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Updated: Mar 30, 2026

Laboratory-determined Phosphorus Flux from Lake Sediments as a Measure of Internal Phosphorus Loading
Published on: March 6, 2014
Periphytic biofilm: A buffer for phosphorus precipitation and release between sediments and water
Haiying Lu1, Juanjuan Wan2, Jiuyu Li3
1State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 71 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China; Institute of Agro-Biotechnology, Jiangsu Academy of Agriculture Sciences, No. 50, Zhongling Road, Nanjing 210014, China.
Abstract:
The influence of periphytic biofilm on phosphorus (P) content and species between water and sediment interfaces was evaluated in a simulated experiment. Results showed that the concentration of all P species (TP, TDP, DIP, PP, and DOP) in overlying water decreased to significantly low levels (<0.05 mg L(-1)) in the presence of periphytic biofilms, while the TP increased (>1.8 mg L(-1)) in the control (without periphytic biofilm). Periphytic biofilm increased the water pH (maximal value at about 10) favoring co-precipitation between P and metal salt. The presence of periphytic biofilm also slowed the loss of P fractions such as Fe/Al-P and Ca-P from sediment. In addition, the P content of periphytic biofilms, mainly in forms of Fe/Al-P and Ca-P, increased by 100% after 60 d. These results suggested that periphytic biofilm was capable of entrapping P from water, attenuating P release, and storing P as a sink, thereby forming a buffer for P release and precipitation. This study not only offers some valuable insights into the role of periphytic biofilms or similar microbial aggregates in P biogeochemical processes in water-sediment interfaces, but also contributes to the management of water eutrophication from internal P loadings.
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