Tributyl tin levels for sea water,sediment, and selected marine species in coastal Northland and Auckland,New Zealand

Water and sediment samples were collected from the Waitemata Harbour, Opua Inlet, and Tutukaka Harbour, and analysed for tributyl tin (TBT) using a hydride generation atomic absorption method. Specimens of oysters (Crassostrea gigas, Saccostrea glomerata, Ostrea heffordi) and oyster borer, Lepsiella scobina, were collected from the Tamaki Estuary and surrounding areas. These specimens were analysed for TBT using graphite furnace atomic absorption, and the oyster shell valves were examined for thickening. Concentrations of TBT in the water column were as high as 0.32 μg TBT‐Sn H. Marina sediments contained up to 0.240 μg TBT‐Sn g^‐1. Shell thickening was found to occur in C. gigas where its incidence was correlated with the TBT body burden. Concentrations up to 2.24 μg TBT‐Sn gr^‐1 (on a dry weight basis) were observed for C. gigas. This survey provides evidence for the toxic influence of TBT on non‐target organisms in New Zealand.     

Reductions in TBT concentrations in UK estuaries following legislation in 1986 and 1987

In 1986 the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) introduced legislation to control the sale of tribytltin (TBT)-based paints. From 1986 to 1989 monitoring was undertaken, whereby samples of water, sediment, oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and mussels (Mytilus edulis) were collected from six estuaries and water samples from five marinas/harbours, and analysed for TBT. In 1989 the concentrations of TBT in water, oysters and mussels were generally only one-third to one-quarter of those observed in 1986. The most marked decrease in concentrations of TBT in oysters and mussels occurred in 1987–1988, following the 1987 ban on the use of TBT-based paints on small boats and mariculture equipment. As the concentrations of TBT in oyster tissues had decreased there has been improvement in oyster growth in terms of both meat production and growth of thin (i.e. normally shaped) shells. Oysters with a normal shell shape can now be grown in five of the six estuaries which were monitored. In contrast to the reduction in concentrations of TBT noted in water and bivalves, changes in concentrations of TBT in sediments showed no clear trend from 1986 to 1989.     

Impaired growth in the polychaete Armandia brevis exposed to tributyltin in sediment

Juveniles of the opheliid polychaete, Armandia brevis, were exposed to sediment-associated tributyltin (TBT) for 42 days to evaluate toxicity and bioaccumulation. Growth in this species was inhibited in a dose-response fashion by increasing concentrations of TBT. Even though the biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) for TBT declined for the higher sediment concentrations, the total butyltins in tissue increased over all sediment concentrations. At the highest sediment concentrations, polychaetes bioaccumulated less TBT than expected, which was most likely due to reduced uptake and continued metabolism of the parent compound. The less than expected BSAF values exhibited by animals at the exposure concentrations causing severe effects are an important finding for assessing responses in the field. It appears that severe biological effects can occur in long-term experiments without the expected high tissue concentrations; an observation likely explained by altered toxicokinetics. Analysis of variance determined the lowest observed effect concentration for growth to be 191 ng/g sediment dry wt. for 21 days of exposure and 101 ng/g sediment dry wt. at day 42, indicating that 21 days was insufficient for delineating the steady-state toxicity response. When based on regression analysis, the sediment concentration causing a 25% inhibition in growth at 42 days exposure was 93 ng/g dry wt. (total organic carbon = 0.58%). A dose-response association was also determined for polychaete net weight and TBT in tissue. The tissue residue associated with a 25% reduction in growth was 2834 ng/g dry wt. at day 42. A comparison of these results with previous work indicates that juveniles are approximately three times more sensitive than adults to TBT exposure. The sediment concentrations affecting growth in this species are commonly found in urban waterways indicating potentially severe impacts for this and other sensitive species.     

Trace metals and hydrocarbons in sediments from the Southampton water region,with particular reference to the influence of oil refinery effluent

The concentrations of a number of trace metals (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd and Hg) have been determined in sediments from cores collected in the Southampton Water region. Measurements of total hydrocarbons were also made on several of the cores. Markedly elevated concentrations of copper, up to 362 μg/g dry wt, were found in sediments which were collected close to the discharge points of oil refinery outfalls and which also showed concentrations of total hydrocarbons considerably greater than the background levels for the estuary. The results of selective chemical extractions showed that much of the copper was present in the non-lattice fraction of the sediment. Although the concentrations of Co, Ni, Zn and Cd were significantly correlated with those of copper in the core showing the highest concentrations of this element, these metals were not enhanced in comparison with the levels found in several other parts of the estuary. Variations in concentrations of metals in sediments throughout the estuary were not correlated with differences in organic carbon content.     

Long-term response of an arctic fiord system to lead-zinc mining and submarine disposal of mine waste (Maarmorilik, West Greenland)

Contamination by lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) was studied in seawater, sediments, seaweeds and blue mussels near the former Black Angel Pb-Zn Mine in Maarmorilik, West Greenland. The mine operated during the period 1973-90 when mine waste (tailings and later waste rock) was discharged directly into the sea. Metal concentrations peaked during the mining period and Pb and Zn in seawater within the discharge area were measured up to 440 and 790 μg L?1, respectively. Pb in fiord sediments, seaweeds and blue mussels just outside the discharge area were measured in concentrations up to 190, 84 and 2650 and Zn up to 300, 360 and 1190 μg g?1 dry wt., respectively. Within the discharge area, seawater metal concentrations (especially Pb) decreased abruptly after mine closure. Metals concentrations in sediments and biota, however, decreased more slowly and two decades after mine closure seaweeds and blue mussels were still contaminated 12 km from the mine.     

Persistence of oiling in mussel beds after the Exxon Valdez oil spill

Persistence and weathering of Exxon Valdez oil in intertidal mussel (Mytilus trossulus) beds in Prince William Sound (PWS) and along the Gulf of Alaska was monitored from 1992 to 1995. Beds with significant contamination included most previously oiled areas in PWS, particularly within the Knight Island group and the Kenai Peninsula. In sediments, yearly mean concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons ranged from < 60 micrograms/g in reference beds to 62,258 micrograms/g wet wt., or approximately 0 to 523 micrograms/g dry wt. total polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (TPAHs). In mussels, mean TPAH concentrations ranged up to 8.1 micrograms/g dry wt. Hydrocarbon concentrations declined significantly with time in some, but not all mussels and sediments, and should reach background levels within three decades of the spill in most beds. In 1995, mean hydrocarbon concentration was greater than twice background concentration in sediments from 27 of 34 sites, and in mussels from 18 of 31 sites.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in bivalves from the San Francisco estuary: Spatial distributions, temporal trends, and sources (1993-2001)

Bivalve tissue samples were examined over a range of spatial and temporal scales (1993-2001) to determine PAH distributions, trends, and possible sources. Mussels (Mytilus californianus), oysters (Crassostrea gigas), and clams (Corbicula fluminea) were deployed for three months in the estuary at stations remote from known point source discharges. The range of summation operatorPAH detected in bivalves was oysters 184-6899 microg/kg dry wt (mean 678 microg/kg dry wt), mussels 21-1093 microg/kg dry wt (mean 175 microg/kg dry wt), and clams 78-720 microg/kg dry wt (mean 323 microg/kg dry wt). Linear regression analysis showed no statistically significant (p>0.05) temporal trends in clam and mussel summation operatorPAH at any of the deployment stations or estuary segments. On the other hand, a statistically significant (p<0.05) decreasing trend was found in summation operatorPAH in oysters at the Petaluma River station, and in the North Estuary segment. PAH isomer pair ratios applied as diagnostic indicators suggested that the bioaccumulated PAH were derived primarily from petroleum combustion, with lesser amounts derived from biomass and coal combustion, and unburned petroleum.     

Effects of acid mine drainage from an abandoned copper mine, Britannia Mines, Howe Sound, British Columbia, Canada, on transplanted blue mussels (Mytilus edulis)

Juvenile mussels (Mytilus edulis) were transplanted to Howe Sound, British Columbia, Canada, along an apparent pollution gradient of acid mine drainage (AMD) from an abandoned copper (Cu) mine. Cages containing 75 mussels each were placed at a total of 15 stations and were exposed to concentrations of dissolved Cu in surface waters ranging from 5 to 1009 micrograms/l for a period of 41 days. Mussels located at stations closer to the source of AMD at the mouth of Britannia Creek bioaccumulated higher concentrations of Cu and zinc (Zn) in their tissues. Mussel growth was adversely affected by Cu tissue concentrations above 20 micrograms/g dry wt., while declines in survival and condition index occurred in mussels that bioaccumulated greater than 40 micrograms/g dry wt. Cu. Tissue Zn concentrations (117-192 micrograms/g dry wt.) were likely not high enough to have a direct impact on mussel health. Reduced survival of transplanted mussels was supported by an absence of natural mussels in contaminated areas. Phytoplankton was also severely reduced in areas contaminated by mine waters. Based on the weight of evidence, AMD from the Britannia mine had a deleterious impact on mussel survival in a zone extending at least 2.1 km to the north and 1.7 km to the south of Britannia Creek on the east shore of Howe Sound.     

Bioavailability and effects of sediment-bound TBT in deposit-feeding clams, Scrobicularia plana

Concentrations of tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT), inorganic and total tin have been measured in water, sediments and deposit feeding clams, Scrobicularia plana, from 25 estuarine locations in England and Wales, in order to compare the bioavailability of different forms of the element. Abnormally high tin values in Scrobicularia from harbours and areas of high boating activity testify to the high bioaccumulation potential of organotins, notably TBT derived from anti-fouling paints, relative to inorganic tin.Infaunal deposit-feeding bivalves consistently contain higher concentrations of TBT than other benthic organisms indicating that sediments may be an important route for uptake. Significant correlations between sediment TBT values and residues in clams such as S. plana (r = 0·81, p < 0·001) support this hypothesis. Direct evidence of the bioaccumulation of sediment-bound TBT is provided from laboratory experiments in which Scrobicularia were exposed to TBT in water and in sediments, either separately or in combination. The results of these experiments clearly demonstrate a predominantly particulate component for TBT uptake in clams.The kinetics of TBT accumulation and elimination were studied in Scrobicularia exposed to sediments containing 0·3 and 1·0 μg/g TBT (as tin). Equilibrium concentrations in tissue are approached after 40 days.Sediments containing 10 μg/g TBT are acutely toxic to S. plana, although such concentrations are only likely to occur close to dockyards and large marinas. Preliminary laboratory and field observations suggest however, that clam populations could be affected at TBT concentrations in sediments of 0·3 μg/g and possibly lower.     

胶州湾沉积物中氨基酸对有机质降解及细菌源贡献的指示作用解析

基于对胶州湾表层沉积物中总可水解氨基酸（THAA）的含量、组成、构型及分布特征的系统研究,通过氨基酸碳氮归一化产率（THAA-C%,THAA-N%）、降解因子DI、反应活性指数RI以及D型氨基酸占比（D-AA%,摩尔百分比）等指标结合碳氮比（TOC/TN）、碳稳定同位素（δ13C）探析了胶州湾沉积物中有机质的来源与降解状态,利用细菌源有机质及胞外肽酶活性（EEA）探讨了微生物在有机质迁移转化过程中的作用与贡献。结果表明,胶州湾表层沉积物中氨基酸平均含量为（7.60±3.64）μmol/g,在陆源与海源混合影响下,其水平分布呈现湾内高于湾外、湾内东部高于西部的特点,表明湾内东部陆源输入对沉积物THAA具有较高贡献。THAA-C%、THAA-N%、DI、RI以及D-AA%等指示因子均显示胶州湾表层沉积物中有机质的降解程度呈现湾外高于湾内、湾内东部高于西部的变化趋势,有机质来源、微生物活性与上覆水水深共同影响了有机质的降解程度。胶州湾表层沉积物中细菌源有机碳的贡献率为（29.35±18.73）%,其水平分布显示出湾内西部与湾外相近且高于湾内东部的特点。细菌胞外肽酶活性（EEA）平均为（0.81±1.31）nmol/（g·h）（以MCA计）,整体分布趋势与细菌贡献率相反,呈现湾内东部高于湾内西部和湾外的特性。沉积物中有机质的不同海源、陆源占比决定了有机质的可降解性,而有机质的降解程度进一步影响了细菌源有机质的贡献与胞外肽酶活性。     

Geochemistry of organic contaminants in Narragansett Bay sediments

Organic contaminants from several different chemical classes were analyzed in surface sediments along a transect from the head to the mouth of Narragansett Bay. The chemical classes included total hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, substituted benzotriazoles and phthalic acid esters. Sediment concentrations of all compounds were highest in the Providence River and decreased with distance downbay. The observed decreases were approximately exponential for all compounds; however, the distances at which the concentrations decreased to one-half of their initial concentrations (half-distances) were different.The depth distributions of these compounds in sediment cores from three locations were also investigated. A sediment core collected near the head of the bay (Conimicut Point) showed a well defined historical record of contaminant input to the bay. At a mid-bay location (North Jamestown), however, the record was smeared because of extensive bioturbation.A sediment core collected near the mouth of the bay (Rhode Island Sound) showed a subsurface increase for all of the measured compounds. The results of detailed analyses suggest that this horizon may have been influenced by dredge spoil material originally from the head of the bay.     

Mercury pollution in sediments,benthic organisms and inshore fishes of Haifa Bay,Israel

Total mercury concentrations were determined in surficial sediments, eleven species of benthic organisms and six species of fish from Haifa Bay, Israel. The results show that essentially all of the shallow water zone of the Bay receives anthropogenic mercury. A mercury-cell chlor-alkali plant was identified as the source of pollution. Surficial sediments in the vicinity of the plant, containing up to 0·99 μg Hg/g dry weight, were up to 157 times enriched in mercury relative to an unpolluted area. Mercury levels in the benthic organisms reflected the levels in the sediments. Maximal concentrations reaching 38·7 and 18·2 μg Hg/g dry weight were found in the carnivorous gastropod molluscs Arcularia circumcinta and Arcularia gibbosula, respectively. In all fish species, specimens caught in Haifa Bay had higher mercury concentrations in the muscle tissue than specimens caught south of the Bay. A maximal value of 1·66 μg Hg/g wet weight was recorded in Diplodus sargus.     

Fate and effects of a heavy fuel oil spill on a Georgia salt marsh

Addition of a heavy oil to a Spartina salt marsh in the autumn resulted in high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediment and benthic animals. The highest concentrations of phenanthrene, chrysene and fluoranthene in the sediment were 112, 105 and 75 ng/g sediment, respectively. These concentrations rapidly decreased during the 20 week period following the spill. The times for these hydrocarbons to decrease to 50% of their highest values, i.e. half-life, were approximately 100, 70 and 30 days in sediment, mussels and oysters, respectively. Benthic macrofauna species showed three responses to oil addition which included no change, an increase, or a decrease in the population. No changes were noted in populations of fiddler crabs (Uca pugnax), oysters (Crassostrea virginica), and mussels (Modiolus demissus). Mud snails (Nassarius obsoleta) increased in density after the spill due to immigration of adult snails from untreated areas to scavenge on animals killed by the oil. Many of the adult periwinkles (Littorina irrorata) were killed by the oil. In the spring, juvenile periwinkles recolonised to oiled areas as a result of larvae settling.     

Petroleum hydrocarbons in sediments of Southampton water estuary

The sediments of Southampton Water were analysed for petroleum hydrocarbons to determine the fate of petrochemical refinery waste in the estuary. Much of the petroleum hydrocarbons appears to be removed by adsorption onto estuarine sediments close to source. Surface sediment concentrations range from 3·1mg/g dry weight near a refinery to 0·5 mg/g dry weight at locations distant from the refinery.The absence of any change with depth in total hydrocarbon concentrations from some sediment cores and the presence of distinct ‘oil’ horizons in others suggests that mixing of sediments in the area is very random. Sedimentation rates in areas where a distinct oil horizon was observed ranged from 1 to 3cm a year.     

Abundance and distribution of dinoflagellate cysts in Xiamen Western Harbor

In a grid investigation, dinoflagellate cysts were collected from sediments in Xiamen Western Harbor in May of 2000, from which five species of cysts were identified: Alexandrium tamarensis, A. minutum, Lingulodinium polyedra, Gonyaulax scrippsae and Gymnodinium catenatum, account for about 21% in the species composition. The quanti-tative analysis of the sediments shows that the number of dinoflagellate cysts varies from 51 to 256 cysts/g of sediment, the highest value (>200 cysts/g) being recorded at the stations of the central part of the bay, while the lowest (<100 cysts/g) at the bay mouth. A good linear relationship is found between cyst amount and fine-grained sediments. Complex physiognomies on the seabed, topographty in the bay and weak water exchange are the main factors not only in cyst accumulation but also in their distribution pattern, and have resulted in the difference in cyst densities between the inner bay and the outer bay in the harbor.     

Selenium in sediments, pore waters and benthic infauna of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia

Measurements of selenium in sediments and benthic infauna of Lake Macquarie, an estuary on the east coast of Australia, indicate that sediments are a significant source of selenium in the lake's food web. Analysis of surficial sediment samples indicated higher selenium concentrations near what are believed to be the main industrial sources of selenium to the lake: a smelter and a power station. Sediment cores taken from sediments in Mannering Bay, near a power station at Vales Point, contained an average of 12 times more selenium in surficial sections than sediment cores from Nord's Wharf, a part of the lake remote from direct inputs of selenium. The highest selenium concentration found in Mannering Bay sediments (17.2 μg/g) was 69 times the apparent background concentration at Nord's Wharf (0.25 μg/g). Pore water concentrations in Mannering Bay were also high, up to 5 μg/l compared to those at Nord's Wharf which were below detection limits (0.2 μg/l). Selenium concentrations in muscle tissues of three benthic-feeding fish species (Mugil cephalus, Platycephalus fuscus, Acanthopagrus australis) were significantly correlated (p<0.05) with surficial sediment selenium concentration. Selenium concentrations in polychaetes and molluscs of Mannering Bay were up to 58 times higher than those from Nord's Wharf. Two benthic organisms, the eunicid polychaete Marphysa sanguinea and the bivalve mollusc Spisula trigonella, were maintained at different densities in selenium-spiked sediments. Both animals accumulated selenium from the spiked sediment, confirming that bioaccumulation from contaminated sediments occurs. Collectively, these data suggest that benthic food webs are important sources of selenium to the fish of Lake Macquarie.     

Imposex and surface sediment speciation: a combined approach to evaluate organotin contamination in Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

An integrated biological-chemical survey of organotin compounds was carried out in Guanabara Bay, the second most important Brazilian harbor complex. The biological survey revealed high levels of imposex in Stramonita haemastoma populations. Inside the bay values of relative penis length index from 42.7 to 107.6 and vas deferens sequence index from III to VI were found, while organisms collected outside the bay had values ranging from <0.1 to 35.2 and from 0 to II. None of the females sampled inside the bay were normal and imposex was found in all stations. Surface sediments in the bay are contaminated by tributyltin (10-522 ng/g d.w.) and triphenyltin (<3.9-39.4 ng/g d.w.) with greater concentrations close to shipyards and marinas. The observed predominance of parent compounds (TBT and TPT) is commonly found when recent inputs occur, but may also indicate slow degradation processes in the anoxic conditions of these sediments. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a combined imposex-sediment approach to evaluate organotin contamination in marine environments of South America, and also the first report of TPT detection in environmental matrices in this region.     

3,4-benzopyrene and perylene in mussels, Mytilus sp., from the Laguna Veneta,North-East Italy

From July, 1975 to November, 1976 mussels from the Laguna Veneta, north-east Italy, and the adjacent Adriatic Sea were collected bimonthly at ten stations and analysed for 3,4-benzopyrene (BaP) and perylene (Pe) content. Mean concentrations were in the range 12·0–135·1 μg/kg dry weight for BaP and 1·5–16·9 μg/kg for Pe, but values as high as 327 μg/kg for BaP and 71 μg/kg for Pe have been measured. The distribution of BaP and Pe closely matches previous results on petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in mussels from this area and indicates that the major portion of BaP and Pe in these bivalves is due principally to human activities.     

National distribution of chemical concentrations in mussels and oysters in the USA

Since 1986 the NOAA National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program Mussel Watch has monitored concentrations of trace chemicals in the coastal United States by sampling mussels, oysters, and sediment. The sediment data have been used to define the status or geographic distribution of chemical concentrations (Daskalakis, K. D., & O'Connor, T. P. (1995). Distribution of chemical contamination in coastal and estuarine sediments. Marine Environmental Research 40, 381-398) and the molluscan data have provided an estimate of temporal trends (O'Connor, T. P. (1996). Trends in chemical concentrations in mussels and oysters collected along the US coast from 1986 to 1993. Marine Environmental Research 41,183-200, O'Connor, T. P. (1998). Mussel Watch results from 1986 to 1996. Marine Pollution Bulletin 37, 14-19). This paper centers on chemical concentrations in mollusks at 263 sites around the United States. It provides perspective on concentration ranges and on geographic distributions. For most organic chemicals and lead, concentrations vary in proportion to numbers of people living near a site. For elements, other than lead, high concentrations in mollusks can be due more to natural factors than to human activity. Concentrations of PAHs in tissues of mussels from urban areas are in a range reported to exert biological responses.     

Abundance and distribution of dinoflagellate cysts in Xiamen Western Harbor

In a grid investigation, dinoflagellate cysts were collected from sediments in Xiamen Western Harbor in May of 2000,from which five species of cysts were identified: Alexandrium tamarensis, A. minutum, Lingulodinium polyedra,Gonyaulax scrippsae and Gymnodinium catenatum, account for about 21% in the species composition. The quantitative analysis of the sediments shows that the number of dinoflagellate cysts varies from 51 to 256 cysts/g of sediment, the highest value (>200 cysts/g) being recorded at the stations of the central part of the bay, while the lowest (＜100 cysts/g) at the bay mouth. A good linear relationship is found between cyst amount and fine-grained sediments. Complex physiognomies on the seabed, topographty in the bay and weak water exchange are the main factors not only in cyst accumulation but also in their distribution pattern, and have resulted in the difference in cyst densities between the inner bay and the outer bay in the harbor.