Bulk sedimentary phosphorus in relation to organic carbon, sediment textural properties and hydrodynamics in the northern Beibu Gulf, South China Sea

Solomon Felix Dan; Wenlu Lan; Bin Yang; Lijun Han; Cheng Xu; Dongliang Lu; Zhenjun Kang; Haifang Huang; Zhiming Ning

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111176

Bulk sedimentary phosphorus in relation to organic carbon, sediment textural properties and hydrodynamics in the northern Beibu Gulf, South China Sea

Mar Pollut Bull. 2020 Jun:155:111176. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111176. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Authors

Solomon Felix Dan¹, Wenlu Lan², Bin Yang³, Lijun Han⁴, Cheng Xu⁵, Dongliang Lu¹, Zhenjun Kang⁶, Haifang Huang¹, Zhiming Ning⁷

Affiliations

¹ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster in the Beibu Gulf, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou 535011, China.
² Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster in the Beibu Gulf, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou 535011, China; Marine Environmental Monitoring Center of Guangxi, Beihai 536000, China; Guangxi Key Lab of Mangrove Conservation and Utilization, Guangxi Mangrove Research Center, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Beihai 536000, China.
³ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster in the Beibu Gulf, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou 535011, China; Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Key Laboratory of Coastal Science and Engineering, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou 535011, China. Electronic address: binyang@bbgu.edu.cn.
⁴ Marine Environmental Monitoring Center of Guangxi, Beihai 536000, China.
⁵ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster in the Beibu Gulf, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou 535011, China; College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541000, China.
⁶ Guangxi Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster in the Beibu Gulf, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou 535011, China; Key Laboratory of Coastal Science and Engineering, Beibu Gulf University, Qinzhou 535011, China.
⁷ Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.

PMID: 32469784
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111176

Abstract

Bulk sedimentary phosphorus (P) is studied to evaluate its source, distribution, preservation and enrichment in relation with organic carbon (OC), sediment textures and moisture contents in the northern Beibu Gulf. Approximately 80% of surface sediments in the investigated sites were composed of coarse sandy texture (>63 μm). Total P (TP), inorganic P (IP) and organic P (OP) contents were lower to medium range compared to the levels reported for other marginal seas. Sedimentary OC and P were derived from mixed sources, with high terrestrial influence in the coastal areas (molar OC/OP ratios >250:1). The distribution of P corroborated with the variation tendency of fine-grained sediments, moisture contents and OC. Both IP and OP may significantly influence the trophic state of seawater if released from surface sediments. Influenced by hydrodynamics, frequent resuspension and high abundance of sand, TP is less preserved, and shows low to moderate enrichment in surface sediments.

Keywords: Enrichment; Hydrodynamics; Preservation; Sediment grain size; Sedimentary phosphorus.

MeSH terms

Carbon
China
Environmental Monitoring
Geologic Sediments
Hydrodynamics
Oceans and Seas
Phosphorus / analysis*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
Phosphorus
Carbon