The composition and vertical profiles of low molecular-weight organic acids （LMWOAs） and the contribution of them to dissolved organic matter （DOM） in sediment porewaters in Bosten Lake, Xinjiang, China were investigated. The results showed that total concentration of LMWOAs was up to 94.5 μmol/L and their proportion in DOM was 5.6%, suggesting that LMWOAs were important chemical components in DOM in lake sediment porewaters. Among the seven LMWOAs, pyruvic and acetic acid had the highest concentrations with 26.30 and 8.31 μmol/L, accounting for 51.4% and 14.92% of LMWOAs, respectively. Trifluoroacetic and sorbic acid had the lowest concentrations, indicating that the compositions of LMWOAs in relative reducing environments were largely different from those reported in glacier, atmosphere and soils. The concentrations of lactic, acetic, formic, sorbic and oxalic acid decreased with increasing depth, probably relating to stronger microbial activities in the initial stage of early diagenesis. Trifluoroacetic acid was mainly anthropogenic with its concentration, showing a diusive trend from the surface to bottom sediments. The concentrations of lactic acid and nitrate generally showed a consistent profile. The increasing concentration of pyruvic acid in the vertical profile was just opposite to that of sulfate, revealing a significant negative relationship between them. Oxalic acid remained constant except for an obvious peak at 6 cm depth. The results indicated the diversities in sources and behaviors for various LMWOAs during early diagenesis in sediments.
Min XiaoFengchang WuHaiqing LiaoWen LiXinqing LeeRongsheng Huang
To identify the concentrations and sources of heavy metals, and to assess soil environmental quality, 63 soil samples were collected in Yibin City, Sichuan Province, China. Mean concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, and Cu were 10.55, 61.23, 138.88 and 56.35 mg/kg, respectively. As concentrations were comparable to background values, while Pb, Zn, and Cu concentrations were higher than their corresponding background values. Industrial areas exhibited the highest concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, and Cu, while the lowest concentrations occurred in parks. Statistical analysis was performed and two cluster groups of metals were identified with Pb, Zn, and Cu in one group and As in the other. Spatial distribution maps indicated that Pb, Zn, and Cu were mainly controlled by anthropogenic activities, whereas As could be mainly accounted for by soil parent materials. Pollution index values of As, Pb, Zn, and Cu varied in the range of 0.24-1.93, 0.66-7.24, 0.42-4.19, and 0.62-5.25, with mean values of 0.86, 1.98, 1.61, and 1.78, respectively. The integrated pollution index （IPI） values of these metals varied from 0.82 to 3.54, with a mean of 1.6 and more than 90% of soil samples were moderately or highly contaminated with heavy metals. The spatial distribution of IPI showed that newer urban areas displayed relatively lower heavy metal contamination in comparison with older urban areas.
The identities and concentrations of low-molecular-weight organic acids （LMWOAs） were determined by ion chromatography throughout a 20-m water column in Hongfeng Lake, China. The spatiotemporal variations of LMWOAs and their contributions to dissolved organic matter （DOM） in a research period of 24 hr were also investigated. The results demonstrated that five LMWOAs （lactic, acetic, pyruvic, sorbic, oxalic acid） were detected, and their total concentration and proportion in DOC were 6.55 μmol/L and 7.47%. Their average levels were 2.50, 0.65, 2.35, 0.96 and 0.09 μmol/L, respectively. LMWOAs were higher during daytime （10：00-18：00 on Jun 13, 2008） than nighttime （21：00-6：00 the next morning）, in particular 4.99 μmol/L high in the epilimnion （ 1 m water depth）, reflecting the fact that direct import from terrigenous sources and photochemical production from humic materials were dominant during LMWOAs＇ origin and accumulation. The same factors caused LMWOAs to be 0.63 μmol/L in the epilimnion higher than in the hypolimnion. The rapid decrease of total organic acid （TOA） up until 18：00 mainly resulted from bio-uptake and mineralization in the hypolimnion （〉1 m water depth）. Pyruvic acid increased with time in the epilimnion and decreased in the hypolimnion, largely related to the two contrary processes of continuous degradation and synthesis of macromolecular organic matter during life materials＇ cycle mediated by organisms. Simultaneously, plankton behavior and thermal stratification played a pivotal role in LMWOAs＇ behavior in the water column, causing decreasing and increasing profiles. The distribution of LMWOAs represents an interesting resource for biogeochemical research of DOM in aquatic ecosystems.
Min XiaoFengchang WuLiying WangXinqing LiRongsheng Huang
Low-molecular-weight organic acids （LMWOAs） in eutrophic lake water of Dianchi, Southwestern China Plateau were investigated diurnally and vertically using ion chromatography. Two profiles （P1 and P2） were studied due to the difference of hydrochemical features. Lactic, formic, pyruvic and oxalic acid were detected as major components at P1 and P2 which were on average 7.98 and 6.53 ~tmol/L, respectively, corresponding to their proportions of 2.68% and 2.48% relative to DOC. Pyruvic acid was regarded as the uppermost species at P1 and P2, reaching up to 3.82 and 3.35 μmol/L and accounting for 47.9% and 51.3%, respectively, in individual TOA. Although humus were of biogenetic production at both sites, the significant negative correlation between diurnal variations of TOAs, fluorescence intensity （FI） of protein-like components and humic-like components at P1 indicated LMWOAs were greatly originated from bacterioplankton excretion and degradation. However, correlations between diurnal variations of humic-like FI and physicochemical parameters demonstrated algal origination of LMWOAs at P2. Although content of humus was high, TOA at P2 was 1.45 ~tmol/L lower than that at P1, due to the co-influence of more intense photo-oxidation and aggregation at P2. Therefore, TOAs exhibited quite opposite diurnal variation trends of increasing-decreasing and decreasing-increasing at P1 and P2, respectively. Except for impact of solar radiation, bacterial decomposition and assimilation rendered shifts of maximal LMWOAs along water column at P1. Covering with massive algae, UV rays penetrated shallower depth that LMWOAs assembled in surface layer water before 18：00 at P2 and represented decreasing profiles.
Min Xia Fengchang Wu Runyu Zhang Liying Wang XinqingLi Rongsheng Huang
Water quality criteria (WQC) are threshold limits for pollutants or other hazard factors in the ambient water environment, which are based on scientific experiments and extrapolations. Until now, there is limited information available regarding the study of water quality criteria in China. It is imperative to launch national-level systematic WQC studies that focus on the regional characteristics of China and provide scientific support for the enactment or revision of water quality standards and environmental management. This article reviews the concept of WQC and discusses the methodology and global progress of WQC research. The article also summarizes the key scientific issues in WQC research, including species sensitivity distribution, toxicological endpoint selection, and models selection. Furthermore, we can adopt the derivation method used in the USA and divide WQC into acute and chronic criteria. Finally, considering the current status of WQC research in China, we point out important directions for future national studies, including the selection of native species and the comprehensive use of models.
FENG ChengLian WU FengChang ZHAO XiaoLi LI HuiXian CHANG Hong
