Heterogeneity in metal binding by individual fluorescent components in a eutrophic algae-rich lake

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) affects the toxicity, mobility and bioavailability of metals in aquatic environment. In this study, the interactions between two metals of environmental concern [Cu(II) and Fe(III)] with DOM in a euthrophic algae-rich lake (Lake Taihu, China), including dissolved natural organic matter (NOM) and algal extracellular polymeric substance (EPS), were studied using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) quenching titration combined with parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. Obvious protein-like peaks were detected in algal EPS matrix, while both protein- and humic-like peaks can be found in NOM. PARAFAC analysis identified four fluorescent components, including one humic-, one tryptophan- and two tyrosine-like components, from 114 EEM samples. It was shown that fluorescent tyrosine- (log K(M) > 5.21) and humic-like substances (log K(M) > 4.84) in NOM fraction exhibited higher metal binding capacities than those in EPS matrix, while algal EPS was characterized with a high metal-tryptophan-like substances affinity (log K(M) > 5.08). Moreover, for the eutrophic algae-rich lakes, fluorescent tryptophan- and humic-like substances were responsible for Cu transportation, whereas the mobility of Fe would be related with the tyrosine-like substances. The results facilitate a further insight into the biogeochemical behaviors of metals in eutrophic algae-rich ecosystems as well as other related aquatic environments.