Content of phosphorus (TP) and three species (NaOH-P, OP and HCl-P) in the sediment core from the central region of west Chaohu Lake and surface sediments of the lake were determined. TP exhibited three stages variation in the sediment core over the last 150 years, which was with relatively constant values in 1850-1950, increased gradually in 1950-1980 and reached the maximum average values of 858.3 mg x kg(-1) after 1980. Content of NaOH-P increased in parallel with that of TP. The percentage of NaOH-P increased gradually in the three stages. Content of OP also varied in parallel with that of TP, however, the percentage of OP was relatively constant in the three stages. HCl-P was with constant content over the last 150 years, but the percentage of which decreased more recently. In the surface sediment, NaOH-P and TP exhibited similar variation trends, which were with higher values in the west region of the lake than those in the east region and with higher values in the north region of the lake than those in the south region. Anthropogenic pollution of phosphorus in the core and surface sediments was quantified after the geochemical normalization for the compensation of "grain size effect". Anthropogenic phosphorus, mainly presented in the specie of NaOH-P, were 59.5 mg x kg(-1), 118.8 mg x kg(-1) and 297.9 mg x kg(-1) averagely during the three periods of 1850-1950, 1950-1980 and after 1980 in the sediment core from the central region of west Chaohu Lake, and was 22.9-2 500.0 mg x kg(-1) in the surface sediment. Content of anthropogenic phosphorus in surface sediment presented similar spatial variations of TP in the water, decreased to the southeast lake part away from the northwest region near Nanfei River mouth. We deduced that the discharge via Nanfei River of sewage from Heifei City should dominantly contribute the enrichment of anthropogenic phosphorus in the sediment of west Chaohu Lake in addition to the non-point agricultural sources.