Eutrophication levels increase sulfur biotransformation and emissions from sediments of Lake Taihu

Jing Wang; Zhi-Peng Wei; Yi-Xuan Chu; Guangming Tian; Ruo He

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164054

Eutrophication levels increase sulfur biotransformation and emissions from sediments of Lake Taihu

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Aug 20:887:164054. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164054. Epub 2023 May 12.

Authors

Jing Wang¹, Zhi-Peng Wei², Yi-Xuan Chu³, Guangming Tian⁴, Ruo He⁵

Affiliations

¹ Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China; Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
² Hohai University, State Key Laboratory Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing 210098, China.
³ Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China.
⁴ Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
⁵ Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310012, China; Department of Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: heruo@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 37178848
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164054

Abstract

Eutrophication can stimulate the emissions of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) accompanied by variations in environmental variables in lakes. However, the effects of eutrophication on VSC emissions from lake sediments as well as the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, depth gradient sediments at different eutrophication levels and seasons were collected from Lake Taihu to investigate the response of sulfur biotransformation in the sediments to eutrophication based on the analysis of environmental variables, microbial activity, abundance and community structure. H₂S and CS₂ were the main VSCs produced from the lake sediments, with the production rates of 2.3-7.9 and 1.2-3.9 ng g^-1 h^-1 in August, respectively, which were higher than those in March, mainly due to the increasing activity and abundance of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) at high temperatures. The VSC production rates from the sediments increased with lake eutrophication level. Higher VSC production rates were detected in surface sediments in eutrophic regions but in deep sediments in oligotrophic regions. Sulfuricurvum, Thiobacillus and Sulfuricella were the main sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) in the sediments, while Desulfatiglans and Desulfobacca were the predominant SRB. Organic matter, Fe³⁺, NO₃^--N and total sulfur had significant influences on the microbial communities in the sediments. Partial least squares path modelling showed that the trophic level index could stimulate VSC emissions from lake sediments by influencing the activities and abundances of SOB and SRB. These findings indicated that sediments contributed substantially to VSC emissions from eutrophic lakes, especially surface sediments, and sediment dredging might be an effective way to mitigate VSC emissions from eutrophic lakes.

Keywords: Eutrophic lake; Microbial activity; Sulfate-reducing bacteria; Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria; Volatile sulfur compounds.

MeSH terms

Bacteria / metabolism
China
Desulfovibrio*
Eutrophication
Geologic Sediments / chemistry
Lakes* / microbiology
Sulfur / metabolism
Sulfur Compounds / metabolism

Substances

Sulfur
Sulfur Compounds