Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: E002
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.E002
Published online: 22 April 2026
Spatial distribution of phosphorus in bottom sediments of Zemborzyckie Lake in Lublin, Poland
Martina Argyrou1, Despoina Gerou1, Danai Giannaki1, Adamantia Kontou1, Ileja Zupančič2 and Sławomir Ligęza*3
1 Erasmus student, Greece
2 Erasmus student, Slovenia
3 Institute of Soil Science, Environment Engineering and Management, University of Life Science, 7 Leszczyńskiego St., 20-960, Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: slawomir.ligeza@up.edu.pl
Phosphorus is very important chemical element for quality of water in rivers, lakes and dam reservoirs. Together with ammonia and nitrates nitrogen is the main reason of water eutrophication and “algal blooms”. Soluted in water, in the orthophosphate form, is the next accumulated in bottom sediments. Resuspension of sediments is a big problem for shallow lakes and dam reservoirs. Phosphorus located in the interstitial water started to be available to algae. Zemborzyckie Lake (ZL) is small (c.a. 280 ha) and shallow (max. depth 4.0 m, mean 1.8 m) dam reservoir located on Bystrzyca River. The right bank is almost entirely adjacent to the pine forest, but along the left one, there are arable fields and suburban buildings. The load of phosphorus is several times greater than safe for the water bodies with almost stagnant water (ZL retention time is 27-29 days), according to the Vollenweider model. This model incorporates both the water and sediment systems and considers two forms of phosphorus – particulate, P bounded to organic matter or inorganic sediment particles, e.g., iron, aluminum, calcium compounds, and dissolved (orthophosphates). The studies on spatial distribution of total phosphorus in the bottom sediments showed that the biggest accumulation of that chemical element was positively correlated with the share of fine-grained sediments. The second important factor was the shape of the shoreline, creating microhabitats of a lake character. Algal blooms as the answer of availability of phosphorus is big problem for Zemborzyckie Lake.
Keywords: bottom sediments; dam reservoir; total phosphorus (TP)
How to cite
Argyrou M., Gerou D., Giannaki D, Kontou A., Zupančič I., Ligęza S., 2026. Spatial distribution of phosphorus in bottom sediments of Zemborzyckie Lake in Lublin, Poland. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.E002