Spatial variation of phosphate distribution in the sediment of an artificial wetland Maine, M.A., Suñe, N., Hadad, H. and Sánchez, G. Química Analítica, Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santiago del Estero 2829, (3000) Santa Fe, Argentina, E-mail:
[email protected] Keywords: phosphate, sediment, macrophytes, water, wetland
Abstract This study aims to determine the spatial variation of the P- distribution in sediments of an artificial wetland for sewage treatment, and the fractions that are potentially involved in the exchange processes. Water, sediment and macrophytes were sampled at different distances from the discharge point. The concentration of nutrients in water was periodically measured throughout the experiment (150 days). Sequential extractions of P-fractions in sediment were performed applying the EDTA method at the beginning and end of the experiment. According to the concentration values of i-Pdiss at the inlet and outlet of the wetland, it was found that the wetland carried out an efficient removal of nutrients until anoxia occurred in the outlet zone. Significant correlations were found between Tot-P and Fe(OOH)≈P (r = 0.8932, p
