Project: Eutrophication hotspots resulting from biogeochemical transformations and bioavailability of phosphorus in the fluvial suspended sediment of geologically contrasting agricultural catchments

Acronym	Eutro-Sed (Reference Number: WaterJPI-JC-2016_09)
Duration	01/04/2017 - 31/03/2020
Project Topic	The release of phosphorus (P) from river sediments has been identified as a contributing factor to waters failing the criteria for ‘good ecological status’ under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). To identify the contribution of suspended sediment bound and streambed P in agricultural catchments, an understanding of the controlling factors for its sequestration, mobilization and mobility is required. Organic P can play a role in in-stream productivity (i.e. macrophyte growth) and degradation of water quality but little is known in relation to the actual bio-availability of suspended and streambed sediment bound organic P in agricultural catchments. Thus, this project aims to examine the relative importance of suspended and streambed sediment bound organic P for cycling in geologically contrasting agricultural catchments using state of the art analysis and monitoring techniques. Accumulation of sediment within a river reach can potentially increase the labile pool of phosphorus, which we will investigate in terms of bioavailable organic P under high and low flow conditions using enzymatic hydrolysis measurements. Parameters such as redox conditions, seasonality, land-use, geology and hydrology will be investigated in relation to the reactivity of this sediment bound organic P. Special emphasis will be placed on the source of the sediment which transports the organic P compounds, using radiometric fingerprinting techniques. A combined approach will be used to examine inorganic and organic P speciation and binding mechanisms using advanced spectroscopy (i.e. XANES and 31P NMR) and crystallography (i.e. mu-XRD). Estimations of legacy P from these sediment sources will also be considered using sediment aging techniques (geo-chronology) which may give significant insight into the rates of degradation and mobilisation of these organic P compounds into bio-available soluble reactive P. Further insights will then be gained from confronting and refining catchment-scale models with new field-based insights into P transport and transformation in catchments.
Network	WaterWorks2015
Call	2016 JOINT CALL: Sustainable management of water resources in agriculture, forestry and freshwater aquaculture sectors

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	Trinity College Dublin	Coordinator	Ireland
2	University of Saskatchewan	Partner	Canada
3	Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)	Partner	Sweden