ABSTRACT
Phosphate oxygen isotope analysis is an effective tool for investigating phosphorus migration and transformation in water bodies. Unfortunately, current pretreatment methods for this technology are significantly limited due to their demanding sample amount requirements, complex operation, and limited scope of application. In order to enhance the efficiency of the pretreatment process, hydrated zirconia was synthesized through liquid-phase precipitation. Zeolite, D001 macroporous resin, activated carbon, and ceramsite were chosen as possible candidate materials for loading purposes. The optimal zirconium loading material was identified through a combination of field enrichment and laboratory elution experiments. The ideal in situ enrichment duration, material dosages, and elution time were ascertained using response surface methodology. The findings showed that D001 resin exhibited superior selective adsorption and elution capacity for phosphate. The response surface optimization yielded the optimal parameters for the in situ phosphate-enrichment blanket: a mass of 13 g for zirconium-loaded D001 resin, an enrichment period of 360 min, and an elution period of 853 min. The attainment of a bright yellow Ag3PO4 solid after purification served as proof of the reliability of the optimization method. The obtained results provide a fundamental basis for the preparation and application of phosphate oxygen isotope analysis in freshwater ecosystem.
Subject(s)
Phosphates , Zirconium , Phosphates/analysis , Oxygen Isotopes/analysis , Ecosystem , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
Phosphate oxygen isotope (δ18OP) technique is an effective tool to identify the source and transformation process of phosphorus. The poor applicability of existing δ18OP pretreatment methods for sediments hindered the large-scale application of δ18OP technology. This paper presents an optimization framework for the pretreatment of sediment δ18OP samples based on large-scale applications, using the Fuyang River Basin as a case study. The typical channel landscape outflow lake, South Lake, was selected as the most favorable point for assessing the applicability and optimizing the mainstream δ18OP pretreatment method, which was achieved by clarifying the sediment environmental characteristics of South Lake. To evaluate the suitability of the Blake and McLaughlin methods in South Lake, a comparative study was carried out based on five dimensions: phosphorus recovery rate, removal efficiency of organic matter, removal efficiency of extraction liquid impurity ion, experimental time, and reagent consumption cost. The findings demonstrated that the Blake method outperformed the McLaughlin method across all five dimensions. Based on the environmental characteristics of the sediments of South Lake, the Blake method was optimized from two perspectives, namely the substitution of reagents and adjustment and optimization of experimental procedures. This resulted in an enhancement of phosphorus recovery and organic matter removal efficiency, while also reducing the experimental time required. The optimized method also yielded satisfactory results when applied to the entire watershed. This research paper can thus offer valuable technical support for the widespread application of sediment δ18OP technology.