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Dredging method effects on sediment resuspension and nutrient release across the sediment-water interface in Lake Taihu, China

  • Sediment Environment, Pollution and Remediation
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Abstract

Environmental sediment dredging is one of the most common methods for the remediation of contaminated sediments in lakes; however, debate continues as to whether the effectiveness of dredging methods contributes to this phenomenon. To determine sediment resuspension and nutrient release following dredging with a variety of dredging methods, four dredging treatments at wind speeds of 0–5.2 m/s were simulated in this study, namely suction dredging (SD), grab dredging (GD), ideal dredging with no residual sediments (ID), and non-dredging (ND). Field sediments from suction and grab dredging areas (including post-dredged and non-dredged sediments) of Lake Taihu were used to assess the release abilities of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) from the sediment-water interface. The effects of residual sediments on nutrient concentrations in water were also evaluated. The results reveal that inhibition of resuspension of particulate matter and nutrients released through sediment dredging decreases with increasing levels of residual sediment. Total suspended particulate matter content in the mean water columns of ID, SD, and GD under wind-induced disturbance (1.7–5.2 m/s) decreased by 67.5%, 56.8%, and 44.3%, respectively; total nitrogen and total phosphorus in ID (SD) treatments were 19.8% (12.9%) and 24.5% (11.2%) lower than that in ND treatment. However, there were ~ 1.6 and 1.5 times higher SRP and NH4+-N in the GD treatment compared with the ND treatment at the end of the resuspension experiment (0 m/s). A significant increase in the SRP and NH4+-N release rates at the sediment-water interface was also observed in field sediments from a grab dredging area, indicating that GD may pose a short-term risk of nutrient release to the water body. Hence, dredging methods with less residual sediments both during and after dredging improves the dredging quality.

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Funding

This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 41771516 and 41807458) and the key Special Program on the Science and Technology for the Pollution Control and Treatment of Water Bodies of China (grant number 2013ZX07113001).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Chao Chen, Qiu-Shi Shen, Ji-Cheng Zhong & Cheng-Xin Fan

  2. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, China

    Chao Chen

  3. Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing, 210042, China

    Ming Kong

  4. Chengdu Environmental Protection Research Institute, Chengdu, 610072, China

    Yi-Yao Wang

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  1. Chao Chen
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  2. Ming Kong
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  3. Yi-Yao Wang
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  4. Qiu-Shi Shen
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  5. Ji-Cheng Zhong
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  6. Cheng-Xin Fan
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Correspondence to Ji-Cheng Zhong.

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Chen, C., Kong, M., Wang, YY. et al. Dredging method effects on sediment resuspension and nutrient release across the sediment-water interface in Lake Taihu, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 25861–25869 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06192-w

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