Assessing Porewater and Sediment Quality in the Sidi Salem Dam: Insights from an Artificial Aquatic Geosystem in Tunisia

Assessing Porewater and Sediment Quality in the Sidi Salem Dam: Insights from an Artificial Aquatic Geosystem in Tunisia | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Assessing Porewater and Sediment Quality in the Sidi Salem Dam: Insights from an Artificial Aquatic Geosystem in Tunisia Mohamed Amine Helali, Imen Ouameni, Hayfa Ben Mna, Valérie Mesnage, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4656438/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 Feb, 2025 Read the published version in Journal of Sedimentary Environments → Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The concentration profiles and diffusion fluxes of PO 4 3− , NH 4 + and NO 3 − at the water-sediment interface, along with the chemical speciation of phosphorus and heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Cr), were analyzed in three sediment cores from the Sidi Salem Dam lake, the largest dam in Tunisia. The results show that phosphorus in the sediment is associated with carbonates (P-Ca 40 to 60%) and iron from 0 to 10 cm depth (P-Fe 25 to 30%). This association seems to be related to pH regarding P-Ca and Eh regarding P-Fe. The PO 4 3− and NH 4 + fluxes are either zero or directed towards the water column (7 to 16 µmol m 2 d − 1 ) for NH 4 + , excepting NO 3 − , whose flux at the dam entrance is directed towards the sediment (-8.44 µmol m − ² d − 1 ). Cd contents are negligible in all cores; Zn and Cr contents are highest in the three studied sites; and Pb and Cu are mainly high at the dam entrance (20 to 43.7 µg g − 1 at 10 cm depth for Pb). Chemical fractionation shows that Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cr are mainly associated with the residual phase (41%, 71%, 53%, and 95%, respectively). Lake deposits phosphorus speciation heavy metals diffusive flux chemical speciation Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 Feb, 2025 Read the published version in Journal of Sedimentary Environments → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 30 Sep, 2024 Reviews received at journal 20 Sep, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 19 Sep, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 24 Jul, 2024 Reviews received at journal 17 Jul, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 07 Jul, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 06 Jul, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 02 Jul, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 29 Jun, 2024 First submitted to journal 28 Jun, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4656438","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":328227556,"identity":"871b491a-acc6-4f4b-b949-5dfc7068b8e5","order_by":0,"name":"Mohamed Amine 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the largest dam in Tunisia. The results show that phosphorus in the sediment is associated with carbonates (P-Ca 40 to 60%) and iron from 0 to 10 cm depth (P-Fe 25 to 30%). This association seems to be related to pH regarding P-Ca and Eh regarding P-Fe. The PO\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e\u003csup\u003e3\u0026minus;\u003c/sup\u003e and NH\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e\u003csup\u003e+\u003c/sup\u003e fluxes are either zero or directed towards the water column (7 to 16 \u0026micro;mol m\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e d\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e) for NH\u003csub\u003e4\u003c/sub\u003e\u003csup\u003e+\u003c/sup\u003e, excepting NO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u003c/sup\u003e, whose flux at the dam entrance is directed towards the sediment (-8.44 \u0026micro;mol m\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026sup2; d\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e). Cd contents are negligible in all cores; Zn and Cr contents are highest in the three studied sites; and Pb and Cu are mainly high at the dam entrance (20 to 43.7 \u0026micro;g g\u003csup\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;1\u003c/sup\u003e at 10 cm depth for Pb). Chemical fractionation shows that Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cr are mainly associated with the residual phase (41%, 71%, 53%, and 95%, respectively).\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Assessing Porewater and Sediment Quality in the Sidi Salem Dam: Insights from an Artificial Aquatic Geosystem in Tunisia","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-07-22 15:06:41","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4656438/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2024-09-30T09:25:17+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-09-20T09:24:57+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"109586253213876204534857962839334607391","date":"2024-09-19T17:42:47+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"159634608762563916210961785328402956620","date":"2024-07-24T16:41:57+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2024-07-17T13:01:34+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"316722477709584127687505331383357180135","date":"2024-07-07T13:09:30+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2024-07-06T11:43:20+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2024-07-02T14:18:46+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2024-06-29T05:30:03+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Journal of Sedimentary Environments","date":"2024-06-28T18:53:47+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"journal-of-sedimentary-environments","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jsev","sideBox":"Learn more about [Journal of Sedimentary Environments](https://link.springer.com/journal/43217)","snPcode":"43217","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/43217/3","title":"Journal of Sedimentary Environments","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"21a95edf-1cc4-4b2b-af9c-c75bdb7bb330","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 22nd, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-02-24T16:05:46+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-4656438","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43217-025-00220-1","journal":{"identity":"journal-of-sedimentary-environments","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Journal of Sedimentary Environments"},"publishedOn":"2025-02-20 15:57:25","publishedOnDateReadable":"February 20th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2024-07-22 15:06:41","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s43217-025-00220-1","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43217-025-00220-1","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4656438","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4656438","identity":"rs-4656438","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}