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Composition and spectroscopic characteristics of dissolved organic matter extracted from the sediment of Erhai Lake in China

  • Sediments, sec 2 • physical and biogeochemical processes • Research Article
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Abstract

Purpose

The content and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in sediment directly affect nutrient cycling and material exchange in lake ecosystems. This study investigated the content and composition of DOM and its fractions in sediments, as well as the relationship between the different parameters and nitrogen (N) forms in DOM. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the compositional characteristics of DOM, hydrophobic bases (HOB), hydrophobic acids (HOA), hydrophobic neutral fractions (HON), and hydrophilic matter (HIM) in sediments from Erhai Lake, China.

Materials and methods

Seven surface sediment samples with different environmental characteristics were collected. The DOM in the sediment was fractionated into HOB, HOA, HON, and HIM using XAD-8 resin based on compound hydrophobicity. The contents of DOM and its fractions were measured using a TOC analyzer. The structural characteristics of DOM and its fractions were investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy and UV–Vis absorbance. Correlation analyses were carried out to better understand the relationships between the parameters of the spectral characteristics and the contents of the different N forms in DOM and its fractions.

Results and discussion

The content, spatial distribution and structure of DOM and its fractions in Erhai Lake sediment were affected by water depth and aquatic plants. The DOM content in sediment ranged from 0.2 to 0.5 g kg−1. HON accounted for 41.3 to 85.7 % of DOM, whereas HIM constituted 15.0 to 58.7 % and was significantly negatively correlated with HON (R 2 = 0.856, P < 0.01). HIM was more dominant than the hydrophobic matter in the southern site, but was less abundant in the north and central sites. Sediment DOM and its fractions comprised protein- and humic-like substances. The HOA and HIM comprised humic-like substances, which were the most abundant in the southern site.

Conclusions

(1) Hydrophobic fractions are the major components of DOM in the sediments from the seven sites in Erhai Lake. (2) DOM and its fractions mainly originated from microbial sources. (3) The A 253/A 203 ratio is useful for evaluating the contents of N forms. The structure of DOM and its fractions are important in affecting the contents of DON. Nitrate (NO3-N) contributes to eutrophication, and thus cannot be ignored from studies of Erhai Lake sediment.

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. U1202235, 41103070, 41173118) and the National Significant Special Water Body Contamination Control and Treatment Plan (2012ZX07105-004).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control, Research Center of Lake Eco-environment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, People’s Republic of China

    Yanping Li, Shengrui Wang, Li Zhang, Lixin Jiao, Yali Zhao & Xiaosong He

  2. School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, People’s Republic of China

    Haichao Zhao

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  1. Yanping Li
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  7. Xiaosong He
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Correspondence to Shengrui Wang.

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Li, Y., Wang, S., Zhang, L. et al. Composition and spectroscopic characteristics of dissolved organic matter extracted from the sediment of Erhai Lake in China. J Soils Sediments 14, 1599–1611 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-0916-2

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