Microbial iron reduction during passive in situ remediation of an acidic mine pit lake mesocosm

Ferric iron reduction was studied in a pilot-scale enclosure experiment for passive biological remediation of an acidic mine pit lake in Lusatia, Germany. The metabolic properties of prokaryotes involved in Fe(III) reduction may be important for the outcome of biological remediation, as chemolithotrophic Fe(III) reduction can counteract the desired pH increase, but heterotrophic Fe(III) reduction will provide the necessary Fe(II) for precipitation of sulfide minerals following sulfate reduction. Therefore, vertical profiles of sediment parameters related to iron and sulfur cycling were determined in conjunction with viable counts of different ferric iron-reducing micro-organisms using selective media. Findings were compared to an untreated reference site. The addition of organic matter stimulated ferric iron reduction and sulfate reduction in the enclosure and led to elevated pH and accumulations of ferrous iron and reduced sulfur compounds. Numbers of neutrophilic heterotrophic Fe(III) reducers increased during treatment, those of acidophilic heterotrophic Fe(III) reducers remained similar, and those of acidophilic chemolithotrophic Fe(III) reducers decreased. Zones of ferric iron-reducing activity corresponded well with microbial depth profiles; however, viable counts of neutrophilic or acid-tolerant Fe(III) reducers must have been underestimated based on the corresponding observed activity levels. Ferric iron reduction by chemolithotrophic acidophiles seemed to be of minor importance, so a lowering of pH values due to Fe(III) reducing activity is unlikely.     

The unique environment of the most acidified permanently meromictic lake in the Czech Republic

Changes in the water properties and biological characteristics of the highly acidic Hromnice Lake (Western Bohemia) were investigated. This 110-year-old lake, formed as a consequence of the mining of pyritic shales, is permanently meromictic. Two chemoclines separate an extremely acidic (pH ～ 2.6) mixolimnion from a metal-rich anoxic monimolimnion. The absence of spring mixolimnetic turnover due to ice melting and very slow heat propagation through the chemocline with a 6-month delay were observed. Extreme mixolimnetic oxygen maxima (up to 31 mg l^?1) in phosphorus-rich lake (PO₄^3? up to 1.6 mg l^?1) well correlated with outbursts of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton consist of several acido-tolerant species of the genera Coccomyxa, Lepocinclis, Chlamydomonas and Chromulina. Surface phytoplankton biomass expressed as chlorophyll-a varies from 2 to 140 μg l^?1. Multicellular zooplankton are almost absent with the exception of Cephalodella acidophila, a small rotifer occurring in low numbers. Large red larvae of the midge Chironomus gr. plumosus were found at the bottom close to the shore, with larvulae in the open water. Developmental stages (protonemata) of a moss, resembling filamentous algae, dwell in the otherwise plant-free littoral zone.     

Control of primary productivity and the significance of photosynthetic bacteria in a meromictic kettle lake. Mittlerer Buchensee,West-Germany

During 1986 planktonic primary production and controlling factors were investigated in a small (A₀ = 11.8 · 10³ m², Z_max = 11.5 m) meromictic kettle lake (Mittlerer Buchensee). Annual phytoplankton productivity was estimated to ca 120 gC · m^–2 · a^–1 (1,42 tC · lake^–1 · a^–1). The marked thermal stratification of the lake led to irregular vertical distributions of chlorophylla concentrations (Chla) and, to a minor extent, of photosynthesis (A_z). Between the depths of 0 to 6 m low Chla concentrations (< 7 mg · m^–3) and comparatively high background light attenuation (k_w = 0,525 m^–1, 77% of total attenuation due to gelbstoff and abioseston) was found. As a consequence, light absorption by algae was low (mean value 17,4%) and self-shading was absent.Because of the small seasonal variation of Chla concentrations, no significant correlation between Chla and areal photosynthesis (A) was observed. Only in early summer (June–July) biomass appears to influence the vertical distribution of photosynthesis on a bigger scale. Around 8 m depth, low-light adapted algae and phototrophic bacteria formed dense layers. Due to low ambient irradiances, the contribution of these organisms to total primary productivity was small. Primary production and incident irradiance were significantly correlated with each other (r² = 0.68). Although the maximum assimilation number (P_opt) showed a clear dependence upon water temperature (Q₁₀ = 2.31), the latter was of minor importance to areal photosynthesis.     

Seasonal dynamics of a large, shallow lake, laguna Chascomús: The role of light limitation and other physical variables

The most conspicuous waterbodies in the Pampa region of Argentina are the so-called “lagunas”. A typical Pampean laguna may be described as a relatively large (100+ha), permanent, shallow lake. Here, we report the dynamics of laguna Chascomús, sampled weekly, from April 2001 to June 2003. During the period, the lakes experienced three consecutive floods waves that affected the concentration of major ions and the optical signature of the dissolved organic matter. Despite these hydrological alterations, laguna Chascomús was permanently limited by light. Transparency was to a great extent controlled by the incident photosynthetic available radiation irradiance. We hypothesize that wind contributes to the permanent mixing of the lake, as well as to lessen the sedimentation losses of photoautotrophs.     

Methane levels in shallow subtropical lake sediments: Dependence on the trophic status of the lake and allochthonous input

The vertical sediment profiles (10 cm) of the margins of three shallow subtropical lakes (Rio Grande, Brazil) with different trophic states and surrounding areas were evaluated to identify the effects of the allochthonous input on the methane concentration in the sediment. Sediment cores were collected to quantify the organic matter content (OM) and total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP) and methane (CH₄) concentrations.The three lakes were distinguished according to the trophic status and classified as oligotrophic, dystrophic and eutrophic. The natural characteristics of the dystrophic and eutrophic lakes have been changed due to the allochthonous input of leaves and twigs (Eucalyptus sp.) and the excreta of birds, respectively. In the eutrophic lake, the allochthonous input contributed to high autochthonous production. The highest values of OM, TC, TN and TP were found in the superficial sediments of the dystrophic and eutrophic lakes. The accumulation of allochthonous organic matter in the littoral zone promoted changes in the vertical sediment profiles and contributed to increases in the CH₄ concentrations in the sediment.     

Effects of macroalgal blooms on carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycling in photoautotrophic sediments: an experimental mesocosm

The effects of floating macroalgae (250 g DW m⁻²) on photoautotrophic microbenthos were studied in a flow-through mesocosm with a parallel mesocosm without macroalgae serving as Control. Vertical microprofiles of O₂ at the sediment-water interface showed a immediate and complete suppression of photosynthetic activity of microphytobenthos (MPB) under the macroalgal canopy, resulting in a shift of benthic metabolism from autotrophic to heterotrophic. MPB abundance and chlorophyll a content decreased and a change from a diatom-dominated to cyanobacteria-dominated community was observed. Inorganic nitrogen nutrients´ concentrations increased in the porewater as a result of the inhibition of MPB nutrient demand, leading to an increase in net ammonification and anaerobic consumption rates. No organic matter transfer from macroalgae to the sediment was detected, resulting in a net consumption of the carbon and nitrogen stored in the sediment. In consequence, sediment was progressively impoverished in nitrogen, reducing sediment nutrient regeneration.     

P-immobilisation and phosphatase activities in lake sediment following treatment with nitrate and iron

The influence of a further developed inlake restoration method on the P-immobilisation and microbial activities, especially under anoxic conditions was investigated. The impact of nitrate and iron dosing with a newly developed nitrate storage compound (Depox^®Fe) was tested in enclosures in the eutrophic dimictic Lake Dagowsee, Germany. Additions of 50 g m⁻² of NO₃⁻–N and 66 g m⁻² of Fe³⁺ ensured availability of nitrate at the sediment surface during a 2-months period.As a result the phosphate release from the anoxic sediments was completely suppressed even 1 year after the application. The hypolimnetic deoxygenation was unaffected by the Depox^®Fe addition. However, sulfur reduction and methanogenesis were inhibited and the phosphatase activity increased.     

Sediment diffusive fluxes of Fe,Mn, and P in a eutrophic lake: Contribution from lateral vs bottom sediments

Water column data and porewater profiles are used to study the chemical evolution with time and with depth of a eutrophic lake. By using different approaches, diffusion fluxes for dissolved iron, manganese and phosphate are calculated and used to describe the processes occurring at the sediment-water interface as well as in the hypolimnion of the lake. These data are used in the elaboration of a qualitative model to describe the chemical behaviour of the sedimentary interface of an anoxic lake with emphasis on the Fe/P/S system. Acorona model is proposed to explain the evolution with time of the diffusion process by estimating the relative contribution of bottom and lateral sediment surfaces to the total fluxes of dissolved elements diffusing from the sediment to the overlying water. As the hypolimnion becomes more anoxic, it has been observed that lateral sediment surfaces (16 to 10 meters in depth) represents a larger supplier of diffusing dissolved components than the bottom sediment portion (bottom to 18 meters).     

Optical properties and light penetration in a deep,naturally acidic,iron rich lake: Lago Caviahue (Patagonia,Argentina)

The optical properties and light climate in the deep and extremely acid Lake Caviahue have been studied in order to better understand its characteristics and the possible influence upon the phytoplankton community. The absorption coefficients for the dissolved fraction were maximal in the ultraviolet (UV) region and the water absorption spectra showed a shoulder around 300 nm, which was attributed to the concentration of Fe(III). No radiation was detected in the water column below 360 nm. The depth of the 1% incident radiation was dependent of wavelength, showing its maximum of 13.3 m at 565 nm, compared to 1.7 m and 4.8 m at 400 nm and 700 nm, respectively. Phytoplankton biomass was low and showed an almost constant profile with depth despite the relative darkness of the water column. Optical climate of Lake Caviahue is not typical of high elevation lakes but is more similar to low elevation shallow lakes of the Andean region. The chemical composition of the water, mainly Fe oxidation state and concentration, is the responsible for the high attenuation of the UV radiation (UVR). Living organisms are protected of UVR because Lake Caviahue waters are a shield against UV-B.     

A laboratory study of the biogeochemical cycling of Fe,Mn, Zn and Cu across the sediment-water interface of a productive lake

Laboratory incubation experiments were carried out on sediment cores collected from Esthwaite Water, U.K., during April 1987, when the sediments displayed a characteristic surface (1.5 to 2 cm) oxide floc. The experiments were undertaken at 10°C, in the dark, under variable redox and pH conditions for periods of ~ 720 h (30 d). In some cases, realistic amounts of decomposing lake algae were added to simulate the deposition of an algal bloom. Pore waters and overlying waters were obtained from the incubated sediment cores at various time intervals and the samples analysed for pH and dissolved Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu by AAS. The results demonstrated that trace metal concentrations at the sediment-water interface can show rapid, pulsed responses to episodic events associated with controlling factors such as algal deposition and mixing conditions. The variations in dissolved Fe and Mn concentrations could generally be explained by their well known redox behaviour. Appreciable loss of Mn from solution under conditions of well-developed anoxia was consistent with adsorption of Mn²⁺ by FeS. Cu and Zn were both rapidly (24 h) released into solution during incubation of sediment cores prior to the development of anoxia in the overlying waters. Their most likely sources were the reductive remobilization of Mn oxides and the decomposition of organic matter. The addition of decomposing algae to a series of cores resulted in even higher interfacial dissolved concentrations of Cu and Zn, probably through acting as a supplementary source of the metals and through increased oxide dissolution. Switching from anoxic to oxic conditions also rapidly increased dissolved Cu and Zn concentrations, possibly due to their release during the oxidation of metal sulphides. The enhanced releases of dissolved Cu and Zn were generally short-lived with removal being attributed to the formation of sulphides during anoxia and to adsorption by Fe and Mn oxides under oxic conditions.     

Changes in carbon and nitrogen cycling in a floodplain lake over recent decades linked to littoral expansion,declining riverine influx,and eutrophication

This study aimed to understand changes in the biogeochemical processing of organic matter (OM) in response to multiple stressors (e.g., littoral area expansion, wastewater input, and hydrological regulation) in East Dongting Lake (Central China) over the past 60 years, using analyses of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), C/N ratios, δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, and diatoms from 2 sediment cores collected from the littoral and central parts of the lake. OM mainly originated from phytoplankton and C₃ plant‐derived soil OM based on the ranges of C/N ratios (from 7 to 11) and δ¹³C (between ?27‰ and ?23‰). Littoral area expansion due to siltation caused an increasing influx of terrestrial soil OM in the 1980s and the 1990s, subsequently lowering δ¹³C values and rising C/N ratios in both sediment cores. Meanwhile, higher δ¹⁵N was linked to a high influx of isotopically heavy nitrate from urban and agricultural wastewaters. After 2000, slight decreases in TOC and TN in the littoral area were attributable to reducing inputs of external OM, likely linked to declining sediment influx from the upper reaches resulting from the Three Gorges Dam impoundment. Contrasting increases in TOC, TN, and C/N ratios in the central part indicated a high influx of terrestrial soil OM due to the declining distance from the shoreline with littoral area expansion. Declining δ¹⁵N values after 2000 indicated an increase in N₂‐fixing cyanobacteria with eutrophication. Changes in diatom assemblages in both the littoral and central zones reflected nutrient enrichment and hydrological alterations. These results indicate that littoral expansion, declining riverine influx, and anthropogenic nutrient inputs are potential driving forces for the biogeochemical processing of OM in floodplain lakes. This study provides sedimentary biogeochemical clues for tracking past limnological conditions of floodplain lakes that are subjected to increasing disturbances from hydrological regulation and eutrophication.     

Relative importance of dust inputs and aquatic biological production as sources of lake sediments in an oligotrophic lake in a semi‐arid area

The dustfall (DF) and mass sedimentation rate (MSR) in Lake Alchichica, Central Mexico, were studied from June 2006 to June 2008. DF ranged between 0·11–0·93 g m^?2 d^?1 in the warm and rainy season and 0·54–1·21 g m^?2 d^?1 in the cold and dry season. MSR varied from 0·52–2·40 g m^?2 d^?1 in the stratification season to 1·14–5·07 g m^?2 d^?1 in the circulation season. The timing of the highest fluxes of DF and MSR is most likely a product of several factors coinciding during the cold and dry season: (a) availability of dust sources and the presence of strong winds (>7·5 m s^?1) in the DF case, and (b) the circulation period of the lake and the availability of nutrients in the MSR case. As expected, the DF in Alchichica was high and similar to that found in other arid and semi‐arid areas. However, the MSR was higher than that reported for other oligotrophic lakes. Particles captured in the aerial traps consisted mainly of detrital minerals; in contrast, particles found in the water traps were mostly biogenic and, to a lesser extent, detrital minerals. The MSR was one to seven times higher than the DF. In spite of the oligotrophic status of Lake Alchichica, the large size of the settled phytoplankton (autochthonous, waterborne) is what leads to the high MSR, which surpasses the DF (allochthonous, airborne) derived from whirlwinds originating in easily eroded terrains that are characteristic of arid/semi‐arid areas. Our results indicate that caution must be taken in considering that the DF amount measured through DF collectors located at the lake shore does actually represent the DF entering into the lake. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

OSL dating of past lake levels for a large dammed lake in southern Tibet and determination of possible controls on lake evolution

Fluvio‐lacustrine terraces along Phung Chu (river) on the central southern Tibetan Plateau indicate that a large palaeo‐dammed‐lake formerly existed in this area. Based on landscape survey, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and sedimentary analyses, this research shows that the Phung Chu was blocked and a dammed‐lake over 2500 km² in size formed before 30 ka ago. OSL dating analysis suggests the fluvio‐lacustrine sediments were well bleached and yield accurate age estimates for two lake drainage events. The first drainage event took place after 30 ka, resulted in river incision and formed a high terrace at 50 m height from the present river level. The second drainage happened after 3.7 ka, resulted in further river incision and formed the second terrace at 25 m height from the present river level. According to the distribution of the fluvio‐lacustrine sediments, active normal faults (particularly the Kharta Fault) in this region and the high gradient slopes after Phung Chu enters the Yö Ri gorge, seismically‐induced landsliding is regarded as highly likely to have been the cause of river blockage and associated formation of a dammed‐lake, although glacial damming is also a possible cause. The volume of drainages from this dammed‐lake may have led to catastrophic flooding and analogous modern lakes represent significant geo‐hazard risks to down‐river human settlements. As dammed‐lakes are special phases in fluvial evolution, often involving river blockage, breakthrough and drastic catchment change, these processes can reveal how tectonic or climatic events modify landforms. However, such tectonic‐derived landform changes can also impact palaeo‐climate of the region. Thus this study has added new evidence regarding the evolutionary history of a dammed lake including its formation, duration, extent and final drainage, which is crucial for understanding its general landscape process mechanisms and for better assessing geo‐hazard risks. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nutrients and organic matter in the surface sediment of a submerged macrophyte zone in a eutrophic lake:Implications for lake management

Little is known about the distribution and risk levels of nutrients and organic matter(OM) in the surface sediment of shallow submerged macrophyte-dominated lakes. In the current study, sixty surface sediment samples were collected from Xukou Bay, a typical submerged macrophyte-dominated zone in Lake Taihu, China. A 60-day degradation experiment of Potamogeton malaianus, a dominant species in the bay,was done in the laboratory. The results demonstrated that the ranges of total nitrogen(TN) and t...     

固定化氮循环细菌修复城市湖泊水体脱氮效果及N2O排放

利用从镇江金山湖天然水体中筛选分离出的土著氨化、亚硝化、硝化和反硝化细菌,将氮循环细菌固定化后在金山湖示范工程区进行水体脱氮净化效果研究.结果表明,运行一段时间后水质明显得到改善,氨氮、亚硝酸盐氮、硝酸盐氮以及总氮浓度均显著下降,氨氮浓度指标达到国家水质Ⅰ类标准,总氮浓度指标达到水质Ⅱ类标准.同时,对湖泊水体的N_2O气体排放通量进行了检测,结果显示,随着实验的进行,金山湖区的N_2O气体排放通量逐渐升高,4月份的平均值为23,51μg/(m~2·h)、5月份的平均值为29.52μg/(m~2·h)、6月份的平均值为59.10μg/(m~2·h).水质氮素指标以及N_2O气体排放通量数据说明利用微生物固定化载体强化净化技术对城市湖泊水质净化具有显著效果和重要意义.     

Spatial distribution and abundance of Unionidae mussels in a eutrophic floodplain lake

Although Unionidae mussels produce large biomass and reach high density in freshwater habitats, little is known about their ecology. We studied the distribution of 5 species of freshwater unionids in a eutrophic floodplain lake, on transects, along the lake shore and across the depth gradient. The clam distribution within the water body was not random: all species form a crowded zone along the lake shore, showing the highest density at ca. 0.5 m depth. The distribution of the most numerous species changed along the shore in Anodonta anatina and Unio pictorum but not in A. cygnea, whose numbers remained constant. The population numbers of the most numerous species showed a positive correlation with silt layer thickness. The generalized model of all the analyzed factors influencing the unionids’ distribution confirmed this relation and indicated a trade-off between water depth and distance from bank, which might be responsible for the occurrence of the zone at some optimum depth. Unionids have an important influence on freshwater ecosystem functions, thus their zonation implies that their functions are also spatially structured.