Contrasting the Optical Characterization of Dissolved Organic Matter in Water and Sediment from a Nascent River-Type Lake (Chongqing, China)

Distribution pattern of dissolved organic matter in pore water of sediments from three typical areas of western Lake Taihu and its environmental implications

The migration, transformation, and accumulation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in pore water of sediment cores play a pivotal role in lacustrine carbon cycling. In order to understand the dynamics of DOM in the sediments of large shallow eutrophic lakes, we examined the vertical profiles of DOM and the benthic fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in sediment cores located in algae accumulated, dredged, and central areas of eutrophic Lake Taihu, China. Optical properties showed the significant influence of terrestrial inputs on the DOM components of pore water in the algae accumulated area but an abundant accumulation of autochthonous DOM in the central area. The benthic fluxes of DOC ranging from -458.2 to -139.4 mg·m-2·d-1 in the algae accumulated area displayed an opposite diffusion direction to the other two areas. The flux ranges of 9.5-31.2 mg·m-2·d-1 in the dredged area and 14.6-48.0 mg·m-2·d-1 in the central area were relatively smaller than those in the previously reported lake ecosystems with low trophic levels. Dredging engineering disturbed the pre-dredging distribution patterns of DOM in sediment cores. The deposition, accumulation, and transformation of massive algae scums in eutrophic lakes probably promoted the humification degree of sediments.

Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Matter in Sediments of Typical Lakes in Southeastern Hubei Province, China

This study aimed to reveal the distribution characteristics and sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in sediments of typical lakes in the southeastern of the Hubei province and provide a reference for pollution control of eutrophic lakes. The sediments of four typical lakes (Liangzi, Baoan, Daye, and Qingshan) in the southeastern of the Hubei Province were investigated in May 2019. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy and excitation-emission matrixes characteristics of DOM were obtained by UV-Vis spectrophotometry and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy. Moreover, the DOM fluorescence components were resolved by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The results showed that: (1) The absorption coefficient a350 in surface sediments followed the order: Baoan Lake (16.99 ± 3.82 m−1) > Qingshan Lake (15.37 ± 3.8 m−1) > Liangzi Lake (12.54 ± 5.58 m−1) > Daye Lake (12.43 ± 1.43 m−1). Specifically, with increasing depth in the sediment cores, a350 increased and then gradually decreased in Daye Lake and Baoan Lake, but fluctuated in Liangzi Lake and Qingshan Lake with a roughly decreasing trend. (2) Two humic-like components (C1, C2) and one protein-like component (C3) were identified via PARAFAC. This analysis also showed that the surface sediment fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) was dominated by protein-like, while the sediment core FDOM was dominated by humic-like in Liangzi Lake. The proportion of humic-like in FDOM was higher than protein-like in surface sediments and sediment cores of Baoan, Daye, and Qingshan Lakes. (3) The DOM of surface sediments in the Liangzi Lake comprised mostly autochthonous components, mainly produced by the vital activities of aquatic organisms. The DOM of surface sediments in Baoan Lake and Qingshan Lake showed weak humic and moderate autochthonous characteristics. The humification of DOM in sediment cores of Liangzi, Baoan, and Qingshan Lakes gradually decreased from depth to the surface. The DOM in surface sediments of Daye Lake had strong humic and moderate autochthonous characteristics. (4) In general, the DOM of lake sediments in southeastern Hubei Province has dual-contribution characteristics representing terrigenous and endogenous sources. In the restoration and treatment of lake ecology, both internal and terrestrial pollution should be considered. At the same time, it is noteworthy that cyanobacteria depletion and aquatic residues caused potential internal pollution.

Characteristics of dissolved organic matter in surface water and sediment and its ecological indication in a typical mining-affected river-Le'an River, China

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays an important role in the cycling and toxicity of heavy metals in aquatic systems. However, most studies have focused only on DOM in either water or sediments. This study aimed to analyze the source, composition, and structural characteristics of DOM in both surface water and bottom sediments of the Le'an River and its major tributaries. In addition, the potential ecological risks of three typical heavy metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) were quantitatively evaluated based on the characteristics of DOM and in situ data. The results showed that sediment DOM is more aromatic and hydrophobic than surface water DOM. Although humic-like components dominated the DOM pool in both surface water and sediments, their sources were different. Surface water DOM is mainly autochthonous, while sediment DOM is controlled by both autochthonous and allochthonous sources. Risk prediction results based on DOM characteristics show that surface water has a higher potential risk of heavy metal release than sediments. Comprehensively considering the ecological risk of water and sediments, high-risk areas were found to be mainly distributed in the upper and middle reaches of the Le'an River. This distribution is attributable to the developed mining and smelting industries in these areas and consistent with the risk assessment results of measured concentrations of heavy metals. This study established a new technique for predicting the ecological risk of aquatic systems based on the characteristics of DOM in surface water and sediments.