Hydrologic transport and partitioning of phosphorus fractions

SummaryPhosphorus (P) in rainfall-runoff partitions between dissolved and particulate matter (PM) bound phases. This study investigates the transport and partitioning of P to PM fractions in runoff from a landscaped and biogenically-loaded carpark in Gainesville, FL (GNV). Additionally, partitioning and concentration results are compared to a similarly-sized concrete-paved source area of a similar rainfall depth frequency distribution in Baton Rouge, LA (BTR), where in contrast vehicular traffic represents the main source of pollutants. Results illustrate that concentrations of P fractions (dissolved, suspended, settleable and sediment) for GNV are one to two orders of magnitude higher than BTR. Despite these differences the dissolved fraction (fd) and partitioning coefficient (Kd) distributions are similar, illustrating that P is predominantly bound to PM fractions. Examining PM size fractions, specific capacity for P (PSC) indicates that the P concentration order is suspended > settleable > sediment for GNV, similarly to BTR. For GNV the dominant PM mass fraction is sediment (>75 μm), while the mass of P is distributed predominantly between sediment and suspended (<25 μm) fractions since these PM mass fractions dominated the settleable one. With respect to transport of PM and P fractions the predominance of events for both areas is mass-limited first-flush, although each fraction illustrated unique washoff parameters. However, while transport is predominantly mass-limited, the transport of each PM and P fraction is influenced by separate hydrologic parameters.

► Source area PM and P concentrations in rainfall-runoff are log-normally distributed.
► P partitioning is independent of source area land use and is predominantly PM-bound.
► Source area transport for PM and P is largely mass-limited (mass-based first-flush).
► Despite mass-limited behaviour PM and P fractions has unique transport parameters.
► Transport of PM and P fractions is influenced by separate hydrologic parameters.