Water Quality Management

Chapter 2:
Limnology – stagnant waters

PD Dr.-Ing. habil. Harald Schönberger, based on

Dipl.-Ing. Ralf Minke
Prof. Dr.- Ing. Heidrun Steinmetz

Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste

Management
- Chair of Sanitary Engineering and Water Recycling - 1

Chapter 2: Limnology UNIVERSITÄT

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 Stagnant waters

An approximate comparison of the surface areas of many of the larger

inland waters of the world
Limnology; Lake and river ecosystems; R. Wetzel ; Academic Press, 2001 (Third Edition) 3

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 Stagnant waters
➔ nearly closed ecosystems
◼ Lakes (freshwater)
◼ cover ca. 1.8 % of mainland
◼ long retention time (in comparison with running waters)
◼ vertical zoning is important
filling of lake basins with organic and inorganic sediments
siltation by detrital and suspended materials of inputs and organism in the lake
F.e. Lake Constance: ca. 3.6 Mill. m³ solids from inputs (“life time” ca. 12,000 years)
development of a lake is visible by bedding of sediments
➔ other processes and evaluation systems than running waters
➔ development:
◼ accumulation of water in slots
◼ mostly input from running water
➔ important factors for characterisation
◼ form of lake bed and geological situation are important for biological processes
◼ depth
◼ light
◼ temperature layer
◼ balance of matter

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 Stagnant waters - general zones
Zones in a lake (typical for small temperate lake in summer)

Temperature !!

Benthic area
Density of P/R !!
water = f(T)
➔ negative thermal
(Source: Horne et.al., Limnology (1994))
expansion 5

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 Thermal stratification of a lake

Thermocline

thermocline

The epilimnion or surface layer is the top-most layer in a thermally stratified lake,
occurring above the deeper hypolimnion. It is warmer and typically has a higher pH
and higher dissolved oxygen concentration than the hypolimnion.
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 Light as a prerequisite for primary production

Light as a prerequisite for Photosynthesis (primary production):

n CO2 + 2n H2O + light → (CH2O)n + n H2O + n O2
Production (P)

Oxygen as a prerequisite for aerobic degradation:

(CH2O)n + n O2 → n CO2 + n H2O + energy
Respiration (R)

Relation P/R describes, if the autotrophic production or

the respiration dominates

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 Types of nutrition/classes of microorganisms

Photo / Organo /
Chemo Litho
Chemo-
organo-
trophy
Chemo
-litho-
trophy
Photo-
organo-
trophy

Photo-
litho-
trophy

CO2 org. substances Auto /

CARBON SOURCE hetero
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 Classification of microorganisms - examples

Energy source – electron donator – carbon source

➔ chemo-organo-heterotrophic aerobic bacteria
◼ Mainly elimination of organic compounds

➔ chemo-organo-heterotrophic anoxic bacteria (denitrifying

bacteria)
◼ Conversion of nitrate to elementary nitrogen (N2)
◼ Elimination of organic compounds

➔ chemo-litho-autotrophic aerobic bacteria (nitrifying bacteria)

◼ Converion of ammonium into nitrate

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 Stagnant waters – light

Seasonal variation in
Secchi depth for 2
contrasting lakes:
Above: moderately eutrophic lake
Mendota (USA)
Below: transparent oligothrophic
lake Tahoe (USA)

→ Phytoplancton blumes in
spring and autumn
→ Winter??

The Secchi disk (or Secchi

disc), as created in 1865
by Angelo Secchi, is a plain
white, circular disk 30 cm in
diameter used to measure
water transparency or turbidity (Source: Horne et.al., Limnology (1994))

in bodies of water 10

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 Stagnant waters – temperature and light
The thermal and optical
structure of a lake with
depth during the period of
summer thermal
stratification
in temperate zone

Depth of photic zone?

→ f(intensity of solar radiation,
concentration of suspended
solids!=phytoplancton)
Thermal stratification??
→ f(climate, depth, season,
wind!)
Circulation??? (Source: Horne et.al., Limnology (1994))
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 Stagnant waters - circulation patterns

Circulation patterns is important to describe the lake type

➢ Amictic lakes never mix since they are permanently frozen

(e.g.: arctic, antarctic regions and at very high altitudes)

➢ Meromictic lakes mix only partially; the deep water layers never mix either because of high water
density caused by dissolved substances or because the lake is protected from wind effects

➢ Holomictic lakes mix completely and are classified according to the frequency of circulation:

Oligomictic lakes do no mix every year because of their large size and large heat storage
capacity. Whether or not they mix completely depends largely on the specific climatic
conditions

Monomictic lakes mix only once each year:

Cold monomictic lakes are found in polar regions. They thaw, but rarely reach
temperatures above 4°C and mix in the summer
Warm monomictic lakes mix in the winter, since they cool down to about 4°C but do
not freeze over

Dimictic lakes mix twice a year and are the most common lake type at temperate latitudes

Polymictic lakes mix frequently and sometimes even daily. These are usually shallow tropical
lakes or shallow lakes at temperate latitudes with great wind exposure

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 Stagnant waters - circulation patterns

Examples for warm monomictic

lakes:
Lake Constance, Lago Maggiore,
Lago di Garda….

Source: WHO, Water quality assessments, 1996

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 Stagnant waters

Schematic arrangement of thermal lake types with latitude and altitude

Cold monomictic
Transitional regions
dimictic
Transitional regions
Warm monomictic
Mixed types

Limnology; Lake and river ecosystems; R. Wetzel ; Academic Press, 2001 (Third Edition) 14

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 Trophic level systems
➔ productivity of lakes are accorded to the size of the lake (in case of
uninfluenced lakes)
◼ nutrient load/lake volume are accorded to the lake volume with same nutrient input
per area from catchment area
◼ lakes, which are big proportional to the catchment area, are low polluted by
nutrients
◼ longer retention times in bigger lakes case a removal of nutrients by sedimentation
➔ classification of lakes by types (Thinemann)
◼ oligotrophic lakes (low productivity, clear water)
◼ eutrophic lakes (high productivity, water is coloured (GREEN) by phytoplankton)
◼ dystrophic lakes (water is coloured brown by solved humins)
➔ differences in
◼ settlements (species of organism and density of individuals)
◼ profile of oxygen
◼ total phosphor concentration during spring circulation
ultra oligotrophic: < 5 µg/l
oligotrophic: 5 - 10 µg/l
mesotrophic: 10 - 30 µg/l
eutrophic: 30 - 100 µg/l
hypereutrophic: > 100 µg/l 15

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 Trophic level system
➔ Parameters for evaluation of trophic levels

Oligotrophic Eutrophic

Morphology deep Flat

Primary production low high

Algae biomass low (0.3 – 3 µg Chl-a/l ) High (10 – 500 µg Chl-a/l )

Nutrients Low Ptot (complete High Ptot (complete

circulation < 10 µg/l ) circulation > 30 µg/l )

Population explosion of missing existing

cyano- bacteria
O2- consumption (O2- low (> 50%) High (till 0 %)
content in Hypolimnion)
O2- Profile orthograde clinograde

Chiromoniden larvae Tanytarsus group Chironymus (red)

Fish fauna Deep water, salmonids , Cypriniden, more temperature

species prefer cold water tolerant species

Nach Lampert, 1999 16

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 Plankton organisms

Plankton:
The most characteristic populations in lakes are
planktonic organisms of the pelagic zone.
Characteristic: suspended in water, floating with (limited)
powers of locomotion
They are subject to dispersal by turbulence and other
water movements

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 Plankton organisms

Phytoplankton:
consists of the assemblage of small plants (algae) or
photosynthetic bacteria (cyanobacteria)
mostly freely floating

www.utsc.utotonto.ca

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 Plankton organisms

Zooplankton:
animals suspended in water
protozoa with limited locomotion
cladocera, rotifers, copepoda and immature insect larvae
often move extensively in quiescent lake water

www.uflax.edu
www.wellesley.edu
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 Phosphorous cycle in lakes

Erosion Streams, Rivers, Sewage

windblown & aereal
> 90% PO4
deposition
<10% PP
(~ 10% PO4; 90% PP)

Bacteriaplankton

P-ase
Particulate-P in
PO4 Phytoplankton
organic detritus
(BOP)
Inert
pool
Zooplankton

Soluble Inorganic
organic-P sediments Fish
e.g. Ca3 (PO4)2 , Organic
Inert
Fe3 (PO4)2
pool
sediment

(Source: Horne et.al., Limnology (1994))

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 Seasonal cycles of phosphate in five lakes

→ relatively high
winter levels and low
summer levels of
Phosphate or Ptot!

Why?

(Source: Horne et.al., Limnology (1994))

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 Phopshorus as eutrophication- factor

Relationship between
total phosphorus and
chlorophyll a in some
temperate lakes

→ The higher the

concentration of Ptot in
spring, the higher will
be the growth of
phytoplancton in
summer

(Source: Horne et.al., Limnology (1994))

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 Stagnant waters
Correlation between trophic status (A)
and net productivity (B) about
phosphor concentration

But why this wide range?? →

Concentration of other nutrients is

important too!!!

➔C,O,H,N,S,Ca,Fe,Mg,K,P
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 Stagnant waters - phosphorus

Processes involved in the mobilization of phosphorus from particulate stores into

dissolved states of interstitial water of the sediments and transport across the
sediment-water interface into the overlying water

Limnology; Lake and river ecosystems; R. Wetzel ; Academic Press, 2001 (Third Edition) 24

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 Aquatic nitrogen cycle

Source: Wikipedia, 2019

Source: Perry, Vanderklein, 1997 25

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 nitrogen

Biochemical reactions that influence the distribution of nitrogen

compounds in water

Limnology; Lake and river ecosystems; R. Wetzel ; Academic Press, 2001 (Third Edition) 26

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 nitrogen

Idealized distribution of nitrite, nitrate and ammonia with

depth for two stratified lakes in midsummer

(Source: Horne et.al., Limnology (1994))

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 Nitrogen cycle

P>R

P<R

Limnology; Lake and river ecosystems; R. Wetzel ; Academic Press, 2001 (Third Edition) 28

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 nutrients

Responses of indigeneous lake phytoplankton to

additions of nutrients

(Source: Horne et.al., Limnology (1994))

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 World Netto Primary production

ecosystem surface area Specific netto primary Biomass World-Biomass

106 km2 production (dry weight) (dry weight)
(dry weight) middle 109 t*year-1
middle kg*m-2
g*m-2*year-1

Tropical rainforest 17,0 2200 45 765

Seasonal deciduous
7,5 1200 30 210
forest
Coniferous forest 12,0 800 20 240
Grassland 9,0 600 1,6 14
Sand und Ice 24,0 3 0,02 0,5
Marshland 2,0 3000 15 30
Lake and river 2,0 400 0,02 0,05
Total Land 141,5 782 12,2 1577
Open sea 332,0 125 0,003 1,0
Coastal area 26,6 360 0,001 0,27
Estuaries 1,4 1500 1 1,4
Total sea 360,0 155 0,01 2,7
Total earth 501,5 336 3,6 1580

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 Effects of Eutrophication

Increased
➔Increased turbidity Primary production
➔Estethical (Plants and algae)
problems
➔Difficulties in
drinking water Increased
supply Secondary Product.
➔Toxicity (Bacteria to fishes)

Die-off and
sedimentation of
organic material
Reduction of oxygen
content by hetero-
trophic degradation
processes Release of bounded
Formation of
phosphorus from the
anaerobic sediment
sediment
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 Lake Constance

 Source of drinking water for about 4.5 mio people

 length: 63 km, area: 540 km2, average depth: 90 m

taken from www.esa.int

Chapter 2: Limnology UNIVERSITÄT
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 Lake Constance

 Source of drinking water

for about 4.5 mio people

Chapter 2: Limnology UNIVERSITÄT

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Lake Constance – annual mean values for
phytoplankton

Reference: www.umwelt.sg.ch
no data
available
taken from www.suedkurier.de, EBK

Lake Constance
Algae bloom, 1973

Chapter 2: Limnology UNIVERSITÄT

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Lake Constance – „lake cow“ for algae harvesting

Lake cow
(1980s)

Attempt to manage the algae bloom

→ Significant reduction of oxygen content

taken from www.bsb.de

taken from www.tagblatt.ch

Chapter 2: Limnology UNIVERSITÄT
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Lake Constance – annual mean values of P content

Chapter 2: Limnology UNIVERSITÄT

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 Lake Constance – wastewater treatment with P
removal
Centralised and decentralised wastewater treatment
wastewater treated %
Percentage of

Reference: www.igkb.org
Decentralised Centralised Total

Chapter 2: Limnology UNIVERSITÄT

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Algal toxins (only very few algae produce them)

Impacts
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Paresthesia
- Amnesia
- Musle pain
- …….

Chapter 2: Limnology UNIVERSITÄT

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 Stagnant water – carbon cycle

Simplified organic carbon cycle of a typical freshwater lake

DOC and POC: dissolved and particulate organic carbon
PS: photosynthesis
R: respiration
Limnology; Lake and river ecosystems; R. Wetzel ; Academic Press, 2001 (Third Edition) 40

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 Wood - composition

linear chain of several

hundred to many
thousands of β(1→4)
linked D units
-glucose

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 Lignin

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 Stagnant waters - food web
Food chain / web

www.ongov.net 44

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 Biological pyramids of numbers of biomass, energy and food
value for a typical temporate lake in summer (in winter different)

(Source: Horne et.al., Limnology (1994))

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Principle structure of an oligotrophic lake

Source: Perry, Vanderklein, 1996

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Principle structure of an eutrophic lake

Source: Perry, Vanderklein, 1996 48

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 Literature

Wetzel, R.: Limnology; Lake and river ecosystems;

Academic Press, 2001 (Third Edition)

Horne, J. A. , Goldmann, C.R. Limnology;

McGraw-Hill Inc., 1994
(Second Edition)

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 Copyright

These slides contain figures or pictures which might not be

sufficiently cited and/or for which I have the allowance to use them
only for teaching.
Thus they can be used only for personal and private use as
learning aids.
Generally there is a copyright on the whole content of the lecture
as well as on single slides.
Before further publication even of parts of the lecture the
allowance of the author has to be secured.
PD Dr.-Ing. habil. Harald Schönberger
Prof. Dr.- Ing. Heidrun Steinmetz
Dipl.-Ing. Ralf Minke
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