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Algal Availability of Phosphorus in Suspended Stream Sediments of Varying Particle Size
Author(s) -
Dorich R. A.,
Nelson D. W.,
Sommers L. E.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1984.00472425001300010015x
Subject(s) - sediment , algae , phosphorus , particle size , surface runoff , environmental chemistry , effluent , chemistry , aggregate (composite) , zoology , fraction (chemistry) , mineralogy , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , geology , botany , chromatography , environmental engineering , ecology , biology , materials science , paleontology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , composite material
The availability of sediment P to algae was evaluated in several water stable aggregate‐size fractions of suspended stream sediments collected from an agricultural watershed in northeastern Indiana. Sediments were collected during a storm event, separated into the <2, 2 to 20, 20 to 53, 53 to 212, and > 212 µ m size fractions, sterilized by γ irradiation, and incubated for 2 weeks with algae. Algal‐available P (P aa ) was determined by measuring decreases in the NaOH‐ and HCl‐extractable inorganic P (P i ) fractions in sediment during the incubation period. The initial concentrations of P in the NaOH‐ and HCl‐extractable P i fractions were not related to aggregate size. All aggregate‐size fractions had similar P aa concentrations. Nearly equal proportions of sediment P i (avg 79%) and total P (avg 43%) in aggregate fractions were available to algae, possibly resulting from the similar distribution of primary particle sizes in all aggregate‐size fractions. More than 93% of P aa originated in the NaOH‐extractable P fraction. Samples that were affected by septic effluents tended to be higher in certain sediment P parameters (e.g., NaOH‐extractable P i , total P i , total P, and P aa concentrations) than samples containing suspended sediment derived from cropland. This study suggests that runoff models may not need to account for the detachment and transport of aggregate‐size classes to predict the movement of algal‐available P from cropland to surface waters.