Species and biogeochemical cycles of organic phosphorus in sediments from a river with different aquatic plants located in Huaihe River Watershed, China.

The results of phosphorus fractionation in the sediments from a contaminated river containing different aquatic plants, analyzed by solution 31P-NMR for Organic Phosphorus, showed that the concentration of Inorganic Phosphorus dominated in all species and Organic Phosphorus accounted for over 20% of Total Phosphorus. In general, orthophosphate was dominant in all the sampling sites. The proportion of Organic Phosphorus accounting for the Total Phosphorus in the sediments with different plant decreased in the following order: Paspalum distichum>Typha orientalis>Hydrilla verticillata. Phosphorus-accumulation ability of Paspalum distichum was obviously stronger than Typha orientalis and Hydrilla verticillata. The Organic Phosphorus was in aquatic plants dominated by humic-associated P (Hu-P), which converted to Inorganic Ohosphorus more significantly in submerged plants than in emerged plants. The sediment dominated by Paspalum distichum abundantly accumulated Organic Phosphorus in the orthophosphate monoester fraction. The degradation and mineralization of orthophosphate monoester was the important source of high Inorganic Phosphorus concentration and net primary productivity in Suoxu River. The Organic Phosphorus derived from Typha orientalis and Hydrilla verticillata was dramatically converted to Inorganic Phosphorus when the environmental factors varied.

[Assessment and characterization of heavy metals and nutrients in sediments from Taihu Lake].

The concentrations of Zn, Cu, Mn, Cr, Pb, Al, Fe, iron-bound P (Fe-P) and TP in the sediments from Taihu Lake, a eutrophic shallow lake, China, were determined. The results show that the concentrations of heavy metals are higher than those in the earth crust. Particularly, enrichments of Cr and Pb are more conspicuous than other metals. Moreover, the Pb content in all the sample sites increase markedly from bottom to top, which related to the numerous run-off of Pb-containing wastewater and atmospheric precipitation since 1950. Pollution level in Zhushan Bay of heavy metals and phosphorus is much more serious than other lake regions, and heavy metals and phosphorus contents increase rapidly from about 20 cm of the sediment profile upward, which reveal that the Zhushan Bay is a serious sewage discharging area since 1950. Besides, the significant correlation between Fe-P and TP indicates that Fe-P is an important phosphorus form which can release into the overlying water and be ingested by aquatic organism. That is, Fe-P is responsible for the algae bloom in north and northwest region of Taihu Lake.

Assessment of nutrients and heavy metals enrichment in surface sediments from Taihu Lake, a eutrophic shallow lake in China.

Concentrations of the nutrients (TN and TP), phosphorus fractions and heavy metals (Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, Ti, V, Zn and Hg) in 40 surface sediment samples collected from Taihu Lake, a eutrophic shallow lake in China, were determined. The results showed that the northwest region of the lake possessed higher concentrations of TN and TP, as well as the similar spatial distribution trend in the water column. This should be related to excessive anthropogenic input from industrial effluents and domestic sewage in surrounding areas. Similarly, the concentrations of P fractions exhibited significant regularity. In addition, except for Sr showing low concentration, the rest of the heavy metals in the surface sediments had two- to four-folds of magnitude of the concentrations compared with the reference values in earth's crust. In the past decade, concentrations of heavy metals had undergone different levels of variations. Principal component analysis (PCA) and enrichment factors (EFs) of the compositional data aiming at heavy metals showed that Taihu Lake was slightly exposing to heavy metal contamination except Sr. High concentrations of heavy metals were ascribed to the discharge of untreated and partially treated industrial waste water via rivers. Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn positively correlated with each other (R = 0.78-0.92), that indicated they had analogous sources and/or kindred geochemistry characteristics. Differing from nutrients, randomness in the space indicated that heavy metals had a complex distribution.

[Space distribution characteristics and diversity analysis of phosphorus from overlying water and surface sediments in Taihu Lake].

The physi-chemical indexes in the overlying water and surface sediments of Taihu Lake, an eutrophic shallow lake, were determined. Then, the isopleth maps of spatial distribution of each parameter were illustrated. The results show that the concentrations of SRP, TP and TN in the overlying water and TOC, TN and TP as well as phosphorus fractions in surface sediments exhibit distinct diversity in spatially. The lowest values of TP and TN were 0.05, 0.88 mg x L(-1), respectively. The concentrations of Fe-P ranged from 29.13 to 258.31 mg x kg(-1). Besides, the northwest lake regions, high-load Ca-P was surveyed in the South Taihu Lake and East Taihu Lake with the highest value of 357.68 mg x kg(-1). The highest concentration of OP, 371.91 mg x kg(-1) was detected in the northwest region of the lake. IP takes up a greater proportion of TP than OP, and the highest value is approximately 50% higher than the lowest value. Fe-P has higher percentage in IP compared with Ca-P. Significant correlation between Fe-P, SRP and TP showed that Fe-P was the important phosphorus source of the overlying water (R: 0.49, 0.64). Furthermore, high correlation coefficients between TOC, TOC, C/N, TN, TP and phosphorus fractions suggest that higher concentration of organics was favor to the accumulation and burial of nutrients. The high-load contaminants exist principally in the Zhushan Bay, Wulihu Lake, Meiliang Bay and the northwest region of Taihu Lake. Significant heterogeneity of nutrients distribution in space of Taihu Lake connects with direct action of emission load of sewage. Simultaneously, different biogeochemical behaviors of each parameter play an important role.