Effects of different chemical agents on changes in sediment phosphorus composition and the response of sediment microbial community

Abstract

Controlling the release of sediment phosphorus (P) using chemical agents is a promising method for controlling internal P in eutrophic lakes. However, mineral P formation and changes in the organic P composition after sediment amendment with P-inactivation agents remain poorly understood. Furthermore, little is known about the changes in the sediment microbial community composition after remediation. Here, various ratios of poly aluminum chloride (PAC) and lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) were added to nutrient-rich sediments and incubated. Sequential P extraction, solution/solid-state ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and microbial analyses were periodically performed on the inactivated sediments. The results indicate that PAC and LMB effectively reduced sediment iron-bound P and organic P, respectively, markedly increasing the content of aluminum- and calcium-bound P in the sediment, respectively. Solid-state ³¹P NMR results confirmed the formation of rhabdophane (LaPO₄. nH₂O) in the LMB-amended sediment. Solution ³¹P NMR results showed that PAC preferentially reduced the organic P fractions of pyrophosphate, whereas LMB efficiently reduced the organic P fractions of orthophosphate, monoesters, and diesters in the sediment. Compared with the control sediment, PAC addition can cause short-term negative effects on sediment microbes at high doses, whereas LMB addition can increase bacterial diversity or richness in the sediment. These results provide a deeper understanding of the differences between PAC and LMB in internal sediment P control.

Keywords: Phosphorus chemical agents; Sediment microbial community; Sediment mobile phosphorus; Solid/solution (31)P NMR.