High-resolution characteristics and mechanisms of endogenous phosphorus migration and transformation impacted by algal blooms decomposition

Abstract

Extremely high phosphorus (P) concentrations can be found in eutrophic freshwater sediments during algal blooms (ABs). However, few investigations have revealed the mechanism of labile P production in anoxic sediments following ABs decomposition. This limits our understanding of P cycling and mitigation of ABs in aquatic ecosystems. To identify such a mechanism, we conducted a microcosm experiment to identify how ABs decomposition enhances endogenous P release, using the combined techniques of diffusive gradients in thin films, high-resolution dialysis, and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. We show the concentrations of labile iron, manganese, sulfide, and P can be well predicted by quality and quantity of algal biomass. The relative abundance of iron reduction bacteria positively correlated with the decrease of pH induced by ABs decomposition, suggesting that this decomposition facilitates microbial iron and manganese reduction. In addition, the reductive dissolution of iron and manganese oxides leads to the labile P release, resulting in higher concentrations of labile P in those sediments affected by ABs compared with those not affected. The P fluxes in the algae-dominated regions exhibited higher values in the algae group than in the control group, with gains of 14.07–100.04%. Furthermore, endogenous P release is strongly controlled by Mn when the Fe(II):Mn(II) ratio is low (below 0.47), and by both Fe and Mn when the Fe(II):Mn(II) ratio is high (above 0.63). Our results quantify the endogenous P diffusion fluxes across the sediment–water interface can be attributed to ABs decomposition, and are therefore useful for further understanding of P cycling in freshwater.