Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154243
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Lagrangian profiles of riverine autotrophy, organic matter transformation, and micropollutants at extreme drought
Author Kamjunke, N.; Beckers, L.-M.; Herzsprung, P.; von Tümpling, W. ORCID logo ; Lechtenfeld, O. ORCID logo ; Tittel, J.; Risse-Buhl, U.; Rode, M.; Wachholz, A.; Kallies, R.; Schulze, T. ORCID logo ; Krauss, M. ORCID logo ; Brack, W.; Comero, S.; Gawlik, B.M.; Skejo, H.; Tavazzi, S.; Mariani, G.; Borchardt, D.; Weitere, M.
Source Titel Science of the Total Environment
Year 2022
Department ASAM; SEEFO; UMB; FLOEK; WANA; ANA
Volume 828
Page From art. 154243
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
T4 Coastal System
T9 Healthy Planet
Keywords Phytoplankton; Nutrients; Dissolved organic matter (DOM); bacteria; Respiration; Micropollutants
UFZ wide themes MOSES;
Abstract On their way from inland to the ocean, flowing water bodies, their constituents and their biotic communities are exposed to complex transport and transformation processes. However, detailed process knowledge as revealed by Lagrangian measurements adjusted to travel time is rare in large rivers, in particular at hydrological extremes. To fill this gap, we investigated autotrophic processes, heterotrophic carbon utilization, and micropollutant concentrations applying a Lagrangian sampling design in a 600 km section of the River Elbe (Germany) at historically low discharge. Under base flow conditions, we expect the maximum intensity of instream processes and of point source impacts. Phytoplankton biomass and photosynthesis increased from upstream to downstream sites but maximum chlorophyll concentration was lower than at mean discharge. Concentrations of dissolved macronutrients decreased to almost complete phosphate depletion and low nitrate values. The longitudinal increase of bacterial abundance and production was less pronounced than in wetter years and bacterial community composition changed downstream. Molecular analyses revealed a longitudinal increase of many DOM components due to microbial production, whereas saturated lipid-like DOM, unsaturated aromatics and polyphenols, and some CHOS surfactants declined. In decomposition experiments, DOM components with high O/C ratios and high masses decreased whereas those with low O/C ratios, low masses, and high nitrogen content increased at all sites. Radiocarbon age analyses showed that DOC was relatively old (890–1870 years B.P.), whereas the mineralized fraction was much younger suggesting predominant oxidation of algal lysis products and exudates particularly at downstream sites. Micropollutants determining toxicity for algae (terbuthylazine, terbutryn, isoproturon and lenacil), hexachlorocyclohexanes and DDTs showed higher concentrations from the middle towards the downstream part but calculated toxicity was not negatively correlated to phytoplankton. Overall, autotrophic and heterotrophic process rates and micropollutant concentrations increased from up- to downstream reaches, but their magnitudes were not distinctly different to conditions at medium discharges.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=25838
Kamjunke, N., Beckers, L.-M., Herzsprung, P., von Tümpling, W., Lechtenfeld, O., Tittel, J., Risse-Buhl, U., Rode, M., Wachholz, A., Kallies, R., Schulze, T., Krauss, M., Brack, W., Comero, S., Gawlik, B.M., Skejo, H., Tavazzi, S., Mariani, G., Borchardt, D., Weitere, M. (2022):
Lagrangian profiles of riverine autotrophy, organic matter transformation, and micropollutants at extreme drought
Sci. Total Environ. 828 , art. 154243 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154243