Assessing high resolution oxidation-reduction potential and soluble reactive phosphorus variation across vertical sediments and water layers in Xinghu Lake: A novel laboratory approach

To understand the transfer process of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) on the lake sediment-water interface in a mesotrophic shallow lake in South China, the SRP concentrations and the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) across the sediment-water interfaces were continually monitored. Sediment samples were collected from Xinghu Lake in Guangdong Province. The ORP dynamics at different layers of overlying water was similar for six experimental systems, whereas those in porewater were significantly different. The ORP in overlying water was 200–300 mV higher than those in sediments. The oxygen penetration depth ranged from 2 to 10 mm in Xiannu Lake sediments. The variation amplitudes of ORP increased with sediment depth, but the mean ORP values were all about 218 mV. The SRP concentrations in porewater maintained at a low level of about 0.049 mg/L because of high atom ratio of total iron and total manganese to total phosphorus. The SRP concentrations and variation amplitudes in porewater increased with sediment depth. The SRP in overlying water mainly originated from SRP transference of the porewater of middle and bottom sediments (3–15 cm). The ORP variation and SRP transfer in porewater played important roles in changing SRP concentrations. A distinct SRP concentration gradient appeared in overlying water when intense exchange occurred at the sediment-water interface; therefore, it was necessary to monitor the SRP concentration profiles to accurately estimate the internal loading.