Abstract
Suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary in June 2006 was separated into five fractions via water elutriation: clay-very fine silt (<8 µm), fine silt (8–16 µm), medium silt (16–32 µm), coarse silt (32-63 µm) and sand (>63 µm). The SPM and fractionated particles were sequentially analyzed by a modified SEDEX sequential extraction method to obtain six species of phosphorus: exchangeable or loosely-sorbed P, organic P, Fe-bound P, authigenic P, detrital P and refractory P. The results indicated that all particulate phosphorus species except for detrital P were negatively correlated to particle size; a high detrital P content was found in coarse silt and very coarse silt. From the inside of the river mouth to the gate of the river mouth, organic P, Fe-bound P and refractory P in the suspended particles decreased and a higher amount of exchangeable P appeared around the gate of the river mouth. From the gate of the river mouth to the sea, exchangeable P and organic P in suspended particles increased distinctly. The total particulate P flux into the estuary from the Changjiang River was about 45.45×108 µmol/s during sampling. Of this, about 8.27×108 µmol/s was associated with the “truly suspended” fraction. The bio-available particulate P flux was about 13.58×108 µmol/s. Of this, about 4.24×108 µmol/s was transported by “truly suspended” particles.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Alber M. 2000. Settleable and non-settleable suspended sediments in the Ogeechee River estuary, Georgia, U.S.A. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 50:805–816.
Aminot A, Andrieux F. 1996. Concept and determination of exchangeable phosphorus in aquatic sediments. Water Research, 30(1): 2 805–2 811.
Andrieux F, Aminot A. 1997. A two-year survey of phosphorus speciation in the sediments of the Bay of Seine (France). Continental Shelf Research, 17(10): 1 229–1 245.
Andrieux F, Aminot A. 2001. Phosphorus forms related to sediment grain size and geochemical characteristics in French coastal areas. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 52: 617–629.
Anschutz P, Zhong S, Sundby B. 1998. Burial efficiency of phosphorus and the geochemistry of iron in continental margin sediments. Limnology and Oceanography, 43(1): 53–64.
Balls P W. 1994. Nutrient inputs to estuarine form nine Scottish east coast rivers: influence of estuarine processes on inputs to the North Sea. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 39: 329–352.
Bauerfeind E, Hichel W, Niermann U, et al. 1990. Phytoplankton biomass and pontential nutrient limitation of phytoplankton development in the southeastern North Sea in spring 1985 and 1986. Netherlands Journal of Sea Research, 25: 131–142.
Bergamaschi B A, Tsamakis E, Keil R G, et al. 1997. The effect of grain size and surface area on organic mater, lignin and carbohydrate concentration, and molecular compositions in Peru margin sediments. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, 61(6): 1 247–1 260.
Chen J Y, Shen H T, Yun C X. 1988. Process of Dynamics and Geomorphology of the Changjiang estuary. Sanghai Science and Technology Press, Shanghai, 454. (in Chinese)
Chen Z Y, Li J F, Shen H T, et al., 2001. Yantze River of China: historical analysis of discharge variability and sediment flux. Geomorphology, 41(2–3): 77–91.
Coppola L, Gustafsson Ö, Andersson P, et al. 2005. Fractionation of surface sediment fines based on a coupled sieve-SPLITT (split flow thin cell) method. Water Research, 39: 1 935–1 945.
Coppola L, Gustafsson Ö, Andersson P, et al. 2007. The importance of ultrafine particles as a control on the distribution of organic carbon in Washington Margin and Cascadia Basin sediments. Chemical Geology, 243: 142–156.
Deborde J, Anschutz P, Chaillou G, et al. 2007. The dynamics of phosphorus in turbid estuarine systems: example of the Gironde estuary (France). Limnology and Oceanography, 52(2): 862–872.
Dyer K R, Cornelisse J, Dearnaley M P, et al. 1996. A comparison of in situ techniques for estuarine floc settling velocitymeasurements. Journal of Sea Research, 36: 15–29.
Fan D J, Neuser R D, Sun X G, et al. 2008. Authigenic iron oxides formation in the estuarine mixing zone of the Yangtze River. Geo-Marine Letters, 28: 7–14.
Fang T H, Chen J L, Huh C A. 2007. Sedimentary phosphorus species and sedimentation flux in the East China Sea. Continental Shelf Research, 27: 1465–1476.
Fennessy M J, Dyer K R, Huntley D A. 1994. Size and settling velocity distribution of flocs in the Tamar estuary during cycle. Netherland Journal of Aquatic Ecology, 28: 275–282.
Forsgren G, Jansson M. 1992. The turnover of river transported iron, phosphorus and organic carbon in Öre estuary, northern Sweden. Hydrobiologia, 235/236: 585–596.
Forsgren G, Jansson M, Nilsson P. 1996. Aggregation and sedimentation of iron, phosphorus and organic carbon in experimental mixtures of fresh water and estuarine water. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 43: 259–268.
Fox L E. 1990. Geochemistry of dissolved phosphate in the Sepik river and estuary, Papua, New Guinea. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 54: 1019–1024.
Froelich, P N. 1988. Kinetic control of dissolved phosphate in natural rivers and estuaries: A primer on the phosphate buffer mechanism. Limnology and Oceanography 33(4): 649–668.
Gao X J, Xu S Y, Zhang N L. 2001. Distribution and forms of phosphorus in tidal flat sediments of the Yangtze estuary and coast. Science in chian (Series B), 44(Supp.): 190–196.
Gardolinski P C F C, Worsfold P J, McKelvie I D. 2004. Seawater induced release and transformation of organic and inorganic phosphorus form river sediments. Water Research, 38: 688–692.
Gibbs R J, Tshudy D M, Konwar L, et al. 1989. Coagulation and transport of sedimentsin the Gironde estuary. Sedmentology, 36: 987–999.
Harrison P J, Hu M H, Yang Y P, et al. 1990. Phosphorus limitation in estuarine and coastal waters of China. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 140: 79–87.
Horowitz A J. 1991. A primer on sediment-trace element chemistry, 2nd rev. Edn. Lewis Publisher Inc., Chelsea MN.
Hyacinthe C, Cappellen P V. 2004. An authigenic iron phosphate phase in estuarine sediments: composition, formation and chemical reactivity. Marine Chemistry, 91: 227–251.
Jensen H S, Bendixen T, Andersen F Ø. 2006. Transformation of particle-bound phosphorus at the land-sea interface in a Danish estuary. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution: Focus, 6: 547–555.
Keil R G, Mayer L M, Quay P D, et al. 1997. Loss of organic matter from riverine particles in deltas. Geochimica Cosmaochimica Acta, 61(7): 1 507–1 511.
Koch M S, Benz R E, D.T. Rudnick, 2001. Solid-phase phosphorus pools in highly organic carbonate sediments of northeastern Florida Bay. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 52: 279–291.
Krein A, Schorer M. 2000. Road runoff pollution by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and its contribution to river sediments. Water Research, 34(16): 4 110–4 115.
Li B G, Eisma D, Xie Q C, et al. 1999. Concentration, clay mineral composition and Coulter counter size distribution of suspended sediment in the turbidity maximum of the Jiaojiang river estuary, Zhejiang, China. Journal of Sea Research, 42: 105–116.
Lucotte M, d’Anglejan B. 1983. Forms of phosphporus and phosphorus-iron relations in the suspended matter of the St. Lawrence estuary. Canadian journal of Earth Science, 20: 1 880–1 890.
Lucotte M, d’Anglejan B. 1988. Seasonal changes in phosphorus-iron geochemistry of the St. Lawrence estuary. Journal of Coastal Research, 4: 339–349.
Meybeck M. 1982. Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus transport by world rivers. American Journal of Science, 82: 401–450.
Milligan T G. 1995. An examination of the settling behaviour of a flocculated suspended. Netherlands Journal of Sea Research, 33: 163–171.
Murphy J, Riley J P. 1962. A modified single solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Analytica Chimica Acta, 27: 31–36.
Neil S P. 2009. A numerical study of lateral grain size sorting by an estuarine front. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 81: 345–352.
Ning X R, Vaulot D, Liu Z S, et al. 1988. Standing stock and production of phytoplankton in the estuary of the Changjiang (Yangtse River) and the adjacent Easta China Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 49: 141–150.
Pacini N, Gächter R. 1999. Speciation of riverine particulate phosphorus during rain events. Biogeochemistry, 47: 87–109.
Pardo P, López-Sánchez J E, Rauret G. 2003. Relationships between phosphorus fractionation and major components in sediments using the SMT harmonized extraction procedure. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 376, 248–254.
Qiu P Y. 1988. The discussion about mechanism of fine sediments flocculation in Changjiang estuary. Morphodynamic processes and geomorphology evolution in Changjiang estuary. Shanghai Science and Technology Press, Shanghai, 283–290. (in Chinese)
Reeves A D, Duck R W. 2001. Density fronts: sieves in the estuarine sediment transfer system? Physics and Chemistry of the Earth Part B-Hydrology Oceans and Atmosphere, 26: 89–92.
Ruttenberg K C. 1992. Development of a sequential extraction method for different forms of phosphorus in marine sediments. Limnology and Oceanography, 37(7): 1 460–1 480.
Shen H T. 1985. The discussion about the regularity and forming reasons of the maximum turbid zone of the Changjiang estuary. Selected papers of the dynamics, Geomorphology and sedimentation process for estuary and coast. Science Press, Beijing, 76–89. (in Chinese)
Stone M, English M C. 1993. Geochemical composition, phosphorus speciation and mass transport of fine-grained sediment in two lake Erie tributaries. Hydrobiologia, 253(1–3): 17–29.
Tappin A D. 2002. An examination of the fluxes of nitrogen and phosphorus in temperate and tropical estuaries: current estimates and uncertainties. Estuaries, Coastal and Shelf Science, 55: 885–901.
Tian R C, Hu F C, Martin J M. 1993. Summer nutrient fronts in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 37: 27–41.
Turner A, Millward G E, Tyler A O. 1994. The distribution and chemical composition of particles in a macrotidal estuary. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 38: 1–17.
Turner A, Millward G E. 2002. Suspended particles: their role in estuarine biogeochemical cycles. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 55: 857–883.
Udden J A. 1914. Mechanical composition of clastic sediments. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 25: 655–744.
Vink S, Chambers R M, Smith S V. 1997. Distribution of phosphorus in sediments from Tomales Bay, California. Marine Geology, 139: 157–179.
Walling D E, Woodward J C. 1993. Use of a field-based water elutriation system for monitoring the in situ particle size characteristics of fluvial suspended sediment. Water Research, 23(9): 1 413–1 421.
Wentworth C K. 1922. A scale of grade and class terms for clastic sediments. Journal of Geology, 30: 377–392.
Wolfstein K. 1996. Fractionation and measurements of settling velocities of suspended matter using an Owen tube. Journal of Sea Research, 36: 147–152.
Xu S Y, Gao X J, Liu M, et al. 2001. China’s Yangtze estuary II. Phosphorus and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in tidal flat sediments. Geomorphology, 41: 207–217.
Yu Z G. 1999. Analysis of dissolved organic phosphorus in sea water. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 21(5): 137–143. (in Chinese)
Zhang J Z, Fischer C J, Ortner P B. 2004. Potential availability of sedimentary phosphorus to sediment resuspension in Florida Bay. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 18: GB4008, doi:10.1029/2004GB002255.
Zwolsman J J G. 1994. Seasonal variability and biogeochemistry of phosphorus in the Scheldt estuary, south-west Netherlands. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 39(3): 227–248.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 40976044, 40920164004 and 30490232) and the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (Nos. 2002CB12405 and 2005CB422305)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
He, H., Chen, H., Yao, Q. et al. Behavior of different phosphorus species in suspended particulate matter in the Changjiang estuary. Chin. J. Ocean. Limnol. 27, 859–868 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-009-9021-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-009-9021-6