Dissolved Organic Carbon Loading Stimulates Sediment Phosphorus Mobilization and Release: Preliminary Evidence From Xiangshan Port, East China Sea

Increasing concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) have been observed in coastal ecosystems worldwide over the past decade, and tight coupling of the carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) biogeochemical cycle has been recognized in aquatic ecosystems. However, there is still no consensus regarding the potential effects of DOC loading on sediment P release. In a 2-month mesocosm experiment, we tested the effects of DOC enrichment on sediment P release in six glass aquariums. Two treatments were set: Control (without sodium acetate (Na(CH3COO)) addition) and Na(CH3COO) addition (equivalent to 5 mg C L−1). The results showed the following: 1) DOC loading stimulated sediment P mobilization and release, as indicated by increases in the labile P recorded for 7-cm-deep sediment using diffusive gradients in thin films, the flux of P across the sediment–water interface, and the total P concentrations in the overlying water; and 2) stimulated alkaline phosphatase activity, increased P-solubilizing bacteria proportion, and decreased dissolved oxygen concentration were likely the primary mechanisms behind the DOC-stimulated sediment P mobilization and release. These results provide insight into the promotion of sediment P release induced by C addition. Further studies investigating the quantitative relationships between DOC loadings and P release are needed to fully elucidate the coupled roles of C and P, especially those based on large-scale field investigations with broader C forms and loadings.

Application of Calcium-rich Clay Mineral Under Nonwoven Fabric Mats and Sand Armor as Cap Layer for Interrupting N and P Release from River Sediments

This work investigates the applicability of thermally treated calcium-rich clay minerals (CRCMs), such as sepiolite (SPL), attapulgite (ATT), and dolomite (DLM) to hinder the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) release from river sediments. A non-woven fabric mat (NWFM) or a sand layer were also capped as armor layers, i.e., placed over CRCMs to investigate the capping impact on the N/P release. The capping efficiency was evaluated in a cylindrical reactor, consisting of CRCMs, armor layers, sediments, and sampled water. We monitored N/P concentrations, dissolved oxygen (DO), oxidation reduction potential, pH, and electric conductivity in overlying water over 70 days. The DO concentrations in the uncapped and capped conditions were preserved for 30 days and 70 days (until the end of experiment duration), respectively. ATT showed higher efficiency for NH4-N and T-N than the other two materials, and the capping efficiency of NH4-N was measured as 96.4%, 93.7%, and 61.6% when capped with 2 cm sand layer, 1 cm sand layer, and NWFM layer, respectively. DLM showed a superior rejection capability of PO4-P to ATT and SPL, reported as 97.2% when capped with 2 cm sand armor. The content of weakly adsorbed-P was lower in the uncapped condition than in the capping condition. It can be concluded that ATT and DLM can be used as capping agents to deactivate N and P, respectively, to reduce water contamination from sediments of the eutrophic river.

The Effects of Concentration Gradient of Nitrogen Compounds on the Ammonium-nitrogen and Nitrate-nitrogen Fluxes at Sediment-Water Interface

The incubation experiments focused on altering concentration gradients of nitrogen between sediment and overlying water to examine the diffusion flux of ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+) and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-) at sediment-water interface. In this study, the diffusion flux can be estimated based on calculating the average of the net change rate of nutrient concentrations in the overlying water. For the incubation experiment of different TN concentrations in the sediment, the results showed that the diffusion flux of ammonia at sediment-water interface is -52.57~84.57 mg·m-2·d-1, and for nitrate diffusion flux, the changing range during the incubation experiment is -110.13~143.25 mg·m-2·d-1. For the incubation experiment of different nitrogen concentrations in the overlying water, the results of NH4+-N diffusion flux in L, M, H treatment were 3.37, -4.94, -3.84 mg·m-2·d-1, respectively. And the average diffusion flux of nitrate in L (0 mg NO3--N, 0 mg NH4+-N), M (0.5 mg NO3--N, 1.5 mg NH4+-N) and H (1 mg NO3--N, 2.5 mg NH4+-N) treatment were 12.30, 10.39 and 7.11 mg·m-2·d-1. Results highlighted that concentrations gradient of nutrients were indeed an important factor affecting the diffusion flux at sediment-water interface. In addition, the diffusion of nutrients at sediment-water interface in aquatic ecosystem is not only controlled by concentration gradients, some other factors such as incoming water, hydrodynamics, dissolved oxygen content, sediment structure, biological disturbance, horizontal migration and diffusion of nutrients and turbulent diffusion caused by wind and wave, are equally important.

Spatial–Temporal Distribution of Phosphorus Fractions and Their Relationship in Water–Sediment Phases in the Tuojiang River, China

Understanding the distribution and transportation of phosphorus is vital for the sustainable development of aquatic environmental protection and ecological security. The spatial–temporal distribution of phosphorus fractions in water–sediment phases in river systems and their relationships remain unclear in Southwest China. In this study, the spatial and temporal distribution of phosphorus fractions in water–sediment phases in the Tuojiang River, a primary tributary of the Yangtze River which plays important roles in the economy and ecology of the region, and the relationships among the different phosphorus fractions were analyzed. These fractions were soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP), and total particulate phosphorus (PP) fractions in water, and exchangeable phosphorus (Ex-P), organic phosphorus (Or-P), phosphorus bound by Fe oxides (Fe-P), authigenic phosphorus (Ca-P), detrital phosphorus (De-P), and refractory phosphorus (Res-P) fractions in sediment. The SPR and Fe-P were the dominant phosphorus fractions in the water and sediment, respectively. The TP content was greater in the lower reaches than in the middle and upper reaches. The average abundances of most phosphorus fractions in water–sediment phases showed significant seasonal variations. The Fe-P, Org-P, and TP in sediments were released to the water interface, resulting in the increase of phosphorus in the overlying water. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the physicochemical properties of water and sediment have a certain influence on the spatial–temporal distribution of the phosphorus fractions. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the main phosphorus source was anthropogenic activities. These results provide primary data regarding phosphorus fractions and contribute to understanding phosphorus cycling and controlling phosphorus pollution in the Tuojiang River.

Quantifying functional consequences of habitat degradation on a Caribbean coral reef

Coral reefs are declining worldwide. The abundance of corals has decreased alongside a rise of filter feeders, turf, and algae in response to intensifying human pressures. This shift in prevalence of functional groups alters the biogeochemical processes in tropical water ecosystems, thereby influencing reef functioning. An urgent challenge is to understand the functional consequences of these shifts to develop suitable management strategies that aim at preserving the biological functions of reefs. Here, we quantify biogeochemical processes supporting key reef functions (i.e. net community calcification (NCC) and production (NCP) and nutrient recycling) in situ for five different benthic assemblages currently dominating shallow degraded Caribbean reef habitats. To this end, a transparent custom-made enclosure was placed over communities dominated by either one of five functional groups – coral, turf and macroalgae, bioeroding sponges, cyanobacterial mats, or sand – to determine chemical fluxes between these communities and the overlying water, during both day and night. To account for the simultaneous influence that distinct biogeochemical processes have on measured variables, the rates were then derived by solving a model consisting of differential equations describing the contribution of each process to the measured chemical fluxes. Inferred rates were low compared to those known for reef flats worldwide. Reduced accretion potential was recorded, with negative or very modest net community calcification rates for all communities. Net production during the day was also low, suggesting limited accumulation of biomass through photosynthesis and remineralisation of organic matter at night was relatively high in comparison, resulting in net heterotrophy over the survey period for most communities. Estimated recycling processes (i.e. nitrification and denitrification) were high but did not fully counterbalance nutrient release from aerobic mineralisation, rendering all substrates sources of nitrogen. Results suggest similar directions and magnitudes of key biogeochemical processes of distinct communities on this shallow Curaçaoan reef. We infer that the amount and type of organic matter released by abundant algal turfs and cyanobacterial mats on this reef likely enhances heterotroph activity and stimulates the proliferation of less diverse copiotrophic microbial populations, rendering the studied reef net heterotrophic and drawing the biogeochemical “behaviour” of distinct communities closer to each other.

Comparison of modern and fossil diatom assemblages and their implication on sea-ice conditions in coastal Antarctic region

Antarctic Coastal regions are thought to be characterized by high productivity usually dominated by diatoms. Considering their prime importance in global carbon biological pump, diatom distribution and abundance studies are sparse especially in coastal regions of Antarctica. Biogenic silica is considered to be severely affected by dissolution in the undersaturated ocean water, therefore, combined study of diatom assemblages from water column and those found in the sediments is important. Therefore, we conducted a combined study of sediment diatoms along with surface water diatoms collected from Coastal Antarctica. When the modern assemblages are compared to the fossil record, it is clear the most of the important diatoms from the summer assemblages are not preserved in the underlying sediments. The studies reveal that only F. kerguelensis is common abundant species in both water and sediment which suggests that coastal Antarctic region could be having more open ocean influence. In contrast, the presence of sea ice related diatom species from surface sediment indicate for expansion of sea ice or ice edge adjacent to the water column, however such species were not found in the overlying water samples which could be due to less sea-ice extent.

Determination of Water Quality Characteristics and Nutrient Exchange Flux at the Sediment–Water Interface of the Yitong River in Changchun City, China

In this paper, the characteristics of water pollution in Yitong River were analyzed by the comprehensive pollution index method. Combined with the pore water concentration gradient method and Fick’s first law, the release characteristics of nutrients at the sediment–water interface of Yitong River (Jilin Province, China) were studied. The results showed that the distribution trend of nitrogen and phosphorus content in the overlying and interstitial water of the Yitong River was the same, and the highest values appeared at the S3 and S5 points in the urban section. The water quality was mainly affected by nitrogen pollutants in domestic sewage. The evaluation results of the water quality comprehensive pollution index showed that the pollution degree of interstitial water in urban areas was much higher than that of the overlying water, and the endogenous nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants had the risk of diffusion to the overlying water. The exchange flux analysis of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) in water showed that the diffusion flux of NH4+-N ranged from 0.03 to 6.52 mg·(m2·d)−1, and the sediment was the “source” of ammonia nitrogen pollutants. The range of TDN diffusion flux was −1.57 to 11.6 mg·(m2·d) −1, and the difference between points was large. The sediment was both the “source” and “sink” of nitrogen pollutants. The range of TDP diffusion flux was −0.05 to 0.22 mg·(m2·d) −1. Except for point S8, the TDP diffused from sediment into the water body. Among all the sampling points, the diffusion fluxes of NH4+-N, TDN, and TDP at the S3 point were the largest, the release rate of endogenous pollutants was the most rapid, and the pollution to the water quality was the most serious. The results are of great significance to the exchange flux of nutrients at the sediment–water interface of rivers and the prevention and control of water eutrophication. It also provides a reference for the study of nutrient exchange flux at the sediment–water interface of rivers and other surface water bodies worldwide.

Assessment of Sediment Arsenic and Iron Occurrence and Leaching Potential in a Potable Water Treatment Wastewater Stabilization Pond System

Wastewater stabilization ponds (WSPs) are commonly used to reduce wastewater metal(loid) concentrations from drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) through sedimentation. However, this results in increased sediment concentrations that can be released back into the overlying water. Thus, our goal was to evaluate the WSP metal(loid)s occurrence and leaching potential. Currently, a Saskatchewan based DWTP’s WSP system was investigated given historically elevated effluent As and Fe concentrations. The WSP consists of five ponds that were sampled on six occasions in 2019 and 2020. In addition, sediments were used in laboratory-based experiments to determine their leaching potential. Overall, the sediments were found to contain elevated concentrations of As and Fe with 25 to 400 and 10,000 to 45,000 mg/kg, respectively. Leaching experiments indicated that the pond sediments could potentially release As and Fe with log Kd values ranging from 2.21 to 4.31 L/kg, while Fe ranged from 3.32 to 5.53 L/kg.

Effects of Seasonal Thermal Stratification on Ammonia Nitrogen Transformation in a Source Water Reservoir

Seasonal thermal stratification has a significant impact on water quality. In this paper, the variation of vertical distribution of ammonia nitrogen in a source water reservoir was studied, on the base of field monitoring data. The dominant factor of the variation in ammonia nitrogen is the anaerobic environment caused by the seasonal thermal stratification, which leads to the degradation of nitrogen-containing organic compounds in the sediments. To determine the rates of ammonia accumulation, an in situ experimental chamber was used. The results showed that, before the formation of thermal stratification in the reservoir, sediments in the bottom of the water have a high tendency to release ammonia; the rates of ammonia accumulation in the overlying water are 40.31–111.41 mg·m−2·d−1. However, thermal stratification causes changes in the physical and chemical properties of the sediment and reduction in the degradability of the nitrogen-containing compound in the sediment. The rates of ammonia accumulation (39.44–44.65 mg·m−2·d−1) after thermal stratification are lower than before. Considering the water pollution hazards caused by seasonal thermal stratification, it is necessary to take corresponding emergency response measures to cope with the possibility of water pollution risk.

Coral reef biofilm bacterial diversity and successional trajectories are structured by reef benthic organisms and shift under chronic nutrient enrichment

Work on marine biofilms has primarily focused on host-associated habitats for their roles in larval recruitment and disease dynamics; little is known about the factors regulating the composition of reef environmental biofilms. To contrast the roles of succession, benthic communities and nutrients in structuring marine biofilms, we surveyed bacteria communities in biofilms through a six-week succession in aquaria containing macroalgae, coral, or reef sand factorially crossed with three levels of continuous nutrient enrichment. Our findings demonstrate how biofilm successional trajectories diverge from temporal dynamics of the bacterioplankton and how biofilms are structured by the surrounding benthic organisms and nutrient enrichment. We identify a suite of biofilm-associated bacteria linked with the orthogonal influences of corals, algae and nutrients and distinct from the overlying water. Our results provide a comprehensive characterization of marine biofilm successional dynamics and contextualize the impact of widespread changes in reef community composition and nutrient pollution on biofilm community structure.