Assessment of copper,cadmium and zinc remobilization in Mediterranean marine coastal sediments

The remobilization of copper, cadmium and zinc in sediments of three selected coastal microenvironments of the Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean) is assessed. Various analytical methods and techniques were employed providing concentrations, profiles and forms of metals and organic matter in sediments and pore waters.     

Acetate in recent anoxic sediments: Direct and indirect measurements of concentration and turnover rates

While acetate is generally regarded as an important intermediate in the mineralization of organic matter in anoxic sediment systems, some quantitative studies in marine systems (including our own) have measured acetate oxidation rates in excess of sulphate reduction rates where sulphate is known to be the principal electron acceptor. We revisited Skan Bay, Alaska, where we had previously made such observations, for a reexamination of acetate turnover. Measurements of acetate concentrations, production rate, oxidation rate and sulphate reduction rate as well as bioenergetic considerations led to the conclusion that acetate oxidation rate in 15–18-cm deep sediment is 1·1–1·5 μM h⁻¹. The possibility that previous measurements were high because of a non-citric-acid-cycle pathway of acetate oxidation (suggested by recent laboratory studies) was excluded. It appears that our previous turnover measurements were high mainly because of high acetate concentrations. Procedures used for the isolation of porewater for acetate determination may influence results to an extent not previously recognized.     

Copper,chromium, and lead in Manukau Harbour sediments

A limited survey was undertaken to determine the concentrations of copper, lead, and chromium in sediments of the upper Manukau Harbour, New Zealand. The concentrations of copper and chromium (33–70 and 70–107 μg g^‐1 respectively) were of the same order of magnitude as those reported for other New Zealand harbours. However, lead concentrations (98–247 μg g^‐1) were higher than those found for the other harbours. This may be a consequence of higher traffic densities in the surrounding area.     

海洋沉积物微量元素地球化学特征对天然气水合物勘探的指示意义

天然气水合物与资源和全球环境变化等重大科学问题密切相关。前期关于甲烷渗漏区地球化学特征的研究主要集中于浅表层沉积物（＜20 m）,而浅层沉积物（＞20 m）地球化学特征知之甚少。为探讨海洋浅层沉积物微量元素特征与天然气水合物勘探的相关关系,对南海神狐海域沉积物进行了4个站位的钻探取样,分析了样品主、微量元素和有机碳地球化学特征,并采用氧化还原状态以及Mo与TOC相关关系的分析方法进行探讨。结果显示,沉积物主量元素特征主要受到陆源碎屑物质输入的主导,与天然气水合物富集无明显关系。水合物赋存段及附近沉积物中Ba和Mo元素高度富集,存在明显的“Ba峰”和“Mo峰”,主要是由于天然气水合物分解释放大量甲烷产生的硫化环境所导致。因此,沉积物中的Ba和Mo富集特征可作为识别可能存在天然气水合物分布的重要地球化学指标。     

Petroleum pollution in surface sediments of Daya Bay,South China,revealed by chemical fingerprinting of aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbons

Nine surface sediments collected from Daya Bay have been Soxhlet-extracted with 2:1 (v/v) dichloromethane-methanol. The non-aromatic hydrocarbon (NAH) fraction of solvent extractable organic matter (EOM) and some bulk geochemical parameters have been analyzed to determine petroleum pollution of the bay. The NAH content varies from 32 to 276 μg g⁻¹ (average 104 μg g⁻¹) dry sediment and accounts for 5.8–64.1% (average 41.6%) of the EOM. n-Alkanes with carbon number ranging from 15 to 35 are identified to be derived from both biogenic and petrogenic sources in varying proportions. The contribution of marine authigenic input to the sedimentary n-alkanes is lower than the allochthonous input based on the average n-C₃₁/n-C₁₉ alkane ratio. 25.6–46.5% of the n-alkanes, with a mean of 35.6%, are contributed by vascular plant wax. Results of unresolved complex mixture, isoprenoid hydrocarbons, hopanes and steranes also suggest possible petroleum contamination. There is strong evidence of a common petroleum contamination source in the bay.     

The relationship between fatty acid distributions and bacterial respiratory types in contemporary marine sediments

Bacterial communities of different respiratory types were isolated from a marine sediment in a multiple chemostat system in an attempt to obtain bacterial cultures representative of the sediment. The fatty acid distribution of a mixed culture of sulphate-reducing bacteria isolated from this system showed a good correlation with the lipid distribution of the zone of maximum sulphate-reduction activity within the sediment. Both distributions had significant concentrations of C14 : 0, iso and anteiso C15 : 0, C16 : 0, C16 : 1ω7 and C18 : 1ω7. This was in contrast to the lipid profile of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans obtained by batch enrichment, which was dominated by iso C17 : 1ω7 fatty acids and correlated poorly with the sediment. The bacterial community cultured from the sediment was further differentiated according to respiratory types (aerobic, facultative aerobic and facultative anaerobic) by growth in a chemostat under defined conditions. The fatty acid distributions of these communities were sufficiently different to enable the various respiratory types to be recognized by their particular fatty acid composition. Cyclopropyl fatty acids (?17 and ?19) were present in significant levels only in the aerobic bacteria, while the facultative aerobes had significantly higher C18 : 1ω7 than the other cultures and the facultative anaerobic community was the only culture to have significant amounts of C12 : 0. The fatty acid distribution of Loch Eil sediment over the range C12-19 seemed to be predominantly of bacterial origin and were relatively abundant to a depth of 6 cm. The concentration of cyclopropyl fatty acids was highest in the oxidized surface sediments and decreased with depth as anaerobic conditions began to dominate, indicating that these fatty acids may only be indicative of aerobic sedimentary bacteria. In contrast to the fatty acids characteristic of bacteria, those fatty acids in the range C20-30 attributed to a terrestrial input were found in relatively constant concentrations over the whole 0–12 cm depth profile.     

海州湾岩芯沉积物元素地球化学特征及其环境指示

使用X射线和ICP-MS方法对海州湾潮滩HZ02岩芯沉积物的常量与微量元素进行分析,探讨沉积物元素含量和地球化学特征,揭示沉积物来源。结果表明:常量元素平均含量大小为AlFeCaKNaMgTi,从底层到表层元素含量变化相似;微量元素从底层到表层的含量变化亦比较相似,且以1958年为时间节点,之前元素含量变化大,之后元素含量稳定。HZ02岩芯沉积物元素的多变量分析表明海州湾潮滩沉积环境变化主要受陆源影响。海州湾沉积物主要来源为从临洪河输入、其次为废黄河和黄海输入。1958年以前,主要从临洪河输入,其次为废黄河物质,之后主要从临洪河输入,其次为黄海沉积物。50年代的导沭工程和1958年的石梁河水库建设,临洪河沉积物物质输入明显减少,特别是粗颗粒物质输入减少。HZ02岩芯沉积物的化学元素含量及其变化特征清楚地揭示了海州湾潮滩沉积环境及其对人类活动的响应。     

Hydrocarbons in Washington coastal sediments

The sources and distributions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and aliphatic hydrocarbons are characterized in seventeen sediments from a highly river-influenced sedimentary environment off the southwestern coast of Washington. The major hydrocarbons are land-derived, introduced as preformed compounds and display long-term stability in sediment cores. A series of PAH of anthropogenic origin and two naturally derived compounds, retene and perylene, dominate the PAH composition in these sediments. Plantwax n-alkanes are the major aliphatic hydrocarbon constituents. Aliphatic hydrocarbons of marine origin, pristane and a series of four acyclic, multibranched C₂₅ polyolefins, are also observed in many sediments. The concentrations of these marine-derived hydrocarbons decrease to negligible levels rapidly with sediment depth from the sea-sediment interface, suggesting degradation.In general, the major land-derived hydrocarbons are concentrated in the midshelf silt deposit which extends northwestward along the continental shelf from the Columbia River mouth. A quantitatively more minor, natural series of phenanthrene homologs, also of terrestrial origin, is preferentially advected further offshore and deposited in continental slope sediments. These distributions are consistent with recognized particle associations for these compounds and sediment dispersal processes in this coastal environment. Sediment core records suggest the present pattern of dispersal has persisted for at least the past century and possibly since the Late Pleistocene.     

Behaviour of copper,zinc, iron and manganese during experimental resuspension and reoxidation of polluted anoxic sediments

Samples of anoxic intertidal sediments from the Mersey Estuary, north-west England, have been used in laboratory experiments to determine the rates and extents of metal (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn) releases to solution under conditions of controlled resuspension and reoxidation. An experimental system for the study of sediment-water interactions at various temperatures, salinities, pHs and oxygen concentrations is described. The results indicate rapid initial losses of Fe and Mn from sediment but not Cu and Zn with longer term readsorption of Fe and Mn to give partitioning between the aqueous/ sediment phases for all four metals which is similar to that under the initial anoxic conditions. Cu and Zn show small, but measurable, net losses from the aqueous phase to the reoxidized sediment. Salinity variations exert little influence on the processes observed, but increasing temperature produces increased Cu, Zn and Mn in the dissolved fraction at equilibrium conditions. Exchanges of Cu and Zn between the sediment/water phases are rather insensitive to pH or oxygen concentration, but Fe and Mn do respond to increasing pH which suppresses their initial release on oxidation. Low oxygen concentrations can result in a slow but significant release of Fe. In relation to trace metal pollution in estuaries and biological availability, the results suggest that the resuspension and oxidation of polluted anoxic sediments is not an important process because of scavenging of soluble metals on to the resuspended material.     

The distribution and flux of particulate matter in the Bideford River Estuary,Prince Edward Island,Canada

The temporal and spatial distribution of total and organic particulate matter is investigated in the Bideford River estuary. Particulate matter is homogenously distributed in both the water column and the surface sediment, due to high rates of resuspension and lateral transport. The measured mean sedimentation rate for the estuary is 183·5 g of particulate matter m^?2 day^?1, of which more than half is due to resuspension.The surface sediment of the estuary is quantitatively the dominant reservoir of organic matter, with an average of 902·5 g of particulate organic carbon (POC) m^?2 and 119·5 g of particulate organic nitrogen (PON) m^?2. Per unit surface area, the sediment contains 450 times more POC and 400 times more PON than the water column. Terrestrial erosion contributes high levels of particulate matter, both organic and inorganic, to the estuary from the surrounding watershed. Low rates of sediment export from the estuary result in the accumulation of the terrigenous material. The allochthonous input of terrigenous organic matter masks any relationship between the indigenous plant biomass and the organic matter.In the water column, a direct correlation exists between the organic matter, i.e. POC and PON, concentration and the phytoplankton biomass as measured by the plant pigments. Resuspension is responsible for the residual organic matter in the water column unaccounted for by the phytoplankton biomass.The particulate content of the water column and the surface sediment of the estuary is compared to that of the adjacent bay. Water-borne particulate matter is exported from the estuary to the bay, so that no significant differences in concentration are noted. The estuarine sediment, however, is five to six times richer in organic and silt-clay content than the bay sediment. Since sediment flux out of the estuary is restricted, the allochthonous contribution of terrigenous particulate matter to the bay sediment is minor, and the organic content of the bay sediment is directly correlated to the autochthonous plant biomass.     

Fluxes of organic carbon in a fjord on the west coast of Ireland

The supply of particulate organic carbon (POC) via freshwater influx, and its exchange with the open sea, were estimated for a fjord-like coastal inlet (Killary Harbour, Ireland) during 1981. Biological production and destruction of organic matter within the inlet were also studied. POC levels in rivers feeding the system were correlated with rainfall. C : N ratios suggested an increased proportion of POC of terrestrial origin at stations influenced by freshwater inflow, and throughout the fjord in the non-productive season.A tentative annual carbon budget is presented.     

Seasonal variation of sedimentary processes in a semi-enclosed bay: Hampyong bay,Korea

Multi-annual sedimentological observations on tidal-flat sediments were carried out in Hampyong Bay, southeastern Yellow Sea, to infer the budget of modern muddy sediments in the bay. Sedimentation rates over a four-year period show contrasting types of seasonal sedimentary cycles occurring in the tidal flats within the elongated bay. Both sides of the bay are largely sheltered from winter waves, resulting in surface mud deposition during winter and erosion during summer. In contrast, tidal flats along the head of the bay are influenced by winter waves, resulting in a reversed trend where erosion occurs during winter and deposition during summer. Tidal flats near the bay-mouth, however, show a sedimentary cycle disrupted by the construction of sea walls undergoing consistent erosion throughout the observational period. The shoreline artificially straightened seems to cause tidal currents to bypass the tidal flat and hence to be much stronger. These differences in sedimentary cycles suggest the critical importance of the orientation of tidal flats relative to the propagating direction (from N–NW) of the monsoon winter-storm waves on the tidal-flat sedimentation in the eastern coastal area of the Yellow Sea. The preliminary budget estimation for the tidal-flat mud suggests that the tidal flats in Hampyong Bay are subject to the slight but consistent erosion as a whole.     

不同海域沉积物对尿素吸附的实验模拟研究

本文对采自渤海、黄海和东海3个典型海域的沉积物进行了尿素吸附/解吸的实验室模拟研究,用Freundlich吸附模型和Henry吸附模型分析了不同沉积物对尿素吸附的热力学特性,并研究了温度、沉积物粒径、有机质含量等因素对尿素在沉积物表面吸附的影响。结果表明,沉积物对尿素的吸附/解吸过程总体呈现3个阶段:快速吸附阶段（0~5 h）—慢速吸附阶段（5~12 h）—平衡阶段（12 h之后）。当水体中的尿素浓度较低时,沉积物解吸释放尿素,随着上覆水中尿素浓度逐渐增加,沉积物对上覆水中的尿素产生吸附行为,各海区沉积物对尿素的吸附能力由强至弱依次为渤海、东海、黄海,这可能与沉积物的类型有关。Freundlich方程和Henry方程均可模拟沉积物对尿素的吸附,温度、粒径以及沉积物中有机质含量等因素均对尿素在沉积物上的吸附产生影响,随着温度升高,尿素在沉积物上的吸附量变小,沉积物粒径越小,有机质含量越高,吸附尿素的能力越强,因此,揭示尿素在沉积物表面的环境行为时,必须考虑以上因素的影响。     

Trace metal composition of and accumulation rates of sediments in the Upper Gulf of Thailand

Sediment cores and grab samples were collected in the Upper Gulf of Thailand to determine sedimentation rates and to determine if metal concentrations reflect anthropogenic inputs.Accumulation rates of sediments in the Upper Gulf measured using the ²¹⁰Pb method, appear to vary from ca. 4 to 11 mm yr^?1. Sediment budgets suggest that little of the sediment delivered to the Upper Gulf by the major rivers is ultimately transported to the Lower Gulf. Metal concentrations in Upper Gulf sediments appear to be dominantly controlled by natural inputs.     

Trace metals in the Pagassitikos Gulf,Greece

The concentrations of Ni, Mn, Cr, Cu, Co, Zn, Fe, Pb and organic carbon have been determined in sediments of the Pagassitikos Gulf. They vary with the ‘sand equivalent’ content, s′, characteristic of the grain size, and are related to it by the equation,

$\text{c = c}{}_1\text{·k·s′}{}^{\mathrm{d}}$

in which the constants c₁, k and d depend on the element. Consequently, since the metal concentrations in a sample are much less representative of the area from which it has been taken than its ‘sand equivalent’ content, a contour map of the latter constitutes a reliable guide to the general pattern of the elements. Superimposed on it, we detect isolated patches of moderate pollution close to the harbour of Volos and a few, slight, natural anomalies, such as increased Mn and Ni, the former in the east and the latter in the south of the Gulf.     

Trapping of fine sediment in a semi-enclosed bay, Palau, Micronesia

Airai Bay, Palau, is a small (3 km²), semi-enclosed, mangrove-fringed, meso-tidal, coral lagoon on the southeast coast of Palau. It drains a small catchment area (26 km²) of highly erodible soils in an area with high annual rainfall (3.7 m). River floods are short-lived and the sediment load is very large, with suspended fine sediment concentration exceeding 1500 mg l⁻¹. The resulting river plume is about 2 m thick. The brackish water residence time is about 7 days; during this period the plume remains a distinct surface feature even after river runoff has ceased. About 98% of the riverine fine sediment settles in Airai Bay, of which about 15–30% is deposited in the mangroves during river floods. This mud remains trapped in Airai Bay because the bay is protected from ocean swells and the tidal currents and locally generated wind waves are too small to resuspend the mud in quantity. The mud is smothering coral reefs, creating a phase shift from coral to fleshy algae dominance, and is even changing habitats by creating mud banks. The persistence of Airai Bay marine resources may not be possible without improved soil erosion control in the river catchment.     

The long-term effects of crude oil on microbial processes in subarctic marine sediments

Subarctic marine sediments were exposed to fresh and ‘weathered’ crude oil from Cook Inlet, Alaska. The crude oil was thoroughly mixed with the sediment at various concentrations and some of the oil-sediment mixtures were placed on top of unamended sediments. Both sediments with added oil and those overlain by oiled sediments were investigated. These sediments were placed either in trays or aquaria. The trays were incubated in situ near the site from which the sediments were originally collected. The aquaria were maintained at simulated in situ conditions by maintaining a continuous flow of fresh seawater through them. The sediments were exposed to crude oil for periods up to 1.5 years. Sediments exposed to 50‰ fresh crude oil showed significant decreases in nitrogen fixation and denitrification rates and redox potentials. Also observed were increases in CO₂ production rates and methane concentrations. These same changes were observed in sediments exposed to 1‰. When ‘weathered’ crude oil was added to the sediments, the same changes were observed except there was no reduction in nitrogen fixation activity. In most cases, the observed effects were less marked when the sediments were amended with ‘weathered’ crude oil than with the same concentration of fresh crude oil. Untreated sediments that were overlain with treated sediments showed the same changes as those sediments that were thoroughly mixed with crude oil. The presence of fresh crude oil at 50‰ essentially eliminated burrowing activity of the benthic infauna. Under these conditions, there was an accumulation of detritus particles on the oiled sediments that was not present in the untreated controls.     

Behaviour of metallic and radioactive elements in lagoonal sediments: the example of the Canet-St Nazaire Pond (Mediterranean coast)

The behaviour of Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and radionuclides (U, Th, Pb, Ra) was studied in water, suspensions and sediments of an euxinic lagoonal environment of the French Mediterranean coast. The dynamic of these elements at the sediment-water interface is considered particularly in relation to the redox conditions, the nature of inorganic and organic supports and the sedimentation rate.