[Effects of sediment resuspension on aqueous nutrient loading in grass type zone of Lake Taihu].

Internal nutrient loading caused by sediment resuspension is becoming a key issue in studying water eutrophication of shallow lakes. A Y-shape apparatus was used to simulate sediment resuspension and sedimentation process under hydrodynamic conditions in situ in grass type zone of Lake Taihu, and effects on aqueous nutrient loading were investigated. The results indicated that, in the light and moderate wind processes, content of ammonia nitrogen and phosphate had remarkably reduced with the increase of the amount of suspended sediments in water column, with the maximal change of -0.140 g x m(-2) and -1.59 mg x m(-2) at the sediment-water interface for the two nutrients respectively, and in the strong wind process, concentration of aqueous phosphate had a significant increase, with the maximal flux of 0.81 mg x m(-2) at the sediment-water interface, while concentration of aqueous ammonia nitrogen showed a small decrease. And in the later sedimentation process after wind, content of aqueous ammonia nitrogen was lower than that before the light and moderate wind processes, but approximated to that before the strong wind process. Content of aqueous phosphate was close to that before the light and moderate wind processes, but had a marked increase compared to that before the strong wind condition, with the maximal increment of 1.36 mg x m(-2). Consequently, sediment resuspension and sedimentation processes impact nutrients loading of overlaying water evidently. Comparison of the results with those from non-grass type zone in Lake Taihu illustrates that the presence of aquatic macrophytes played some roles in reducing the release of nutrients during the sediment resuspension process.