Practices for Eutrophic Shallow Lake Water Remediation and Restoration: A Critical Literature Review

Abstract

Lake water has been impaired with nutrients due to the synergic action of human-made activities and climate change. This situation is increasing eutrophication around the globe faster than before, causing water degradation, loss of its uses, and water-associated economic and health effects. Following the Sustainable Development Goal 6, more precisely its target 6.6, nations are already behind schedule in protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems (i.e., rivers and lakes). As concerns with eutrophication are escalating, eutrophic water remediation practices are the keys for restoring those lake waters. Diverse methodologies have been investigated focusing on the nutrient that limit primary productivity (i.e., phosphorus), but few have been applied to in-lake eutrophic water remediation. Thus, the objective of this paper is to provide an overview and critical comments on approaches and practices for facing eutrophic lake water remediation. Information on the successful cases and possible challenges/difficulties in the peer-reviewed literature are presented. This should be useful for supporting further remediation project selection by the stakeholders involved. In summary, for a successful and durable restoration project, external nutrient inputs need to be managed, followed by holistic and region-specific methods to attenuate internal legacy nutrients that are continually released into the water column from the sediment. When aligned well with stakeholder participation and continuous monitoring, these tools are the keys to long-lasting water restoration.

Lanthanum Materials Enable Catalytic Hydrolysis of Phosphate Esters: Implications for Water Treatment and Eutrophication Control

“…These findings imply: (1) Lanthanum materials offer an additional benefit for water and wastewater treatment by removing organophosphorus, aiding in achieving ultralow total phosphorus removal thresholds (e.g., 0.01 mg P/L). , (2) Recovering phosphorus from waste streams containing organophosphorus can be simplified by simultaneous removal and recovery via catalyzed hydrolysis and adsorption, avoiding complex and costly processes involving advanced oxidation processes for organophosphorus conversion, followed by adsorption and separation. , The P-laden materials can be directly regenerated to yield phosphate-rich desorption effluent for recovery as struvite, hydroxyapatite, or vivianite. , (3) The impact of organophosphorus in natural waters is increasingly recognized due to its toxicity and potential contribution to eutrophication. The organophosphate esters in nature waters, when treated by La materials, may undergo significant transformation to reactive P and create P sinks in high La areas. , …”

Evaluation of Algal Control Measures in Eutrophic Reservoirs Based on Aquatic Ecosystem Models

“…The management and control of eutrophication and algae in water sources should consider water usage safety and the ecological risks associated with chemical and microbial methods of algae control, which are challenging to manage. In the prevention and control of algae in water sources such as lakes and reservoirs, the focus should be on reducing nutrient sources, particularly internal sources within the reservoir, and implementing biological and physical algae control measures, such as ecological fish stocking, mollusk breeding, and algae removal equipment [51][52][53][54][55].…”

Sustainable lake restoration: From challenges to solutions

“…System analysis also includes determining the cost efficiency of potentially applicable measures and listing their success and failure rate to achieve maximum benefits at the lowest costs (including energy requirements) for each option under consideration. Decision trees were developed in some studies to ensure sciencebased choices among alternatives (e.g., Mehner et al, 2004;Pereira & Mulligan, 2023;Schauser et al, 2003;Waajen, 2017).…”