Study on Characteristics of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Loss under an Improved Subsurface Drainage

Agricultural drainage plays an effective role in preventing waterlogging and salinity disasters and also is the main transport pathway for agricultural non-point source pollutants into rivers and lakes. Hence, the water quality of agricultural drainage should be a point of focus. In this paper, nitrogen and phosphorus loss under improved subsurface drainage with different filter materials (gravel, layered sand-gravel, mixed sand-gravel, straw) were studied by a three-year field experiment (2016–2018) compared with the conventional subsurface drainage. The pH values, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total phosphorus and soluble reactive phosphate were considered. The results showed that the nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations of drain outflow under improved subsurface drainage with gravel filter were larger than that with layered sand-gravel filter and mixed sand-gravel filter. The improved subsurface drainages with layered sand-gravel filter and mixed sand-gravel filter had an effect on reducing the ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus and soluble reactive phosphate concentrations of the outflow. Meanwhile, the characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus loss under the improved subsurface drainage with straw filter were different from that with layered sand-gravel filter and mixed sand-gravel filter. For the improved subsurface drainage with layered sand-gravel filter outflow, the ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus, and soluble reactive phosphate concentrations were about 13%–78%, 38%–63%, 40%–68% less, and total nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen concentrations were 24%–80%,18%–96% more than that under conventional subsurface drainage. Meanwhile, for the improved subsurface drainage with straw filter outflow, compared with conventional subsurface drainage outflow, the percentage changes of the total nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus and the soluble reactive phosphate concentrations were about −76%–62%, −77%–78%, −152%–−274%, −103%–−400% and −221%–−291%, respectively. Additionally, in the outflow of all subsurface drainage patterns, there were much higher total nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen concentrations which should be focused on and the agricultural water management should be adopted.

The potential for phosphorus pollution remediation by calcite precipitation in UK freshwaters

This paper examines the potential for calcium carbonate to reduce phosphate pollution in freshwaters by co-precipitation, a process known as a "self cleansing mechanism". Calcium carbonate saturation levels and phosphate concentrations (SRP - soluble reactive phosphate) across the major eastern UK river basins are examined to test for solubility controls. The study shows that calcite saturation varies for each catchment as a function of flow and biological activity rather than by direct regulation by SRP. Indeed, there is no evidence, for any of the rivers studied, that calcite solubility controls hold. However, for groundwater and groundwater-fed springs in the Chalk of the Thames basin, calcite saturation is observed with associated low SRP levels. A self-cleansing mechanism may well be operative within the Chalk due to two factors. Firstly, there is a high potential for nucleation on the calcite micro-crystals in the aquifer. Secondly, there are within aquifer reactions that remove the calcite nucleating inhibitors (SRP and dissolved organic carbon, DOC) to levels lower than those occurring within the rivers do. These inhibitors enter the catchment at very high concentrations in association with agricultural pollution (fertilizer application and animal slurry) and household contamination (e.g. sewage sources from septic tanks). Under low flow conditions, when the saturation index for calcite is at its highest, so too is the concentration of the nucleation inhibitor SRP. Companion work shows that calcite precipitation can occur at the water-sediment interface of the river and this may involve SRP removal. The data, as a whole, define an apparent bound for calcite solubility control where in the presence of nucleating centres, SRP must be less than 4 mM-P l-1 and DOC must be less than 150 mM-C l-1: a condition that does not seem to pertain within most UK rivers. Keywords: calcite, calcium carbonate, phosphate, soluble reactive phosphate, dissolved organic carbon, LOIS, UK, rivers, self-cleansing mechanisms.

Nitrate applications to control phosphorus release from sediments of a shallow eutrophic estuary: an experimental evaluation

Effects of nitrate on phosphate release from sediments of a eutrophic estuary were investigated under laboratory conditions, using reconstituted sediment–water cores. Application of nitrate (5–100 mg L-1 NO3-N) increased redox potential near the sediment–water interface from –200 mV to about 200 mV during 25 days of incubation. The effective concentration of nitrate differed between sediments, reflecting differences in sediment properties, particularly bioavailable carbon. Reduced phosphate after nitrate application is attributed mainly to: (1) increased iron (III) binding near the sediment–water interface; and (2) increased dissolved oxygen in the water column due to lowered oxygen demand, with increased oxidation of ferrous iron and substances binding soluble reactive phosphate. High nitrate concentrations (50 and 100 mg L-1 NO3-N) did not persist through a 155-day incubation, suggesting that without carbon limitation added nitrate will eventually be consumed by microbial activity, and increased phosphate release may occur. Nitrate application directly into the surface sediment increased nitrate consumption, and so was less effective than application to the water column. Frequent resuspension increased dissolved oxygen concentration, so reduced nitrate consumption and lowered concentration of soluble reactive phosphate.