The Eutrophication Problem

1972 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 673-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Beeton ◽  
W. T. Edmondson
Keyword(s):  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Silica Content ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Large Lakes ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
Nitrogen Concentrations ◽  
Near Shore ◽  
Morphology And Morphometry ◽  
Lake Waters

The trophic state of a lake is maintained by continued inputs of nutrients. In very large lakes the inshore environments are affected first by increased nutrient loading and, depending upon the morphology and morphometry, gradually the offshore waters are altered. The near-shore waters of Lake Michigan have greater concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus and a lower silica content than open lake waters. Diatoms are more abundant inshore than offshore, the doubling times for diatom populations are shorter inshore, and species favored by nutrient-rich conditions are more abundant inshore. Data on plankton, nitrogen concentrations, and fish, from early studies on Lake Erie, show progressive changes from the shore lakeward and from the western basin eastward.

scholarly journals On the potential for saturated buffers in northwest Ohio to remediate nutrients from agricultural runoff

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9007
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Jacquemin ◽  
Greg McGlinch ◽  
Theresa Dirksen ◽  
Angela Clayton
Keyword(s):  
Algal Blooms ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Riparian Zone ◽  
Suspended Sediments ◽  
Agricultural Runoff ◽  
Controlled Drainage ◽  
Nutrient Reduction ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Western Basin ◽  
Nutrient Runoff

Nutrient loading from nonpoint source runoff in the Midwest has emerged as one of the largest threats to water quality as the frequency of harmful algal blooms, hypoxic zones, and issues associated with human-resource interactions have risen abruptly over the past several decades. In this study, a saturated buffer ~500 m in length located in the western basin of the Lake Erie watershed was evaluated for its potential to reduce edge of field runoff and nutrient loading. Saturated buffers reduce runoff by routing subsurface tile drainage water into the riparian zone, providing an opportunity for drainage volume as well as nutrient reduction of runoff waters. Over a 12-month study period, controlled drainage was used to redirect nearly 25% of the total tile flow into the riparian zone from a subwatershed in corn/soybean rotation with near complete reductions of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus from tile inflows averaging 4.7 and 0.08 mg/L, respectively, as well as total reduction of suspended sediments (average 10.4 mg/L). This study provides additional evidence that riparian areas are an important part of nutrient reduction strategies as they can act as both controlled drainage points by raising water tables in fields as well as nutrient sinks which couple to help mitigate nutrient runoff in the region.

scholarly journals TRANSFORMATION OF THE WATER QUALITY IN THE SŁUPIA RIVER (POLAND)

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 64
Author(s):  
Anna Jarosiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Environment Protection ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Sources Of Pollution ◽  
Major Nutrient ◽  
Phosphorus Form ◽  
Nitrogen Concentrations ◽  
The One

The objective of this paper was to present the water quality changes of the one of Polish rivers - Słupia River, located in the Pomeranian Region. The Słupia River receives pollutants derived from non-point and point sources of pollution. This is due to the agricultural and forested character of the river’s basin and the location of the towns of Słupsk and Ustka on the river. The elaboration covers the period from 1988 to 2007 and is based on hydrological data, completed as a part of surface water monitoring programme run by the Inspectorate for Environment Protection and the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. The changes of physicochemical properties of Słupia River i.e. phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations, BOD5, and amounts of heavy metals were studied. Presented data, showed that the Słupia River has responded to a major nutrient loading reduction. The current concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus form in river allows qualifying the water to first quality class.

Nutrients and phytoplankton in three shallow, freshwater lakes of different tropic status in Western Australia

1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 541 ◽  
Author(s):  
DM Gordon ◽  
CM Finlayson ◽  
AJ McComb
Keyword(s):  
Green Algae ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Organic Phosphorus ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Freshwater Lakes ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Water Conductivity ◽  
Blue Green Algae ◽  
Nitrogen Concentrations

The trophic status of three shallow, freshwater lakes on the Swan coastal plain near Perth, Western Australia, was assessed from February 1975 to January 1976. Loch McNess is in a National Park, Lake Joondalup is in an area becoming urbanized, and Lake Monger is in a suburb near the centre of Perth. Monthly measurements were made of phytoplankton numbers and environmental parameters, including forms of nitrogen and phosphorus. Populations tended to be high when lake levels were low. Phytoplankton numbers were dominated by blue-green 'algae' in summer in each lake, with the lowest numbers in Loch McNess. Green algae were most prominent in autumn and winter. Diatoms were present at relatively lower numbers throughout the year. Phytoplankton numbers were strongly correlated with phosphorus levels, particularly for blue-green algae, and less so with nitrogen. Green algae were also strongly correlated with water conductivity. Nearly 80% of variance in phytoplankton numbers was accounted for in multiple linear regression by temperature, sunlight hours, depth, pH, conductivity and phosphate, organic phosphorus, ammonia, nitrate-nitrite, and organic nitrogen concentrations. Much of the variance was accounted for by the nutrients alone. Comparisons with data in the literature suggest that Lakes Joondalup and Monger are eutrophic by world standards, and are far more eutrophic than Loch McNess.

scholarly journals Dissolved and particulate nutrient transport dynamics of a small Irish catchment: the River Owenabue

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2191-2200 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. T. Harrington ◽  
J. R. Harrington
Keyword(s):  
Suspended Sediment ◽  
Water Discharge ◽  
Nutrient Transport ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Particulate Nitrogen ◽  
Monitoring Period ◽  
Nitrogen Concentrations

Abstract. The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between water and sediment discharge on the transport of nutrients: nitrogen and phosphorus. Water discharge, suspended sediment concentration and dissolved and particulate forms of nitrogen and phosphorus were monitored on the 105 km2 River Owenabue catchment in Ireland. Water discharge was found to have an influence on both particulate and dissolved nutrient transport, but more so for particulate nutrients. The particulate portion of N and P in collected samples was found to be 24 and 39%, respectively. Increased particulate nitrogen concentrations were found at the onset of high discharge events, but did not correlate well to discharge. High concentrations of phosphorus were associated with increased discharge rates and the coefficient of determination (r2) between most forms of phosphorus and both discharge and suspended sediment concentrations were observed to be greater than 0.5. The mean TN yield is 4004 kg km−2 yr−1 for the full 29-month monitoring period with a mean PN yield of 982 kg km−2 yr−1, 25% of the TN yield with the contribution to the yield of PN and PP estimated to be 25 and 53% respectively. These yields represent a PN and PP contribution to the suspended sediment load of 5.6 and 0.28% respectively for the monitoring period. While total nitrogen and total phosphorus levels were similar to other European catchments, levels of bio-available phosphorus were elevated indicating a potential risk of eutrophication within the river.

Application of a two-dimensional hydrodynamic reservoir model to Lake Erie

2001 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 858-869 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Boegman ◽  
M R Loewen ◽  
P F Hamblin ◽  
D A Culver
Keyword(s):  
Lake Erie ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Thermal Structure ◽  
Domain Model ◽  
Water Level Fluctuations ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Large Lakes ◽  
Physical Forcing ◽  
Model Predictions ◽  
Averaged Model

The relative impacts of changes in nutrient loading and zebra mussel establishment on plankton in large lakes are strongly influenced by hydrodynamics, yet adequately modelling the temporal-spatial complexity of physical and biological processes has been difficult. We adapted a two-dimensional public domain model, CE-QUAL-W2, to test whether it could provide a hydrodynamically accurate simulation of the seasonal variation in the vertical-longitudinal thermal structure of Lake Erie. The physical forcing for the model is derived from surface meteorological buoys and measurements of precipitation, inflows, and outflows. To calibrate and validate the model, predictions were compared with an extensive set of field data collected during May through September 1994. The model accurately predicted water-level fluctuations without adjustment. However, significant modifications to the eddy coefficient turbulence algorithm were required to simulate acceptable longitudinal currents. The thermal structure was accurately predicted in all three basins, even though this laterally averaged model cannot simulate Coriolis effects. We are currently extending the model's water-quality module to include the effects of nutrient loading and zebra mussels on the plankton.

scholarly journals Assessing the Eutrophic Susceptibility of New Zealand Estuaries

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 2015-2033 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Plew ◽  
John R. Zeldis ◽  
Bruce D. Dudley ◽  
Amy L. Whitehead ◽  
Leigh M. Stevens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Physical Properties ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Intertidal Area ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Regional Patterns ◽  
Nitrogen Concentrations

Abstract We developed a method to predict the susceptibility of New Zealand estuaries to eutrophication. This method predicts macroalgae and phytoplankton responses to potential nutrient concentrations and flushing times, obtained nationally from simple dilution models, a GIS land-use model and physical estuary properties. Macroalgal response was based on an empirically derived relationship between potential nitrogen concentrations and an established macroalgal index (EQR) and phytoplankton response using an analytical growth model. Intertidal area was used to determine which primary producer was likely to lead to eutrophic conditions within estuaries. We calculated the eutrophication susceptibility of 399 New Zealand estuaries and assigned them to susceptibility bands A (lowest expected impact) to D (highest expected impact). Twenty-seven percent of New Zealand estuaries have high or very high eutrophication susceptibilities (band C or D), mostly (63% of band C and D) due to macroalgae. The physical properties of estuaries strongly influence susceptibility to macroalgae or phytoplankton blooms, and estuaries with similar physical properties cluster spatially around New Zealand’s coasts. As a result, regional patterns in susceptibility are apparent due to a combination of estuary types and land use patterns. The few areas in New Zealand with consistently low estuary eutrophication susceptibilities are either undeveloped or have estuaries with short flushing times, low intertidal area and/or minimal tidal influx. Estuaries with conditions favourable for macroalgae are most at risk. Our approach provides estuary-integrated susceptibility scores likely to be of use as a regional or national screening tool to prioritise more in-depth estuary assessments, to evaluate likely responses to altered nutrient loading regimes and assist in developing management strategies for estuaries.

Global implementation of two shared socioeconomic pathways for future sanitation and wastewater flows

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. T. M. van Puijenbroek ◽  
A. F. Bouwman ◽  
A. H. W. Beusen ◽  
P. L. Lucas
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Emission Model ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Nutrient Emissions ◽  
Sewage Systems

Households are an important source of nutrient loading to surface water. Sewage systems without or with only primary wastewater treatment are major polluters of surface water. Future emission levels will depend on population growth, urbanisation, increases in income and investments in sanitation, sewage systems and wastewater treatment plants. This study presents the results for two possible shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). SSP1 is a scenario that includes improvement of wastewater treatment and SSP3 does not include such improvement, with fewer investments and a higher population growth. The main drivers for the nutrient emission model are population growth, income growth and urbanisation. Under the SSP1 scenario, 5.7 billion people will be connected to a sewage system and for SSP3 this is 5 billion. Nitrogen and phosphorus emissions increase by about 70% under both SSP scenarios, with the largest increase in SSP1. South Asia and Africa have the largest emission increases, in the developed countries decrease the nutrient emissions. The higher emission level poses a risk to ecosystem services.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document