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Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Measuring Phosphorus Release in Laboratory Microcosms for Water Quality Assessment
Published on: July 22, 2019
Effect of damming on phosphorus distribution and transformation in riparian zones along the bypass seepage pathway
Haojie Zhong1, Guolong Jiang1, Xulei Guo2
1State Key Laboratory of Geomicrobiology and Environmental Changes, China University of Geosciences, 68 Jincheng Street, East Lake High-Tech Development Zone, Wuhan, Hubei, 430078, PR China.
Abstract:
Damming plays a significant role in regulating global riverine phosphorus (P) cycling, with the general assumption that it led to the trapping of dissolved and particulate P in upstream sediments. However, in addition to riverine sediments, adjacent riparian zones may also serve as significant sinks for P species. This study investigated the distribution and transformation of groundwater P species in riparian zones along the bypass seepage pathway at two dam sites. At the Xinglong Dam (XD) site, the average total P concentrations in groundwater (∼0.42 mg/L) were 1.5-13.2 times higher than those in surface water (0.03-0.29 mg/L), indicating significant P enrichment. In contrast, minimal P trapping was observed at the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) site, where groundwater and surface water had similar total P concentrations and speciation. These differences were attributed to variations in aquifer type, dam operation and aquifer geochemical conditions. In the fractured-karst aquifer at the TGD site, P species were readily transported, whereas in the Quaternary porous aquifer at the XD site, transport was hindered by its high adsorption capacity for dissolved P species. Redox conditions were also crucial in regulating the distribution and transformation of groundwater P species in both aquifers. This study highlights the previously overlooked role of damming in regulating groundwater P distribution and transformation in riparian zones.
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