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Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus Loads to Western Lake Erie: The Hidden Influence of Nanoparticles.

Publication ,  Journal Article
River, M; Richardson, CJ
Published in: Journal of environmental quality
May 2019

Increased dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) fluxes in the Maumee River in the Western Lake Erie watershed have been cited as a cause of recent hypoxia and toxic algal blooms in Western Lake Erie. Dissolved reactive P is operationally defined as the molybdate-reactive P that passes through a 0.45-μm filter. Unfortunately, this 0.45-μm cutoff is not based on solute chemistry; rather, it is based on tradition dating back to the 1940s. This dissolved versus particulate operationally defined threshold may be limiting scientific understanding of the transport of reactive P in the Lake Erie watershed (and beyond). Naturally occurring nanoparticles smaller than 0.45 μm can pass through filters, inflating DRP values, as has been suggested by studies in other watersheds. Transmission electron microscopy of filtered samples from the Maumee River revealed nanoparticles of various mineralogy, which are rich in P. By analyzing public data, we estimate that approximately half of the DRP flux in the Maumee River is not truly dissolved orthophosphate; it is instead particulate P that has passed through 0.45-μm filters. We also conducted a centrifugation experiment on previously filtered samples that likewise removed 40% of DRP and 75% of Fe. The influence of nanoparticles on DRP loads to Lake Erie has implications, including (i) helping to elucidate where reactive P originates on the landscape, (ii) designing best management practices, and (iii) improving our models of ecological response of nonpoint P loading.

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Published In

Journal of environmental quality

DOI

EISSN

1537-2537

ISSN

0047-2425

Publication Date

May 2019

Volume

48

Issue

3

Start / End Page

645 / 653

Related Subject Headings

  • Rivers
  • Phosphorus
  • Nanoparticles
  • Lakes
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Agronomy & Agriculture
  • 41 Environmental sciences
  • 37 Earth sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
 

Citation

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River, M., & Richardson, C. J. (2019). Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus Loads to Western Lake Erie: The Hidden Influence of Nanoparticles. Journal of Environmental Quality, 48(3), 645–653. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2018.05.0178
River, Mark, and Curtis J. Richardson. “Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus Loads to Western Lake Erie: The Hidden Influence of Nanoparticles.Journal of Environmental Quality 48, no. 3 (May 2019): 645–53. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2018.05.0178.
River M, Richardson CJ. Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus Loads to Western Lake Erie: The Hidden Influence of Nanoparticles. Journal of environmental quality. 2019 May;48(3):645–53.
River, Mark, and Curtis J. Richardson. “Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus Loads to Western Lake Erie: The Hidden Influence of Nanoparticles.Journal of Environmental Quality, vol. 48, no. 3, May 2019, pp. 645–53. Epmc, doi:10.2134/jeq2018.05.0178.
River M, Richardson CJ. Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus Loads to Western Lake Erie: The Hidden Influence of Nanoparticles. Journal of environmental quality. 2019 May;48(3):645–653.

Published In

Journal of environmental quality

DOI

EISSN

1537-2537

ISSN

0047-2425

Publication Date

May 2019

Volume

48

Issue

3

Start / End Page

645 / 653

Related Subject Headings

  • Rivers
  • Phosphorus
  • Nanoparticles
  • Lakes
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Agronomy & Agriculture
  • 41 Environmental sciences
  • 37 Earth sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences