Environmental impact factors and mercury speciation in the sediment along Fujian and eastern Guangdong coasts

Concentrations of total mercury (THg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) were determined for 32 surface sediments collected along the coastal line of Fujian Province and eastern Guangdong Province. The spatial distributions of THg and MeHg and their environmental impact factors were investigated. The average concentrations of THg and MeHg in the sediments were 31.5 ng/g and 0.096 ng/g, respectively. Both sediment THg and MeHg concentrations showed relatively high value in the Minjiang Estuary and the coastal areas of Quanzhou and Putian. The concentrations overall decreased as the distance to the shoreline increased. The correlations among environmental impact factors and THg, MeHg were analyzed. The sediment THg concentration was highly correlated to the concentrations of organic matter, copper, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP), and significantly correlated to pH value of the bottom seawater and concentration of sediment sulfide. The sediment MeHg concentration was highly correlated to the concentrations of organic matter and copper, and significant correlated to the concentrations of sulfide, TN, TP and pH value of the bottom seawater.     

长江河口湿地互花米草入侵对沉积物中汞形态特征的影响研究

通过分析长江河口湿地典型植物根际沉积物柱样(0～40 cm)中总汞(THg)、甲基汞(MeHg)及其与粒度、总有机碳(TOC)、还原态硫等环境因子之间的关系,探讨了互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)入侵对沉积物中汞形态特征的影响及主控因子。结果表明:(1)不同植物(互花米草、芦苇(Phragmites communis)、海三棱藨草(Scirpus mariqueter)和水葱(Scirpus tabernaemontani))根际沉积物中THg均值为49.9～100.9 μg/kg,其与粒径小于16 μm颗粒物组分体积百分比及TOC含量之间存在显著正相关关系(r2=0.85,p<0.01;r2=0.58,p<0.01),这意味着沉积物中矿物?有机物复合体细颗粒物的空间分异决定着总汞的空间分异。互花米草入侵促进了细颗粒的沉积,进而间接促进了沉积物中总汞含量的增加。(2)不同植物根际沉积物中MeHg均值为0.3～1.4 μg/kg,MeHg/THg均值为0.4%～1.4%,互花米草、芦苇及海三棱藨草根际沉积物中MeHg含量及MeHg/THg值随深度增加不断减小,但无显著差异,表明了互花米草入侵对沉积物中汞甲基化过程的影响可能有限。Pearson相关分析表明,MeHg/THg与THg、TOC、酸挥发性硫之间不存在显著的正相关关系。硫的K边同步辐射结果进一步表明了硫形态(如有机硫和S2?)变化与MeHg变化关系不大。MeHg/THg值呈表层(0～8 cm)高,底层低的分布规律,表明了表层沉积物中汞的甲基化潜势较大,这可能与表层新鲜有机质(如藻类和植物凋落物)的不断供给及其降解过程密切相关,还需深入研究。     

Mercury speciation in surface and deep waters of the Mediterranean Sea

Mercury speciation and its distribution in surface and deep waters of the Mediterranean Sea were studied during two oceanographic cruises on board the Italian research vessel URANIA in summer 2003 and spring 2004 as part of the Med Oceaneor and MERCYMS projects. The study included deep water profiles of dissolved gaseous Hg (DGM), reactive Hg (RHg), total Hg (THg), monomethyl Hg (MeHg) and dimethyl Hg (DMeHg) in open ocean waters. Average concentrations of measured Hg species were characterized by seasonal and spatial variations. Overall average THg concentrations ranged between 0.41 and 2.65 pM (1.32 ± 0.48 pM) and were comparable to those obtained in previous studies of the Mediterranean Sea. A significant fraction of Hg was present as “reactive” Hg (average 0.33 ± 0.32 pM). Dissolved gaseous Hg (DGM), which consists mainly of Hg⁰, represents a considerable proportion of THg (average 20%, 0.23 ± 0.11 pM). The portion of DGM typically increased towards the bottom, especially in areas with strong tectonic activity (Alboran Sea, Strait of Sicily, Tyrrhenian Sea), indicating its geotectonic origin. No dimethyl Hg was found in surface waters down to the depth of 40 m. Below this depth, its average concentration was 2.67 ± 2.9 fM. Dissolved fractions of total Hg and MeHg were measured in filtered water samples and were 0.68 ± 0.43 pM and 0.29 ± 0.17 pM for THg and MeHg respectively. The fraction of Hg as MeHg was in average 43%, which is relatively high compared to other ocean environments. The concentrations reported in this study are among the lowest found in marine environments and the quality of analytical methods are of key importance. Speciation of Hg in sea water is of crucial importance as THg concentrations alone do not give adequate data for understanding Hg sources and cycling in marine environments. For example, photoinduced transformations are important for the presence of reactive and elemental mercury in the surface layers, biologically mediated reactions are important for the production/degradation of MeHg and DGM in the photic zones of the water column, and the data for DGM in deep sea indicate the natural sources of Hg in geotectonicaly active areas of the Mediterranean Sea.     

黄河入海口壬基酚污染分布特征

黄河口表、底层水体和沉积物中壬基酚的浓度分布特征研究结果表明,表层水体中壬基酚浓度为15.7~148.6 ng/L,平均值为47.5 ng/L;底层水体中壬基酚浓度为15.8~52.7ng/L,平均值为31.0 ng/L;表层沉积物中壬基酚浓度为2.31~5.47 ng/g,平均浓度为3.87ng/g。黄河口水体中壬基酚浓度呈现由河道向出海口外逐渐降低的趋势;河道中表层沉积物壬基酚含量高于出海口外。黄河口水体中壬基酚浓度低于文献中报道的海河口水体中的浓度,表层沉积物中壬基酚含量低于珠江口文献报道值。水体中壬基酚浓度超过抑制藤壶附着浓度(10 ng/L),河道最上游的站点水体中的浓度超过影响太平洋牡蛎幼苗的发育并增加幼苗死亡率的浓度(100 ng/L)。     

Climate‐induced Late‐Holocene ecological changes in Pichavaram estuary,India

Variation in sedimentology as well as freshwater and marine palynomorphs has been studied in ecological perspective in two 2.5‐ and 5‐m deep sediment cores deposited since 3440 and 3630 cal BP, respectively in the central part of Pichavaram mangrove wetland, Cauvery River delta. The palynological and sedimentological results of the sediments reveal a monsoonal circulation and a climatic shift from warm and humid with strengthened monsoon (3630–3190 cal BP) to dry and arid (~2750–760 cal BP). Since the last millennium (~760 cal BP), Pichavaram estuary has been influenced by a similar cyclicity but with a less wet and humid climate due to weakened monsoon conditions. These ecological changes in turn affect the relative sea level rise and fall which is reflected by the variability/extinction of freshwater and marine palynomorphs. The estuary remained an active water channel between ~3630 and 2750 cal BP, responding to the strengthened monsoon, during which the freshwater algal remains with thecamoebians and marine dinoflagellate cysts and foraminiferal linings both dominated with a ratio of 1.5 for marine/freshwater forms. After this period, since ~2750 cal BP there has been a dominance of marine forms with a ratio of 4.5 for marine/freshwater forms, indicating fluvio‐marine sediment deposition and suggesting the recent landward intrusion of seawater during weakened monsoon conditions. Freshwater thecamoebians are vulnerable to the salinity >3 in the aqueous soil solution of estuarine sediment, and therefore serve as an excellent proxy for monitoring salinity gradient along with short‐term high resolution palaeoecological fluctuations induced by climate and relative sea‐level changes in an estuarine ecosystem.     

The impact of resuspension on sediment mercury dynamics, and methylmercury production and fate: A mesocosm study

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of resuspension on the fate and bioaccumulation of mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in shallow estuarine environments, using mesocosms. Two 4-week experiments were conducted in July (Experiment 1) and October (Experiment 2) of 2001 with Baltimore Harbor sediments. Hard clams, Mercenaria mercenaria, were introduced into sediments for Experiment 2. Tidal resuspension (4 h on and 2 h off cycles) was simulated, with 3 replicate tanks for each treatment—resuspension (R) and non-resuspension (NR). Sediment cores were collected during the experiments for THg, MeHg, organic content and AVS analyses, and for the determination of methylation/demethylation using Hg stable isotopes (¹⁹⁹Hg(II) and CH₃¹⁹⁹Hg(II)). Zooplankton samples were collected once a week while clams were taken before and after Experiment 2 for THg and MeHg analyses. Our results suggest that the interplay between Hg methylation and MeHg degradation determines the overall MeHg pool in sediments. Sediment resuspension does not appear to directly impact the Hg transformations but can lead to changes in the association to Hg binding phases, influencing Hg methylation. The bioaccumulation results indicate that sediment resuspension can play an important role in transferring sediment MeHg into organisms.     

The effect of resuspension on the fate of total mercury and methyl mercury in a shallow estuarine ecosystem: a mesocosm study

Sediments are the major repository of mercury in estuaries and could be a significant source of Hg to the overlying water column via release from the solid phase during resuspension. There is, however, little information on the effect of resuspension on Hg partitioning and release to the water column. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of resuspension on the cycling of THg and MeHg between the water column and the sediment. Tidal resuspension was simulated using the MEERC STORM facility. The facility can mimic both realistic bottom shear stress and water column turbulence simultaneously. There were three replicates of each resuspension (R) and no resuspension (NR) mesocosms. Two 4-week experiments were conducted in July and October of 2001: experiment 1 without clams and experiment 2 with clams. Both experiments showed that resuspension of muddy sediment introduced significantly higher particulate THg to the water column as TSS increased. The results suggest that THg was mostly bound to sediment particles with very little release during the resuspension events. In contrast, particulate MeHg was significantly lower in the R tanks where sediment particles with poor MeHg were dominant in the water column during the resuspension events. Dissolved THg and MeHg did not change in concert with changes in particulate load, suggesting that the dynamics between dissolved and particulate phases for both THg and MeHg cannot be explained by an equilibrium partitioning.     

Vertical distributions of some chemical substances in surface sediments of a meromictic Lake Suigetsu

Vertical distributions of some chemical substances in the surface sediments of a typical meromictic lake, Lake Suigetsu, were measured. Metallic elements such as iron, manganese, nickel, zinc, copper and chromium showed no significant slopes in vertical direction. While, boron and total sulfur contents in the sediments decreased from the surface to the stratum 35–40 cm, and below which both substances showed no more appreciable changes. From an average sedimentation rate (about 1.1 mm/yr), estimated from the radiocarbon dating of the sediment, the sediments above the stratum 35–40 cm were thought to be deposited after the beginning of the salt water intrusion to the lake by the excavation of a canal in 1665, by which Lake Suigetsu was connected to a polyhaline lake (Lake Kugushi) directly connected to the sea. Vertical distributions of boron and total sulfur in the sediments and also of chlorinity of the interstitial waters seem to correspond to past change in the lake condition from freshwater one to a two-layered system of a deeper salt water covered by a upper freshwater.     

Mercury speciation in sediments at a municipal sewage sludge marine disposal site

Mercury speciation was performed in excess activated sewage sludge (ASS) and in marine sediments collected at the AAS disposal site off the Mediterranean coast of Israel in order to characterize the spatial and vertical distribution of different mercury species and assess their environmental impact. Total Hg (HgT) concentrations ranged between 0.19 and 1003ng/g at the polluted stations and 5.7 and 72.8ng/g at the background station, while the average concentration in ASS was 1181+/-273ng/g. Only at the polluted stations did HgT concentrations decrease exponentially with sediment depth, reaching background values at 16-20cm, the vertical distribution resulting from mixing of natural sediment with ASS solids and bioturbation by large populations of polycheates. Average Methyl Hg (MeHg) concentration in ASS was 39.7+/-7.1ng/g, ca. 3% of the HgT concentration, while the background concentrations ranged between 0.1 and 0.61ng/g. MeHg concentrations in surficial polluted sediments were 0.7-5.9ng/g (ca. 0.5% of the HgT) and decreased vertically, similar to HgT. A positive correlation between MeHg and Hg only at the polluted stations, higher MeHg concentrations at the surface of the sediment and not below the redoxline, and no seasonality in the concentrations suggest that the MeHg originated from the ASS and not from in situ methylation. By doing selective extractions, we found that ca. 80% of the total Hg in ASS and polluted sediments was strongly bound to amorphous organo-sulfur and to inorganic sulfide species that are not bioavailable. The fractions with potential bioaccessible Hg had maximal concentrations in the range in which biotic effects should be expected. Therefore, although no bioaccumulation was found in the biota in the area, the concentration in the polluted sediments are not negligible and should be carefully monitored.     

Origin of hydrocarbons in the particulate matter and bottom sediments of the northern shelf of the Caspian Sea

Data are presented on the content and composition of hydrocarbons (HC) (aliphatic, AHC and polyaromatic, PAH) in the filtered particulate matter and in the surface layer of the bottom sediments on the northern shelf of the Caspian Sea and related to the data on their content in the Volga River estuary. Because of the transformation and precipitation of anthropogenic and natural compounds, the HC composition in the particulate matter and bottom sediments undergoes transformations caused by the mixing of fresh and saline waters (in the bottom sediments, within the concentration ranges 70.4–4557.9 μ g/g for AHC and 3.8–4800 ng/g for PAH). It was found that the greatest concentrating of HC proceeds in the region of the avalanche sedimentation, and their content is independent of the grain-size type of the sediments. The anthropogenic HC (oil and pyrogenous) do not get over the marginal filter of the Volga River and do not pass to the open part of the sea.     

Methylmercury production in sediments of Chesapeake Bay and the mid-Atlantic continental margin

Methylmercury (MeHg) concentration and production rates were studied in bottom sediments along the mainstem of Chesapeake Bay and on the adjoining continental shelf and slope. Our objectives were to 1) observe spatial and temporal changes in total mercury (HgT) and MeHg concentrations in the mid-Atlantic coastal region, 2) investigate biogeochemical factors that affect MeHg production, and 3) examine the potential of these sediments as sources of MeHg to coastal and open waters. Estuarine, shelf and slope sediments contained on average 0.5 to 1.5% Hg as MeHg (% MeHg), which increased significantly with salinity across our study site, with weak seasonal trends. Methylation rate constants (k_meth), estimated using enriched stable mercury isotope spikes to intact cores, showed a similar, but weaker, salinity trend, but strong seasonality, and was highly correlated with % MeHg. Together, these patterns suggest that some fraction of MeHg is preserved thru seasons, as found by others [Orihel, D.M., Paterson, M.J., Blanchfield, P.J., Bodaly, R.A., Gilmour, C.C., Hintelmann, H., 2008. Temporal changes in the distribution, methylation, and bioaccumulation of newly deposited mercury in an aquatic ecosystem. Environmental Pollution 154, 77] Similar to other ecosystems, methylation was most favored in sediment depth horizons where sulfate was available, but sulfide concentrations were low (between 0.1 and 10 μM). MeHg production was maximal at the sediment surface in the organic sediments of the upper and mid Bay where oxygen penetration was small, but was found at increasingly deeper depths, and across a wider vertical range, as salinity increased, where oxygen penetration was deeper. Vertical trends in MeHg production mirrored the deeper, vertically expanded redox boundary layers in these offshore sediments. The organic content of the sediments had a strong impact on the sediment:water partitioning of Hg, and therefore, on methylation rates. However, the HgT distribution coefficient (K_D) normalized to organic matter varied by more than an order of magnitude across the study area, suggesting an important role of organic matter quality in Hg sequestration. We hypothesize that the lower sulfur content organic matter of shelf and slope sediments has a lower binding capacity for Hg resulting in higher MeHg production, relative to sediments in the estuary. Substantially higher MeHg concentrations in pore water relative to the water column indicate all sites are sources of MeHg to the water column throughout the seasons studied. Calculated diffusional fluxes for MeHg averaged  1 pmol m^− 2 day^− 1. It is likely that the total MeHg flux in sediments of the lower Bay and continental margin are significantly higher than their estimated diffusive fluxes due to enhanced MeHg mobilization by biological and/or physical processes. Our flux estimates across the full salinity gradient of Chesapeake Bay and its adjacent slope and shelf strongly suggest that the flux from coastal sediments is of the same order as other sources and contributes substantially to the coastal MeHg budget.     

珠江口表层水体颗粒物中古菌四醚类脂物的分布特征

类异戊二烯甘油二烷基甘油四醚类化合物（isoGDGTs）是古菌微生物的特征脂类标志物,由这组化合物构造出的TEX₈₆温标在海水古温度重建中得到了广泛应用。本文调查了珠江口及近岸海域（水深小于30 m）4个季节水体悬浮颗粒物（SPM）的isoGDGTs分布情况。结果显示:虎门上游河流水体中的isoGDGTs主要来自原地生产的甲烷古菌输入,进入河口水体后,主要来自原地奇古菌和广古菌的输入。陆源古菌的输入在5月份和8月份,对河流水体产生一定的影响,但对河口水体的影响相对较小。珠江口水体isoGDGTs中的GDGT-2与GDGT-3比值（GDGT-[2]/[3]）和GDGT-Cren'的丰度百分比（Cren'%）分别小于4和4%,与南海深水沉积物明显不同,表明珠江口与南海深水沉积物中isoGDGTs的古菌来源存在差异,这也可能是引起珠江口水体TEX₈₆温度（基于全球标定公式）偏离水体实际温度的原因。珠江口表层水体isoGDGTs中的GDGT-2和GDGT-3的丰度百分比与南海表层水体存在差异,这可能与GroupⅠ奇古菌和GroupⅡ广古菌相对比例空间变化有关。珠江口表层水体isoGDGTs的TEX₈₆温度在2月份明显高于原地表层水体温,而其他月份都低于原地表层水体温度,可能与Group Ⅰ奇古菌和Group Ⅱ广古菌相对比例的季节变化有关。几个月份中11月份isoGDGTs绝对含量最高,8月份较低,表明11月份和8月份分别是原地古菌生产量较大和较小时期。统计分析的结果显示,水体铵根离子含量、水体温度,以及溶解氧水平可能是控制珠江口水体isoGDGTs分布的主要环境因素。     

Factors controlling excess radium in the Nakdong River estuary,Korea: submarine groundwater discharge versus desorption from riverine particles

The activities of naturally occurring radium isotopes (²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra) in estuarine water were measured downstream of the dam constructed in the Nakdong River, Korea. The sampling of surface waters for radium, silicate, and suspended solid (SS) analyses was conducted at 18 stations during three periods (July 1997, April 1998, and June 1999). In general, radium activities exceeded the value expected from the mixing of two freshwater and seawater endmembers. We characterized the responses of Ra and Si according to three different conditions: (1) when the freshwater discharge and the water level of the dam relative to the sea level at low tide were lower (April 1998), the excess Ra and Si contents were lower in the estuary; (2) when the fresh water discharge was larger following heavy precipitation (July 1997), both excess Ra and Si contents were higher in the estuary with conservative mixing of Si; and (3) when the water level of the dam relative to the sea level at low tide was highest under low freshwater discharge (June 1999), high excess Ra but low Si levels were observed. The occurrence of high Ra activity in June 1999 was likely due to the large submarine brackish groundwater discharge downstream of the estuary. Since brackish groundwater in general contains high concentrations of nutrients, Ba, Ra, etc, our result suggests an important role for the submarine groundwater discharge on the biogeochemistry of estuarine/coastal waters, especially when the water level of the dam (hydraulic head) is high.     

Contrasting mercury and manganese deposition in a mangrove-dominated estuary (Guaratuba Bay, Brazil)

Sediment cores were taken at seven sites along the mangrove-bound Guaratuba Bay estuary (southern Brazil), with the purpose of assessing conditions controlling Hg deposition along a horizontal estuarine sediment gradient. The data suggest contrasting depositional patterns for Hg and Mn in this relatively pristine setting. Total Hg contents of bulk sediments ranged from 12 to 36 ng/g along the estuary, the highest values being found in muddier organic-rich sediments of the upper estuary (the corresponding mud gradient is 12 to 42 wt.%, and the organic matter gradient 4 to 10 wt.%). Thus, the deposition of fine sediments relatively enriched in mercury occurs primarily in closer proximity to the freshwater source. The data also indicate a reverse gradient in reactive Mn contents, ranging from 29 to 81 μg/g, and increasing seaward. This implies that reactive Mn is mobilized from fine-grained reducing mangrove forest sediments in the upper estuary, and deposited downstream in sandier, oxygen-rich nearshore sediments. These results suggest that mangrove-surrounded estuaries may act as barriers to mercury transport to coastal waters, but as a source of manganese. The present findings also imply that reactive Mn may be used as an indication of Hg depositional patterns in other similar coastal sedimentary settings.     

生物标志化合物对东、西太湖不同湖泊类型的判识

从生物标志化合物的角度,对东、西太湖沉积物中饱和烃组分进行了分析,通过对其正构烷烃碳数分布形式,主峰碳位置、Ｌ／Ｈ等指标对比,对照西太湖中的主要水生植物蓝藻和东太湖中的主要水生植物的饱和烃的组成特征,同时结合常规指标Ｃ／Ｎ的分析结果,对东、西太湖湖泊类型进行判识－西太湖为藻型湖泊,东太湖为草型湖泊。     

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.     

南沙群岛永暑礁区近百万年来的古气候变化——南永1井的锰含量分析

用锰含量的变化,将南永1井岩心划分为21个锰阶段,与洛川黄土、深海沉积物、柴达木盆地察尔汗盐湖的气候旋回进行对比,在布容、松山极性期界线(730ka)以上,存在9次气候旋回,锰含量相对高的奇数阶段代表相对湿热的气候环境,而偶数阶段代表相对干冷的气候。Mn/Ca和Cd/Ca比值的正异常段反映三期(Q_1,Q_2,Q_3)围区的火山活动影响。锰的变化反映全球性的气候事件和本地区的局部地质事件。     

Contribution a l'etude chimique du materiel dissous et particulaire de l'estuaire de la riviere rimouski

Temperature, pH, total alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, silicate, nitrate, phosphate and the Mn, Fe and Al contents of suspended particulate matter (SPM) were measured in the Rimouski River estuary as functions of chlorinity during the period May—September 1980.At any given time, total alkalinity (TA) is conservative within the estuary with respect to chlorinity. However, the total alkalinity (TA) of the freshwater is related to river flow. This is attributed to dilution of the river water with bicarbonate-poor rainwater.Generally, pH follows the same pattern observed for TA in freshwater. Dissolved oxygen is usually more concentrated in freshwater and decreases linearly with increasing chlorinity. Freshwater is always saturated or supersaturated with respect to O₂. Seasonal fluctuations are attributed to temperature variations.There is no evidence for removal of soluble silicate from the freshwater entering the sea. The concentration of silicate in the freshwater is strongly influenced by rainfall. Soil leaching, conditioned by high rainfall increases the concentration of soluble silicate in freshwater. Nitrate behaves similarly whereas phosphate is complicated by the presence of sewage.Analysis of the Mn, Fe and Al contained in the SPM indicates dilution of river-borne particles rich in Mn by others less rich in this element. A decrease in Mn content with increasing chlorinity and SPM concentration as well as increasing concentrations of SPM with increasing chlorinity indicate that the composition is controlled primarily by physical mixing of material from two sources rather than by chemical processes. Within the analytical precision the Fe/Al ratio does not vary with the chlorinity.     

Spatial Distribution of Polychlorinated Biphenyls （PCBs） Contaminants in the Tidal-flat Sediments of Yangtze Estuary

1 IntroductionYangtze River estuary is the biggest one in China, and there are domestic and manufactural rubbish disposal sites for Shanghai city in this tidal-flat. The Shanghai city, the whole Yangtze delta, or even all the Yangtze basin, will be PCBs contaminant sources of Yangtze estuary tidal-flat[1]. According to literatures so far, only two investigations for waters have included PCBs in the Yangtze estuary[2, 3]. No PCBs pollution of the tidal-flat sediments has been reported…     

Hydrodynamics and sedimentation induced by large-scale coastal developments in the Keum River Estuary, Korea

The macro-tidal Keum River Estuary located in the eastern Yellow Sea has been suffering siltation and morphological change since 1994. To understand the effects of the large-scale coastal developments on the sedimentation processes in the estuary, hydrodynamic and sedimentary data collected from 1985 to 2002 were analyzed and numerical experiments of hydrodynamics were performed. The sedimentation rate in the estuary increased by a factor of 1.9, from 3.5 × 10⁶ to 6.7 × 10⁶ m³ y⁻¹, after the construction of a dam in the upper reaches of the estuary in 1994. Large part of the estuary is veneered by the muddy sediments noticeably, which were rarely found before dam construction. Since then, siltation has concentrated in the upper estuary rather than the lower. The upstream transport and accumulation of fine-grained sediments is due to: (1) the change to flood-dominance in the main channel, i.e. the relative intensification of flood current and the flood-directed residual current; and (2) the decrease in transport capacity in the upper estuary, i.e. the marked decrease in current velocity, which was induced by dam construction. The former has resulted in the ebb-dominance of the Gaeya channel, a distributary in the north of the main channel. The tidal pumping of fine sediments was reinforced not by the freshwater/saltwater interaction but by the residual tidal circulation. The sediment fluxes observed in 2001–2002 demonstrate year-round net inflow both at the entrance of the jetties and at the Gaeya channel, which implies that the sediments delivered by the Keum River are entirely confined to the estuary, incapable of escaping to the sea. The net inward transport of fine sediments may accumulate pollutants adsorbed to or absorbed in the sediment grains in the estuary, thus deteriorating the benthic environment gradually and the water quality eventually.