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Validation and Assessment of Diffusive Gradients in Thin-Films (DGT) Technique for Measuring Nutrients in Taihu Lake Water with Algae Bloom

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Abstract

DGT (diffusive gradients in thin films) technique has been developed for measuring nitrogen in freshwaters and applied to assess the bioavailability of phosphorus in soils/sediments. These two elements are the main nutrients causing algae bloom, but DGT has never been used in the field water conditions with algae bloom. In our study, a pair of DGT devices were used in comparison with grab sampling to characterize the performance of this technique to measure labile NO3-N, NH4-N, and PO4-P concentrations in algae-cultivated Taihu Lake water. The results showed that DGT measurement was highly affected by algae bloom and the environmental conditions using the current assemblies, especially for NH4-N measurement. For in situ measurement of nutrients in the real environment, an improvement to the DGT technique is required. The comprehensive assessment of the level of eutrophication needs to consider a variety of environmental factors rather than just the concentration of nutrients.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by National Key Research and Development Plans of Special Project for Site soils (No. 2019YFC1805201, 2018YFC1801002 and 2018YFC1800602) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41771271, 41977111, and 21637002).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Jiangsu, 210023, China

    Danxing Yang, Haiyi Chen, Haitao Sun, Jun Luo & Yanying Li

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  1. Danxing Yang
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  2. Haiyi Chen
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  3. Haitao Sun
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  4. Jun Luo
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  5. Yanying Li
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Correspondence to Yanying Li.

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Yang, D., Chen, H., Sun, H. et al. Validation and Assessment of Diffusive Gradients in Thin-Films (DGT) Technique for Measuring Nutrients in Taihu Lake Water with Algae Bloom. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 108, 943–948 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-022-03470-1

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