Phosphorus speciation and availability in sediments off the eastern coast of Hainan Island, South China Sea

Abstract

Surface and core sediments were collected off the eastern coast of Hainan Island (South China Sea), and a sequential extraction method (SEDEX) was used to separate and quantify five sedimentary phosphorus (P) reservoirs: exchangeable or loosely sorbed P (Ex-P), iron-bound P (Fe-P), authigenic P (Ca-P), detrital P (De-P) and organic P (OP). Total P (TP) in the surface and core sediments ranged from 7.96 to 22.34µmolg−1, and was dominated by inorganic P (IP). De-P and Ca-P were the main chemical species of P in surface and core sediments. The distribution of the P species in surface and core sediments was governed by various factors, including terrigenous input, biological processes, Fe oxides/hydroxides, organic matter degradation, and sediment grain size. The organic carbon (OC)/OP ratio ranged from 37 to 293 (average, 107±58) in surface sediments, suggesting that the organic matter in sediments had been subject to degradation and comprised mostly refractory compounds. The OC/Preactive ratio (37–69) was relatively low in the core sediments, suggesting an excess of sedimentary reactive P compared with OC. The Fe/P ratio ranged from 2 to 19 in surface and core sediments, which indicates that the higher proportions of the crystalline phases occurred in estuarine areas relative to the offshore areas. The potential bioavailable P accounted for 20.3–54.2% of TP in the surface and core sediments.