Forms of phosphorus in sediments from the Gulf of Gdańsk

doi:10.1016/S0883-2927(97)00101-7

Applied Geochemistry

Volume 13, Issue 3, 1 May 1998, Pages 319-327

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-2927(97)00101-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

The occurrence of total P (P-TOT) and the mineral forms of P (P-MIN) [P bonded with Ca (P–Ca), Fe (P–Fe) and Al (P–Al)] in sediments from the Gulf of Gdańsk were investigated. Significant variations in the forms of P with depth in the sediment column were observed. P–Ca is the dominant form in the sediments except in the surface sediments of the deep areas of the Gulf of Gdańsk where organic P (P-ORG) is dominant. These areas also contain the highest contents of P-TOT in the region.

Introduction

Phosphorus is an essential element in marine ecosystems (Fillippelli and Delaney, 1996; Föllmi, 1996). Studies on the forms and distribution of P in marine sediments are therefore important. In the Baltic, rivers and the atmosphere are the main sources of P. As much as 5×10⁴ tonnes of P are discharged into the Baltic Sea annually (Rosenberg et al., 1990). In sea water, phosphorus occurs in the following forms: dissolved organic, dissolved inorganic, seston inorganic and organic and colloidal organic.

Phosphorus compounds in the marine environment undergo a transformation resulting in the formation of orthophosphates during the final phase of mineralization. Orthophosphates are incorporated into marine organisms and also bond rapidly with Ca, Fe and Al ions to form insoluble phosphates (Emsley, 1980; Gunnars, 1990). Within sediments, P may occur in interstitial water, adsorbed or bonded on particles, as discrete minerals or in organic compounds (Martynova, 1984).

Szczepańska and Uścinowicz (1994) have presented values for the total P (P-TOT) contents in the <200 μm fraction of the sediments from the Gulf of Gdañsk ranging from 0.0 to 4.0 mg P g⁻¹. Concentrations of P-TOT in sediments from the Puck Bay range from 0.09 to 2.89 mg P g⁻¹ (Bolałek, 1992). Sediments from the Central Baltic are reported to have P concentrations in the range 2.72–3.12 mg P g⁻¹, with an average of 2.92 mg P g⁻¹ (Carman and Jonsson, 1991). Sediments from the Bornholm Basin and the Bothnian Bay are characterized by average values of 1.19 mg P g⁻¹ (Kögler and Larsen, 1979) and 1.67 (Niemisto et al., 1978), respectively. In the surficial sediments from the southern Baltic Sea off Poland concentrations of P-TOT range from 0.31 to 2.40 mg P g⁻¹ (Szefer et al., 1995). No significant regional variations were observed in the P-TOT concentrations in the sediments from the Southern Baltic (0.12–0.14%) (Szefer and Skwarzec, 1988). Szefer and Skwarzec (1988)found that in the case of vertical variations of P-TOT contents in the same area the concentrations of P reach maximum values in the surface layers and minimum values in deeper layers of the sediments.

The forms of P in the Baltic Sea sediments have been rather poorly studied. Carman and Jonsson (1991)showed that P–Ca constitutes 4.0–16% of P-TOT in the sediments of the Central Baltic.

Section snippets

Methodology

Sediment cores were taken using a GOIN gravity corer (Fig. 1). These cores, varied in length from 0.1 to 0.5 m and were sectioned into 50 mm segments. The water contents of the sediments were measured by drying the samples in an oven at 100°C for 6 h. The organic content was determined as the loss of weight on ignition (LOI) after heating at 550°C for 2 h. Total P (P-TOT) was determined (11 cores) spectrophotometrically at 390 nm after boiling the samples in a mixture of HClO₄ and H₂SO₄ (Fig. 2) (

Results and discussion

Phosphorus contents of the sediments are controlled by a number of factors which include: the rate of sedimentation, the amount and type of organic matter, redox conditions in the sediment and near bottom water, sediment type, intensity of mineralization of organic matter in the sediment and water column, Ca, Al and Fe contents in the sediment and near bottom water and water depth.

The forms of P vary significantly with depth in the sediment (P-TOT from 0.15 to 5.97 mg P g⁻¹, P-MIN from 0.00 to

Conclusions

(1) The total P contents (P-TOT) in sediments from the Gulf of Gdańsk increases in the sequence: Inner Puck Bay (average 0.77 mg P g⁻¹)→Outer Puck Bay (average 2.01 mg P g⁻¹)→the deeper parts of the Gulf of Gdańsk (average 3.16 mg P g⁻¹).

(2) Significant variations in the P contents of the sediments with depth in the sediment column are observed (P-TOT from 0.15 to 5.97 mg P g⁻¹, P-MIN from 0.00 to 1.52 mg P g⁻¹, P-ORG from 0.05 to 6.91 mg P g⁻¹).

(3) The mineral P (P-MIN) contents in sediments from the Gulf

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Forms of phosphorus in sediments from the Gulf of Gdańsk

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Methodology

Results and discussion

Conclusions

Chem. Geol.

Earth Sci. Rev.

Mar. Chem.

Chem. Geol.

Phosphate at the water–sediment interface in Puck Bay

Oceanologia

Fractionation of soil phosphorus

Soil Sci.

Nutrients and oxygen in the Gulf of Gdańsk

Stud. Mater. Oceanol.

Phosphorus geochemistry of equatoral Pacific sediments

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta