Sorption Characteristics of Sediments in the Upper Mississippi River System Above Lake Pepin.
Abstract
This technical note examines equilibrium phosphorus processes and sorption characteristics for sediments collected from the Minnesota River, immediately upstream from its confluence with the Upper Mississippi River (UMR), and from Lake Pepin of the UMR, located approximately 70 miles downstream of the Minnesota River inflow. Suspended sediments can play an important role in the regulation of nutrient dynamics and primary productivity in aquatic systems by influencing nutrient concentrations in the water column through equilibrium processes (adsorption- desorption) between solid and aqueous phases (Meyer 1979, Mayer and Gloss 1980, Froelich 1988). In particular, adsorption-esorption reactions may be the primary means of controlling phosphorus (P) concentrations in the water column for water bodies receiving high suspended sediment loadings via the watershed. Since phosphorus is generally an important nutrient for phytoplankton growth in freshwater systems, there is a need to examine and understand phosphorus equilibrium processes and fluxes in relation to soluble phosphorus concentrations and overall primary productivity. Very little information exists that links watershed-derived suspended sediment transport to phosphorus adsorption/ desorption processes and to the regulation of soluble phosphorus concentrations in aquatic systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA367388
Entities
People
- H. L. Eakin
- J. W. Barko
- W. F. James