The role of sediments in the phosphorus cycle in Lake Lugano. II. Seasonal and spatial variability of microbiological processes at the sediment-water interface

P, Fe, Mn, and S species were analyzed in water samples from the sediment-water interface collected at four seasonally different times during the course of a year at two sampling sites in the southern basin of Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano). The results reveal the strong influence of the biogeochemical processes in the sediment on the chemical composition of the lake water above. Consumption of oxygen and nitrate under oxic to microoxic conditions in the water column as well as sequential release of reduced manganese and iron under anoxic conditions was observed as a direct or indirect consequence of microbially mediated degradation of organic matter. The seasonal pattern observed for the release and the retainment of dissolved reduced iron and manganese correlates well with the one for dissolved phosphate. Iron, manganese and phosphorus cycling are coupled tightly in these sediments. Both sediment types act as sinks for hydrogen sulfide and sulfate. An inner-sedimentary sulfur cycle is proposed to couple iron, manganese and phosphorus cycling with the degradation of organic matter. Nutrient cycling at the sediment-water interface might thus be driven by a microbially regulated electron pumping mechanism. The results contribute to a better understanding of the role of sediment processes in the lake's internal phosphorus cycle and its seasonal dynamics.     

The dynamic model Seemod applied to the Southern Basin of Lake Lugano

The dynamic model Seemod developed at the EAWAG (Imboden and Gächter, 1978) and modified by Bührer (Ambühl and Bührer, 1984), was adapted to the South Basin of the Lake of Lugano (Lago di Lugano). The model can predict the evolution of the state of the lake, described by the concentrations of dissolved phosphorus, dissolved oxygen particulate phosphorus and organic particulate carbon, in function of phosphorus load and taking into account physical and biochemical initial- and boundary conditions. The model parameters were chosen through measurements and calibrations by short runs. A 10-year-long simulation was done, starting from the data of 1980, and its results agree quite well with the measurements. Then some 15-year-long simulations were done, which corresponded to different scenarios related to a progressive linking up of sewage systems to water treatment plants. The model predicts that a satisfactory water quality level can only be reached by reducing the total phosphorus input to less than 25 t/a.     

Chemistry and trophic evolution of Lake Lugano in relation to nutrient budget

Chemical studies performed in the last 50 years on the northern and southern basins of Lago di Lugano are reviewed and discussed in relation to the phosphorus and nitrogen loads from the drainage area.Both basins became eutrophic in the fifties as a consequence of the dense population and industrial activity in the drainage area; the effect of these was aggravated by the meromictic condition of the layer below 100 m in the northern basin.The reduction of phosphorus loads in progress since 1976 has resulted in a significant improvement in the chemical and biological condition of the southern basin and the upper 100 m of water in the northern basin. On the other hand, the balance between dissolved oxygen and reducing substances in the northern basin is shifting toward a decrease of the net oxygen concentration, partly as a consequence of the unusually dry conditions of the last three years.A reduction in phosphorus load down to 18 and 22 t a^–1 in the northern and southern basins respectively is still necessary in order to reduce the lake phosphorus concentration to 30–35 µg O l^–1.     

The Fate of Chernobyl137Cs in Lake Lugano

A rapid removal of Chernobyl¹³⁷Cs from a number of large lakes has been previously reported. Our measurements of¹³⁷Cs in water, sediments and pore water in the mono- and meromictic basins of Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano) reveal generally slower half-removal times of 1.2 and 6.7 yrs, respectively. In the seasonally anoxic southern basin, this is most probably related to an intensive recycling of¹³⁷Cs between water and sediments. In the permanently stratified northern basin the removal rate is much slower due to an important inventory build up in the deep anoxic part of the basin.     

Hydrodynamics of Lake Lugano

The hydrodynamic processes in the Lake of Lugano (Lago di Lugano) have been the object of three major measuring campaigns. The first during summer 1979 in the North Basin, the second in the autumn of 1984 in the South Basin and the last in 1989 again in the North Basin. It is expected that analysis of the collected data in conjunction with theoretical concepts will yield conclusive findings on the driving forces and hydrodynamics of the lake. Numerical models have been applied to the lake and the results have been compared to the measurements. Some models calculate the periods and distributions of amplitude, as well as surface velocities and internal seiches. Other models calculate wind-induced water circulation. Evidence is given to the peculiarities of the North Basin and the difficulties related with the depth-width ratio and with its deep chemical stratification.     

Possibilities and limitations of lake restoration: Conclusions for Lake Lugano

In most lakes eutrophication is linked to an excessive input of phosphorus. Lake restoration by reduction of P-input (external measure) has led to a considerable drop of the P-concentration in all major Swiss lakes as well as in many other lakes. Internal restoration measures such as artificial mixing, drainage of hypolimnetic water, flushing, aeration, biomanipulation and others serve to improve and accelerate the response of a lake to external measures. For the case of Lago di Lugano, a simple two-box model is employed to demonstrate that a reduction of the P-input to about 25% of the present values is necessary to reach the P-criterion (P-concentration below 30 µg/l). Internal measures could possibly accelerate the extremely slow response of the northern basin.     

Qualitative and quantitative aspects of the evolution of the planktonic populations in Lake Lugano

This study is a summary of all available information on the long-term and on the more recent development of the planktonic populations in Lago di Lugano with regard to its trophic evolution. The first effects of the lake eutrophication became manifest beginning in the 1950's and brought to important changes in the planktonic community as the appearance and the rapid increase of the filamentous algaeOscillatoria rubescens andStephanodiscus hantzschii, and the disappearance of the zooplanktonic Diaptomidae. Since 1980 the phosphorus concentration began to decrease in lake's epilimnion and the planktonic community showed a new composition, evidencing the presence of others predominant species:Oscillatoria redekei, Lyngbya limnetica, Stephanodiscus sp. (little form). Since 1989 algal standing crop reduced its value below 2 g m^–2 (dry weight); furthermore a strong decrease of the Cyanophceae and the appearance of new predominant species (Tabellaria fenestrata, div. Ulotrichales) occurred. At the same time an increase of the herbivorous zooplankton (Daphnia hyalina) and the come-back of the Diaptomidae was observed. Only in the northern basin a decrease tendency of the primary production was observed, changing from 480 to about 300 g C m^–2 yr^–1 during the last 10 years.     

Past and present state of the ichthyofauna of Lake Lugano

The evolution of the ichthyofauna of Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano) during the past 120 years is characterized by the introduction of eight new fish species and by the possibly natural addition of the blenny (Blennius fluviatilis) in recent years. Introduced Salmonids such as charr (Salvelinus alpinus) and whitefish (Coregonus sp.) have established strong populations during the first half of this century, but have declined drastically thereafter. Likewise, the population of the native shad (Alosa fallax lacustris) has diminished significantly. A hydroacoustic survey of the pelagic fish stock of Lake Lugano in 1989 revealed the presence of a dense bleak (Alburnus albidus) population at 0 to 14 m depth. No other fish were found to be present in the pelagic zone. Oxygen and temperature distributions seem to confine the bleak to the uppermost layer in summer. In winter, very few fish were located by echosounding. Growth of bleak and roach (Rutilus rubilio) was difficult to interpret since data for comparison are lacking. Growth of perch (Perca fluviatilis) in the littoral zone was found to be slower than in other eutrophic lakes, for no obvious reason. Possible ways of restructuring the pelagic fish community are discussed.     

Seasonal changes of microbial populations in the sediments of the basins of Lugano and Agno

This research was carried out with the aim to explore the heterotrophic microbial population of two sediments in different oxic conditions of the Lake of Lugano (Lago di Lugano). The values of the viable bacterial counts found in our sediment samples were typical for an eutrophic lake.The increase in the proportion of anaerobic to aerobic bacteria at 30 °C observed in the sediment samples of Agno may reflect the depletion of oxygen concentrations in the water column.The generaAeromonas, Pseudomonas, Bacillus andClostridium, as well as strains belonging to the Coryneform-group, represented the major taxonomic groups of heterotrophic bacterial communities in the water-sediment interface.     

Density structure and tritium-helium age of deep hypolimnetic water in the northern basin of Lake Lugano

Long-term stratification of the deep hypolimnetic waters of the northern basin of Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano) has resulted in a lack of deep-water renewal which has persisted for decades. Tritium-helium age measurements reveal that deep water has not been in contact with the atmosphere since the 1960s. Higher primary production associated with the significant increase in phosphorus concentration which occurred at this time resulted in greater autochthonous gross sedimentation rates, increasing the rate of mineralization and, consequently, the rate of release of dissolved solids (mainly HCO ₃ ^- and Ca²⁺) into the deep hypolimnion. This gave rise to an intensification of the stratification and to a consequent reduction in the vertical exchange of hypolimnetic water layers. Today, the density stabilizing effect of ion release due to mineralization in the deep water is four to five times greater than the destabilizing effect of the geothermal heat flux from the earth's interior. It is known from laboratory experiments that such small density gradient ratios are likely to give rise to double-diffusive instabilities. However, even rudimentary mass balance calculations of biogeochemical components indicate that shear-induced turbulence, most likely generated by bottom currents, mixes far more efficiently than double diffusion. In the future, the biogenic density stratification is likely to persist in the deep water, unless the upward ion flux, driven by primary production, decreases by a factor of four to five.     

Aquatic system response to climatic and human changes: Productivity,bottom water oxygen status,and sapropel formation in Lake Lugano over the last 10 000 years

The Holocene record of Lake Lugano (southern basin: surface area 20.3 km², maximum depth 87 m) comprising organic carbon-rich sediments (sapropels), is divided into eight intervals based on radiocarbon- and varve-dating. The content of organic carbon, inorganic carbon, and biogenic silica, as well as the benthic remains of ostracods and oligochaetes, are converted into accumulation rates and benthic abundances in order to assess past production rates and bottom water oxygen status, respectively. The results suggest three periods of distinct palaeolimnological character: (i) low primary production combined with shifts between aerobic and anaerobic profundal conditions (prior to ca. 3000 BC), (ii) moderate rates of production combined with a relatively high profundal oxygen content (after ca. 1500 BC), and (iii), high production rates (460 g C m^–2 a^–1) combined with anaerobic profundal conditions (present eutrophic state). Corresponding organic carbon contents in the sediments are: up to 5% (i), 4% (ii), and 8% (iii). Until the beginning of this century, the flux of autochthonous sediments to the lake floor correlated with the fluctuations in the allochthonous sediment accumulation rate, indicating that catchment erosion largely controlled lacustrine production during the Holocene history of Lake Lugano. Pollen data show catchment-vegetational transformations at ca. 3500 BC (change from fir to beech forests), at 1400 BC (onset of cereal vegetation) and at ca. A.D. 450 (strong increase in various cultural plants). The first two changes had a relatively large imprint on lacustrine sedimentation. At ca. 3500 BP, erosion increase in the catchment was triggered by vegetation changes in the mountain zone above ca. 1000 m a. s. l., which may have been induced by climatic and human alteration (drop in the treeline altitude). Maximum catchment erosion occurred at ca. 1400 BC which was clearly dominated by human cultivation during the Bronze Age. More oxygenated profundal conditions in the lake after ca. 3000 BC are possibly related to a better mixing of the lake waters during the winter season by increased wind activity.     

太湖不同营养水平湖区沉积物磷形态与生物可利用磷的分布及相互关系

采用EDTA螯合剂法和不同的化学提取法,研究了太湖3个不同营养水平湖区中8个位点表层沉积物总磷、各组分磷及生物可利用磷的含量分布,探讨了太湖不同营养水平湖区表层沉积物的释磷潜力和生物可利用磷的来源．结果表明,太湖不同营养水平湖区表层沉积物总磷、无机磷和生物可利用磷含量分布差异较大,且与各湖的营养水平相一致．有机磷含量与有机质和含水率显著相关;沉积物中Fe-P和Ca-P对生物可利用磷的贡献较大,这部分磷具有较大的潜在释放风险．     

Role of pigments on algal communities and photosynthesis

A one-year study of phytoplankton, primary production and related physical and chemical factors was made in a Swiss basin of Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano). The chlorophylls and 12 carotenoids were analyzed with a TLC technique. The carotenoid monitoring was considered to be particularly interesting, because the role of these pigments in freshwater algae is still very poorly documented by field studies. The dependence of photosynthesis on several factors was statistically evaluated. Evidence was found of light-adaptation phenomena. The variations of photosynthetic activity and efficiency largely depended on the light regime in the few days before the field observations and on the cellular content of chlorophylls and single carotenoids, whose concentrations in their turn were closely linked with light, temperature, average cell size, and with the actual species assemblage.     

武汉东湖和南湖沉积物中磷形态分布特征与相关分析

采用七步连续提取法,探讨了东湖子湖(郭郑湖、庙湖)及南湖柱状沉积物中的水环境特征、不同赋存形态磷的垂向分布特征及所占的百分比,并分析了各形态磷之间的相关性.结果表明:通过分析采样点水环境特征,发现郭郑湖和南湖间隙水中总磷含量均高于上覆水体,并有较强的释放趋势;而庙湖间隙水中总磷含量小于上覆水,有较大的沉积趋势.通过分析不同赋存形态磷的垂向分布特征,发现可交换态磷、铝结合态磷、铁结合态磷和有机磷这几种生物活性磷含量随着深度的增加逐渐减少,并且15 cm以下含量变化不大;而闭蓄态磷、碎屑磷和自生钙磷这几种相对惰性的磷含量随着深度的增加变化趋势不明显.从不同形态磷的百分含量的变化幅度发现,南湖的变化范围最大,郭郑湖其次,庙湖的变化范围最小.各形态磷相关分析表明,郭郑湖总磷的增加主要来自于无机磷,其次来自于有机磷;庙湖总磷的增加主要来自于无机磷中的生物有效磷,有机磷对其贡献并不大;南湖无机磷和有机磷与总磷的关系都非常密切.     

滇池水-沉积物界面磷形态分布及潜在释放特征

通过现场调查和室内模拟实验,对滇池35个上覆水-沉积物磷的分布特征以及沉积物中磷释放动力学特征进行研究,结果表明:滇池表层沉积物中不同形态磷含量表现为:有机磷(OP)(1482.49±1156.82 mg/kg)钙结合态磷(Ca-P)(865.54±558.40 mg/kg)金属氧化物结合态磷(Al-P)(463.77±662.18 mg/kg)残渣态磷(Res-P)(218.52±83.11 mg/kg)可还原态磷(Fe-P)(128.13±101.56 mg/kg)弱吸附态磷(NH4Cl-P)(2.26±3.05 mg/kg);滇池上覆水草海总磷浓度处于劣Ⅳ类水平,外海不同湖区总磷浓度介于Ⅳ~Ⅴ类之间;滇池水体中的磷以颗粒态磷含量最高;滇池表层沉积物中磷的释放是由快反应和慢反应两部分组成.释放过程主要发生在前8 h内;不同区域沉积物磷的最大释放速率、最大释放量、磷的释放潜力平均值均表现为:草海外海北部外海南部湖心区;滇池表层沉积物中磷的释放主要由NH4Cl-P、Fe-P、Al-P和OP进行,其中,NH4Cl-P和Fe-P所占比重较大;磷的释放与上覆水中溶解性总磷、溶解态无机磷和溶解态有机磷呈显著正相关,预示着上覆水中磷的迁移转化更多地受到水-沉积物界面浓度梯度的控制,进一步说明不能以总磷含量来评价湖泊磷素释放的状况,需与磷形态及分布特征相结合进行分析.     

Evaluation of phosphorus bioavailability in El Mex Bay and Lake Mariut sediments

Phosphorus (P) fractions and their bioavailability in the sediments from El Mex Bay and Lake Mariut in Egypt were investigated using different chemical extraction methods. Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) extractable P (Olsen-P) was the largest fraction (14.42%), followed by algal available P (AAP) (3.56%), water soluble P (WSP) (0.79%), and readily desorbable P (RDP) (0.06%) for El Mex Bay. While AAP con-tributed 9.94% to total P in sediments from Lake Mariut, Olsen-P 8.53%, WSP 4.11%, and RDP 0.92%. Summation of the bioavailable P fractions didn't exceed the sediment quality guidelines, and, therefore, P doesn't represent a danger to marine organisms. Correlation coefficients showed that no apparent relations between total P (TP) and iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), and calcium (Ca) in the sediments. Fur-thermore, Fe:P ratio was less than 15 indicting that there was not enough Fe in surface sediments to bind to P at most of the sampling sites. The positive correlation between TP and organic matter (OM) for Lake Mariut and El Mex Bay sediments indicated that the organic matter content of the sediment was a useful predictor of the total phosphorus content. Data from this study constitute a baseline of phosphorus bioavailability in sediments from El Mex Bay and Lake Mariut and could be used as a reference for future studies on the changes of bioavailable and residual phosphorus fractions over time.     

鄱阳湖沉积物中磷的赋存形态及分布特征

利用分级提取法对鄱阳湖沉积物进行了磷形态的分级提取和测定,系统研究了沉积物中磷的赋存形态及分布特征.结果表明,鄱阳湖表层沉积物中磷的赋存形态主要包括铁磷(Fe-P)、钙磷(Ca-P)、铝磷(Al-P)、可溶性磷(DP)等无机磷(IP)及有机磷(OP),各形态磷的空间分布基本具有从河口地区监测点向湖区监测点方向升高的趋势,垂向分布上总磷及各形态磷含量随深度增加而降低.表层沉积物(0-2cm)中总磷含量为578.36-813.55mg/kg,主要由无机磷组成,无机磷中以Fe-P含量最高,最大值达350.24mg/kg,占总磷的40%以上,Ca-P、Al-P含量相当,约占总磷含量的20%左右,而以DP的含量最低,含量在5%以下.有机磷含量约占总磷含量的15%左右.另外,沉积物中TP含量与Fe-P、Al-P、Ca-P及OP均具有较好的相关性,且OP含量与Fe-P、Al-P也具有较好的正相关关系,而与Ca-P的相关性较弱.     

东洞庭湖沉积物覆水后磷形态变化及其释放量

研究干燥覆水后低流速条件下东洞庭湖沉积物中磷的形态变化及释放量,可以为轻度富营养化湖泊中磷的生物地球化学循环提供基础数据,为季节性湖泊內源营养盐的迁移转化规律研究、內源营养盐的释放风险评价提供理论依据.本文采集处于干湿交替状态的东洞庭湖表层沉积物,利用室内模拟装置,研究风干沉积物低流速条件下覆水后沉积物及上覆水中磷的形态变化.结果表明,低流速覆水后东洞庭湖沉积物中的磷向上覆水及大气中迁移释放,上覆水中磷的释放量随覆水时长增大,释放速率随覆水时长减小,上覆水流速和磷释放量相关性显著.上覆水循环过程中释放到上覆水中的溶解态有机磷比溶解态活性磷更容易吸附于颗粒物而转化为颗粒态磷.覆水后沉积物中各形态有机磷、无机磷及磷的生物有效性均发生转变,覆水初期沉积物中无机磷向有机磷转化,磷的生物可利用性增大;上覆水循环过程中有机磷向无机磷转化,磷的生物可利用性减小;覆水后沉积物的无机磷的主要组分由铝磷转变为铁磷,有机磷的主要组分有从中活性有机磷向活性有机磷转变的趋势.     

贵州红枫湖沉积物磷赋存形态的空间变化特征

选取贵州省红枫湖这一典型的亚深水型人工湖泊作为对象,研究了6个代表性湖区沉积物柱芯磷的赋存形态,结合水体温度和溶解氧现场监测结果,探讨了该类型湖泊沉积物内源磷释放风险.研究结果表明,红枫湖沉积物总磷含量普遍较高,表层沉积物总磷含量均值大于1500 mg/kg,明显高于下部沉积物.NaOH-SRP和rest-P是沉积物磷的主要赋存形态.NH4Cl-P和BD-P含量表层最高,随深度增加明显降低,rest-P含量在垂向上变化不大.人为活动是造成沉积物总磷及赋存形态空间分布差异的主要原因,工业废水和网箱养鱼活动等大大增加了沉积物NaOH-SRP含量.红枫湖深水湖区底部水温多在14.5～23.5℃之间,随季节变化底部水温差异明显,溶解氧含量通常不高于1.5 mg/L,整体处于季节性缺氧或厌氧状态.以NaOH-SRP为主的沉积物磷赋存形态和深水缺氧环境大大增加了红枫湖沉积物内源磷释放的风险,在未来的研究中亟待加强对该类型湖泊沉积物内源磷释放机制、控制因素及治理措施的研究.