Abstract
The total nutrient inputs (emissions) from point and diffuse sources into 100 different river basins in Europe are compared with the measured load (transport). The catchment areas range between 121 and 194 000 km2. Other characteristic parameters of the basins, including specific runoff, surface water area and the nutrient concentration show large differences. Independent of the different methods applied for estimating nutrient emissions, these are in general higher than the actual transport. The ratio of the transport to the emission was used to exclude the effects of basin size and to facilitate comparisons between river basins. A statistical model of the retention, including net sedimentation and denitrification, is derived for the description of the discrepancy between the measured transport and the estimated total emission of nutrients, which is assumed to reflect retention of nutrients in a river system. It was found that the load-weighted retention of phosphorus is controlled practically only by the specific runoff of the basin. The load-weighted retention of nitrogen is further dependent on the proportion of the basin area occupied by surface water, the basin size itself and the mean annual nitrogen concentration at a specific monitoring station. Application of the statistical model reduces the mean deviation between the calculated emissions and the values given by different authors from about 40% to 20%.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Arnheimer, B. and M. Brandt, 1998. Modelling Nitrogen transport and retention in the catchments of Southern Sweden. Ambio 27: 471–480.
Behrendt, H., 1996. Inventories of point and diffuse sources and estimated nutrient loads — A comparison for different river basins in Central Europe. Wat. Sci. Technol. 33: 99–107.
Behrendt, H., 1999. Application of different methods of source apportionment of nutrients to river basins in Northern Germany. Wat. Sci. Technol. (in print).
Behrendt, H. and A. Bachor, 1998. Point and diffuse load of nutrients to the Baltic Sea by river basins of North East Germany (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). Wat. Sci. Technol. 38, 10, 147–155.
Behrendt, H., R. Korol, M. Stronska-Kedzia and W.-G. Pagenkopf, 1998. Nutrient emissions of point and diffuse sources, transport and retention within the Odra Basin and its main tributaries. Proceedings, International Conference `Management of trans-boundary waters in Europe’, 22–25 September 1997, Mrzezyno, Poland: 485–497.
Billen, G. J., 1993. The PHISON river system: a conceptual model of C, N and P transformations in the aquatic continuum from land to sea. In R. Wollast. F. T. Mackenzie and L. Chou (eds), Interactions of C, N,P and Si Biogeochemical Cycles and Global Change. NATO ASI Series 14: 141–161.
Billen, G., J. Gamier, C. Billen and E. Hannon, 1995. Global change in nutirent transfer from land to sea: biogeochemical processes in river systems. GMMA, Free Univ. of Brussels: 99 pp.
Blazkova, S., I. Nesmerak, M. Michalova and M. Kalinova, 1998. Das nationale Projekt Elbe II in den Jahren 1996 — 1997. In W. Geller et al. (eds), Gewässerschutz im Einzugsgebiet der Elbe. Teubner Stuttgart–Leipzig: 25–28.
Braun, P., 1994. Modellhafte Erarbeitung ökologisch begründeter Sanierungskonzepte kleiner Fließgewässer- Fallbeispiel Vils/Oberpfalz. Teilbericht Chemie. Bayerisches Landesamt für Wasserwirtschaft, Materialien, Nr. 35: 239 pp.
Dillon, P. J., 1975. A critical review of Vollenweider`s nutrient budget model and other related models. Wat. Resour. Bull. 10: 969–989.
Hilbricht-Illkowska, A., 1988. Transport and Transformation of phosphorus compounds in watersheds of baltic lakes. In H. Tiessen (ed.), Phosphorus Cycles in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems. Regional workshop 1: Europe, Proceedings of SCOPE workshop, University Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada: 193206.
Höhener, P. and R. Gächter, 1993. Prediction of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations in deep, seasonally stratified lakes based on the rates of DIN input and N-removal processes. Aquat. Sci. 55: 112–131.
Howarth, R. W., G. Billen, D. Swaney, A. Townsend, N. Jaworski, K. Lajtha. J. A. Downing, R. Elmgren, N. Caraco, T. Jordan, F. Berendse, J. Freney, V. Kudeyarov, P. Murdoch and Zhu Zhao-Liang, 1996. Regional nitrogen budgets and riverine N and P fluxes for the drainages to the North Atlantic Ocean: Natural and human influences. Biogeochemistry 35: 75–139.
ICWS, 1989. Scheldt river basin study. International Centre of Water Studies, 1CWS-report 89.09, Amsterdam: 43 pp.
Isermann, K., 1997. Die Stickstoff-und Phosphorbilanz im Donaueinzugsgebiet von Deutschland: Ausgangssituation, Lösungsansätze und Lösungsaussichten zu ihrer nachhaltigen Gestaltung. BNLA, Bericht: 163 pp.
Kelly, C. A., J. W. M. Rudd, R. H. Hesslein, D. W. Schindler, P. J. Dillon, C. T. Driscoll, S. A. Gherini and R. E. Hecky, 1987. Prediction of biological acid neutralization in acid sensitive lakes. Biogeochemistry 3: 129–141.
Kroiß, H., M. Zcßner, K. Deutsch, W. Schaar and N. Kreuzinger, 1997. Nährstoffbilanzen der Donauanrainerstaaten - Erhebungen für Österreich. TU-Wien, Institut für Wassergüte und Abfallwirtschaft. 154 pp.
Prasuhn, V., E. Spiess and M. Braun, 1996. Methoden zur Abschätzung der Phosphor-und Stickstoffeinträge aus diffusen Quellen in den Bodensee. Ber. Int. Gewässerschutzkommission Bodensee, 45: 113 pp.
Prasuhn, V. and M. Braun, 1994. Abschätzung der Phosphor-und Stickstoffverluste aus diffusen Quellen in die Gewässer des Kantons Bern: FAC Schriftenreihe, Nr. 17, Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt für Agrikulturchemie und Umwelthygiene, Liebfeld-Bern: 113 pp.
Probst, J. L., 1985. Nitrogen and phosphorus exportation in the Garonne basin (France). J. Hydrology 76: 281–305.
Raderschall, R., 1996. Abschätzung der diffusen Stoffeinträge in die Hunte über Ergebnisse aus Modell-Einzugsgebieten. Wasserwirtschaft 86: 14–18.
Ruhrverband, 1998. Emissions-und Immissionsbetrachtungen bezüglich der eutrophierenden Nährstoffe Stickstoff und Phosphor in der Ruhr. In: Ruhrwassergüte 1997. Ruhrverband, Essen: 66–75.
Svendsen, L. M. and B. Kronvang, 1993. Retention of nitrogen and phosphorus in a Danish lowland river system: implications for the export from the watershed. Hydrobiologia 251: 123–135.
Svendsen, L. M., H. Behrendt, H. Herata, S. Knuuttila and S. Salo, 1995. Guideline to estimate natural and anthropogenic contributions to riverine fluxes (source apportionment). TC-POLO 3/7 1995. Ad Hoc Expert Group on pollution Load to the Baltic Sea. Report of Third Meeting, Riga, Latvia, 5–8 June 1995, Helsinki Commission, Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, Annex 5.
Tonderski, A., 1997. Control of Nutrient fluxes in large river basins. Linköping Studies in Arts and Sciences, 157: 50 pp.
Vollenweider, R. A., 1968. The scientific basis of lake and stream eutrophication, with particular reference to phosphorus and nitrogen as eutrophication factors. Tech. Rep.. OECD, Paris, DAS/CSIJ68, 27: 182 pp.
Vollenweider, R. A. and J. Kerekes, 1982. Eutrophication of waters - Monitoring, assessment and control. Synthesis Report, OECD Paris: 154 pp.
Welker, M. and N. Walz, 1998. Can mussels control the plankton in rivers? — a planktological study applying a Lagrangian sampling strategy. Limnol. Oceanogr. 43: 753–762.
Werner, W., H.-W. Olfs, K. Auerswald and K. Isermann, 1991. Stickstoff-und Phosphoreintrag in Ober-flächengewässcr über `diffuse Quellen’. In A. Hamm (ed.), Studie Über Wirkungen und Qualitätsziele von Nährstoffen in Fließgewässern. Academia Verlag, Sankt Augustin: 665–764.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Behrendt, H., Opitz, D. (1999). Retention of nutrients in river systems: dependence on specific runoff and hydraulic load. In: Garnier, J., Mouchel, JM. (eds) Man and River Systems. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 146. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2163-9_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2163-9_13
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5393-0
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-2163-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive