The Influence of Sediment Sources and Hydrologic Events on the Nutrient and Metal Content of Fine-Grained Sediments (Attert River Basin, Luxembourg)

Nutrient (C, N and P) and metal (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) content and dynamics of suspended and channel bed sediments were analysed within the rural Attert River basin (Luxembourg). This basin is representative of the main physiographic characteristics of the country, where there is currently little i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water, air, and soil pollution air, and soil pollution, 2012-11, Vol.223 (9), p.5685-5705
Main Authors: Martínez-Carreras, Núria, Krein, Andreas, Gallart, Francesc, Iffly, Jean-François, Hissler, Christophe, Pfister, Laurent, Hoffmann, Lucien, Owens, Philip N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Basins
Basins (Geology)
Chromium
Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts
Copper
Earth and Environmental Science
Environment
Environmental monitoring
Fluvial sediments
Freshwater
Geomorphology
Grasslands
Hydrogeology
Hydrology
Low flow
Metal concentrations
Metals
Nutrient concentrations
Nutrient content
Nutrient sources
Nutrients
Pollutants
Pollution control
Precipitation
Precipitation (Meteorology)
Rain
Rainy season
River basins
Rivers
Runoff
Sediment concentration
Sediment samplers
Sediment transport
Sediment, Suspended
Sediments
Soil Science & Conservation
Storm runoff
Streambeds
Studies
Suspended sediments
Wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment plants
Water quality
Water Quality/Water Pollution
Water treatment
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Summary:Nutrient (C, N and P) and metal (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) content and dynamics of suspended and channel bed sediments were analysed within the rural Attert River basin (Luxembourg). This basin is representative of the main physiographic characteristics of the country, where there is currently little information available on the composition and dynamics of fluvial sediment. Stream bed fine-grained sediment samples ( n  = 139) collected during low flow conditions and time-integrated suspended sediment samples ( n  = 183) collected during storm runoff events (October 2005 to April 2008) in seven nested basins ranging from 0.45 to 247 km 2 were analysed. Nutrient and metal spatial patterns, temporal trends and the relationship between their content and storm runoff characteristics (e.g. maximum discharge and sediment concentration) were assessed. Results showed a high spatial and temporal variability, mainly associated with basin characteristics and local inputs. Higher values of total C were measured in the highly forested basins located in the northern part of the Attert River basin, whereas the highest values of total P were mainly associated with material coming from grassland and with the inflow of wastewater treatment plants (i.e. higher values of total P were measured in the southern part of the basin). The abundance of metals, not only in suspended but also in channel bed sediments, was generally as follows: Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cu. Both nutrient and metal concentrations were at a maximum at the beginning of the wet season, after having been accumulated during the summer. These values tended to decrease during autumn and winter due to sediment mobilisation, and a higher flow capacity to transport coarser particle fractions from the sources. In general, concentrations of nutrients and metals on suspended sediment were negatively correlated with antecedent precipitation, total precipitation, total specific discharge and maximum discharge, which has been previously associated to a ’dilution’ effect during storm runoff events. Results show that both sediment sources and hydrologic events play an important role on the spatial and temporal variability of sediment-associated nutrient and metal contents.
ISSN:0049-6979
1573-2932
DOI:10.1007/s11270-012-1307-1