Influence of submerged macrophyte Potamogetoncrispus growth on nutrient translocation in sediments

Abstract Sediments with and without Potamogeton crispus were simultaneously incubated outdoors to determine the effects of plant growth on the nutrients migration. After 3 months of incubation, the Fe, Mn, Si, Cu and Zn concentrations of the plant roots were significantly higher than those of the shoots (p < .05). Additionally, when P. crispus was present, the nutrient contents varied in the descending order Ca (18.54 mg/L) > Mg (4.132 mg/L) > P (8.211 μg/L) > Cu (5.45 μg/L) > Mn (0.151 μg/L) in the overlying water and in the order Ca (24.31 mg/L) > Mg (11.33 mg/L) > Mn (1349 μg/L) > P (125 μg/L) > Cu (18.91 μg/L) in the pore water. The presence of P. crispus also significantly increased the P concentration of the overlying water and the Ca, Mg and Mn concentrations of the pore water (p < .05). Furthermore, the growth of P. crispus increased the water‐extractable P level in the sediment but decreased the amounts of available Fe and Mn in the sediment (p < .05). These results indicate that the presence of P. crispus can lead to the redistribution of nutrients in sediments and in the overlying water, and this redistribution is conducive to the restoration of contaminated sediments. We suggest that more submerged macrophytes be planted in polluted water bodies to improve the water restoration effect.