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Classes of dissolved and particulate phosphorus compounds and their spatial distributions in the water of a eutrophic lake: a 31P NMR study

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Abstract

Knowledge of phosphorus (P) components in water is vital to understanding the biogeochemistry of the P cycle, but little information is available about P, especially organic P components in water. We used solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance technology (31P NMR) to characterize the classes of dissolved and particulate P compounds, as well as their spatial variation, in eutrophic Lake Taihu, Eastern China. Results showed that orthophosphate and monoesters were the dominant components in dissolved and particulate P. The main difference between the classes of dissolved and particulate P compounds was that phosphonate was detected in dissolved P, whereas pyrophosphate was mainly found in particulate P. The proportions of various classes of P compounds in particulate total P were relatively stable, which may be partly attributed to phytoplankton. In dissolved total P (DTP), the proportions of orthophosphate and monoester varied substantially and were significantly correlated with DTP concentration. According to the source of P and the ratios of dominant classes of P compounds in dissolved and particulate P, the dissolved orthophosphate may be substantially influenced by pollution sources, and other P compounds are mainly controlled by biological transformation processes.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Taihu Laboratory for Lake Ecosystem Research for assistance with sampling and chemical analysis. We also acknowledge Prof. Shiming Ding for the constructive suggestions on manuscript revision and Zhihong Liang for 31P NMR analysis. This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41001319, 41101089, 41371450 and 41201535).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Natural Resources and Environment, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, China

    Xiu-ling Bai, Yun-kai Zhou & Jian-hua Ma

  2. College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, China

    Xiu-ling Bai, Yun-kai Zhou, Jian-hua Ma, Hong-yan Zhao & Xue-fang Liu

  3. College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology, Beijing, 100083, China

    Jin-hua Sun

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  1. Xiu-ling Bai
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Correspondence to Yun-kai Zhou.

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Bai, Xl., Zhou, Yk., Sun, Jh. et al. Classes of dissolved and particulate phosphorus compounds and their spatial distributions in the water of a eutrophic lake: a 31P NMR study. Biogeochemistry 126, 227–240 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-015-0155-7

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