Four kinds of capping materials for controlling phosphorus and nitrogen release from contaminated sediment using a static simulation experiment

Highlights

• Lanthanum modified bentonite (LMB) can effectively absorb phosphorus (P).

• Water treatment plant sludge (WTPS) capping is effective for controlling P release.

•Aluminum-based P-inactivation agent (Al-PIA) is an efficient P control material.

•The P adsorbed by WTPS and Al-PIA is mainly in the form of NAIP.

Abstract

We determined the effects of quartz sand (QS), water treatment plant sludge (WTPS), aluminum-based P-inactivation agent (Al-PIA), and lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) thin-layer capping on controlling phosphorus and nitrogen release from the sediment, using a static simulation experiment. The sediment in the experiment was sampled from Yundang Lagoon (Xiamen, Fujian Province, China), which is a eutrophic waterbody. The total phosphorus (TP), ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N), and total organic carbon (TOC) levels in the overlying water were measured at regular intervals, and the changes of different P forms in WTPS, Al-PIA, and sediment of each system were analyzed before and after the test. The average TP reduction rates of LMB, Al-PIA, WTPS, and QS were 94.82, 92.14, 86.88, and 10.68%, respectively, when the release strength of sediment TP was 2.26–9.19 mg/(m²·d) and the capping strength of the materials was 2 kg/m². Thin-layer capping of LMB, WTPS, and Al-PIA could effectively control P release from the sediment (P<0.05). However, thin-layer capping of LMB, Al-PIA, and QS did not significantly reduce the release of ammonium N and organic matter (P > 0.05). Based on our results, LMB, Al-PIA, and WTPS thin-layer capping promoted the migration and transformation of easily released P in sediment. The P adsorbed by WTPS and Al-PIA mainly occurred in the form of NAIP.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Sediment / Eutrophication / Thin-layer capping / Phosphorus / Nitrogen / Aluminum-based P-inactivation agent

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Fund of China (Grant No. 51878300), the Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province of China (Grant No. 2019J01052) and Project of production, study and research of colleges and universities of Xiamen City (Grant No. 3502Z20203044).

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