Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Matter in Sediments of Typical Lakes in Southeastern Hubei Province, China

This study aimed to reveal the distribution characteristics and sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in sediments of typical lakes in the southeastern of the Hubei province and provide a reference for pollution control of eutrophic lakes. The sediments of four typical lakes (Liangzi, Baoan, Daye, and Qingshan) in the southeastern of the Hubei Province were investigated in May 2019. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy and excitation-emission matrixes characteristics of DOM were obtained by UV-Vis spectrophotometry and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy. Moreover, the DOM fluorescence components were resolved by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The results showed that: (1) The absorption coefficient a350 in surface sediments followed the order: Baoan Lake (16.99 ± 3.82 m−1) > Qingshan Lake (15.37 ± 3.8 m−1) > Liangzi Lake (12.54 ± 5.58 m−1) > Daye Lake (12.43 ± 1.43 m−1). Specifically, with increasing depth in the sediment cores, a350 increased and then gradually decreased in Daye Lake and Baoan Lake, but fluctuated in Liangzi Lake and Qingshan Lake with a roughly decreasing trend. (2) Two humic-like components (C1, C2) and one protein-like component (C3) were identified via PARAFAC. This analysis also showed that the surface sediment fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) was dominated by protein-like, while the sediment core FDOM was dominated by humic-like in Liangzi Lake. The proportion of humic-like in FDOM was higher than protein-like in surface sediments and sediment cores of Baoan, Daye, and Qingshan Lakes. (3) The DOM of surface sediments in the Liangzi Lake comprised mostly autochthonous components, mainly produced by the vital activities of aquatic organisms. The DOM of surface sediments in Baoan Lake and Qingshan Lake showed weak humic and moderate autochthonous characteristics. The humification of DOM in sediment cores of Liangzi, Baoan, and Qingshan Lakes gradually decreased from depth to the surface. The DOM in surface sediments of Daye Lake had strong humic and moderate autochthonous characteristics. (4) In general, the DOM of lake sediments in southeastern Hubei Province has dual-contribution characteristics representing terrigenous and endogenous sources. In the restoration and treatment of lake ecology, both internal and terrestrial pollution should be considered. At the same time, it is noteworthy that cyanobacteria depletion and aquatic residues caused potential internal pollution.