Effects of nitrate on phosphorus release: comparison of two Berlin lakes

Effects of nitrate on phosphorus release: comparison of two Berlin lakes

After installation of phosphorus elimination plants at the inflows of the eutrophic Lake Tegel and Schlachtensee, phosphorus (P) loading declined by a factor of 40 and 100, respectively. This resulted in a pronounced reduction of phosphorus concentrations in the lake water, followed by a decline of chlorophyll-a concentrations. However, for many years P release from sediments due to mineralization and desorption of sedimentary P continued. In Schlachtensee, the presence of nitrate above the sediment suppresses P release, because the Fe/P ratio is sufficient to provide enough aerobic sorption capacity. In Lake Tegel, some P release occurs even under aerobic conditions because of the low aerobic P sorption capacity of the sediments. There, nitrate could moderate the P release peaks which occur when the Fe-P cycle at the sediment water interface is disturbed by precipitation of iron sulfide after reduction of sulfate during times of high mineralization intensity. The potentially mobile P pool in the sediments of both lakes is rather small, indicating that the P release could subside after sufficient reduction of the external P load in Lake Tegel and the disruption of the internal P cycle in Schlachtensee.