Particulate phosphorus transport by sub-surface drainage from agricultural land in the UK. Environmental significance at the catchment and national scale

Phosphorus (P) is the key limiting nutrient in most UK freshwater systems. With increased legislation controlling point source inputs, dissolved (DP) and particulate P (PP) derived from diffuse sources are making a more significant contribution to the total P loading of surface waters. Recent resear...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science of the total environment 2001-02, Vol.266 (1), p.95-102
Main Authors: Chapman, A.S., Foster, I.D.L., Lees, J.A., Hodgkinson, R.A., Jackson, R.H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Environmental Monitoring
Exact sciences and technology
Field drains
Geochemistry
Geologic Sediments - chemistry
Hydrology
Hydrology. Hydrogeology
Mineralogy
Particle Size
Particulate phosphorus
Phosphorus - analysis
Rainfall simulator
Silicates
Tracers
United Kingdom
Water geochemistry
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
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Summary:Phosphorus (P) is the key limiting nutrient in most UK freshwater systems. With increased legislation controlling point source inputs, dissolved (DP) and particulate P (PP) derived from diffuse sources are making a more significant contribution to the total P loading of surface waters. Recent research has focused on pathways linking diffuse sources to the fluvial system and sub-surface field drains have been shown to transport both sediment and P rapidly to watercourses. Preliminary results are presented from an ongoing study using environmental tracers to identify the source of the drain sediment and its potential as a carrier of PP. These results suggest that the majority of sediment in drains is topsoil derived, but the significance of P loss via this pathway in a regional or UK context has yet to be evaluated. A protocol to study the potential problem at a regional/national scale is discussed and initial data presented.
ISSN:0048-9697
1879-1026
DOI:10.1016/S0048-9697(00)00734-8