The Effects of Estuary Dredging on Removing Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Dianchi Lake, China

Sediment dredging is currently the most commonly selected option for getting rid of contaminated sediments. In this study, the effects of estuary dredging on removing nitrogen and phosphorus were investigated by comparing the different vertical nutrient content between the dredged and un-dredged areas in Dianchi Lake. The results showed that the contents of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the un-dredged areas were relatively higher than that in dredged areas. Besides, the contents of bio-available nitrogen and phosphorus represented the similar results, only a few dredged spots showed a higher potential releasing capacity. Therefore, with the reduction of internal nutrient loading, it indicated that sediment dredging might be an effective and reliable way to improve such eutrophic lakes.