Water and Nutrient Mass Balance of the Partly Meromictic Temperate Lake Verevi

Mass balances of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were calculated for Lake Verevi (area 0.126 km², maximum depth 11 m, mean depth 3.6 m), a sharply stratified small lake located in South Estonia within the borders of the town Elva. The lake has up to 10 small inflows but only three of them are nearly permanent. Accidental overflows from near-by oxidation ponds during high floods have been the major source of the nutrient load of the lake in the past. L. Verevi receives a significant part of its inflow from groundwater, which is difficult to measure. In dry years the outflow is temporary. During summer the lake is sharply thermally and chemically stratified. The spring turnover is often incomplete even in homothermal conditions, thus giving the lake some meromictic features. The influx of nitrogen exceeded the outflux at any supposed proportion (20%, 50%, 80%) of surface runoff. The lake retained 45–90% of the nitrogen influx by sedimentation and/or by denitrification. The largest nitrogen losses with loss rates more than 10 kg N d⁻¹ occurred in May and June. The calculated phosphorus retention rate became strongly negative during mixing periods. From June to November, phosphorus release from the sediment exceeded sedimentation by 205 kg in 1991 and by 79 kg in 1993. Earlier stagnation and absence of a full spring turnover in the 2000 has slowed down the recovery of the lake because less phosphorus is flushed out. However, the stronger stratification and significantly smaller phosphorus content in the epilimnion limits biological activity and as a result improves the water quality of the surface layer.     

Eight years of internal phosphorus loading and changes in the sediment phosphorus profile of Lake Søbygaard,Denmark

During each of the first 8 years following an 80–90% reduction in external phosphorus loading of shallow, hypertrophic Lake Søbygaard, Denmark in 1982, phosphorus retention was found to be negative. Phosphorus release mainly occurred from April to October, net retention being close to zero during winter. Net internal phosphorus loading was 8 g P m^–2 y^–1 in 1983 and slowly decreased to 2 g P m^–2 y^–1 in 1990, mainly because of decreasing sediment phosphorus release during late summer and autumn. The high net release of phosphorus from Lake Søbygaard sediment is attributable to a very high phosphorus concentration and to a high transport rate in the sediment caused by bioturbation and gas ebullition. Sediment phosphorus concentration mainly decreased at a depth of 5 to 20 cm, involving sediment layers down to 23 cm. Maximum sediment phosphorus concentration, which was 11.3 mg P g^–1 dw at a depth of 14–16 cm in 1985, decreased to 8.6 mg P g^–1 dw at a depth of 16–18 cm in 1991. Phosphorus fractionation revealed that phosphorus release was accompanied by a decrease in NH₄Cl-P + NaOH-P and organic phosphorus fractions. HCl-P increased at all sediment depths. The Fe:P ratio in the superficial layer stabilized at approximately 10. Net phosphorus release can be expected to continue for another decade at the present release rate, before an Fe:P ratio of 10 will be reached in the sediment layers from which phosphorus is now being released.     

Interactions between sediment and water in a shallow and hypertrophic lake: a study on phytoplankton collapses in Lake Søbygård,Denmark

Short-term changes in phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass have occurred 1–3 times every summer for the past 5 years in the shallow and hypertrophic Lake Søbygård, Denmark. These changes markedly affected lake water characteristics as well as the sediment/water interaction. Thus during a collapse of the phytoplankton biomass in 1985, lasting for about 2 weeks, the lake water became almost anoxic, followed by rapid increase in nitrogen and phosphorus at rates of 100–400 mg N M^–2 day^–1 and 100–200 mg P m^–1 day^–1. Average external loading during this period was about 350 mg N m^–2 day^–1 and 5 mg P m^–2 day^–1, respectively.Due to high phytoplankton biomass and subsequently a high sedimentation and recycling of nutrients, gross release rates of phosphorus and nitrogen were several times higher than net release rates. The net summer sediment release of phosphorus was usually about 40 mg P m^–2 day^–1, corresponding to a 2–3 fold increase in the net phosphorus release during the collapse. The nitrogen and phosphorus increase during the collapse is considered to be due primarily to a decreased sedimentation because of low algal biomass. The nutrient interactions between sediment and lake water during phytoplankton collapse, therefore, were changed from being dominated by both a large input and a large sedimentation of nutrients to a dominance of only a large input. Nitrogen was derived from both the inlet and sediment, whereas phosphorus was preferentially derived from the sediment. Different temperature levels may be a main reason for the different release rates from year to year.     

The cycling of nutrients in a closed-basin antarctic lake: Lake Vanda

Lake Vanda is a permanently ice covered, meromictic, closed basin lake, located in the Dry Valley region of Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. A unique feature of the lake water column structure is that the bottom lake waters exist as a natural diffusion cell. The diffusive nature of these waters allows rates of sulfate reduction, nitrification and denitrification to be calculated from nutrient concentration gradients. Calculation reveals that sulfate reduction is by far the most important anoxic process acting to oxidize organic material. In addition, rate calculations reveal that bottom water nutrient profiles are in steady state. One argument in support of this conclusion is that the calculated rate of nitrification balances the flux of ammonia from the anoxic lake waters. The flux of phosphorus from the reducing waters is several times less than would be predicted from the nitrogen and phosphorus content of decomposing lake seston. Solubility calculations show that phosphorus may be actively removed at depth in Lake Vanda by the formation of hydroxyapatite. It is found that estimated rates of nitrogen and phosphorus removal in the bottom lake waters and sediments roughly balance the riverine input flux. This suggests that throughout the lake a nutrient steady state may exist, and that the anoxic zone may be the most important loci for nutrient removal. Finally, the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus entering Lake Vanda by riverine input is less than the Redfield ratio of 16/1; in contrast to the lake waters which are strongly phosphorus limited at all depths. This curious aspect of the lake's nutrient chemistry is explained by the presence of preformed nitrogen, which has been concentrated in the deep brine due to several episodes of evaporative concentration.     

Phosphorus release from resuspended sediment in the shallow and wind-exposed Lake Arresø, Denmark

Wind-induced sediment resuspension occurs frequently in the shallow and eutrophic Lake Arresø, Denmark. The impact of resuspension on internal phosphorus loading was investigated by laboratory experiments studying P-release from the undisturbed sediment surface and by experiments simulating resuspension events.Phosphorus release from undisturbed sediment sampled in May and August was 12 mg and 4 mg m^–2 d^–1, respectively. During experimental simulation of resuspension, soluble reactive phosphate (SRP) increased by 20–80 µg l^–1, which indicates that a typical resuspension event in the lake would be accompanied by the release of 150 mg SRP m^–2. The internal P loading induced by resuspension is estimated to be 60–70 mg m^–2 d^–1, or 20–30 times greater than the release from undisturbed sediment.SRP release during simulation of resuspension was mainly dependent on the equilibrium conditions in the water column and was basically independent of the increase in suspended solids and the duration of resuspension. A second simulation of resuspension conducted 26 hours later, did not result in any further release of SRP from sediment sampled in May. In contrast, there was an additional SRP release from sediment sampled in August, indicating that an exchangable P pool, capable of altering equilibrium conditions, is built up between resuspension events.It is concluded that resuspension, by increasing the P flux between sediment and water, plays a major role in the maintenance of the high nutrient level in Lake Arresø. A relatively high release rate is maintained during resuspension because of the low Fe:P ratio and the high concentration of NH₄Cl-extractable P in the sediment.     

Impact of drying and re-wetting on N,P and K dynamics in a wetland soil

As increased nutrient availability due to drainage is considered a major cause of eutrophication in wetlands rewetting of drained wetlands is recommended as a restoration measure. The effect of soil drying and rewetting on the contribution of various nutrient release or transformation processes to changed nutrient availability for plants is however weakly understood. We measured effects of soil drying and re-wetting on N mineralization, and denitrification, as well as on release of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), phosphorus, and potassium in incubated soil cores from a wet meadow in southern Sweden. Additionally, the impact of re-wetting with sulphate-enriched water was studied. Soil drying stimulated N mineralization (3 times higher) and reduced denitrification (5 times lower) compared to continuously wet soil. In the wet cores, denitrification increased to 20 mg N m^–2 d^–1, which was much higher than denitrification measured in the field. In the field, increased inorganic-N availability for plants due to drainage seemed primarily to be caused by increased N mineralization, and less by decreased denitrification. Soil drying also stimulated the release of DON and K, but P release was not affected. Re-wetting of dried soil cores strongly stimulated denitrification (up to 160 mg N m^–2 d^–1), but N mineralization was not significantly decreased, neither were DON or K release. In contrast, the extractable P pool increased upon soil wetting. Re-wetting with sulphate-enriched water had no effect on any of the nutrient release or transformation rates. We conclude that caution is required in re-wetting of drained wetlands, because it may unintendently cause internal eutrophication through an increased P availability for plants.     

Impact on lake development of changed agricultural watershed exploitation during the last three centuries

The history of the development of Lake Hejrede Sø (Denmark) and the related history of the watershed management were studied based on analyses of macrofossil content, chemical composition and Clostridium perfringens content in sediment cores. Depth-age relations of ecological changes were established through Pb²¹⁰ analyses, and a systematic search for written sources describing the watershed history was carried out.Lake Hejrede Sø used to be a humic, acid but relatively clearwater lake with an extensive submersed vegetation. Owing to deforestation and reclamation of bogs and meadows, the accumulation of nutrients in these ecotones vanished. Subsequently, in early 1800 the lake developed into a clearwater alkaline lake, and later became more eutrophic which resulted in the decline of the submersed vegetation. At the time the annual sediment phosphorus accumulation increased more than twofold, and influx of mineral matter increased drastically. In mid-1900, submersed vegetation had disappeared. The Clostridium perfringens analysis and the historical evidence show that no sewage was discharged to the lake until mid-1900, which implies that changed agricultural watershed exploitation and ecotone reclamation during the 19th century was the cause of the increased nutrient influx, and the deterioration of the lake.Written historical sources confirm the palaeolimnological interpretations and describe the agricultural practices responsible for the development.     

杭州西湖北里湖荷叶枯落物分解及其对水环境的影响

湖泊水生植物枯落物的分解过程影响着枯落物的淤积以及营养元素向水体和底泥的释放,进而影响湖泊水环境。用分解袋法研究了杭州西湖北里湖荷叶枯落物的分解速率和营养动态。荷叶枯落物的分解速率表现快慢交替的阶段性特点,分解速率常数峰值出现在6月,其余时段呈现波动状态。枯落物氮、磷含量变化趋势基本一致,呈现下降-逐渐上升-渐趋稳定的变化特点。氮、磷积累指数(NAI)呈现释放-积累-释放,整体以释放为主的变化特征。在此基础上推算了北里湖荷叶枯落物一个分解周期残留量的变化及氮、磷释放情况,探讨枯落物分解对水环境的影响。荷叶枯落物入湖量以立枯体总量的20%估算,残留量从11月至翌年1月急剧增加,在1月底达到峰值,随后持续下降,至10月底尚残留1.675 t干重,合30.45 kg/m²干重(按荷塘面积计算),与残留量峰值相比减少了74.39%。枯落物分解导致的氮、磷释放在11月至翌年1月持续增高,2、3月份释放量趋于下降,4、5月份出现净积累,6-10月保持净释放。整个分解周期氮、磷总释放分别为92.247 kg和6.421 kg,相当于北里湖水中氮、磷含量分别增加0.143 mg/L和0.010 mg/L。由于挺水植物生长过程吸收的主要是沉积物中的氮、磷营养盐,因此,荷花的生长和枯落分解过程具有促进氮、磷从沉积物迁移到水体,增加水中氮、磷含量的作用。     

Nutrient budgets and biogeochemistry in an experimental agricultural watershed in Southeastern China

During a two-year field study, an annual nutrient budget and cycles were developed for a small agricultural watershed. The study emphasized the integrated unit of the watershed in understanding the biogeochemistry. It was found that the total nutrient input was 39.1× 10⁴ kg nitrogen and 3.91×10⁴ kg phosphorus in the year 1995, of which the greatest input of nutrients to the watershed was chemical fertilizer application, reaching 34.7×10⁴ kg (676 kg/ha) nitrogen and 3.88×10⁴ kg (76 kg/ha) phosphorus. The total nutrient output from the watershed was 13.55×10⁴ kg nitrogen and 0.40×10⁴ kg phosphorus, while the largest output of nitrogen was denitrification, accounting for 44.1% of N output; the largest output of phosphorus was sale of crops, accounting for 99.4% of P output. The results show that the nutrient input is larger than output, demonstrating that there is nutrient surplus within the watershed, a surplus which may become a potential source of nonpoint pollution to area waters. The research showed that both denitrification and volatilization of nitrogen are key ways of nitrogen loss from the watershed. This suggests that careful management of fertilizer application will be important for the sustainable development of agriculture.The research demonstrated that a multipond system within the watershed had high retention rate for both water and nutrients, benefiting the water, nutrient and sediment recycling in the terrestrial ecosystem and helping to reduce agricultural nonpoint pollution at its source. Therefore, this unique watershed system should be recommended due to its great potential relevance for sustainable agricultural development.     

Pore water dynamics in the sediment of a shallow and hypertrophic lake

Seasonal variations in pore water with main stress on pH and phosphate were investigated in the sediment of the shallow and hypertrophic Lake Søbygaard, Denmark. The purpose was to evaluate factors affecting the internal phosphorus loading. Pore water was obtained by in situ incubation of ceramic cups, sampled anaerobicaly from a fixed position in the sediment. The method is evaluated. During summer, pH and phosphate concentrations increased in the upper 8–10 cm of the sediment. Increased pH was most pronounced in the upper 5 cm, where pH increased to between 9 and 10. This is believed to be caused by the photosynthetically elevated pH in the above lake water. Phosphate concentrations increased with depth, from 0–2 mg P 1^–1 in the upper 5 cm to 3–6 mg P 1^–1 in 6–10 cm depth. Average phosphate gradient in the upper 6–8 cm was 1.0 mg P 1^–1 cm ^–1 in the summer decreasing to 0.2 mg P 1^–1 cm ^t1 in the autumn/winter. In spite of low redox potential, Fe(II) was not present in the upper 20 cm. The seasonal variation in pore water phosphate is believed mainly to be due to the variations in pore water pH inducing a substitution of phosphate ions with hydroxyl ions on ironhydroxides during summer. A considerable sedimentation of organic bound phosphorus and decomposition in the sediment is also considered important. Phosphorus release from the sediment is facilitated by bio- and gas turbation and by the frequent occurrence of resuspension caused by windaction. Net release rate is highly variable during the season. The summer average is 40 mg P m^–2 d^–1.     

Modelling the recovery of hypertrophic L. Glumsø (Denmark)

Diversion of sewage from L. Glumsø reduced phosphorus loading from 6.0 g P.m^–2.yr^–1 to 1.6 g P.m^–2.yr^–1. Chlorophyll levels during summer were reduced from 6–800 mg Chl.m^–3 to about 200 mg Chl.m^–3 mainly by extended periods with phosphorus limitation. Internal phosphorus loading was significant in the first 2 years after nutrient reduction. Predictions of the recovery were made by both simple, empirical models and with complex, dynamic model versions. The actual responses of L. Glumsø were compared with both previously published predictions and predictions made with improved model versions. Objective functions of 0.18 and global correlation coefficients of 0.89 could be achieved.     

城市化背景下白洋淀入湖营养盐负荷模拟研究

过量的营养盐输入导致白洋淀富营养化程度较高。雄安新区建设伴随着快速城镇化进程,将可能进一步增加入湖营养盐负荷。为摸清新区建设背景下白洋淀入湖营养盐负荷的变化趋势及削减量,基于入湖营养盐负荷模型计算了历史不同时期（1995-2015年）白洋淀入湖营养盐盐负荷,预测了土地利用、农业管理和污水处理系统变化下入湖营养盐负荷的变化趋势。结果表明,白洋淀历史时期入湖总氮和总磷年平均负荷分别为2018 t和313 t,主要来源分别是耕地和畜禽粪便排放。就土地利用变化而言,以2010年为基准,2050年白洋淀入湖总氮和总磷负荷在建设用地快速增长（RAP）情景下增长率最高,分别增长了56%和60%,主要原因在于城镇人口增加,从而增加了畜禽需求量和生活污水排放。就农业管理而言,削减化肥使用有利于降低入湖总氮负荷,控制畜禽粪便排放更有利于入湖总磷负荷的降低。2050年,生活污水将成为白洋淀入湖营养盐的重要来源,因此,在制定未来社会经济发展路径时,应重点提高农村地区生活污水收集率和处理效率。PCLake模型对不同入湖负荷下湖泊营养状态演变的模拟发现,削减入湖总磷负荷是白洋淀水质恢复的关键。白洋淀水质达到III类和IV类标准时,入湖总磷负荷阈值分别为2.1和2.6 mg P m^-2 d^-1。在建设用地快速增长情景下,若使白洋淀水质达到III类标准,入湖总磷负荷应减少131 t。     

Nutrient release from swamp water,Cyperus papyrus L. organs and swamp sediments

Nitrogen and phosphorus releases from swamp water,Cyperus papyrus plant organs and papyrus swamp sediments were investigated over five weeks. The release of nutrients by dissolution of decomposing organic matter was very important for the swamp water under the prevailing anaerobic conditions. Large amounts of nutrients were found in the incubation water with plant organs and sediments within the first 48 hours. Leaching of the nutrients from the plant organs and sediment caused high initial values. Subsequently decomposition of the organic material caused slight changes in the nutrient levels in the water. Probably denitrification played a role in the nitrogen dynamics, while phosphorus was mineralized.     

Forms and Mobility of Sediment Phosphorus in Shallow Eutrophic Lake Võrtsjärv (Estonia)

The surficial sediment (0–10 cm) of shallow eutrophic Lake Võrtsjärv (Estonia) was characterized by an acid insoluble residue of 50% dry weight and low nutrient, Fe and Mn content. Among phosphorus (P) fractions (Hieltjes and Lijklema , 1980), NaOH-NRP amounted on an average to 50%, HCl-RP to 30%, NaOH-RP to 16%, and NH₄Cl-RP to 4% of their sum. Seasonal changes in sediment P content were inconsistent with mass balance calculations and could be attributed to sediment redistribution caused by decreasing water level. High Fe/P ratio (26–30) and the aeration of surficial sediment by frequent resuspension kept phosphate adsorbed. Low pore-water SRP (commonly <10 μg l⁻¹) usually prevented phosphate release from surficial sediment. However, a storm in September 1996 (max. wind speed 16 m s⁻¹) which coincided with the extremely low water level in the lake (mean depth 1.44 m), denuded deeper anoxic sediment layers and caused a SRP release of 193 mg P m⁻² d⁻¹.     

Denitrification in Lake Kinneret in the presence of oxygen*

SUMMARY. Denitrification experiments under anaerobic and aerated conditions were carried out in the laboratory with Lake Kinneret water and with pure cultures of the denitrifying bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa 2 Kin isolated from the lake. Although losses of nitrogen in Lake Kinneret due to denitrification have been found to occur during periods when dissolved oxygen exceeded 5 mg l^?1 it was found that under aerated conditions glucose as a carbon source must be added in order to get denitrification in the laboratory. Disappearance of nitrogen during the experiments was due to denitrification as shown by the nitrogen balance calculated for each sampling. The ATP content showed that no proliferation of cells took place during the experiment. The rate of denitrification was strongly influenced by and was directly proportional to nitrate concentrations. Temperature has a very slight effect on the denitrification rate. Q₁₀ for the range 15–30°C was 1.35. The role of denitrification in the nitrogen balance of Lake Kinneret is discussed.     

The role of Gloeotrichia echinulata in the transfer of phosphorus from sediments to water in Lake Erken

The abundance of Gloeotrichia echinulata colonies in the sediments of Lake Erken and their phosphorus content were investigated to determine the contribution of Gloeotrichia colonies to total sediment phosphorus. Moreover, the potential size of the algal inoculum and the migration to the water during summer were estimated.The surplus phosphorus content of the resting colonies in the sediment was about 45% of total phosphorus, which maximized at 8.5 µg P (mg dw)^–1 or 81 ng P colony^–1. The C:P ratio (by weight) in the early colonies appearing in the lake water was 50:1, while the ratio stabilized at 150 during the major migration period. The internal supply of surplus phosphorus was used during the pelagic growth of the colonies.The internal phosphorus loading to the epilimnion of Lake Erken due to Gloeotrichia migration could, from the measurements of the increase in particulate epilimnetic phosphorus, be estimated at 40 mg P m ^–2 or 2.5 mg P m^–2 d^–1 in late July and early August. Determination of the number of colonies in the sediment before and during the migration verified this value to be a conservative estimate of the internal phosphorus loading due to Gloeotrichia migration to the epilimnion in Lake Erken.The sediment P content calculated from the P concentration in early epilimnion colonies resulted in a value of 35 µg P (g dw)^–1 as a maximum. This corresponds to only 3% of the total phosphorus content in Lake Erken sediment.     

Assessment of nutrient availability and limitation using macroalgae

Discs of the macroalga,Ulva lactuca L., were transplanted around an ocean outfall and at a reference site in Køge Bay, Denmark, to assess the influence of the outfall on the nutrient availability. At 2-wk intervals, samples were collected and analyzed for growth, nitrogen, and phosphorus content.The tissue concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus decreased with distance to the outfall, showing that the tissue concentrations are suitable for monitoring nutrient availability in coastal areas and provide a time-integrated measure of the nutrient availability. The lowest tissue concentrations of nitrogen were recorded at the reference station, where the internal concentrations generally were below the critical concentration level, showing that nitrogen limited the growth. At the station located close to the outfall, the flux of nitrogen was sufficient to maintain the maximum growth rate. The tissue concentrations of phosphorus were only below the critical concentration level on one occasion, and the result showed a net uptake throughout the study period.It was concluded that in the Køge Bay, nitrogen was the main limiting factor for macroalgae growth during the summer. The applicability of tissue concentrations for assessment of nutrient availability is discussed and it is considered that the method, when evaluated against established critical concentrations, provides a valuable tool for assessing ecosystem health with regard to eutrophication.     

Groundwater influence on the water balance and nutrient budget of a small natural wetland in Northeastern Victoria,Australia

Despite the critical role of water movement in the nutrient dynamics of wetlands, few wetland studies of nutrient imports, exports and cycling have been based on comprehensive water balance studies. In particular, many investigations have underestimated the importance and role of groundwater movement. Nutrient loads entering and leaving a 2 ha reed swamp in the Kiewa Valley, North-east Victoria showed the swamp to be a nutrient source within the landscape under both base flow and storm flow conditions. During a dry period between February 1994 and January 1995 the wetland itself exported 230 kg of Total Nitrogen (115 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and 24 kg of Total Phosphorus (12 kg⁻¹ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Investigations confirmed that the wetland was a significant discharge area, and that groundwater accounted for 97% of the surface water and 50% of the Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus load leaving the system. A further 30% of Total Nitrogen and 26% of Total Phosphorus leaving the wetland was not attributable to rain/dust, surface water inputs or groundwater, and most likely resulted from the flushing of previously stored nitrogen and phosphorus. A fire which burnt most of the wetland area in September 1994 had little immediate impact on nutrient loads leaving the system. The study illustrates the complexity of assessing the nutrient dynamics and hydrology of natural wetlands, and raises questions with respect to the use of such systems for the interception of diffuse source nutrient loads within rural catchments.     

Operation and modeling of bench-scale SBR for simultaneous removal of nitrogen and phosphorus using real wastewater

Experimental work was carried out on nitrogen and phosphorus removal from real wastewater using a bench-scale SBR process. The phosphorus removal was stable and the phosphorus concentration remaining in the reactor was maintained within 1.5 ppm, regard-less of the addition of an external carbon source. In the case of nitrogen, an external carbon source was necessary for denitrification. The effect on denitrification with the addition of various carbon sources, such as glucose, methanol, acetate, and propionate, was also investigated. Acetate was found to be the most effective among those tested in this study. When 100 ppm (theoretical oxygen demand) of sodium acetate was added, the average rate of denitrifiaction was 2.73 mg NO₃⁻-N (g MLSS)⁻¹ h⁻¹, which wasca. 4 times higher than that with the addition of 200 ppm of methanol. The phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations were both maintained within 1.5 ppm by the addition of an appropriate amount of a carbon source during a long-term operation of the SBR. The mathematical modeling was performed using Monod kinetics, other microbial kinetics, mass balances, and stoichiometry. The modeling was found to be useful for predicting the SBR operation and optimizing the HRT.     

Characteristics and mechanisms of the hydroponic bio-filter method for purification of eutrophic surface water

The hydroponic bio-filter method (HBFM) was adopted to purify eutrophic surface water. The average removal efficiency of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) was 16.8% and 30.8%, respectively, at the hydraulic loading rate (HLR) of 3.0 m³ (m² d)⁻¹. The mass removal rate of TN and TP accordingly reached 1.0 and 0.1 g (m² d)⁻¹ separately. The sedimentation of particulate nitrogen and phosphorus played a major role in removal of nitrogen and phosphorus, which contribute 62.2% and 75.9%, respectively. The optimal HLR of HBFM ranged from 3.0 to 4.0 m³ (m² d)⁻¹. The sediment in midstream reached a maximum nitrification potential of 4.76 × 10⁻⁶ g (g h)⁻¹, while upstream it reached a maximum denitrification potential of 8.1 × 10⁻⁷ g (g h)⁻¹. The distribution of nitrification potential corresponded to the ammonium-oxidizing bacteria density. The key for improving nitrogen removal efficacy of HBFM system consisted of changing the nitrification/denitrification region distribution and accordingly enhancing the denitrification process. The sum of dissolved nitrogen removed by denitrification and plant assimilation was nearly equal to the amount released by sediment. Secateur length of Nasturtium officinale had some effect on its uptake rate. The length of cut should be less than 10 cm at a time. The harvesting frequency of once a month for N. officinale had no influence on nitrogen and phosphorus removal.