Contribution of internal nutrients loading on the water quality of a reservoir

Hye Won Lee, Yong Seok Lee, Jonggun Kim, Kyoung Jae Lim, Jung Hyun Choi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Sediment plays an important role in the water quality of a lake by acting as both a nutrient source and sink. The amount of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water depends on the internal load from the sediment as well as the external load. To estimate the effects of sediment load on the water quality of a reservoir, we applied a three-dimensional hydrodynamic and transport model based on the benthic chamber experimental results at Euiam Lake, South Korea. As shown in the sensitivity analysis results, the eutrophication period could be significantly extended by a change of phosphorus flux rates from the sediments. The increased phosphorus flux from the sediments intensifies the algal growth of Euiam Lake, which could cause serious algal bloom during spring and fall. This study provides information on nutrient concentrations in the sediment of Euiam Lake, verifies the role of the sediment as a source or sink of nutrients, and evaluates the effect of sediment release of nutrients and contaminants on water quality. This research is a useful tool in determining the effects of internal load in lakes and establishing the operation guideline for sediment management in order to maintain feasible water quality for beneficial use.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1409
JournalWater (Switzerland)
Volume11
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jul 2019

Keywords

  • Benthic flux
  • Eutrophication
  • Internal load
  • Sediment
  • Water quality modeling

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