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Phosphorus species in bottom sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir during low and high water level periods

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Abstract

Eutrophication and algal blooms have recently been found in the backwater areas of some tributaries in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), for which phosphorus (P) is an important driving factor. However, P species in the TGR sediments at different water levels were little known. In this study, five P species of the TGR sediments during the high and low water level periods were analyzed with a sequential extraction method. The total P (TP) concentrations were 714.88 ± 37.86 μg/g and 697.57 ± 111.49 μg/g at the low and high water levels, respectively. The concentrations of P species decreased in the orders detrital P > authigenic P > organic P > iron-bound P > exchangeable P at the low water level and detrital P > organic P > authigenic P > iron-bound P > exchangeable P at the high water level. P in the TGR sediment sourced mainly from the upstream input at the low water level but from the inputs of tributaries and hillslope soils at the high water level. The bioavailable P (BAP) possessed > 29.5% of total P in the two periods. The total storages of total P and BAP were estimated to be about 1.34 × 106 t and 1.77 × 105 t, respectively during 2003–2017. It was further found that the BAP concentration significantly increased from periods I (2003–2009), II (2010–2014), to III (2015–2017), while the deposition flux and storage of BAP were the highest in period II. Our findings provide new insight into the P cycle and benefit eutrophication treatment in the TGR.

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Funding

This study was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFC0401703), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. BK20191304), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2019B45414).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 211100, China

    Shuai Wang, Wenbo Rao & Changping Mao

  2. Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China

    Jin Qian & Kun Li

  3. College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China

    Jin Qian & Kun Li

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  1. Shuai Wang
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Wang, S., Rao, W., Qian, J. et al. Phosphorus species in bottom sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir during low and high water level periods. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 17923–17934 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08348-5

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