BOOK REVIEW

H. L. Golterman, The Chemistry of Phosphate and NitrogenCompounds in Sediments

Springer, Dordrecht, 2004, 284 pp, Hardcover, $110.00, £65.50, €84.95,ISBN 978-1-4020-1951-7

John Boyle

Published online: 25 September 2007

� Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007

This book is far broader than suggested by its title,

describing in great detail field and laboratory exper-

iments investigating the behaviour of P and N in

lakes, rivers, and near-shore marine environments,

emphasising exchange between the sediment and the

overlying water column. Synthesising this informa-

tion to give the reader an appreciation both of the

main patterns of behaviour and the extent of our

ignorance, this book is essential reading to anyone

interested in lake nutrient dynamics, or in the

palaeoenvironmental interpretation of sediment

chemistry.

Written to inform managers, researchers and

students involved with or interested in water quality

control, this book need not have offered much

specifically the palaeolimnological community. To

an extent this is the case; the focus on exchange

between sediment and the water column does not

directly address the sediment record. However,

reconstruction of the processes and fluxes described

in this book is the goal of a large part of palaeolim-

nology, and in highlighting both the complexity and

general trends in these, this book offers the palaeo-

limnologist valuable insights. For example, section

4.3 on Mineralization and ammonification of N

describes in detail processes modifying the C/N ratio

of sediment, which will make valuable, if chilling,

reading to anyone trying to infer changes in lake

ecosystems using sediment C/N records. The inclu-

sion of an introductory section describing the basics

of sediment and water composition, though rather

selective, also makes a valuable contribution to

palaeolimnology, providing a useful service to begin-

ners in the field.

The book divides into five sections, the first two

providing useful, if rather selective, general intro-

ductions to sediment and freshwater composition

respectively. Sections three and four examine phos-

phorus and nitrogen respectively, each describing

field and laboratory experimental data in detail.

Intentionally focussing on the older literature to

prevent ‘‘… the rediscovery of the wheel.’’, this

approach provides an excellent grounding in the

subject, giving the reader a very clear idea of what is

confidently known, and what remains highly specu-

lative. The final section reviews and criticises

analytical methods for determining N, P, S and Fe

compounds in sediment.

I can recommend this books as a useful text for

anyone with an interest in general palaeolimnology,

providing a thorough review of current practical

knowledge about nutrient dynamics in lakes, and how

this ties in with sediment composition. It is also

valuable reading to anyone starting out to study lake

sediment chemistry, though the price tag of £65.50

may well discourage students.

J. Boyle (&)

Department of Geography, University of Liverpool,

Chatham Street, Liverpool L69 7ZT, UK

e-mail: jfb@liv.ac.uk

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J Paleolimnol (2007) 38:613

DOI 10.1007/s10933-007-9140-z