Passive sampling of low concentration of orthophosphate in a river and a lake

Abstract

 Monitoring of orthophosphate (PO_4-P) concentrations in rivers and lakes is important to conserve water environment. Grab sampling followed by general instrumental analysis cannot provide representative concentration of PO_4-P exists in low concentration range in water environment. In this study, passive sampling of orthophosphate was conducted in Sakusyukotoni River and Lake Barato to obtain time-averaged concentration of PO_4-P. As a result, obtained time-averaged concentration of PO_4-P with passive sampling in Sakusyukotoni River coincided with concentrations of dissolved phosphorus in samples obtained by grab sampling. In Lake Barato, vertical profiles of time-averaged concentration of PO_4-P were obtained using passive sampling.