Widespread sewage pollution of the Indian River Lagoon system, Florida (USA) resolved by spatial analyses of macroalgal biogeochemistry

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:128

Article

Barile, Peter J.¹ 

[1] Marine Res & Consulting Inc, POB 1574, Melbourne, FL 32902 USA

关键词: Nitrogen;    delta N-15;    Macroalgae;    Wastewater;    Indian River Lagoon;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.01.046

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) system, a poorly flushed 240 km long estuary in east-central Florida (USA), previously received 200 MLD of point source municipal wastewater that was largely mitigated by the mid 1990's. Since then, non-point source loads, including septic tank effluent, have become more important. Seventy sites were sampled for bloom-forming macroalgae and analyzed for delta N-15, % nitrogen, % phosphorus, carbon: nitrogen, carbon:phosphorus, and nitrogen:phosphorus ratios. Data were fitted to geospatial models showing elevated delta N-15 values (> +5 parts per thousand), matching human wastewater in most of the IRL system, with elevated enrichment (delta N-15 >= + 7 parts per thousand to + 10 parts per thousand) in urbanized portions of the central IRL and Banana River Lagoon. Results suggest increased mobilization of OSDS NH4+ during the wetter 2014 season. Resource managers must improve municipal wastewater treatment infrastructure and commence significant septic-to-sewer conversion to mitigate nitrogen over-enrichment, water quality decline and habitat loss as mandated in the Tampa and Sarasota Bays and the Florida Keys.

【 授权许可】

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