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Dynamics of Reactive Sulfide and its Control on Metal Bioavailability and Toxicity in Metal-Polluted Sediments from Lake Taihu, China

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Abstract

This study was conducted to elucidate the vertical and seasonal distribution of acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) in sediment cores of metal-polluted areas of Lake Taihu, China. The concentrations of AVS in sediments were more dynamic than the SEM values, which were higher in warmer seasons. Two types of AVS profiles were identified in the studied area. Generally, the AVS levels increased at a certain depth (6–18 cm), below which they decreased, except for two sites during summer. Very high concentrations of AVS were observed at these two sites during summer, and its concentrations decreased almost exponentially with increased depth. The higher content of AVS near surface sediments in summer at these two sites was attributed to a high input of organic matter resulting from dead algal deposits. The SEM contents decreased with depth and remained almost constant with season. Metal toxicity in the sediment cores was assessed on the basis of three models: ΣSEM − AVS, ΣSEM/AVS, and ΣSEM − AVS/f OC, and the results showed that toxicity occurred in the surface sediment interval (0–1 cm) at one site during winter.

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Acknowledgments

This work was jointly supported by Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 10SL011029), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants No. 20907057, 50979102), and Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. BK2009332). We are grateful to Shiming Ding for kind assistance in the manuscript revision. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions, which greatly improved the quality of this manuscript.

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China

    Hongbin Yin & Chengxin Fan

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  1. Hongbin Yin
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  2. Chengxin Fan
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Correspondence to Hongbin Yin.

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Yin, H., Fan, C. Dynamics of Reactive Sulfide and its Control on Metal Bioavailability and Toxicity in Metal-Polluted Sediments from Lake Taihu, China. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 60, 565–575 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-010-9575-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-010-9575-5

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