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The Fluctuation of Arsenic Levels in Lake Taihu

Biological Trace Element Research volume 143, pages 1310–1318 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the arsenic levels in the waters of lake Taihu, a huge, shallow, and very important lake which has been suffered with serious eutrophication in China. Unexpected great difference was detected for arsenic levels between the collected water samples of three successive surveys in Taihu in May 2009, Fall 2009, and May 2010, with arsenic levels in May 2009 being more than tenfold of those in Fall 2009 and May 2010. Such difference in arsenic levels do not routinely happen like seasonal changes as reported in many other lakes of the world. Considering arsenic contents as well as some basic aquatic monitoring data of the lake, such great arsenic fluctuations were probably due to the effects of strong hydraulic turbulence in Taihu for its very shallow depth. The spatial distribution of arsenic in Taihu were similar, despite great difference of arsenic levels in the three successive surveys, indicating such differences did not come from arsenic external input around the lake. The sudden increase of arsenic levels in Taihu highlights the importance of stabilization or removing of arsenic in lake sediments so as to keep arsenic lower than the national hygiene standard of China.

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Notes

  1. Dr. Guangwei Zhu from Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, personal communication

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Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program) (No. 2008CB418201) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40971264, 40632011). Dr. Guangwei Zhu from Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences kindly provided sampling instruments. We wish to thank Dr. Jianyang Guo, Dr. Shaofeng Wang, Dr. Renwei Feng, Ms. Yanming Zhu, Mr. Hailong Wen and Mr. Shuai Fu for their assistance in field surveys.

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Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geographic Sciences & Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China

    Chaoyang Wei, Nan Zhang & Linsheng Yang

  2. Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Nan Zhang

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  1. Chaoyang Wei
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  2. Nan Zhang
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  3. Linsheng Yang
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Correspondence to Chaoyang Wei.

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Wei, C., Zhang, N. & Yang, L. The Fluctuation of Arsenic Levels in Lake Taihu. Biol Trace Elem Res 143, 1310–1318 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-8974-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-8974-4

Keywords

  • Eutrophication
  • Spatial distribution
  • Successive surveys
  • Wind effect
  • Re-suspension