Evaluating the use of in-situ turbidity measurements to quantify fluvial sediment and phosphorus concentrations and fluxes in agricultural streams.

摘要: Accurate quantification of suspended sediments (SS) and particulate phosphorus (PP) concentrations loads is complex due to episodic delivery associated with storms management activities often missed by infrequent sampling. Surrogate measurements such as turbidity can improve understanding pollutant behaviour, providing calibrations be made cost-effectively quantified uncertainties. Here, we compared fortnightly storm intensive water quality sampling semi-continuous monitoring calibrated against spot samples three potential methods for determining SS PP in an agricultural catchment over two-years. In the second year evaluated transferability calibration relationships adjacent similar soils land cover. When data from nine events were pooled, both (all log space) better related than they discharge. Developing separate relationship rising falling limbs hydrograph provided further improvement. However, ability transfer between catchments was not evident differed gradient intercept on limb two catchments. We conclude that reduced uncertainty load estimation derived use a proxy specific parameters long-term regulatory programmes, must considered alongside increased capital maintenance costs equipment, potentially noisy need site-specific prolonged periods.