Opportunities for combining data of Estonian and Russian monitoring to reflect on water quality in large transboundary Lake Peipsi.

Lake Peipsi, one of the world's largest lakes, is shared between Estonia and Russia. The water quality in different parts of the lake has so far been assessed independently. Here we explore opportunities for combining data of Estonian and Russian monitoring. For that, we 1) analysed the compatibility of data for some water quality variables; 2) estimated the potential effects of the differences in sampling frequency; 3) provided a few regression models to calculate the missing data for months not sampled by the Russian side. Data of the concurrent Estonian and Russian sampling indicated a good compatibility. Estonian data analysis suggested that water quality assessment results are sensitive to sampling frequency. For example, total phosphorus (TP) in the largest basin showed a long-term decreasing trend in three month data that disappeared when data for other months were added. Disregarding some months may lead to under- or overestimation of certain factors with no consistency in the response of different basins. Hence, data of the whole ice-free period are recommended for an adequate water quality assessment. Furthermore, we demonstrated that monthly values of the water quality variables of the same year are autocorrelated. Based on this, we filled the gaps in the long-term data and compiled a dataset for the whole lake that enables its most comprehensive use in water quality assessment and management. Long-term data revealed no water quality improvement of Lake Peipsi. Further reduction of the external nutrient load is needed. Eutrophication is sustained by high internal phosphorus load.

Recycling eutrophic lake sediments into grass production: A four-year field experiment on agronomical and environmental implications.

Inefficient use of phosphorus (P) fertilizers leads to the transfer of P into water bodies, causing their eutrophication. Sediment removal is a promising lake restoration strategy that removes nutrients including P accumulated in lake sediments, and opens the opportunity to use removed nutrients in agriculture. In the present study, we investigated the effects of using a thick layer of sediment from the eutrophic Lake Mustijärv on plant growth, and estimated the environmental impacts of different sediment application methods by analyzing greenhouse gas emissions, N and P leaching, aggregate stability, and soil biota. The field experiment (2017-2020) was established on the lake shore with the following treatments: the agricultural control soil (Soil) surrounding the lake, pure sediment (Sed), biochar-treated sediment (SB), and biochar and soil mixed with sediment (SSB). The sediment-based treatments resulted in a similar grass growth performance to the Soil. The availability of most macro- and micronutrients including P (75 vs. 21 g m-3) were far greater in the Sed compared to the Soil. The sediment-based growing media emitted more CO2 than the Soil (579 vs. 400 mg CO2 - C m-2 h-1) presumably due to the high rate of organic matter decomposition. The bacterial and fungal community structures of the Sed were strongly differentiated from those of Soil. Also, Sed had lower bacterial diversity and a higher abundance of the bacterial phyla associated with solubilizing P including Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi. Sediment-based growing media increased more than seven times the risk of mineral N and P leaching, and the biochar treatment only had a short-lived beneficial effect on reduction of the sediment's leached P concentration. The sediment application rate should be adjusted to match the crop requirements to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient leaching when upscaling the case study to larger lakes with similar sediment properties.

The role of humic substances in sediment phosphorus release in northern lakes.

In northern lakes, which are often stained and productive, the impacts of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on sediment phosphorus (P) release are largely unexplored. Here we elucidated the factors behind experimentally-derived sediment release rates of P by diffusion (DF) in four Finnish lakes with a range of colour. Next, we extended our analysis to a larger set of northern lakes for further insights regarding possible implications of organic substances on sediment P release. The significant correlation between pore-water soluble reactive P and dissolved iron, and a positive effect of iron-bound sedimentary P (Fe-P) on DF supports the classic paradigm of redox-dependent P release in the four Finnish lakes studied. Nevertheless, the P release from Fe-P may be inhibited by humic substances, as we observed lower Fe-P and negative DF in two humic rich lakes (high DOC). The analysis of a larger set of northern lakes supported the negative effect of humic substances on P release rate (RR) determined by in situ P increases. In this dataset, DOC correlated positively with water colour and negatively with RR. Furthermore, multiple stepwise regression analysis selected sediment total P and organic matter content in sediments (LOI) as the best predictors of RR, similar to a previously published model by Nürnberg (1988). While the model predictions (RRpred) were correlated to RR in the present study, they tended to overestimate RR that was determined in closed experimental systems. The inhibiting effects of humic substances on RR may be manifested in both internal P loading and primary production.

Sediment phosphorus mobility in Võrtsjärv, a large shallow lake: Insights from phosphorus sorption experiments and long-term monitoring.

Sediment phosphorus (P) recycling is one of the key issues in lake water quality management. We studied sediment P mobility in Võrtsjärv, a large shallow lake in Estonia using both sorption experiments and long-term (1985-2020) monitoring data of the lake. Over the years studied, the lake has undergone a decline in external phosphorus loading (EL), while no improvement in phytoplankton indicators was observed. The results of the sorption experiments revealed that it may be successfully used as a tool to determine P forms involved in P retention, as up to 100% of the P from the water column was detected in sediments. Incubation of wet sediment is preferred to dry because of the sensitivity of organic P to desiccation. In the sediments of Võrtsjärv, the labile P (Lab-P) and iron bound (Fe-P) fractions are the major forms of the mobile pool that supply internal P load as sediment released P. The internal P load calculated from summer total P (TP) increases (ILin situ) in the water column was on average 42%, but could reach 240% of EL at extreme environmental conditions. ILin situ was correlated with the active area, which resembles the area involved in redox-related P release in polymictic lakes, and with the mean bottom shear stress in summer. ILin situ showed a similar decreasing pattern as the external P load over the years 1985-2020, and was likely driven by the decrease of the pool of releasable P. Similarly, the decreases in sediment loading by P retention in our P sorption experiment were associated with decreases in the concentration of the potentially mobile P forms (mainly Lab-P and Fe-P). These results show that changes in external P loading can successfully control internal P loading and are useful in water quality management of large lakes.

Recycling lake sediment to agriculture: Effects on plant growth, nutrient availability, and leaching.

Sediment removal from eutrophicated shallow lakes may not only be an effective method for lake restoration but also provides the potential for recycling nutrients from sediments to crop production. However, finding a suitable strategy for sustainably reusing the sediment remains a challenge. Therefore, current study focused on the best practices in applying the sediment from a shallow eutrophicated lake to the soil in terms of grass yield, nutrient uptake, and nutrient leaching. During a nine-month lysimeter experiment, 100-cm high columns were filled with six combinations of soil, sediment, and biochar, with or without meat bone meal organic fertilizer. Aboveground biomass, root mass distribution in soil, nutrient concentration, phosphorus (P) uptake of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) along with easily soluble nutrients in the growing medium, and leached mineral nitrogen (N) and P levels were measured. Plant growth conditions were improved by sediment additions, as the yield and P uptake of ryegrass nearly doubled in treatments containing sediment compared to the control soil. While the sediment was richer in macro and micronutrients (e.g. P and N) compared to the soil, the leached N and P levels from both treatments were almost equivalent (N < 830 mg m-2 and P < 3 mg m-2). In addition, applying a 2-cm layer of biochar between the sediment and soil reduced P and N leaching by 50%. According to the results, applying a 75-cm thick layer of sediments on agricultural sandy loam soils surrounding the lake seems a promising practice for improving plant yield and soil nutrient status without increasing of P and N leaching from soil.

Internal phosphorus loading in a small shallow Lake: Response after sediment removal.

Mankind is taking advantage of numerous services by small shallow lakes such as drinking water supply, irrigation, and recreational function; however, many of these lakes suffer from eutrophication. Given the key role of phosphorus (P) in eutrophication process, one of the effective restoration methods especially for small shallow lakes is removal of sediments enriched with nutrients. In our study, we used interannual, seasonal, and spatial data to examine the changes in sediment P mobility after removal of sediments in 2016 from a 1-ha highly eutrophic lake. We measured the sediment redox potential, analyzed soluble reactive P (SRP) in the pore water and P fractional composition of the surface sediments, and calculated the diffusive flux of P in three locations in two continuous years (2017 and 2018) after the excavation. Similar measurements were done before sediment removal at central site of the lake in 2015. Removing nutrient-rich sediment also removed 6400 kg of P, and thus the potential for release of P from sediments decreased on a long-term scale. However, a large pool of releasable P was rebuilt soon after the sediment removal due to high external P loading, resulting in extensive anoxia of sediment surface and associated internal P loading as high as 1450 mg m-2 summer-1. Moreover, the Fe-P and labile P fractions were the most important sources of P release, as evidenced by their considerable seasonal and interannual changes after the sediment removal. The sediment total Fe negatively correlated with diffusive flux of P, pore water SRP, and near-bottom water total P and SRP concentrations which indicated a strong linkage between sediment P dynamics and Fe after the restoration. Sediment removal could be a beneficial restoration approach, but the effects on lake water quality remain only short-term unless there is an adequate control on external loading to the lake.

Using Microcystin Gene Copies to Determine Potentially-Toxic Blooms, Example from a Shallow Eutrophic Lake Peipsi.

Global warming, paired with eutrophication processes, is shifting phytoplankton communities towards the dominance of bloom-forming and potentially toxic cyanobacteria. The ecosystems of shallow lakes are especially vulnerable to these changes. Traditional monitoring via microscopy is not able to quantify the dynamics of toxin-producing cyanobacteria on a proper spatio-temporal scale. Molecular tools are highly sensitive and can be useful as an early warning tool for lake managers. We quantified the potential microcystin (MC) producers in Lake Peipsi using microscopy and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and analysed the relationship between the abundance of the mcyE genes, MC concentration, MC variants and toxin quota per mcyE gene. We also linked environmental factors to the cyanobacteria community composition. In Lake Peipsi, we found rather moderate MC concentrations, but microcystins and microcystin-producing cyanobacteria were widespread across the lake. Nitrate (NO3-) was a main driver behind the cyanobacterial community at the beginning of the growing season, while in late summer it was primarily associated with the soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentration. A positive relationship was found between the MC quota per mcyE gene and water temperature. The most abundant variant-MC-RR-was associated with MC quota per mcyE gene, while other MC variants did not show any significant impact.

The actual role of oxygen deficit in the linkage of the water quality and benthic phosphorus release: Potential implications for lake restoration.

Human activities in watersheds have resulted in huge accumulations of phosphorus (P) in sediments that have subsequently hindered restoration efforts of lake water quality managers worldwide. Much controversy exists about the factors that control the release of P from sediments (internal P loading). One of the main debates concerns the role of oxygen deficit (anoxia) in the regulation of water quality. Our results based on a comprehensive set of lakes worldwide demonstrate that internal P loading (IPtot) plays a significant role in water quality regulation. Internal P loading due to anoxia (IPanox) contributes significantly to the IPtot. However, this contribution is insufficient to significantly increase the chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration in stratifying lakes. In the lakes of the north temperate and boreal zone, this is because the IPanox reaches surface water layer in the end of the growing season. Observed water quality implications of IPtot are most likely caused by the sedimentary P that actually originates from the shallow areas. These findings suggest limitations for the use of aeration (improvement of the oxygen conditions in the hypolimnion) in lake water quality restoration. Moreover, lake ecosystem managers can benefit from our model that enables to predict anoxia triggered sedimentary P release from the combination of lake characteristics. The final decision on the use of aeration is indeed unique to each lake, and lake specific targets should be considered.

Persistency of artificial aeration at hypertrophic Lake Tuusulanjärvi: A sociohistorical analysis.

With present-day scientific evidence challenging the efficiency of artificial aeration as an effective restoration method for eutrophicated lakes, our sociohistorical investigation traces the reasons for the persistent support for this method in Finland, where about one hundred lakes are subject to this treatment. Our study employed the concepts of technological path and aeration frame to analyze the extensive restoration and aeration history of the hypertrophic Tuusulanjärvi in southern Finland. Continuously aerated since 1972, it has the longest history of aeration in Finland. Qualitative analysis of documentary and archival sources revealed that the longstanding preference for aeration in the context of increasing scientific controversy was based on its functional versatility and seemingly unproblematic applicability in regard to shifting emphasis and goal setting of restoration. Additionally, the stability of the aeration frame has been supported by the practical and emotional attachment of local residents to lake restoration, particularly aeration, and finally the problems and contradicting interests related to alternative restoration methods.

Internal phosphorus loading across a cascade of three eutrophic basins: A synthesis of short- and long-term studies.

Ascertaining the phosphorus (P) release processes in polymictic lakes is one of the methodologically most complex questions in limnology. In the current study, we combined short- and long-term investigations to elucidate the role of sediments in the P budget in a chain of eutrophic lake basins. We quantified the internal loading of P in three basins of Lake Peipsi (Estonia/Russia) for two periods characterized by different external P loadings using radiometrically dated sediment cores (long-term studies). The relationships between different water quality variables and the internal P loading, and the external P loading were studied. Our short-term studies aimed at elucidating the possible mechanisms behind variations in internal P loading included examination of the surficial sediments, i.e., seasonal measurements of redox potential, sediment pore water P concentrations and diffusive fluxes. Our results provided evidence for a potentially high importance of internal P loading in regulating water quality. The sediment core analyses revealed an increase in the internal P loading during the period of lower external P loading coinciding with the general deterioration in the lake water quality (i.e, higher concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus, total phosphorus and biomass of cyanobacteria). Increase in wave action between the two studied periods appeared to cause more frequent sediment resuspension, and thus be the most likely reason for the variations in internal P loading. Our short-term measurements indicated that resuspension events can be followed by a considerable increase in the diffusive fluxes.