manure on the dynamics of phosphorus (P) release from soil. Experimental results show that manure application in paddy soil can significantly increase the content of phosphorus fractions (p &lt; 0.05). The concentration of total phosphorus in surface water also increased during incubation. The regression coefficients of moderately resistant organic phosphorus (B = 0.066), occluded P (O‐P) (B = 0.012), and calcium phosphate (Ca‐P) (B = −0.034) are significantly linear, which suggests possible contributions to total phosphorus. Path analysis indicates that the direct effect of Ca‐P on P loss curbs the release of P; the indirect effect of Ca‐P via O‐P and moderately resistant organic phosphorus involved promotion of P loss. The presence of microorganisms promoted transformation of phosphorus forms; for example, Ca‐P can transform into O‐P and moderately resistant organic phosphorus.

A meta-analysis of water quality and aquatic macrophyte responses in 18 lakes treated with lanthanum modified bentonite (Phoslock®)

Lanthanum (La) modified bentonite is being increasingly used as a geo-engineering tool for the control of phosphorus (P) release from lake bed sediments to overlying waters. However, little is known about its effectiveness in controlling P across a wide range of lake conditions or of its potential to promote rapid ecological recovery. We combined data from 18 treated lakes to examine the lake population responses in the 24 months following La-bentonite application (range of La-bentonite loads: 1.4–6.7 tonnes ha−1) in concentrations of surface water total phosphorus (TP; data available from 15 lakes), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP; 14 lakes), and chlorophyll a (15 lakes), and in Secchi disk depths (15 lakes), aquatic macrophyte species numbers (6 lakes) and aquatic macrophyte maximum colonisation depths (4 lakes) across the treated lakes. Data availability varied across the lakes and variables, and in general monitoring was more frequent closer to the application dates. Median annual TP concentrations decreased significantly across the lakes, following the La-bentonite applications (from 0.08 mg L−1 in the 24 months pre-application to 0.03 mg L−1 in the 24 months post-application), particularly in autumn (0.08 mg L−1 to 0.03 mg L−1) and winter (0.08 mg L−1 to 0.02 mg L−1). Significant decreases in SRP concentrations over annual (0.019 mg L−1 to 0.005 mg L−1), summer (0.018 mg L−1 to 0.004 mg L−1), autumn (0.019 mg L−1 to 0.005 mg L−1) and winter (0.033 mg L−1 to 0.005 mg L−1) periods were also reported. P concentrations following La-bentonite application varied across the lakes and were correlated positively with dissolved organic carbon concentrations. Relatively weak, but significant responses were reported for summer chlorophyll a concentrations and Secchi disk depths following La-bentonite applications, the 75th percentile values decreasing from 119 μg L−1 to 74 μg L−1 and increasing from 398 cm to 506 cm, respectively. Aquatic macrophyte species numbers and maximum colonisation depths increased following La-bentonite application from a median of 5.5 species to 7.0 species and a median of 1.8 m to 2.5 m, respectively. The aquatic macrophyte responses varied significantly between lakes. La-bentonite application resulted in a general improvement in water quality leading to an improvement in the aquatic macrophyte community within 24 months. However, because, the responses were highly site-specific, we stress the need for comprehensive pre- and post-application assessments of processes driving ecological structure and function in candidate lakes to inform future use of this and similar products.

Phosphorus forms and response to changes in pH in acid-sensitive soils on the Precambrian Shield

Baker, S. R., Watmough, S. A. and Eimers, M. C. 2015. Phosphorus forms and response to changes in pH in acid-sensitive soils on the Precambrian Shield. Can. J. Soil Sci. 95: 95–108. Soil acidification may explain declines in total phosphorus (TP) levels that have been observed in surface waters in central Ontario, Canada, but much of the research on phosphorus (P) mobility in pH manipulated soils has been performed at high P concentrations (i.e., &gt;500 µM). This study investigated P fractionation in acidic (pH≤4.6) soils in south-central Ontario and relationships between soil pH and P sorption at relatively low P concentrations to test whether long-term declines in soil pH could have increased soil P sorption. Soils from three forested catchments that vary naturally in soil pH and outlet stream [TP] (0.1–0.4 µM in 2008) had very similar soil P concentrations and distributions (Hedley fractionation). Only hydrochloric-acid extractable P (i.e., apatite) differed amongst catchments and was greatest at the catchment with the highest stream [TP]. The fraction of P present as labile/soluble P did not decline with pH as expected and experiments indicated that P sorption at P concentrations between 4.52 and 452.1 µM was insensitive to manipulated solution pH. Soils were, however, able to sorb &gt;90% of P added in sorption experiments at [P]≤452.1 µM. These results suggest that acidification-induced P sorption in upland soils has not contributed to observed decreases in surface water TP concentrations.

The impact of &lt;i&gt;Vallisneria natans&lt;/i&gt; L. on the release of phosphorus from sediment under static and hydrodynamic conditions

在浅水湖泊中,沉降在沉积物中的营养盐易受到水流的扰动再释放出来,而沉水植物可以在一定程度减少营养盐的释放.借助自主开发的生态水槽,在40d的实验周期内检测动、静水条件下有、无苦草(Vallisneria natans L.)时沉积物、上覆水中磷含量变化,旨在为沉水植物对湖泊沉积物营养盐释放量的影响估算及水环境质量评价提供科学依据.结果表明:动水条件下,沉积物在没有苦草的保护下总磷含量下降21.8%,而有苦草的保护下总磷含量下降17.7%.苦草根系从周围沉积物中吸收磷,1~4cm沉积物层的吸收量高于4~8cm沉积物层.动水槽的上覆水中总溶解态磷浓度和总颗粒态磷浓度均大量增加,并且总颗粒态磷浓度相对于总溶解态磷浓度占较大比例.苦草减少了沉积物中磷的释放,并对上覆水中正磷酸盐有明显的吸收作用.;In shallow lakes, phosphorus will release from sediments to the overlying water when sediments are disturbed. Submerged plants can reduce the releasing. The impact of Vallisneria natans L. on the release of phosphorus from sediment to water were analyzed in a 40 day lab experiment with the independent hydrodynamic ecological flume under static and hydrodynamic conditions. This study was designed to provide scientific bases for estimating the impact of submerged plants on the release of phosphorus from sediment and the water environmental auality assessment. Results indicated that the phosphorus contents in sediment decreased by 21.8% under hydrodynamic condition, but decreased by 17.7% with the protection of V.natans L.. The phosphorus absorbed by V.natans L. in 1-4cm layer sediment was more than that in 4-8cm layer sediment. The dissolved phosphorus and the particulate phosphorus dramatically increased in overlying water under hydrodynamic condition and nitrate took a large proportion of total phosphorus in surface water, especially the particulate phosphorus. V.natans L. reduced the releasing of phosphorus from the sediment to the overlying water and large amounts of orthophosphate in the overlying water were absorbed by V.natans L..

Impact of wetland disturbance on phosphorus loadings to lakes

Total phosphorus (TP) concentrations have declined in many lakes and streams across south-central Ontario, Canada, over the past three decades, and changes have been most pronounced in wetland-dominated catchments. In this study, long-term (1980–2007) patterns in TP concentrations in streams were assessed at four wetland-dominated catchments that drain into Dickie Lake (DE) in south-central Ontario. Two of the subcatchments (DE5 and DE6) have particularly large wetland components (31%–34% of catchment area), and these wetlands are characterized by numerous standing dead trees and many young live trees (18–27 years old). These two streams exhibited large peaks in TP and potassium (K) export in the early 1980s. In contrast, TP and K export from DE8 and DE10 (wetland cover 19%–20%) were relatively flat over the entire record (1980–2007), and field surveys indicated negligible standing dead biomass in these wetlands and a relatively healthy, mixed-age tree community. The coincidence of high TP and K concentrations in the DE5 and DE6 streams as well as evidence of a disturbance event in their wetlands during the early 1980s suggest that disturbance events (e.g., flooding) that lead to wetland tree mortality may contribute to patterns in surface water TP observed in this region.

Electrochemical microsensor based on gold nanoparticles modified electrode for total phosphorus determinations in water.

This work mainly describes an electrochemical microsensor based on the reduction of molybdophosphate complex for total phosphorus (TP) determinations in water. The microelectrode was fabricated using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) techniques and porous, branching gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were electrodeposited on the microelectrode to improve its sensitivity. Calibration of the microsensor was performed with standard phosphate solutions prepared with KH2PO4 with pH adjusted to 1.0. The experimental results showed that both sensitivity and current response are improved effectively using this modified microelectrodes: The limit of detection of the microsensor is 1.2 x 10(-7) mol/l and linear range is 3 x 10(-7) to 3 x 10(-4) mol/l. The sensitivity of unmodified electrode is -0.27nA/micromol x 1(-1) (R2 = 0.994), whereas the sensitivity of AuNPs modified electrode is -0.89 nA/micromol 1(-1) (R2 = 0.8). The current response of modified electrode is 6 times larger than that of unmodified electrode in average. Detection of TP was also carried out with digested TP standard solutions for both modified and unmodified electrodes, and results were consistent with the nominal value of phosphorus concentration. This microsensor provides the probability of combining TP detection device with micro-digesting device to form a TP detection system, which can realise the automotive and on-line monitoring of TP in surface water.

Spatial and temporal phosphorus distribution changes in a large wetland ecosystem

Long‐ and short‐term changes in the spatial distribution of surface water phosphorus concentrations were assessed for the Everglades wetland (USA) from 12 years of monitoring data. Changes in phosphorus spatial distributions, before and after implementation of measures to reduce phosphorus, including stormwater treatment areas (STAs) and best management practices (BMPs), were used to evaluate the effect of the remediation strategies in the naturally oligotrophic wetland. Results showed a clear spatial and temporal gradient in phosphorus concentrations, with highest total phosphorus (TP) reaching 200μg/L in the northern Water Conservation Areas (WCAs) because of canal inflow from the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). Long‐term records of TP concentrations from 1995 to 2007 showed declines in Water Conservation Area WCA1 during the dry season (−5.1%). Short‐term changes (2003–2007) showed increasing trends in TP concentrations elsewhere in the Everglades, mainly in the southern areas: WCA3 and Everglades National Park (ENP). From 2003 to 2007, phosphorus increased by 7.4% per year in the ENP during the dry season. The area of the Everglades that exceeded the 10μg/L surface water TP concentration ecological threshold was quantified and showed a long‐term overall decline. However, except for the ENP, more than 65% of the Everglades surface area exceeded the 10μg/L water quality threshold in 2007. During recent years, ENP and WCA3 surface areas that exceeded the alternative 15 μg/L annual geometric mean slightly increased, confirming the need to closely monitor these two regions.

Recent Cattail Expansion and Possible Relationships to Water Management: Changes in Upper Taylor Slough (Everglades National Park, Florida, USA)

Recent appearance of cattail (Typha domingensis) within a southern Everglades slough-Upper Taylor Slough (Everglades National Park)-suggests ecosystem eutrophication. We analyze water quality, nutrient enrichment, and water management operations as potential drivers of eutrophication in Upper Taylor Slough. Further, we attempt to determine why surface water phosphorus, a parameter used commonly to monitor ecosystem health in the Everglades, did not serve as an early warning for eutrophication, which has broader implication for other restoration efforts. We found that surface water total phosphorus concentrations generally were below a 0.01 mg L(-1) threshold determined to cause imbalances in flora and fauna, suggesting no ecosystem eutrophication. However, assessment of nutrient loads and loading rates suggest Upper Taylor Slough has experienced eutrophication and that continued total phosphorus loading through a point-source discharge was a major driver. These nutrient loads, combined with increases in hydroperiods, led to the expansion of cattail in Upper Taylor Slough. We recommend other metrics, such as nutrient loads, periphyton and arthropod community shifts, and sediment core analyses, for assessing ecosystem health. Monitoring surface water alone is not enough to indicate ecosystem stress.

Effects of alum treatment on water quality and sediment in the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, Minnesota, USA

The effects of aluminum sulfate (alum) treatment on water quality in 4 lakes of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes (MN, USA) were examined. Lakes Harriet and Calhoun (treated in 2001) and Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles (treated in 1996) all showed initial water quality improvement based on surface water total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a (Chl-a), and Secchi disk depth. Three lakes (Harriet, Calhoun, and Cedar) were at or below historical estimates of growing season average TP after treatment and showed continued improvement in surface water quality through 2005. Lake of the Isles, which received the lowest alum dose, returned to pretreatment conditions after 6 years. Estimates of sediment phosphorus (P) release rates, however, indicated that alum treatment still limited internal P release in all 4 lakes. Although the alum application to Lake Harriet was a littoral-only treatment, water quality improved in this lake as well. The aluminum hydroxide floc drifted to the deeper part of the lake, reducing internal P release from deeper sediments by 85% in the 2 years following treatment, leading to unexpected improvements in surface water Chl-a and TP concentrations.

Water quality monitoring using Landsat Themate Mapper data with empirical algorithms in Chagan Lake, China

Lake Chagan represents a complex situation of major optical constituents and emergent spectral signals for remote sensing analysis of water quality in the Songnen Plain. As such it provides a good test of the combined radiometric correction methods developed for optical remote sensing data to monitor water quality. Landsat thematic mapper (TM) data and in situ water samples collected concurrently with satellite overpass were used for the analysis, in which four important water quality parameters are considered: chlorophyll-a, turbidity, total dissolved organic matter, and total phosphorus in surface water. Both empirical regressions and neural networks were established to analyze the relationship between the concentrations of these four water parameters and the satellite radiance signals. It is found that the neural network model performed at better accuracy than empirical regressions with TM visible and near-infrared bands as spectral variables. The relative root mean square error (RMSE) for the neural network was < 10%, while the RMSE for the regressions was less than 25% in general. Future work is needed on establishing the dynamic characteristic of Chagan Lake water quality with TM or other optical remote sensing data. The algorithms developed in this study need to be further tested and refined with multidate imagery data.