[Objective] To provide references and scientific bases for environmental management of the Three Gorges Reservoir areas, the effect of three simple organic acids(oxalic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid) on the properties of leachate and soil(purple soil and grey-brown purple soil) were investigated. [Methods] leaching experiments were conducted using intermittent soil column in lab. [Results] Low-molecular-weight organic acids at high concentration(≥50 mmol/L) can upset the acid-alkaline buffer system of grey-brown purple soil. Either oxalic acid, citric acid or tartaric acid, when the concentration was higher than 50 mmol/L, pH value of grey-brown purple soil was observed declined from around 8 to lower than 4.11. Whereas, the buffer effect of purple soil behaved strong. soil pH value of it varied between 6.84 and 8.71 after leaching, no significant differences were observed with the contrast value of blank treatment. Electrical conductivity of grey-brown purple changed more obviously than the one of purple soil. In the treatments of high concentrations of low-molecular-weight organic acids, the highest electrical conductivity of grey-brown purple soil even reached 34.400 mS. The leached amount of ions by the three acids had a rank of citric acid>tartaric acid>oxalic acid. [Conclusion] The main reasons affecting pH value, electrical conductivity of leachate and soil pH value were acid splitting and complexing action of the low-molecular-weight organic acid. Meanwhile, the acid-participated chemical and biochemical processes of the purple soil and grey-brown purple soil were also important. The presence of low-molecular-weight organic acids has certain risk to water environment in the Three Gorge Reservior areas.