云贵高原湖泊沉积物─水界面碱度扩散通量研究

于１９９１－１９９５年间５次在云贵高原泸沽湖，洱海湖和贵州阿哈湖，百花湖的湖心采集沉积物柱芯，界面水和湖水样品，通过其ｐＨ值和ＨＣＯ３浓度剖面及界面碱度扩散通量的研究，首次定量评估高原湖泊界面扩散作用上不体碱度的影响程度，研究结果表明，云贵高原某些湖水寄宿时间对较长，湖水深度相对小的湖泊，界面扩散作用是水体碱度的重要来源之一，湖水寄宿时间较短，深度较小的湖泊，界面扩散对上覆水体的影响可以忽略不地。     

Manganese and Iron Oxidation During Benthic Oxygenic Photosynthesis

The effect of benthic oxygenic photosynthesis on sediment-water fluxes of manganese and iron was studied for an intertidal sediment. Undisturbed sediments were incubated at an incident surface irradiance of 250 μE m⁻² s⁻¹at 26 °C. Oxygenic photosynthesis was selectively inhibited by adding [3-(3,4-dichloro)-1,1-dimethyl-urea] (DCMU). Benthic fluxes were determined experimentally from the change in manganese and iron concentrations in the overlying water, and were predicted from the pore water concentration gradients at the sediment-water interface assuming molecular diffusion as the transport mechanism. The experimental fluxes of manganese and iron in DCMU-treated cores amounted to −0·84 and −0·59 mmol m⁻²day⁻¹, respectively, and were directed from the sediment towards the overlying water. In the control cores, showing high rates of benthic oxygenic photosynthesis, the fluxes of manganese and iron were directed towards the sediment, 0·06 and 0·01 mmol m⁻²day⁻¹, respectively. Mass balances for the 0·1–0·14 cm thick oxic zone, calculated from the experimental fluxes and the predicted fluxes, suggest a minimum areal reoxidation of 0·6 mmol m⁻²day⁻¹for manganese and of 0·48 mmol m⁻²day⁻¹for iron in cores showing benthic photosynthesis. The estimated turnover times for dissolved Mn²⁺and dissolved Fe²⁺in the oxic surface layer during benthic photosynthesis were 0·8 and 0·25 h, respectively. Sediment oxygen microprofiles and the sediment pH profiles suggest that chemical precipitation and reoxidation dominates the retention of manganese and iron during benthic oxygenic photosynthesis in shallow intertidal sediments.     

Community Metabolism in Microbial Mats: The Occurrence of Biologically-mediated Iron and Manganese Reduction

Community metabolism and nutrient, iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) cycling were examined in two intertidal, marine, microbial mat communities during short (4–5 days) incubations in closed, flow-through microcosms. Sediment microcosms were incubated under either light (light–dark cycles) or dark (continuous darkness) conditions to assess the effect(s) of photosynthetic oxygen production and microalgal activity on nutrient, Fe and Mn cycling. The effects of chemical redox reactions between reduced sulphur (S), Fe and Mn cycling were examined by blocking sulphate reduction, and reduced S production, with 25 mM molybdate while incubating under dark conditions.In light-incubated microcosms, negligible fluxes of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and trace metals were observed. A substantial sediment–water flux of reduced Fe (Fe²⁺) and Mn (Mn²⁺) was observed in microcosms incubated under continuous darkness; highest fluxes were observed in molybdate-amended microcosms. At both sites, biologically-mediated redox reactions accounted for a substantial (>50%) portion of the Fe²⁺and Mn²⁺flux. Both microbial mat communities exhibited similar rates of gross photosynthetic oxygen (O₂) production, but dramatically different rates of net benthic O₂flux. Distinct patterns of net O₂production and trace metal cycling arose from differences in either trace metal oxide availability or reactivity (mineralogy), organic carbon mineralization rates, or sediment characteristics (porosity). Variations in the microbial community responsible for trace metal cycling could have also contributed to the pattern. The present data illustrate that chemically-mediated redox reactions between metal oxides and reduced S complicate interpretation of Fe and Mn fluxes, underscoring the need to separate chemical and biological reactions when attempting to determine the role of biological trace metal reduction in organic carbon oxidation.     

Fluxes of iron and manganese across the sediment–water interface under various redox conditions

Fluxes of dissolved forms of iron and manganese across the sediment–water interface were studied in situ in the Gulf of Finland and the Vistula Lagoon (Baltic Sea), and in the Golubaya Bay (Black Sea) from 2001 to 2005. Fluxes were measured using chamber incubations, and sediment cores were collected and sliced to assess the porewater and solid phase metal distribution at different depths. Measured and calculated benthic fluxes of manganese and iron were directed out of sediment for all sites and were found to vary between 70–4450 and 5–1000 µmole m^− 2 day^− 1 for manganese and iron, respectively. The behavior of the studied metals at various redox conditions in the near-bottom water and in the sediment was the main focus in this study. Our results show the importance of bottom water redox conditions for iron fluxes. We measured no fluxes at oxic conditions, intermediate fluxes at anoxic conditions (up to 200 μmole m^− 2 day^− 1) and high fluxes at suboxic conditions (up to 1000 μmole m^− 2 day^− 1). Total dissolved iron fluxes were generally dominated by iron(II). Contribution of iron(III) to the total iron flux did not exceed 20%. Obtained fluxes of manganese at all studied regions showed a linear correlation (r² = 0.97) to its concentration in the porewater of the top sediment layer (0–5 mm) and did not depend on dissolved oxygen concentrations of bottom water. Organically complexed iron and manganese were in most cases not involved in the benthic exchange processes.     

Distribution of Organic Matter, Iron, Mangenese in SurfaceSediments in the Nansha Islands Sea Area, South China Sea

Concentrations of organic matter, iron and manganese in the deep sea surface sediments in the Nansha Islands sea area, South China Sea are measured, Horizontal and vertical distributions of iron and manganese are discussed. The vertical distribution of iron and manganese in the sediments results from reduction, diffusion, and redeposition of manganese (or iron) oxide and hydroxide in the sediment. There are the maxima of iron and manganese in solid phase in the top of the sediment, which is caused by the penetration of O2 and the upward flux of Mn^2 ( or Fe^2 ). Manganese bacteria play a very important role in the cycle of solid-phase iron and manganese in the ocean environment. Manganese bacteria oxidize Mn^2 ( or Fe^2 ) in dissolved state to Mn^4 ( or Fe^3 ) in oxidized state under the aerobic condition, whereas they reduce iron and manganese in anaerobic conditions.     

云贵高原湖泊沉积物─水界面碱度扩散通量研究

于1991-1995年间5次在云贵高原泸沽湖、洱海湖和贵州阿哈湖、百花湖的湖心采集沉积物柱芯、界面水和湖水样品，通过其pH值和HCO-3浓度剖面及界面碱度扩散通量的研究，首次定量评估高原湖泊界面扩散作用上覆水体碱度的影响程度。研究结果表明，云贵高原某些湖水寄宿时间相对较长、湖水深度相对小的湖泊，界面扩散作用是水体碱度的重要来源之一;湖水寄宿时间较短、深度较小的湖泊，界面扩散对上覆水体的影响可以忽略不计。     

Bacterial iron oxide reduction in a terrigenous sediment-impacted tropical shallow marine carbonate system, north Jamaica

Discovery Bay, a carbonate-dominated embayment in north Jamaica, has been subject to inputs for 40 years of iron-rich bauxite sediment associated with the local mining and transport of processed bauxite. As such, this site is an ideal natural laboratory to study the records and impacts of iron oxide inputs upon geochemical, diagenetic, and microbial processes in tropical carbonate sediments.Total Fe contents in sites in the bay not receiving bauxite inputs are negligible and porewater Ca²⁺, SO₄²⁻ and Cl⁻ indicate that bacterial sulphate reduction is an important process. In contrast, surface sediments receiving bauxite inputs contain significant total Fe, from 44 μmol/g in shallow (5 m water depth) sites to 110 μmol/g in deeper (20 m water depth) sites. Up-core increases in total Fe record increased temporal inputs into the bay. Within these Fe-rich sediments porewater data shows the presence of Fe^II released by bacterial Fe^III reduction. There is no direct evidence for significant bacterial sulphate reduction in these sediments. Iron oxides within all bauxite-impacted sediments display a high potential reducibility, from 40% to 80% of the total Fe present as dithionite-extractable Fe^III. Experimental analysis of the potential susceptibility to, and rates of, bacterial Fe^III reduction, utilising Discovery Bay sediment and Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 (a known Fe^III-reducer) has confirmed the high bacterial reducibility of iron oxides within the sediment. Up to 75% of initial dithionite-extractable Fe^III in the sediments was reduced over 15 days.The presence of iron oxides within the Discovery Bay shallow marine carbonate systems has markedly altered the chemical diagenetic processes taking place, with a shift from apparent dominance of bacterial sulphate reduction at non-impacted (Fe-poor) sites, to highly significant bacterial Fe^III reduction in Fe-rich bauxite-impacted sediments. Given the perceived global increases in terrigenoclastic sediment inputs into tropical carbonate systems as a result of land-use and climate changes, coupled with the documented role that iron oxide reduction plays in nutrient and contaminant cycling in sediment systems, more research into the perturbation of early diagenesis by iron oxide inputs is required.     

南沙群岛海域表层沉积物中有机物、铁和锰的分布特征

通过1997年11月（冬季）和1999年7月（夏季）两个航次对南沙群岛海域的现场调查，实测了南沙深海盆表层沉积物中的有机物，Fe和Mn的含量，讨论了沉积物中Fe、Mn的平面和深度分布。在沉积物的上层几厘米处Fe和Mn都出现了峰值，这是上层Mn^2 （Fe^2 ）氧化，再沉淀引起的，沉积物中Fe和Mn的深度分布是氧化锰（铁）和氢氧化锰（铁）的还原，扩散和再沉淀的结果，细菌在海洋环境的Fe、Mn循环中起着重要的作用，在大洋底的厌氧环境中细菌将Fe、Mn还原为低价离子或可溶性化合物向间隙水和上覆水移动，在沉积物表层的氧化条件下细菌又使环境中的Fe、Mn沉淀，使其再次富集。     

Recycling of manganese in the coastal sea,Funka Bay,Japan

The downward flux of Mn through the water column was directly measured using sediment traps. The Mn flux from the bottom sediment to the water column, and the removal rate of Mn in the bottom water were estimated from Mn gradients in the bottom water. The sediment traps were deployed more than ten times at the same station in Funka Bay, Japan. The trapped settling matter and filtered suspended matter samples were analyzed for Mn, Fe, Al and ignition loss. The observed downward flux of Mn through the water column in winter (1.3–2.8 μg/cm² /day) was generally an order of magnitude larger than that in summer (0.13–0.45 μg/cm² /day), and the Mn fluxes for both seasons were also greater than the accumulation rate of Mn in the bottom sediments (0.10 μg/cm ²/day). More Al was contained in the trapped settling matter than in the suspended matter, while Mn showed the opposite behavior. The Fe/Mn ratio of the residual fraction (obtained by subtracting the sediment component of the settling matter) was rather well correlated with the corresponding ratio in suspended matter. Settling particles are expected to scavenge suspended matter during their passage through the water column. The flux of Mn across the sediment—water interface was estimated from its vertical profiles in the water column to be 0.1–0.3 μg/cm² day. The residence time of Mn in bottom water was about one to several months. These results suggest that Mn is actively recycled between the water column and the sediments of the coastal sea.     

Review of recent advances in the interpretation of eastern Mediterranean sapropel S1 from geochemical evidence

The sediments of the eastern Mediterranean basin contain C_org-enriched layers (sapropels) interbedded with the C_org-poor sediments which form by far the greater part of the record. While it is generally appreciated that different surface ocean productivity and bottom water conditions are necessary for the formation and preservation of these two sediment types, less attention has been paid to diagenetic effects which are an expected consequence of transitions between dramatically different bottom water oxygenation levels. A geochemical interpretation has emerged of post-depositional oxidation of the most recent sapropel (S1), initially based on the relationship of the Mn, Fe, C_org and S concentration/depth profiles observed around S1, and the characteristic shapes of these elemental profiles known from other situations. This indicates that post-depositional oxidation has removed approximately half of the visual evidence of the sapropel (∼6 cm from a total of ∼12 cm in the deep basin). The oxidation interpretation from redox-sensitive element redistribution profiles has subsequently been consolidated with evidence from pore water (O₂, NO⁻₃, Mn²⁺ and Fe²⁺) studies, from characteristic solid phase Ba profiles which yield palaeoproductivity records, and from oxidation-sensitive indicator trace elements (I and Se). So far, these geochemical observations have been concentrated in the deeper central parts of the basin, where sediment accumulation rates are lower than on the basin margins, and radiocarbon dating indicates that S1 formation occurred between 5.3 and 9.0 ky (uncorrected conventional radiocarbon time). It remains to be demonstrated whether or not these times are applicable to the entire E. Mediterranean basin. The implications of these findings to guide sampling in future work on the S1 productivity episode and on older sapropels for palaeoenvironmental investigations are discussed.     

长江入河口区水沙通量变化规律

根据大通站１９５０－１９８５年的水、沙实测资料,运用统计分析方法研究长江入河口区水、沙通量的季节性变化、年际变化以及水、沙通量之间的关系。结果表明,长江入河口区的水沙通量有明显的季节性变化,其中沙通量的变化更为显著;丰水年很少连续出现,枯水年有７５％以连续两年的形式出现;多沙年的出现形式有１年出现一次的,也有２－３年出现的,少沙年基本上以连续２－３年的形式出现;水沙通量间的相关性较差,其中细颗粒泥     

A Mössbauer spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction study of the iron mineralogy of some sediments from the Southwestern Pacific Basin

The results of a ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction study of four pelagic clay sediments from the Southwestern Pacific Basin collected at increasing distances from New Zealand, on a New Zealand—Rarotonga transect, are presented. These show that, with increasing distance from New Zealand, the Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ ratio of the sediment increases as a result of the increasing contribution of the X-ray amorphous secondary hydrous iron oxides, notably ferrihydrite, due to the longer sedimentation periods and consequent greater degree of oxidation of the sediments. This increase in the Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ ratio is correlated with the change in colour of the sediments from pale yellowish to dusky brown, as well as a number of other sediment parameters. Apart from a slight increase in the relative abundance of montmorillonite with increasing distance from New Zealand, the abundances of the other clay minerals, illite and kaolinite, and of chlorite in the sediments are approximately equal. Quartz and feldspar with minor augite are the dominant detrital minerals. Calcite is present in minor amounts in some of the sediments.     

厦门同安湾红树林及临近光滩沉积物孔隙水中溶解活性磷和亚铁分布特征的对比分析

为了解红树林与光滩磷、铁地球化学行为的差异,借助薄膜扩散梯度技术(ZrO-Chelex DGT),对厦门同安湾红树林及临近光滩孔隙水中溶解活性磷(DRP)、Fe~(2+)浓度进行了原位测量,并采集了相应沉积物柱状样进行测定分析。结果表明:(1)Fe~(2+)与DRP呈现较好的线性正相关,说明磷的吸附/解吸与铁氧化还原循环有关;(2)在不同深度,光滩孔隙水中DRP浓度均高于对应深度红树林。在浅层,由于溪水的补给造成光滩的磷富集;在深层,红树植物根部吸收导致磷浓度下降,光滩有机质含量较多,矿化释放DRP使其浓度较高;(3)孔隙水中的Fe~(2+)浓度分布表明,红树林区域随着深度的增加,逐渐由好氧环境进入厌氧环境;而光滩沉积物氧化还原环境可能受到红树林的影响,孔隙水Fe~(2+)在垂向上波动分布。     

太平洋北部锰结核区沉积物中Fe,Mn,Al和CaCO3的含量分布特征

1985年12月至1986年4月对西太平洋锰结核进行了调查并对所获沉积物样品进行了分析,研完了锰结核区域沉积物中Fe,Mn,Al和CaCO_3的含量分布特征及其相关关系,说明沉积物中Fe,Mn,Al和caCO_3的含量分布特征主要受水深的制约。     

Nutrient exchange across the sediment-water interface in the Potomac River estuary

The flux of ammonia, phosphate, silica and radon-222 from Potomac tidal river and estuary sediments is controlled by processes occurring at the sediment-water interface and within surficial sediment. Calculated diffusive fluxes range between 0·6 and 6·5 mmol m^?2 day^?1 for ammonia, 0·020 and 0·30 mmol m^?2 day^?1 for phosphate, and 1·3 and 3·8 mmol m^?2 day^?1 for silica. Measured in situ fluxes range between 1 and 21 mmol m^?2 day^?1 for ammonia, 0·1 and 2·0 mmol m^?2 day^?1 for phosphate, and 2 and 19 mmol m^?2 day^?1 for silica. The ratio of in situ fluxes to diffusive fluxes (flux enhancement) varied between 1·6 and 5·2 in the tidal river, between 2·0 and 20 in the transition zone, and from 1·3 to 5·1 in the lower estuary. The large flux enhancements from transition zone sediments are attributed to macrofaunal irrigation. Nutrient flux enhancements are correlated with radon flux enhancements, suggesting that fluxes may originate from a common region and that nutrients are regenerated within the upper 10–20 cm of the sediment column.The low fluxes of phosphate from tidal viver sediments reflect the control benthic sediment exerts on phosphorus through sorption by sedimentary iron oxyhydroxides. In the tidal river, benthic fluxes of ammonia and phosphate equal one-half and one-third of the nutrient input of the Blue Plains sewage treatment plant. In the tidal Potomac River, benthic sediment regeneration supplies a significant fraction of the nutrients utilized by primary producers in the water column during the summer months.     

The benthic silica cycle in the Northeast Atlantic: annual mass balance, seasonality, and importance of non-steady-state processes for the early diagenesis of biogenic opal in deep-sea sediments

Within the framework of the EU-funded BENGAL programme, the effects of seasonality on biogenic silica early diagenesis have been studied at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP), an abyssal locality located in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Nine cruises were carried out between August 1996 and August 1998. Silicic acid (DSi) increased downward from 46.2 to 213 μM (mean of 27 profiles). Biogenic silica (BSi) decreased from ca. 2% near the sediment–water interface to <1% at depth. Benthic silicic acid fluxes as measured from benthic chambers were close to those estimated from non-linear DSi porewater gradients. Some 90% of the dissolution occurred within the top 5.5 cm of the sediment column, rather than at the sediment–water interface and the annual DSi efflux was close to 0.057 mol Si m⁻² yr⁻¹. Biogenic silica accumulation was close to 0.008 mol Si m⁻² yr⁻¹ and the annual opal delivery reconstructed from sedimentary fluxes, assuming steady state, was 0.065 mol Si m⁻² yr⁻¹. This is in good agreement with the mean annual opal flux determined from sediment trap samples, averaged over the last decade (0.062 mol Si m⁻² yr⁻¹). Thus ca. 12% of the opal flux delivered to the seafloor get preserved in the sediments. A simple comparison between the sedimentation rate and the dissolution rate in the uppermost 5.5 cm of the sediment column suggests that there should be no accumulation of opal in PAP sediments. However, by combining the BENGAL high sampling frequency with our experimental results on BSi dissolution, we conclude that non-steady state processes associated with the seasonal deposition of fresh biogenic particles may well play a fundamental role in the preservation of BSi in these sediments. This comes about though the way seasonal variability affects the quality of the biogenic matter reaching the seafloor. Hence it influences the intrinsic dissolution properties of the opal at the seafloor and also the part played by non-local mixing events by ensuring the rapid transport of BSi particles deep into the sediment to where saturation is reached.     

The behavior of Zn,Cd, Cu,Ni, Co,Fe, and Mn in anoxic baltic waters

In June 1981, dissolved Zn, Cd, Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, and Mn were determined from two detailed profiles in anoxic Baltic waters (with extra data for Fe and Mn from August 1979). Dramatic changes across the O₂H₂S interface occur in the abundances of Cu, Co, Fe, and Mn (by factors of ?100). The concentrations of Zn, Cd, and Ni at the redox front decrease by factors between 3 to 5.Equilibrium calculations are presented for varying concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and compared with the field data. The study strongly supports the assumption that the solubility of Zn, Cd, Cu, and Ni is greatly enhanced and controlled by the formation of bisulfide and(or) polysulfide complexes. Differences between predicted and measured concentrations of these elements are mainly evident at lower ΣH₂S concentrations.Cobalt proved to be very mobile in anoxic regions, and the results indicate that the concentrations are limited by CoS precipitation. The iron (Fe²⁺) and manganese (Mn²⁺) distribution in sulfide-containing waters is controlled by total flux from sediment-water interfaces rather than by equilibrium concentrations of their solid phases (FeS and MnCO₃). The concentrations of these metals are therefore expected to increase with prolonged stagnation periods in the basin.     

Particulate manganese and iron in recent sediments of the Gulf of Lions continental margin (north-western Mediterranean Sea): deposition and diagenetic process

This study aims at apprehending the major forcing factors which govern the spatial and vertical Mn and Fe distributions in ten cores from the Gulf of Lions. Speciation by chemical leaching experiments helps understanding their chemical behaviour during the early diagenetic processes in a marine environment under strong continental influence.The distribution and chemical behaviour of Mn and Fe differ drastically. The strong dependence of Mn distribution on chemical conditions is expressed by a marked solid phase Mn enrichment in the oxic layers of sediment deposits. This enrichment increases with decreasing sedimentation rate (increasing water depth). It is illustrated by an enhanced portion of total Mn in the reducible phase and the precipitation of todorokite on calcareous supports in the upper part of the deepest cores. As a result, 65% of the margin total particulate Mn is thought to be stored in slope deposits in a relatively strongly held association. Conversely, the low chemical mobility of iron in the sedimentary column is indicated by uniform depth profiles and an exclusive location in the residual chemical phase in all the studied sites. The Fe distribution is largely controlled by the dispersion of particulate material on the margin from the Rhône River main source.A budget of Mn and Fe accumulation based on the average amount of total Mn and Fe content of sediments deposited during the last 100 yr, has been made taking into account diagenetic readjustments. The total Mn and Fe amount stored on the margin during the last century is estimated to be 1.5×10⁶ and 54×10⁶ t, respectively. These values are seven times higher than the total secular external inputs calculated on the basis of present day riverine and atmospheric fluxes. This large discrepancy is mainly explained by the sharp decrease of the Rhone River discharge after dam buildings between 1950 and 1958. A residual discrepancy dating before 1950, is likely to be due to seafloor erosion and gravity induced mechanisms.     

Retention of arsenic and phosphorus in iron-rich concretions of Tagus salt marshes

Iron-rich concretions are frequently found around plant roots in Tagus estuary (Portugal) where radial delivery of O₂ takes place. Salt marsh sediments exhibit cracks that are an additional feature to introduce O₂ and other solutes in the upper sediments. Metal concentrations in salt marsh sediments are clearly above the background levels reflecting the anthropogenic sources from a large city with 2.5 million inhabitants, and several industrial centres. In order to evaluate how both oxidised structures influences the redistribution of redox sensitive elements in salt marsh sediments, concretions were collected from roots of Halimione portucaloides below the oxygenated zone. These tubular cylindrical structures were analysed for Fe, Al, Mn, As, and P along 1-cm radial transect in a millimetre scale from the inner part to the adjacent anoxic sediment. In addition, oxidised cracks were analysed for the same spatial resolution, from the sediment–water interface to anoxic layers (2-cm transept). The parallelism between Fe, As, and P concentrations at this microscale is the most noticeable aspect. Iron and As presented very high concentrations in the 4-mm concretions (3.4 mmol g⁻¹ and 3.1 μmol g⁻¹, respectively) and decreased sharply to the host sediment. Oxygen released from roots oxidise the solid sulphides, and the reduced Fe and As are transported towards the root by both diffusion and pore water flow associated with the root water uptake. Subsequently, Fe(III) precipitates and As is retained by sorption and/or coprecipitation. These elements are also enriched in the first 2-mm of oxidised cracks, but in lower concentrations (50% and 30%, respectively). Manganese concentrations in concretions were low (11.8 μmol g⁻¹), indicating that Fe dominates the sediment chemistry. Phosphorus and iron concentrations in the ascorbate fraction were higher in the oxidising surfaces of concretions (10.7 μmol g⁻¹ and 1.6 mmol g⁻¹, respectively) and of cracks (5.1 μmol g⁻¹ and 0.47 mmol g⁻¹). The parallelism of Fe and As distributions includes not only their similar redox chemistries, but also that to phosphate, including control by coprecipitation of the host iron phases. The mechanisms involved in the mobilisation of As and P are however different, whereas As comes from the oxidation of iron sulphides; dissolved P derives from reduction of ferri-hydroxide phases.     

Tidal variability in benthic silicic acid fluxes and microphytobenthos uptake in intertidal sediment

Silicic acid (DSi) benthic fluxes play a major role in the benthic–pelagic coupling of coastal ecosystems. They can sustain microphytobenthos (MPB) development at the water–sediment interface and support pelagic diatoms when river DSi inputs decrease. DSi benthic fluxes have been studied at the seasonal scale but little is known about their dial variations. This study measured the amplitude of such variations in an intertidal area over an entire tidal cycle by following the alteration of DSi pore water concentrations at regular intervals over the flood/ebb period. Furthermore we independently estimated the potential DSi uptake by benthic diatoms and compared it to the variations of DSi pore water concentrations and fluxes. The microphytobenthos DSi demand was estimated from primary production measurements on cells extracted from the sediment. There were large changes in DSi pore water concentration and a prominent effect of tidal pumping: the DSi flushed out from the sediment at rising tide, occurs in a very short period of time, but plays a far more important role in fueling the ecosystem (800 μmol-Si m⁻² d⁻¹), than diffusive fluxes occurring throughout the rest of the tidal cycle (2 μmol-Si m⁻² d⁻¹). This process is not, to our knowledge, currently considered when describing the DSi cycling of intertidal sediments. Moreover, there was a large potential MPB requirement for DSi (812 μmol-Si m⁻² d⁻¹), similar to the advective flow periodically pumped by the incoming tide, and largely exceeded benthic diffusive fluxes. However, this DSi uptake by benthic diatoms is almost undetectable given the variation of DSi concentration profiles within the sediment.