Abstract
The geochemistry, availability and abundance of different forms of phosphorus in soil, water and sediments are reviewed. The present knowledge of phosphorus pathways in ecosystems and their regulation is discussed.
In a drainage basin, anthropogenic phosphorus is brought into the system mainly as fertilizers and detergents. Sewer systems and outwash processes transfer the phosphorus from the terrestrial environment to the aquatic part of the ecosystem where an accumulation occurs in the sediments of the watercourse.
A great part of the phosphates in soil is sorbed to soil particles or incorporated into soil organic matter. The release and export of phosphorus from uncultivated soil is a function of the geology and soil composition, but also of the air temperature, precipitation and the hydrological condition, pH etc.
The solubility of phosphates is controlled by either sorption-desorption or precipitation-dissolution reactions depending on the environment in the soil or sediments. In soil and sediments with large amounts of iron and aluminium hydrous oxides, sorption-desorption reactions are largely responsible for determining the level of orthophosphate in the solution at equilibrium.
Algal availability of phosphorus associated with soil-derived materials present in aquatic systems deserves more research. In addition, processes responsible for transport of phosphorus from cropland to aquatic systems and chemical and microbial transformations of phosphorus in lakes and streams deserve more attention.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahl, T. & S. Odén, 1975. Närsaltkällor — en översikt. NORDFORSK, Helsinki, publ. 1975: 1: 99–133 (in Swedish).
Ahl, T. & T. Wiederholm, 1977. Svenska vattenkvalitetskriterier. Eutrofierande ämnen. Statens Naturvårdsverk. Stockholm PM-series 918. 124 pp. (in Swedish).
Alexander, G. R., 1978. The ratiande for a ban on detergent phosphate in the Great Lakes Basin. In Phosphorus in the Environment: its chemistry and biochemistry. A Ciba Foundation Symposium, Elsevier, Amsterdam: 269–284.
Bargh, B. J., 1977. Output of water, suspended sediment and phosphorus and nitrogen forms from a small forested catchment. New Zealand Forestry Science 7: 162–171.
Berge, D., S. Rognerud & M. Johannessen, 1979. Videreutvikling av fosforbelastningsmodellen for store sjiktede innsjøer. NIVA-årbok 1979, Oslo: 39–42 (in Norwegian).
Berkheiser, V. E., J. J. Street, P. S. C. Rao & T. L. Yuan, 1980. Partitioning of inorganic orthophosphate in soil-water systems. CRC Crit. Rev. Envir. Control. 10: 179–224.
Boström, B., M. Jansson & C. Forsberg, 1982. Phosphorus release from sediments. Arch. Hydrobiol. Beih. Ergebn. Limnol. 18: 5–59.
Brakke, D. F., 1977. Rainwater: nutrient additions to a hypereutrophic lake. Hydrobiologia 52: 159–163.
Brink, J. W., 1978. World resources of phosphorus. In Phosphorus in the environment: its chemistry and biochemistry. A Ciba Foundation Symposium. Elsevier, Amsterdam: 23–48.
Brown, E. J., R. F. Harris & J. F. Koonce, 1978. Kinetic of phosphate uptake by aquatic microorganisms: deviations from a simple Michaelis — Menten equation. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23: 26–34.
DePinto, J. U., J. K. Edzwald, M. S. Switzenbaum & T. C. Young, 1980. Phosphorus removal in lower Great Lakes municipal treatment plants. US Envir. Prot. Agency Rep. no. 600/2–80–177. Cincinnati, Ohio.
Dillon, P. J., 1975. The phosphorus budget of Cameron Lake, Ontario: The importance of flushing rate to the degree of eutrophy of lakes. Limnol. Oceanogr. 19: 28–39.
Dillon, P. J. & W. B. Kirchner, 1975. The effects of geology and land use on the export of phosphorus from watersheds. Wat. Res. 9: 135–148.
Dillon, P. J. & F. H. Rigler, 1975. A simple method for predicting the capacity of a lake for development based on lake trophic status. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 32: 1519–1531.
Duffy, P. D., J. D. Schreiber, D. C. McClurkin & L. L. McDowell, 1978. Aqueous — and sediment phase phosphorus yields from five Southern Pine Watersheds. J. Envir. Qual. 7: 45–50.
Einsele, W., 1936. Über die Beziehungen des Eisenkreislaufs zum Phosphatkreislauf im eutrophen See. Arch. Hydrobiol. 29: 644–686.
Enell, M., 1980. The phosphorus economy of a hyperthrophic seepage lake in Scania, south Sweden. Inst. Limnology, Univ. Lund., 190 pp.
Evdokimova, T. J., L. A. Grishina, V. D. Vasilyevskaya, E. M. Samvilova & T. L. Bytriskaya, 1976. Biogeochemical cycles of elements in some natural zones of european USSR. In B. H. Svensson & R. Søderlund (eds), Nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur-global cycles, — SCOPE Report 7. Ecol. Bull. Stockholm. 22: 135–155.
Gächter, R. & O. J. Furrer, 1972. Der Beitrag der Landwirtschaft zur Eutrophierung der Gewässer in Schweiz. Schweiz. Z. Hydrol. 34: 41–70.
Giles, C. H., 1970. Interpretation and use of sorption isotherms. In Sorption and transport processes in soils. S.C.I. Monograph No. 37: 14–32.
Griffith, E. J. 1973. Environmental phosphorus — An Editorial. In E. J. Griffith, A. Beeton, J. M. Spencer & D. T. Mitchell (eds), Environmental phosphorus handbook: J. Wiley & Sons, NY: 683–695.
Haapala, K., 1977. Luftburen föroreningstilförsel. Vattenstyrelsens observationer 1971–1976. NORDFORSK, Helsinki, publ. 1977: 2: 151–160 (in Swedish).
Harremöes, P., 1977. Betydningen of forurening fra regnafstrømning for valg of urbane aflobssystemer — en oversigt over nordisk litteratur og vurdering af status. Nordforsk, Helsinki, publ. 1977: 2: 293–316 (in Danish).
Hayward, D. O. & B. M. W. Trapnell, 1964. Chemisorption. Adsorption isotherms. Butterworths, London, 323 pp.
Hieltjes, A. H. M. & L. Lijklema, 1980. Fractionation of inorganic phosphates in calcareous sediments. J. Envir. Qual. 9: 405–407.
Jackson, J. A. & D. W. Schindler, 1975. The biogeochemistry of phosphorus in an experimental lake environment: evidence for the formation of humic — metal — phosphate complexes. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 19: 21–221.
Jacobsen, O. S., 1976. Exhaustion of mobile phosphorus from danish lake sediments. In N. Edberg & A. Wilander (eds), Biological metabolism in sediments. Statens Naturvårdsverk, Stockholm, PM-series 694: 145–160.
Jansson, M., 1977. Vattenbalans och kemiska budgetberäkningar för Stugsjöen 1971–1975. Koukkelprojektets rapport 5. Inst. of Limnology, Univ. Uppsala: 3–46 (in Swedish).
Jenkins, S. H. & W. H. Lockett, 1943. Loss of phosphorus during sewage purification. Nature, 151: 306–307.
Jones R. A., W. Rast & G. F. Lee, 1979. Relationship between summer mean and maximum chlorophyll a concentrations in lakes. Envir. Sci. Tech. 13: 869–870.
Kamp-Nielsen, L., 1974. Mud-water exchange of phosphate and other ions in undisturbed sediment cores and factors affecting the exchange rates. Arch. Hydrobiol. 73: 218–237.
Kamp-Nielsen, L., 1983a. A sediment-water exchange model for lakes in the Upper Nile Basin. In: D. M. Dubois (ed.), Progress in Ecological Engineering and Management by Mathematical Modelling. Ed. Cebedoc, Liège: 557–582.
Larsen, S., 1967. Soil phosphorus. Adv. Agron. 19: 151–210.
Lean, D. R. S., 1973a. Movements of phosphorus between its biologically important forms in lakewater. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 30: 1525–1536.
Lean, D. R. S., 1973b. Phosphorus dynamics in lake water. Science 179: 678–680.
McClellan, G. H. & T. P. Hignett, 1978. Some economic and technical factors affecting use of phosphate raw materials. In Phosphorus in the Environment; its chemistry and biochemistry. A Ciba Foundation Symposium. Elsevier, Amsterdam: 49–64.
McKelvey, V. E., 1973. Abundance and Distribution of Phosphorus in the Lithosphere. In E. J. Griffith, A. Beeton, J. M. Spencer & D. T. Mitchell (eds), Environmental Phosphorus Handbook: J. Wiley & Sons NY: 13–31.
Ministry of the Environment (Norway), 1985. Om tiltak mot vann- og luftforurensninger og om kommunalt avfall. St. med. nr. 51 (1984–85), Oslo: 93 (in Norwegian).
Mortimer, C. H., 1941. The exchange of dissolved substances between mud an water in lakes. I. J. Ecol. 29: 280–329.
Mortimer, C. H., 1942. The exchange of dissolved substances between mud and water in lakes II. J. Ecol. 30: 147–201.
Murphy, T. J. & P. V. Doskey, 1976. Input of phosphorus from precipitation to Lake Michigan. J. Great Lakes Res. 2: 60–70.
Norges offentlige Utredninger, 1982. Industrimineraler. NOU Oslo 1982: 24, 134 pp. (in Norwegian).
Olsen, S. R. & F. E. Khasawneh, 1980. Use and limitations of physical-chemical criteria for assessing the status of phosphorus in soils. In F. E. Khasawneh, E. C. Sample & E. J. Kamprath (eds.), The role of phosphorus in agriculture. Am. Soc. Agronomy, Crop Sci. Soc. Am. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Madison, Wisconsin: 361–410.
Psenner, R., 1984. Phosphorus release patterns from sediments of a meromictic mesotrophic lake (Piburger See, Austria). Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 22: 219–229.
Rigler, F. H., 1956. A tracer study of the phosphorus cycle in lake water. Ecology 37: 550–562.
Rigler, F. H., 1973. A Dynamic View of the Phosphorus Cycle in Lakes. In E. J. Griffith, A. Beeton, J. M. Spencer & D. T. Mitchell (eds), Environmental Phosphorus Handbook. J. Wiley & Sons NY: 539–568.
Ryden, J. C. & P. F. Pratt, 1980. Phosphorus removal from wastewater applied to land. Hilgardia 48: 1–36.
Sample, E. C., R. J. Soper & G. J. Racz, 1980. Reactions of phosphate fertilizers in soils. In F. E. Khasawneh, E. C. Sample & E. J. Kamprath (eds.). The role of phosphorus i agriculture. Am. Soc. Agronomy, Crop Sci. Soc. Am., Soil Sci. Soc. Am., Madison, Wisconsin: 263–310.
Schindler, D. W. & J. E. Nighswander, 1970. Nutrient supply and primary production in Clear Lake, eastern Ontario. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 27: 2009–2036.
Schindler, D. W., R. W. Newbury, K. G. Beaty & P. Campbell, 1976. Natural water and chemical budgets for a small precambrian lake basin in central Canada. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 33: 2526–2543.
Schaffner, W. R. & R. T. Oglesby, 1978. Phosphorus loadings to lakes and some of their responses. Part 1. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23: 120–134.
Sonzogni, W. C. & G. F. Lee, 1974. Nutrient Sources for Lake Mendota — 1972. Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci., Arts, Lett. 62: 133–164.
Sonzogni, W. C., S. C. Chapra, D. E. Armstrong & T. J. Logan, 1982. Bioavailability of Phosphorus. Inputs to Lakes. J. Envir. Qual. 11: 555–563.
Stumm, W. & J. J. Morgan, 1970. Aquatic chemistry. Wiley-Inter-science, NY, 583 pp.
Stuanes, A. O., 1982. Phosphorus sorption by soil. A review. In A. S. Eikum & R. W. Seabloom (eds), Alternative wastewater treatment; Low cost small systems, research and development. D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht: 145–152.
Syers, J. K., R. F. Harris & D. E. Armstrong, 1973. Phosphate chemistry in lake sediments. J. Envir. Qual. 2: 1–14.
Wetzel, R. G., 1975. Limnology. W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia, 743 pp.
Wild, A., 1950. The retention of phosphate by soil: A review. J. Soil. Sci. 1: 221–238.
Wollenweider, R. A., 1975. Input — output models with special reference to the phosphorus loading concept in limnology. Schweiz. Z. Hydrol. 37: 53–84.
Wollenweider, R. A. & J. J. Kerekes, 1981. Background and summary results of the OECD Cooperative program on eutrophication. In Restoration of lakes and inland waters. EPA-440/5–81–010. USEPA. Washington. D.C.: 26–35.