Longevity and efficacy of lanthanum-based P remediation under changing dissolved oxygen availability in a small eutrophic lake

Abstract

We set out to study the seasonal variations in porewater phosphorus and lanthanum concentrations in the dated sediment cores from a small eutrophic lake that has been treated with Phoslock, a lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) amendment. Three sites were sampled when the hypolimnion was either oxygenated or anoxic: (i) the lake's deepest point, (ii) a littoral site receiving inflows from the catchment, and (iii) a littoral site influenced by nearby septic tanks. Phosphate (PO₄³⁻–P), lanthanum (La), iron (Fe), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and sulfate (SO₄²⁻) were measured in porewater samples. An inverse diagenetic model was used to quantify fluxes of dissolved elements across the sediment–water interface as well as the net rate of their reactions along the porewater concentration gradients. Results show that porewater P and Fe underwent strong seasonal dynamics, while La did not. P fluxes, 20-fold higher at the deepest site than elsewhere in the basin, were influenced by anoxic conditions in the hypolimnion during summer and winter, suggesting that P mobility remained sensitive to redox fluctuations despite the addition of La. At the deepest site, fluxes of P across the sediment–water interface increased from 1 to 9 × 10⁻⁹ μmol cm⁻² s⁻¹ between spring and summer, while the rate of P production to the porewater also increased a hundredfold. These increases were concurrent with Fe mobilization. Finally, sediment dating shows that the fraction of P sequestered by La is buried under freshly deposited sediment at a rate of 2–3 mm per year. These results indicate that external P fluxes and erosion control remain crucial to maintain the longevity of the LMB treatment.