Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Modelling phosphorus inputs from agricultural sources and urban areas in river basins

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Geology

Abstract

An area-differentiated model approach (MEPhos) for the quantification of mean annual P-inputs from point and diffuse sources is presented. The following pathways are considered: artificial drainage, wash-off, groundwater outflow, soil erosion, rainwater sewers, combined sewer overflows, municipal waste water treatment plants and industrial effluents. Two retention functions for rivers and reservoirs are included in order to model P-sinks within a river basin. This allows a complete record of P-loads in heterogeneous meso- and macroscale river basins and enables validation of modeling results with water quality data on a load basis. The model is applied to the River Ruhr basin (4,485 km2) in Germany, which includes contrasting natural conditions, land use patterns as well as population and industry densities. Based on validated modelling results sub-areas of high P-loads are localized and management options for the reduction of P-inputs to surface waters are proposed taking into account the site conditions of the sub-areas relevant for high P-inputs into surface waters.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ATV-A128 (1992) Richtlinien für die Bemessung und Gestaltung von Regenentlastungsanlagen in Mischwasserkanälen. ATV-DVWK-Regelwerk, Nr. 2/2001

  • Auerswald K (1989) Prognose des P-Eintrags durch Bodenerosion in die Oberflächengewässer der BRD. Mitt Dtsch Bodenkundl Ges 59/II:661–664

    Google Scholar 

  • Behrendt H, Opitz D (2000) Retention of nutrients in river systems dependence on specific runoff and hydraulic load. Hydrobiologia 410:111–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Behrendt H, Huber P, Kornmilch M, Ley M, Opitz D, Schmoll O, Scholz G, Uebe R (2000) Nutrient emissions into river basins of Germany. UBA-Texte, vol 23/00, Berlin

  • BGR, SGD (2000) Methodendokumentation Bodenkunde - Auswertungsmethoden zur Beurteilung der Empfindlichkeit und Belastbarkeit von Böden. Geol. Jb., Reihe G, Sonderh., SG1

  • BMU (2005) Federal German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (ed) Water framework directive—summary of river basin district analysis 2004 in Germany. Berlin

  • Bode H, Klopp R (2001) Nutrient removal in the river basin of the Ruhr—a German case study. Water Sci Technol 44:15–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Brombach H, Michelbach S (1998) Abschätzung des einwohnerbezogenen Nährstoffaustrags aus Regenentlastungen im Einzugsgebiet des Bodensees. Ber. Internat. Gewässerschutzabkommen Bodensee, 49

  • Environmental Protection Agency Brandenburg (1996) LUA Brandenburg Basisbericht zur Grundwassergüte des Landes Brandenburg, Potsdam

  • Environmental Protection Agency Brandenburg (1999) LUA Brandenburg Geogen bedingte Grundbelastung der Fließgewässer Spree und Schwarze Elster und ihrer Einzugsgebiete, Potsdam

  • Environmental Protection Agency Brandenburg (2002) LUA Brandenburg Bericht zur Grundwasserbeschaffenheit 1995–2000 im Land Brandenburg, Potsdam

  • Frede HG, Dabbert S (1999) Handbuch zum Gewässerschutz in der Landwirtschaft, ecomed, 2 edn. Landsberg

  • Fried JS, Brown DG, Zweifler MO, Gold MA (2000) Mapping contributing areas for stormwater discharge to streams using terrain analysis. In: Wilson JP, Gallant JC (eds) Terrain analysis—principles and applications. Wiley, New York, pp 183–203

  • Hamm A (ed) (1991) Studie über Wirkungen und Qualitätsziele von Nährstoffen in Fließgewässern, Sankt Augustin

  • IAP, FAL (eds) (1996) Entwicklung des gesamtdeutschen Agrarsektormodells RAUMIS96—Endbericht zum Kooperationsprojekt. Bonn and Braunschweig, Völkenrode

  • Jahn D, Klein M (1995) Der Tegeler See - ein Beispiel der Eutrophierungsbekämpfung im Ballungsraum Berlin - Die Havel. Studien und Tagungsberichte 8. Landesumweltamt Brandenburg, Potsdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunkel R, Wendland F (2002) The GROWA98 model for water balance analysis in large river basins; the River Elbe case study. J Hydrol 259:152–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kunkel R, Voigt HJ, Wendland F, Hannappel S (2004) Die natürliche, ubiquitär überprägte Grundwasserbeschaffenheit in Deutschland. Research Centre Jülich, Series Umwelt/Environment 47

  • Molot LA, Dillon PJ (1993) Nitrogen mass balances and denitrification rates in central Ontario Lakes. Biogeochemistry 20:195–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore ID, Wilson JP (1992) Length-slope factors for the revised universal soil loss equation: Simplified method of estimation. J Soil Water Cons 49:174–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Mosimann T, Maillard A, Musy A, Neyroud J, Rüttimann M, Weisskopf P (1991) Erosionsbekämpfung in Ackerbaugebieten. Ein Leitfaden für die Bodenerhaltung. Themen-Ber. Nationales Forschungsprogr. “Nutzung des Bodens in der Schweiz”, Liebefeld Bern

  • MUNLV (2003) Ministry for Environment, Nature Protection, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the state Northrhine-Westphalia (ed) Entwicklung und Stand der Abwasserbeseitigung in Nordrhein-Westfalen, MUNLV, 10th edn, Düsseldorf

  • Prasuhn V, Grünig K (2001) Evaluation der Ökomaßnahmen - Phosphorbelastung der Oberflächengewässer durch Bodenerosion. SchrR FAL 37, Zürich-Reckenholz

  • Ruhrverband (ed) (1998) Ruhrwassergüte 1997, Essen

  • Ruhrverband (ed) (2006) Geschäftsbericht 2005, Essen

  • Schwertmann U, Vogl W, Kainz M (1990) Bodenerosion durch Wasser - Vorhersage des Abtrags und Bewertung von Gegenmaßnahmen, 2. edn, Stuttgart

  • Sommer M, Murschel B (1999) Erosion und Nährstoffabtrag. In: Dabbert S, Herrmann S, Kaule G, Sommer M (eds) Landschaftsmodellierung für die Umweltplanung, Berlin, pp 68–79

  • Tarboton DG (1997) A new method for the determination of flow directions and upslope areas in grid digital elevation models. Water Resour Res 33:309–319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tetzlaff B (2006) Die Phosphatbelastung großer Flusseinzugsgebiete aus diffusen und punktuellen Quellen. Research Centre Jülich, Series Umwelt/Environment 65

  • Tetzlaff B, Wendland F (2007) Modelling P-fluxes from diffuse and point sources in heterogeneous macroscale river basins using MEPhos. In: Förstner U, Westrich B (eds) Sediment dynamics and pollutant mobility in rivers. Series Environmental Science, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Tetzlaff B, Kreins P, Kunkel R, Wendland F (2007) Area-differentiated modelling of P-fluxes in heterogeneous macroscale river basins. Water Sci Technol 55(3):123–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tetzlaff B, Kuhr P, Wendland F (2008) A new method for creating maps of artificially drained areas in large river basins based on aerial photographs and geodata. Int J Irrig Drain (in press)

  • Werner W, Olfs HW, Auerswald K, Isermann K (1991) Stickstoff- und Phosphateintrag in Oberflächengewässer über “diffuse Quellen”. In: Hamm A (ed) Studie über Wirkungen und Qualitätsziele von Nährstoffen in Fließgewässern. Sankt Augustin, pp 665–764

Download references

Acknowledgments

The presented research works were part of the interdisciplinary project ‘REGFLUD’ commissioned by the Federal German Research Ministry (BMBF). REGFLUD was part of the research priority “river basin management” from 2001 to 2005. The authors would like to thank Prof. Ralf Klopp, head of the water laboratories at the Ruhrverband Essen, for providing detailed information.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute of Chemistry and Dynamics of the Geosphere (ICG-4: Agrosphere), 52425, Jülich, Germany

    Björn Tetzlaff, Harry Vereecken, Ralf Kunkel & Frank Wendland

Authors
  1. Björn Tetzlaff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Harry Vereecken
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ralf Kunkel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Frank Wendland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Björn Tetzlaff.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tetzlaff, B., Vereecken, H., Kunkel, R. et al. Modelling phosphorus inputs from agricultural sources and urban areas in river basins. Environ Geol 57, 183–193 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1293-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1293-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation