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） are prevalent on the earth＇s surface. They are vital intermediate products during metabolic pathways of organic matter and participate in the tricarboxylic acid cycle during life activities. Photochemical reactions are pivotal for LMWOAs＇ origination and play a large role in determining their diversity and their ultimate fate. Within the long time that organic matter is preserved in sediments, it can be decomposed and converted to release organic and inorganic pollutants as well as C, N, and P nutrients, which are of potential ecological risk in causing secondary pollution to lake water. The sediment pool is a comprehensive and complex compartment closely associated with overlying water by various biochemical processes, during which LMWOAs play critical roles to transport and transform elements. This article elucidates geochemical behaviors of LMWOAs in the surface environment in details, taking natural water, soil, and aerosol as examples, focusing on reviewing research developments on sources and characteristics, migration and mineralization of LMWOAs and relevant environmental effects. Simultaneously, this review article depicts the categories and contents of LMWOAs or their contribution to DOC in environmental media, and evaluates their importance during organic matter early diagenesis. Through concluding and discussing the conversion mechanisms and influencing factors, the next research orientations on LMWOAs in lake ecosystems are determined, mainly concerning relationships with hydrochemical parameters and microorganisms, and interactions with pollutants. This will enrich the knowledge on organic matter degradation and related environmental effects, and help reconstruct a theoretical framework for organic compound succession and influencing factors, providing basic data for lake eutrophication and ecological risk assessment, conducive to better control over water pollution and proper management of water quality.
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
