Abstract: Transport of sediment and nutrients are the main functions of river. When sediment is blocked by dams, the transport and transformation processes of nutrient are changed. On the basis of researches in the last two decades concerning sediment’s adsorption of Phosphorus, we can conclude that the adsorption of phosphorus is related with the physical and chemical properties of sediment particles, the initial Phosphorus concentration in the water, the sediment concentration, and the environmental factors. Both high Phosphorus concentration and fine particles are conductive to the adsorption of Phosphorus; the higher the sediment concentration is, the greater the total amount of adsorption is, whereas the less the adsorption capacity per unit mass is. Thermodynamic models and kinetic models are two main types of model reflecting the mechanism of sediment’s adsorption of Phosphorus. Langmuir model and Freundlich model are widely applied in the research of isothermal adsorption, and the second-order adsorption kinetic equation provides the best representation for the kinetic experiment results. In the river ecosystem, particulate phosphorus is the reserve for bio-available phosphorus and indirectly affects the growth of aquatic life. The relationship between particulate phosphorus and the growth of aquatic organisms as well as the quantitative kinetic model are important directions for future research.

Key words: river sediment, phosphorus adsorption, impact factors, adsorption model, potential bioavailable phosphors