| Abstract: | Research on the sediment‐surface water transition zone in three study site regions, different in hydrological conditions, was conducted to estimate to which extent nitrate in surface water can contribute to riverbed sediment oxidation and thus prevent release of sediment phosphorus to surface water. Consequently, the Du tch Flow Model (DUFLOW) based water quality model “Spreewald” and results from the emission model “ Mo delling N utrient E missions in Ri ver S ystems” (MONERIS) were used to estimate to which extent wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) could contribute to the NO3– concentration in surface waters if they were operated without denitrification. It is demonstrated that an effective phosphorus retention in sediments by means of surface water NO3– is possible only under specific conditions, i. e. (i) a sufficient supply of surface water to the sediment by advective fluxes, (ii) a sufficient amount of sediment iron to provide phosphorus binding sites in the case of sediment oxidation, (iii) a redox system not leading to a rapid NO3– and FeOOH depletion and to phosphorus release from organic pools by high microbial activities. Model results show that in‐stream denitrification processes counteract a significant increase of NO3– surface water concentrations from WWTPs operated without denitrification during summer, when eutrophication risk through phosphorus is highest. The increase of NO3– surface water concentrations in winter due to decreased denitrification in the surface water is of minor relevance for phosphorus release from sediments. |
