Ferric- and calcium-loaded red soil assist colonization of submerged macrophyte for the in-situ remediation of eutrophic shallow lake: From mesocosm experiment to field enclosure application

Abstract

Eutrophication and its resulting harmful algal blooms greatly reduce the ecosystem services of natural waters. The use of modified clay materials to assist the phytoremediation of eutrophic water is a promising technique. In this study, ferric chloride and calcium hydroxide were respectively loaded on red soil for algal flocculation and phosphorus inactivation. A two-by-two factorial mesocosm experiment with and without the application of ferric- and calcium- loaded red soil (FA), and with and without planting the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria natans was conducted for the in-situ repair of eutrophic water and sediment. Furthermore, field enclosure application was carried out to verify the feasibility of the technology. At the end of the mesocosm experiment, the total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and ammonia nitrogen concentrations in water were reduced by 81.8 %, 63.3 %, and 62.0 %, respectively, and orthophosphate phosphorus concentration in the sediment-water interface decreased by 90.2 % in the FA + V. natans group compared with those in the control group. The concentration and proportion of chlorophyll-a in cyanobacteria decreased by 89.8 % and 71.2 %, respectively, in the FA + V. natans group. The content of active phosphorus in V. natans decreased and that of inert phosphorus increased in the FA + V. natans group, compared with those in the V. natans alone group, thus may reducing the risk of phosphorus release after decomposing of V. natans. The sediment bacterial diversity index did not change significantly among treatments. Field enclosure application have also been successful, with chlorophyll-a concentration in the water of treated enclosure decreased from above 200 μg/L to below 10 μg/L, and phosphorus concentration in the water decreased from >0.6 mg/L to <0.02 mg/L. These results demonstrated that the FA in combination with submerged macrophyte planting had great potential for the in-situ remediation of eutrophic water, especially those with severe algal blooms.

Keywords: Algae; Aquatic plant; Calcium; Microorganism; Red soil.