Term of Award
Summer 2024
Degree Name
Master of Science, Civil Engineering
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of Civil Engineering and Construction
Committee Chair
Francisco Cubas Suazo
Committee Member 1
L. Stetson Rowles
Committee Member 2
Rocio L. Perez
Abstract
Over the past few decades, an enormous number of resources have been allocated to reduce the amount of phosphorus (P) entering the environment from both point and non-point sources. Nevertheless, the decrease in external P loading has not always resulted in a simultaneous decrease in the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in waters contaminated with phosphorus. A two-part study is currently being conducted to investigate and measure the role of legacy recalcitrant P forms in the overall pool of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP). However, the objective of this particular study is to evaluate the potential of Organic Phosphorus (PO) mineralization towards the SRP pool. Results from field data and lab-scaled experiments, showed that under both initial low and high OP levels sediments from streams subject to legacy P loadings released OP and organic P when subject to different environments. The total phosphorus (TP) levels at the Occoquan and RAC sample sites were primarily influenced by redox reactions and organic phosphorus associated with iron-bound sediments. However, in the Ogeechee River sample stations, the regulation of TP was not just affected by OP because there was no presence of Fe-bound OP, but also by organic P. Furthermore, while anaerobic conditions improve the overall process of PO mineralization, it is evident that the OP/TP ratio also changes when exposed to aerobic environments. Thus, results from this study invariably indicate that recalcitrant organic P forms are important sources for OP as microorganisms are required to mineralize organic P under low dissolved OP conditions.
Recommended Citation
Farnaz, Tasnuva., "Understanding the Role of Recalcitrant Organic Phosphorus Mineralization on Harmful Algal Blooms at the Sediment-Water Interface of Freshwater System" (2024).
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
