Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seasonal variations of dissolved inorganic nutrients transported to the Linjiang Bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Field surveys were carried out from January 2007 to December 2008 to investigate seasonal variations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP) transported to the Linjiang Bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China. The results revealed that both DIN and DIP exhibited large seasonal variability. DIN (dominated by NH4–N) concentrations were drastically higher in the dry season than those in the rainy season, and the same seasonal patterns of DIP concentrations and DIN and DIP fluxes were observed but inverse to that of DIN concentrations. The interannual variation in DIN fluxes descended by 28.2% from 2007 to 2008, while DIP fluxes increased by 40.9%, which were closely constant with interannual changes in DIN and DIP concentrations, respectively. The study indicated that nutrient fluxes (DIN and DIP) were strongly correlated with both nutrient concentrations and river discharge, and the Linjiang Bay received approximately 3,416 × 103 kg DIN and 324 × 103 kg DIP every year. In addition, DIN mainly originated from point sources, but DIP originated from non-point sources. It is shown that to control point source pollution is the most effective step for water quality improvement and reducing nutrient loading inputs in the Linjiang Bay.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arhonditsis, G. B., Winder, M., Brett, M. T., & Schindler, D. E. (2004). Patterns and mechanisms of phytoplankton variability in Lake Washington (USA). Water Research, 38, 4013–4027.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Badr, E. A., Tappin, A. D., & Achterberg, E. P. (2008). Distributions and seasonal variability of dissolved organic nitrogen in two estuaries in SW England. Marine Chemistry, 110, 153–164.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bowes, M. J., Leach, D. V., & House, W. A. (2005). Seasonal nutrient dynamics in a chalk stream: The River Frome, Dorset, UK. Science of the Total Environment, 336, 225–241.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cao, C. J., Qin, Y. W., Zheng, B. H., & Huang, M. S. (2008). Analysis of phosphorus distribution characters and their sources of the major input rivers of Three Gorges Reservoir. Environmental Science, 29(2), 310–315 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Domagalski, J., Lin, C., Luo, Y., Kang, J., Wang, S. M., Brown, L. R., et al. (2007). Eutrophication study at the Panjiakou–Daheiting Reservoir system, northern Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China: Chlorophyll-a model and sources of phosphorus and nitrogen. Agricultural Water Management, 94, 43–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duan, S. W., Liang, T., Zhang, S., Wang, L. J., Zhang, X. M., & Chen, X. B. (2008). Seasonal changes in nitrogen and phosphorus transport in the lower Changjiang River before the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 79, 239–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, A. C., & Withers, P. J. A. (2008). Transport and delivery of suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus from various sources to freshwaters in the UK. Journal of Hydrology, 350, 144–153.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gunes, K. (2008). Point and nonpoint sources of nutrients to lakes—ecotechnological measures and mitigation methodologies—case study. Ecological Engineering, 34, 116–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jia, H. Y., Lei, A. L., Lei, J. S., Ye, M., & Zhao, J. Z. (2007). Effects of hydrological processes on nitrogen loss in purple soil. Agricultural Water Management, 89, 89–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lau, S. S. S., & Lane, S. N. (2002). Biological and chemical factors influencing shallow lake eutrophication: A long-term study. Science of the Total Environment, 288, 167–181.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Y., Jin, X., Nian, Y., Hu, S., & Hu, X. (2007). Artificial floating island technology and its applied research. Technology of Water Treatment, 33(10), 49–51 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, F. Q., Ye, L., Liu, R. Q., Cao, M., & Cai, Q. H. (2008). Dynamics of main nutrient input to Xingjian Bay of the Three-Gorges Reservoir. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 28(5), 2073–2079.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luo, Z. X., Zhu, B., Zheng, B. H., & Zhang, Y. (2007). Nitrogen and phosphorus loadings in branch backwater reaches and the reverse effects in the main stream in Three Gorges Reservoir. China Environmental Science, 27(2), 208–212 (in Chinese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luo, G. Y., Han, J. K., Xiao, H., Wu, S., & Xu, X. Y. (2008). Study on Linjiang River by Canna indica and Cyperus alternifolius artificial floating rafts. Technology of Water Treatment, 34(8), 46–54 (in Chinese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Masson, D., & Peña, A. (2009). Chlorophyll distribution in a temperate estuary: The Strait of Georgia and Juan de Fuca Strait. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 82, 19–28.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Naiman, R. J., Latterell, J. J., Pettit, N. E., & Olden, J. D. (2008). Flow variability and the biophysical vitality of river systems. Comptes Rendus Geoscience, 340, 629–643.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nezlin, N. P., Kamer, K., Hyde, J., & Stein, E. D. (2009). Dissolved oxygen dynamics in a eutrophic estuary, Upper Newport Bay, California. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 82, 139–151.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pannard, A., Claquin, P., Klein, C., Roy, B. L., & Véron, B. (2008). Short-term variability of the phytoplankton community in coastal ecosystem in response to physical and chemical conditions’ changes. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 80, 212–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Redfield, A. C. (1958). The biological control of chemical factors in the environment. American Scientist, 46, 205–222.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • State Environmental Protection Administration of China (2002). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (Fourth version). Beijing: Environmental Science Publication in China (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun, L. P., Liu, Y., & Jin, H. (2009). Nitrogen removal from polluted river by enhanced floating bed grown Canna. Ecological Engineering, 35, 135–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vermaat, J. E., McQuatters-Gollop, A., Eleveld, M. A., & Gilbert, A. J. (2008). Past, present and future nutrient loads of the North Sea: Causes and consequences. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 80, 53–59.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, X. L., Lu, Y. L., He, G. Z., Han, J. Y., & Wang, T. Y. (2007). Exploration of relationships between phytoplankton biomass and related environmental variables using multivariate statistic analysis in a eutrophic shallow lake: A 5-year study. Journal of Environmental Science, 19, 920–927.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, C., & Qiu, X. M. (2008). Global distribution of summer chlorophyll blooms in the oligotrophic gyres. Progress in Oceanography, 78, 107–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, T. T., Cao, J. S., Zhou, Y., & Zhou, L. (2007). Purification effect of cold-tolerant Festuca arudinces in heavy polluted river, Suzhou. Journal of Lake Science, 19(5), 618–621 (in Chinese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yin, K. D., & Harrison, P. J. (2008). Nitrogen over enrichment in subtropical Pearl River estuarine coastal waters: Possible causes and consequences. Continental Shelf Research, 28, 1435–1442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin, Z. Z., Deng, C. G., & Xu, J. (2006). Research on eutrophication in the backwater reach of tributaries of the Three Gorges Reservoir after second water storage. Journal of Anhui Agricultural Science, 34(19), 4998–5000 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeng, H., Song, L. R., Yu, Z. G., & Chen, H. T. (2006). Distribution of phytoplankton in the Three-Gorge Reservoir during rainy and dry seasons. Science of the Total Environment, 367, 999–1009.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, S., Li, C. M., Zheng, B. H., Zhai, C. Q., Zheng, J., & Zhang, Q. (2007). Trophic states and nutrient output of tributaries in Three Gorges Reservoir area. Environmental Science, 28(3), 500–505 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng, B., Cao, C., Qin, Y., & Huang, M. (2008). Analysis of nitrogen distribution characters and their sources of the major input rivers of Three Gorges Reservoir. Environmental Science, 29(1), 1–6 (in Chinese).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong, C. H., Xing, Z. G., Zhao, W. Q., Wang, D. R., Deng, C. G., & Xing, M. (2005). Eutrophication investigation and assessment of the Daning River after water storage of the Three Gorges Reservoir. Chinese Journal of Geochemistry, 24(2), 149–154.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400045, China

    Guyuan Luo, Faping Bu & Xiaoyi Xu

  2. Faculty of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China

    Jia Cao & Weiqun Shu

Authors
  1. Guyuan Luo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Faping Bu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xiaoyi Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jia Cao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Weiqun Shu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Faping Bu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Luo, G., Bu, F., Xu, X. et al. Seasonal variations of dissolved inorganic nutrients transported to the Linjiang Bay of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China. Environ Monit Assess 173, 55–64 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1370-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1370-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation