Organic phosphorus (P) fractions in surface sediments from a large shallow, eutrophic Lake Taihu, China, were extracted with 0.1 M NaOH after pre-treatment of the sediments with a solution composed of 0.1 M EDTA and 2% (w/v) Na(2)S(2)O(4). Composition of organic P in the extracts was then characterized by (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P NMR). Several P species, including phosphonates, orthophosphate, orthophosphate monoesters, phospholipids, DNA, pyrophosphate and polyphosphate, were detected in the NaOH extracts. The proportion of extracted organic P to total P in sediments was negatively correlated with total P in the water column, as were the proportions for orthophosphate monoesters and DNA. This implies that the majority of organic P in surface sediments is likely stabilized in some way, and does not directly contribute to the internal loading of P from sediments.