Critical velocity in phosphorus exchange processes across the sediment-water interface

Sediments are ultimate sinks of nutrients in lakes that record the pollution history evolutionary processes, and anthropogenic activities of a lake. However, sediments are considered as inner sources of environmental factor changes such as the variation in hydrodynamic conditions because of the nutrients they release. How does this process happen? This study investigates a typical nutrient phosphorus (P) exchange among sediment, suspended particle matter (SPM), and water. Compared with numerical and experimental studies, this study confirms that the critical velocity that occurs at a lower flow rate state exists in the range of 7 to 15 cm/sec. Critical velocity below the critical flow rate promotes the migration of particulate phosphorus (PP) to the SPM. On the other hand, critical velocity above the critical flow rate promotes the release of PP in water.