Element remobilization, "internal P-loading," and sediment-P reactivity researched by DGT (diffusive gradients in thin films) technique

Principles, applications, and limitations of diffusive gradients in thin films induced fluxed in soils and sediments

The diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique serves as a passive sampling method, inducing analyte transport and concentration. Its application is widespread in assessing labile components of metals, organic matter, and nutrients across various environmental media such as water, sediments, and saturated soils. The DGT devices effectively reduce the porewater concentration through irreversible binding of solutes, consequently promoting the release of labile species from the soil/sediment solid phase. However, the precise quantification of simultaneous adsorption and desorption of labile species using DGT devices alone remains a challenge. To address this challenge, the DGT-Induced Fluxes in Soils and Sediments (DIFS) model was developed. This model simulates analyte kinetics in solid phases, solutions, and binding resins by incorporating factors such as soil properties, resupply parameters, and kinetic principles. While the DIFS model has been iteratively improved to increase its accuracy in portraying kinetic behavior in soil/sediment, researchers' incomplete comprehension of it still results in unrealistic fitting outcomes and an oversight of the profound implications posed by kinetic parameters during implementation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the optimization and utilization of DIFS models, encompassing fundamental concepts behind DGT devices and DIFS models, the kinetic interpretation of DIFS parameters, and instances where the model has been applied to study soils and sediments. It also highlights preexisting limitations of the DIFS model and offers suggestions for more precise modeling in real-world environments.

A novel Mg(OH)2 binding layer-based DGT technique for measuring phosphorus in water and sediment

Diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) have gained wide attention for in situ measurement of reactive phosphorus species (PO4) in natural water, sediments and potentially soils. In this study, a novel Mg(OH)2 binding gel was formed using magnesium hydroxide obtained by in situ hydration of calcined magnesium oxide. Laboratory scale experiments showed that the novel Mg(OH)2 gel had a homogeneous dispersion of fine particles of Mg(OH)2 with a particle size of 2-5 μm. With 10 mL of 2.0 mol L-1 NaOH as the eluting agent, the optimal elution efficiency of PO4 on the Mg(OH)2 gel was 72 ± 5%. There were linear relationships between the accumulated PO4 mass and the applied PO4 concentration (0.1 to 20 mg P per L), time (0 to 24 h) and temperature (22 to 40 °C). The capacity of the Mg(OH)2 binding layer was determined to be 99.5 μg P per disc. Tests in synthetic seawater, Chaohu Lake and Yihai Pond confirmed that Mg(OH)2-DGT was able to accurately measure phosphorus up to 10 days. This was indicated by the good agreements between the concentrations measured by DGT (CDGT) technology and by an ex situ chemical method in solution (Csoln), with a CDGT/Csoln ratio between 0.91 and 1.09.

Distribution character of localized iron microniche in lake sediment microzone revealed by chemical image

DGT (diffusive gradients in thin films) technique and LA-ICP-MS (laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) for heterogeneous distribution of the soluble labile iron (Fe) at submillimeter resolution in lake sediment porewater are reported. The soluble labile Fe species include ion and labile organic complexes. The chemical images in two dimensions (2D) for DGT concentration of Fe (C_DGT(Fe)) are investigated for Fe remobilization character. There are 902 C_DGT(Fe) values between 1000 and 2000 μg L^-1, 463 values between 2000 and 3000 μg L^-1, and 112 values over 3000 μg L^-1 in all chemical maps. Based on the linear correlation relationships between C_DGT (Fe) and total Fe (TFe), total organic carbon (TOC), acid-volatile sulfide (AVS), Eh, concentrations of the soluble reactive phosphorus (P) (SRP), and soluble labile trace metals (Zn, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in a vertical 1D profile of sediment or porewater, Fe release mechanisms are mainly due to the reductive Fe release from iron oxyhydroxides and the decomposition of organic matter in algae biomass and deep sediment layer. It can be used to explain the formation mechanisms of Fe microniches in chemical maps with heterogeneous character to a great extent. C_DGT(Fe) peak flux in the center of Fe microniche and the low C_DGT (Fe) at the edge of a microniche are due to the formation of the insoluble iron sulfide and the abundant acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) in sediment. The verified co-remobilization of the soluble labile Fe and trace metals or SRP in sediment porewater can be used to predict their simultaneous release from Fe microniches with the large C_DGT (Fe) peaks. The different kinds of Fe microniche zones and hot spots from sediment/water interface (SWI) to deep sediment correspond to the formation mechanisms of microniches mentioned above. Moreover, some narrow Fe microniche zones with the large C_DGT (Fe) across chemical maps are due to the desorption of Fe(II) from the freshly formed oxide on Myriophyllum verticiilatur roots, which are located at sites of microniche zones.

Potentially toxic elements in water, sediments and fish of the Evrotas River under variable water discharges

Among different stressors like drought, hydro-morphological alterations, and pollution from agricultural activities, nutrients, organic compounds and discharges from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), potentially toxic elements (PTE) may also contribute to the overall pollution of the Evrotas River, Greece. Nevertheless, information on pollution of elements in water and sediments in this river is scarcely documented. There is also no information available on the impact of elemental pollution from the aquatic environmental compartments on biota. To fill these gaps, in this study, water, sediment and fish samples were collected from four sampling sites along the Evrotas River under variable flow regimes (July 2015, higher discharge; June 2016, low discharge and September 2016, minimum discharge). Total and dissolved element concentrations in water samples, total and acetic acid extractable contents in sediments, and element concentrations in fish samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and significant relationships between samples were established using correlation analysis. The concentrations of PTE (Ni, Cr, Cd, As, Pb, Zn and Cu) in water were generally low, while elevated Ni and Cr contents were found in sediments (up to 150 and 300 mg/kg, respectively), with total Cr concentration in water and sediment being positively correlated. The ecological risk posed by the simultaneous presence of PTE in sediments evaluated by calculating the Probable Effect Concentration Coefficient (PEC-Q), demonstrated that PEC-Qs, which were above the critical value of 0.34, derived mostly from Cr and Ni inputs. Since their mobile sediment fraction was extremely low, Cr and Ni origin is most probably geogenic. The analysis of elements in the target fish species, the Evrotas chub, showed low to moderate PTE concentrations, with Pb being positively correlated with total Pb concentration in water. Moderate Zn concentrations found in fish samples from the Evrotas are possibly derived from pesticides and fertilizers.

Zirconium metal organic frameworks-based DGT technique for in situ measurement of dissolved reactive phosphorus in waters

In an effort to provide early warnings for the occurrence of eutrophication, it is highly desirable to develop an accurate and efficient technique to ensure continuous monitoring of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) in the aquatic environment from the viewpoint of environmental management. Herein, a new diffusive gradient in thin film (DGT) technique was developed and evaluated for in situ measurement of DRP in waters, in which Zr-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs, UiO-66) were utilized as aqueous binding agent (abbreviated as UiO-66 DGT). As expected, the UiO-66 DGT demonstrated high uptake capacity towards phosphorus (20.8 μg P cm^-2). Meanwhile, an excellent linearity between the accumulated DRP mass and deployment time over 5 d (R² = 0.996) was obtained regardless of high or low phosphate solution. In addition, effective diffusion coefficients (D) of DRP increased exponentially with increasing ionic strengths (R² = 0.99). Based on the rectified D, the performance of the UiO-66 DGT was independent of solution pH (6.5-8.5) and ionic strengths (ranging from 0.01 to 100 mmol L^-1). Furthermore, field deployments of the UiO-66 DGT were undertaken in a natural eutrophic lake (Lake Chaohu, China). It was noteworthy that DRP could be continually accumulated by the UiO-66 DGT for more than 14 d and good agreements were obtained between the concentrations measured by DGT (C_DGT) and those by ex situ chemical extraction method in solution (C_sol), as reflected by C_DGT/C_sol of 0.9-1.1. In situ determination of DRP speciation was also carried out at different sites across Lake Chaohu. Overall, this study contributed to a better constructing of liquid binding phase DGT for the measurement of DRP in waters, facilitating the widespread application of the UiO-66 DGT as a routine monitoring technique and for large-scale environmental analysis.

Effects of Organic Pollutants on Bacterial Communities Under Future Climate Change Scenarios

Coastal ecosystems are highly dynamic and can be strongly influenced by climate change, anthropogenic activities (e.g., pollution), and a combination of the two pressures. As a result of climate change, the northern hemisphere is predicted to undergo an increased precipitation regime, leading in turn to higher terrestrial runoff and increased river inflow. This increased runoff will transfer terrestrial dissolved organic matter (tDOM) and anthropogenic contaminants to coastal waters. Such changes can directly influence the resident biology, particularly at the base of the food web, and can influence the partitioning of contaminants and thus their potential impact on the food web. Bacteria have been shown to respond to high tDOM concentration and organic pollutants loads, and could represent the entry of some pollutants into coastal food webs. We carried out a mesocosm experiment to determine the effects of: (1) increased tDOM concentration, (2) organic pollutant exposure, and (3) the combined effect of these two factors, on pelagic bacterial communities. This study showed significant responses in bacterial community composition under the three environmental perturbations tested. The addition of tDOM increased bacterial activity and diversity, while the addition of organic pollutants led to an overall reduction of these parameters, particularly under concurrent elevated tDOM concentration. Furthermore, we identified 33 bacterial taxa contributing to the significant differences observed in community composition, as well as 35 bacterial taxa which responded differently to extended exposure to organic pollutants. These findings point to the potential impact of organic pollutants under future climate change conditions on the basal coastal ecosystem, as well as to the potential utility of natural bacterial communities as efficient indicators of environmental disturbance.

Transfer kinetics of phosphorus (P) in macrophyte rhizosphere and phytoremoval performance for lake sediments using DGT technique

DGT (diffusive gradients in thin films) technique and DIFS (DGT induced fluxes in sediment) model are firstly designed for macrophyte-rhizobox system and in-situ macrophytes in Lake Erhai. Dynamics of phosphorus (P) transfer in Zizania latifolia (ZL) and Myriophyllum verticiilatur (MV) rhizosphere is revealed and phytoremediation performance for P in sediment is evaluated. Dynamic transfer process of P at DGT/sediment interface includes (i) diffusion flux and concentration gradients at DGT(root)/porewater interface leading to porewater concentration (C₀) depletion and (ii) P desorption from labile P pool in sediment solid to resupply C₀ depletion. Fe-redox controlled P release from Fe-bound P (BD-P2) and then NH₄Cl-P1 in rhizosphere sediment resupplies porewater depletion due to DGT (root) sink. K_d (labile P pool size in solid phase), r (resupply ratio) and kinetic exchange (Tc and k_-1) lead to change characters of DIFS curves of (1) r against deployment time and (2) C_solu (dissolved concentration) against distance at 24 h. They include two opposite types of "fast" and "slow" rate of resupplies. Sediment properties and DIFS parameters control P diffusion and resupply in rhizosphere sediment. Phytoremoval ability for sediment P in lake is estimated to be 23.4 (ZL) or 15.0 t a^-1 (MV) by "DGT-flux" method.

Transfer Mechanism, Uptake Kinetic Process, and Bioavailability of P, Cu, Cd, Pb, and Zn in Macrophyte Rhizosphere Using Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films

The transfer-uptake-bioavailability of phosphorus (P), Cu, Cd, Zn, and Pb in rhizosphere of Zizania latifolia (ZL) and Myriophyllum verticiilaturn (MV) cultivated in rhizoboxes in Lake Erhai (China) is evaluated by DGT (diffusive gradients in thin films) technique. DGT induced fluxes in sediments (DIFS) model reveals that resupply ability (r), liable pool size in sediment solid (k_d), kinetic parameter (k_-1), or response time (T_c) control the diffusion-resupply characters of P and Cu (standing for four metals) in rhizosphere interface. The linear fitting curves of element content in ZL or MV roots (C_root) against DGT (C_DGT), porewater (C₀), or sediment concentration demonstrate that C_root for five elements can be predicted by C_DGT more effectively than the other methods. (I) DOC (dissolved organic carbon) in porewater controlled by OM (organic matter) in solid plus pH for Cu and Cd or (II) DOP/DTP ratio in porewater (between dissolved organic P and dissolved total P) for P controlled by Fe-bound P and OM in solid, can affect phytoavailability in rhizosphere. They lead to (I) the larger slope (s) and the linear regression coefficient (R²) in the first part than those for the complete fitting curve (ZL or MV root against C_DGT(Cu) or C₀(Cu) and MV root against C_DGT(Cd)) or (II) the outliers above or below the fitting curve (ZL root (P) against C₀(P) or C_DGT(P)) and the larger R² without outliers. DGT-rhizobox-DIFS should be a reliable tool to research phytoremediation mechanism of macrophytes.

Estimating internal P loading in a deep water reservoir of northern China using three different methods

Much attention had been paid to reducing external loading of nutrients to improve water quality, while internal loading from sediment, which has been largely neglected, is also an important source for water eutrophication. The internal load in deep lakes or reservoirs is not easy to be detected and be quantified. In this study, three different methods (mass balance method, Fick's law, and regression equation) were combined to calculate the gross or/and net P release from sediment using limited data. Our results indicated that (1) the methods of mass balance and regression equation give similar results of sediment P release rate, with values of 0.889 and 0.902 mg m(2) d(-1), respectively, while the result of Fick's law was much lower (0.400 mg m(2) d(-1)); (2) Hot periods of sediment releasing were suggested to occur from March to April and from August to September, which correspond to periods of high risks of algae blooms. The remaining months of the year were shown as net nutrient retention; (3) for the whole region, Baihedam and Chaohekuqu were identified as zones with a higher possibility to release P from sediment. (4) P loading to the Miyun Reservoir was greater in the inflow than in the outflow, suggesting a portion of the inflow P load was retained in the water or sediment; hence, release of sediment P may continue to be a major source of phosphorus in the future.