Evaluation of Temporal and Spatial Variation Characteristics of Nutrients in Surface Sediment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

With the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, the river flow pattern and sediment dynamics are expected to be affected. As a consequence, the sediment traits could be impacted by these changes. The temporal and spatial variation characteristics of the nutrient content from 2000 to 2015 in surface sediment were analyzed in the main stream from Jiangjin to the dam site section of the Yangtze River and in the estuaries of the representative input tributaries of the Three Gorges Reservoir, such as the Jialing River, Yulin River, Wujiang River, Xiaojiang River, Daning River, and Xiangxi River. Then, the state of the pollution was assessed. Results revealed that the average concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) in the surface sediments of the main stream ranged from 678.2 to 928.6 mg·kg-1, the average contents of total nitrogen (TN) ranged from 0.203% to 0.362%, the average contents of potassium ranged from 1.74% to 2.37%, and the average contents of organic matter ranged from 0.94% to 1.54%. The average concentrations of TP in the estuaries of the representative input tributaries ranged from 490.1 to 832.3 mg·kg-1, the average contents of TN ranged from 0.257% to 0.495%, the average contents of potassium ranged from 1.69% to 2.32%, and the average contents of organic matter ranged from 1.21% to 2.27%. The concentrations of TP and potassium in the study sections were generally within background concentration ranges, while the concentrations of TN were obviously above background levels, and the concentrations of organic matter were obviously below background levels. The nutrient contents in the surface sediment did not display significant differences among the study sites; however, the distributions of different nutrient contents along the river varied widely. Although the nutrient contents in the surface sediments fluctuated somewhat during different flow periods, they were seemingly unaffected by the impoundment, since no obvious enrichment was observed throughout the impoundment. The evaluation of organic index indicated a clean state for the surface sediments in the majority of the study area, while there was a moderately polluted state in some local sections. The evaluation of nitrogen pollution indicated a polluted state for most sections. Overall, the nutrients in the surface sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir showed moderate ecological risks, possibly caused by TP and TN. © 2017, Science Press. All right reserved.