Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Soils and Sediments of the Herbert and Burdekin River Regions, North Queensland – Implications for Contamination of the Great Barrier Reef

Organochlorine pesticides were widely used in the Australian sugarcane industry from the early 1950s until the late 1980s. Erosion of sugarcane soils and subsequent transport of sediment bound contaminants in river run-off to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon is a growing concern as the cane industry continues to expand. Organochlorine pesticide residues can be used as tracers to examine the worst-case scenario of the spatial extent to which currently used, though less persistent, organic agricultural pesticides might extend. The coastal alluvial flood-plains of the Herbert and Burdekin Rivers in North Queensland have sugarcane growing as the major coastal land-use. Sediment cores and surface sediment samples were collected from near-shore coastal regions of the Herbert and Burdekin Rivers. In addition, soil samples from cane-fields in the two catchments were collected. Analyses of the marine surface sediment samples and three sediment cores revealed the absence of detectable concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (<5 pg/g). However, easily detectable concentrations were found in the sugarcane soil samples (0.01–45 ng/g).     

贵州红枫湖沉积物磷赋存形态及沉积历史

采集了云贵高原深水湖泊红枫湖现代沉积物未受扰动的柱状样品,通过分析不同形态沉积磷在沉积剖面上的分布特征,并结合沉积物样品柱的210Pb、137Cs年代学研究结果,揭示了红枫湖现代沉积过程中不同形态沉积磷的早期成岩改造的时间变化序列,以及沉积磷外源输入负荷的历史变化.采用Ruttenberg法分析沉积磷的地球化学赋存形态,研究表明,红枫湖沉积物中有机磷和铁结合态磷是沉积磷的主要赋存形态,分别占沉积全磷的60%和28%.沉积磷在垂直剖面上的分布特征显示,红枫湖现代沉积过程中,沉积磷在最终埋藏前可能发生非常剧烈的形态转化和再迁移,尤其是有机磷和铁结合态磷的成岩改造可能是湖泊系统磷循环质量平衡的重要方面.年代学数据同时表明,近年的人为活动导致湖泊系统(包括沉积物)磷负荷的显著增加.     

TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF PAHS AND PCBS IN LAKE CALUMET AREA, CHICAGO

1 INTRODUCTION Lake Calumet is located 15 miles southeast of downtown Chicago. The geographical boundaries include 130th Street to the south, Stony Island Avenue to the east, an industrial area to the north, and interstate highway I-94 to the west. The major continuous water inflow to the lake is Pullman Creek, a drainage ditch, which carries the runoff from the nearby expressway, industries, and landfills into the lake at the northwest corner. The outlet of the Lake is the Calumet R…     

Evidence for polychlorinated biphenyls dechlorination in the sediments of Sado Estuary, Portugal

Sediment gravity cores and grab samples were collected in the Sado Estuary and in its coastal area. The cores were sliced on board and the percentage of weight loss on ignition was determined in the laboratory, and analysed for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. PCB contents were higher in samples from the North Channel of the estuary, nearby the industrial zone (max. 114 ng g-1 dry weight), while levels in the coastal area were lower than 4.9 ng g-1. The concentrations of the quantified congeners varied irregularly with sediment depth in the estuary, but showed two opposite distribution patterns in cores from the coastal area: the proportions of lower chlorinated congeners increased with depth, while congeners with higher number of chlorines decreased. This suggests a dechlorination of the most chlorinated congeners into less toxic compounds, under reductive conditions of the sediment. Though measurements were done in natural environment it appears that dechlorination was not entirely dependent on chlorine position in the phenyl rings.     

On the magnetic susceptibility anisotropy of deep-sea sediment

Susceptibility anisotropies in the form of vertically prolate ellipsoids have been reported in many deep-sea sediment cores. The results of the present investigation suggest that these anisotropies may not describe the original magnetic fabric of deep-sea sediment, but are more likely due to either a measurement effect or to deformation of the sediment during coring. Anisotropy measurements made on a spinner magnetometer sometimes were found to be greatly affected by the shape of the sample. This apparent “sample-shape effect” was not observed on a low-field torque meter. The anisotropy of samples taken near the base or the top of some piston cores often reflects sediment disturbance during the coring operation. Most samples of deep-sea sediment examined had weak anisotropies that could be interpreted as due to normal depositional processes, including bioturbation. The best-fitting susceptibility ellipsoids were usually oblate with near vertical minimum susceptibility axes.     

Can channel banks be the dominant source of fine sediment in a UK river?: an example using 137Cs to interpret sediment yield and sediment source

Cultivated fields have been shown to be the dominant sources of sediment in almost all investigated UK catchments, typically contributing 85 to 95% of sediment inputs. As a result, most catchment management strategies are directed towards mitigating these sediment inputs. However, in many regions of the UK such as the Nene basin there is a paucity of sediment provenance data. This study used the caesium‐137 (¹³⁷Cs) inventories of lake and floodplain cores as well as the ¹³⁷Cs activities of present day sediment to determine sediment provenance. Sediment yields were also reconstructed in a small lake catchment. Low ¹³⁷Cs inventories were present in the lake and floodplain cores in comparison to the reference inventory and inventories in cores from other UK catchments. Caesium‐137 activities in the present day sediments were low; falling close to those found in the channel bank catchment samples. It was estimated that 60 to 100% of the sediment in the Nene originated from channel banks. Pre‐1963 sediment yields were approximately 11.2 t km^?2 yr^?1 and post‐1963 was approximately 11.9 t km^?2 yr^?1. The lack of increased sediment yield post‐1963 and low sediment yield is unusual for a UK catchment (where a yield of 28 to 51 t km^?2 yr^?1 is typical for a lowland agricultural catchment), but is explained by the low predicted contribution of sediment from agricultural topsoils. The high channel bank contribution is likely caused by the river being starved of sediment from topsoils, increasing its capacity to entrain bank material. The good agreement between the results derived using cores and recently transported sediments, highlight the reliability of ¹³⁷Cs when tracing sediment sources. However, care should be taken to assess the potential impacts of sediment particle size, sediment focusing in lakes and the possible remobilization of ¹³⁷Cs from sedimentary deposits. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measurement of Enzymatic Activity in Deep Marine Sediments Using the Semiquantitative APIZym Test System Messung enzymatischer Aktivität in tiefen Meeressedimenten mit Hilfe des APIZym-Testsystems

APIZym strips were used for measuring the activity of 19 enzymatic reactions in marine sediment samples from the continental slope of the Celtic Sea in 135…1630 m depth. The activities of phosphatases were dominant followed by esterases, peptidases, and glycosidases. The activities were influenced by the sediment depth within the cores and the depth of the station. The results indicate that the APIZym system is able to resolve vertical stratification and spatial variability of enzymes possessing activity rates exceeding 10 nmol substrate h⁻¹ cm⁻³ in sediment but not of those with lower rates which for example would be found in deep-sea sediments.     

The history of water salinity in the Pearl River estuary,China, during the Late Quaternary

This research reconstructed the Late Quaternary salinity history of the Pearl River estuary, China, from diatom records of four sedimentary cores. The reconstruction was produced through the application of a diatom–salinity transfer function developed based on 77 modern surface sediment samples collected across the estuary from shallow marine environment to deltaic distributaries. The statistical analysis indicates that the majority of sediment samples from the cores has good modern analogues, thus the reconstructions are reliable. The reconstructed salinity history shows the older estuarine sequence formed during the last interglacial was deposited under similar salinity conditions to the younger estuarine sequence, which was formed during the present interglacial. Further analysis into the younger estuarine sequence reveals the interplays between sea level, monsoon‐driven freshwater discharge, and deltaic shoreline movement, key factors that have influenced water salinity in the estuary. In particular, a core from the delta plain shows the effects of sea‐level change and deltaic progradation, while cores from the mouth region of the estuary reveal changes of monsoon‐driven freshwater discharge. This study demonstrates the advantages of quantitative salinity reconstructions to improve the quality of reconstruction and allow direct comparison with other quantitative records and the instrumentally observed values of salinity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

PAH-profiles in sediment cores from the Baltic Sea

To document the historical input the PAH-profiles of sediment cores in two different basins of the Baltic Sea, the Gotland Basin (GB) and Arkona Basin (AB), were analysed by means of GC-MS. 35 PAHs were quantified in all samples, and additionally, several marker PAHs, like Cyclopenta[cd]phenanthrene (CCP) for combustion processes and retene for terrigenous input, were quantified in selected samples. The preindustrial sediments (older than 200-250 years) in the GB core illustrate concentrations <100 ng PAH15 g(-1) d.w. Calculated PAH-ratios indicated combustion processes as the main sources for both basins. The Perylene concentrations within the sediment cores decrease with increasing depth, along with an increase in relative percentage, indicating slow diagenetic processes. The preservation and enrichment of the introduced PAHs was more pronounced in the GB core.     

湖泊底泥疏浚环境效应:Ⅰ.内源磷释放控制作用

通过为期一年的疏浚模拟试验,在试验室培养疏浚与对照柱样研究了底泥疏浚对内源磷释放的控制效果．结果发现,疏浚表层30cm能够有效的消减沉积物中不f司形态磷含量与孔隙水中PO4^3-P含量．在一年的试验周期内,疏浚和对照柱沉积物-水界面的PO4^3-P通量分别为-143．8至14．4与-237．3至3047．6μg／（m^2&#183;d）,疏浚柱沉积物-水界面的磷通量总体上低于未疏浚对照的磷通量,尤其是在温度较高的月份,从2006年3-10月疏浚柱沉积物-水界面磷释放通量显著低于未疏浚对照柱,疏浚沉积物的磷的释放潜力低于未疏浚对照沉积物．研究结果表明,在外源磷得到有效控制的前提下,底泥疏浚是消减研究区内源磷负荷有效的技术手段．     

湖泊底泥疏浚环境效应:Ⅱ.内源氮释放控制作用

通过为期一年的疏浚模拟试验,在试验室培养疏浚与对照柱样研究了底泥疏浚对内源氮释放的控制效果.研究结果发现,疏浚表层30cm能够有效的消减沉积物中有机质含量与孔隙水中NH4+含量.在一年的试验周期内,疏浚和对照柱沉积物-水界面的NH4+通量分别为5.3至18.6mg/(m2·d)与-9.4至67.5mg/(m2·d),疏浚柱沉积物-水界面的NH4+通量总体上低于未疏浚对照的通量,尤其是在温度较高的月份,从2006年5-12月疏浚柱沉积物-水界面NH4+释放通量显著低于未疏浚对照柱,疏浚沉积物的NH4+的释放潜力低于未疏浚对照沉积物.研究结果表明,在外源得到有效控制的前提下,底泥疏浚是消减研究区内源氮负荷有效的技术手段.     

Characterization of organic matter in sediment cores of the Todos os Santos Bay, Bahia, Brazil, by elemental analysis and 13C NMR

The impact of human activity on the sediments of Todos os Santos Bay in Brazil was evaluated by elemental analysis and ¹³C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹³C NMR). This article reports a study of six sediment cores collected at different depths and regions of Todos os Santos Bay. The elemental profiles of cores collected on the eastern side of Frades Island suggest an abrupt change in the sedimentation regime. Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) analysis corroborates this result. The range of depths of the cores corresponds to about 50 years ago, coinciding with the implantation of major onshore industrial projects in the region. Principal Component Analysis of the ¹³C NMR spectra clearly differentiates sediment samples closer to the Subaé estuary, which have high contents of terrestrial organic matter, from those closer to a local oil refinery. The results presented in this article illustrate several important aspects of environmental impact of human activity on this bay.     

In‐Situ Sonication for Enhanced Recovery of Aquifer Microbial Communities

Sampling methods for characterization of microbial communities in aquifers should target both suspended and attached microorganisms (biofilms). We investigated the effectiveness and reproducibility of low‐frequency (200 Hz) sonication pulses on improving extraction efficiency and quality of microorganisms from a petroleum‐contaminated aquifer in Studen (Switzerland). Sonication pulses at different power levels (0.65, 0.9, and 1.1 kW) were applied to three different groundwater monitoring wells. Groundwater samples extracted after each pulse were compared with background groundwater samples for cell and adenosine tri‐phosphate concentration. Turbidity values were obtained to assess the release of sediment fines and associated microorganisms. The bacterial community in extracted groundwater samples was analyzed by terminal‐restriction‐fragment‐length polymorphism and compared with communities obtained from background groundwater samples and from sediment cores. Sonication enhanced the extraction efficiency up to 13‐fold, with most of the biomass being associated with the sediment fines extracted with groundwater. Consecutive pulses at constant power were decreasingly effective, while pulses with higher power yielded the best results both in terms of extraction efficiency and quality. Our results indicate that low‐frequency sonication may be a viable and cost‐effective tool to improve the extraction of microorganisms from aquifers, taking advantage of existing groundwater monitoring wells.     

Flume‐ and field‐based evaluation of a time‐integrated suspended sediment sampler for the analysis of sediment properties

Suspended sediment has been identified as a vector for nutrient and contaminant transport in the fluvial environment. A time‐integrated sampler (the Phillips sampler), which emerged over a decade ago as a cost‐effective tool for in situ suspended sediment collection, is increasingly being used to collect samples for the analysis of sediment properties such as particle size composition, and nutrient and contaminant concentrations. This study evaluates the sampler under both flume and field conditions for efficiency in the mass and grain size of the suspended sediment collected. The sampler was tested in a flume using both kaolinite and sediment samples (sieved to < 180 µm) collected from the Quesnel River, British Columbia, Canada. In the kaolinite trails, the sampler preferentially collected coarser grain sizes compared to the original sediment, probably due to finer sediment remaining in suspension and therefore passing through the sampler, and also possibly due to flocculation of the kaolinite upon introduction to the flume. Conversely, the sampler collected river sediment that was finer than the original sediment, probably due to some settling of coarser sediment observed at the bottom of the flume. Once allowance was made for these operational issues associated with the flume, maximum sediment mass efficiency for kaolinite and river sediment was 43% and 87%, respectively. Sediment collected by the time‐integrated sampler during field deployment and adjacent channel bed sediment were also compared. The sampler collected sediment with a representative grain size distribution. However, there were differences in the geochemical (arsenic and selenium) concentrations of channel bed sediment and sediment collected by the Phillips sampler which may be a function of differences in the behavior of geochemical elements associated with the two types of sediment. This work suggests that further research is needed to evaluate the role of the Phillips sampler in collecting sediment for contaminant and nutrient analysis. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical correlation of recent paleomagnetic records in two Lake Tahoe cores

Recent paleomagnetic fluctuations are smooth and well correlated in two short cores collected 28 km apart in Lake Tahoe. Cross-correlation analysis of the unit-vector time series data shows that the characteristic angular difference between the two records is only 11° for the past 3000 years. This compares favorably with the characteristic angular differences of 7–8° between adjacent samples within each core taken separately. The correspondingly high values of pairwise (between cores) and serial (within core) correlation are significant at 99.99% confidence. These data, collected and previously studied qualitatively by A.S. Goldstein, show that the sediment in Lake Tahoe can provide reliable Recent paleosecular variation records. The paucity of fine-scale paleomagnetic correlation between other cores from that basin is due likely to stratigraphic rather than rock magnetic difficulties.     

A laboratory study of the biogeochemical cycling of Fe,Mn, Zn and Cu across the sediment-water interface of a productive lake

Laboratory incubation experiments were carried out on sediment cores collected from Esthwaite Water, U.K., during April 1987, when the sediments displayed a characteristic surface (1.5 to 2 cm) oxide floc. The experiments were undertaken at 10°C, in the dark, under variable redox and pH conditions for periods of ~ 720 h (30 d). In some cases, realistic amounts of decomposing lake algae were added to simulate the deposition of an algal bloom. Pore waters and overlying waters were obtained from the incubated sediment cores at various time intervals and the samples analysed for pH and dissolved Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu by AAS. The results demonstrated that trace metal concentrations at the sediment-water interface can show rapid, pulsed responses to episodic events associated with controlling factors such as algal deposition and mixing conditions. The variations in dissolved Fe and Mn concentrations could generally be explained by their well known redox behaviour. Appreciable loss of Mn from solution under conditions of well-developed anoxia was consistent with adsorption of Mn²⁺ by FeS. Cu and Zn were both rapidly (24 h) released into solution during incubation of sediment cores prior to the development of anoxia in the overlying waters. Their most likely sources were the reductive remobilization of Mn oxides and the decomposition of organic matter. The addition of decomposing algae to a series of cores resulted in even higher interfacial dissolved concentrations of Cu and Zn, probably through acting as a supplementary source of the metals and through increased oxide dissolution. Switching from anoxic to oxic conditions also rapidly increased dissolved Cu and Zn concentrations, possibly due to their release during the oxidation of metal sulphides. The enhanced releases of dissolved Cu and Zn were generally short-lived with removal being attributed to the formation of sulphides during anoxia and to adsorption by Fe and Mn oxides under oxic conditions.     

太湖沉积物的磁性特征及其环境意义

本文以太湖沉积物为研究对象,试图在磁性测量的基础上,对太湖湖区四个样芯进行分层,建立芯间层位对应联系,并结合孢粉,粒度,地球化学和有机质含量等分析测定,从沉积物样芯的磁参数曲线变化中提取该地区的环境变化信息,研究结果表明,由于该方法具快速简便,经济易行,无破坏等优点,从而可能对样芯作连续测量,以提取分辨率的环境变化信息,在湖泊沉积物的研究中有着独的作用,可作为地球化学,孢粉,微体古生物,粒度等分析     

Floodplain evolution in a small,tectonically active basin of northern California

Sediment cores were collected along ?oodplains in the Navarro River basin of coastal northern California to examine the controls on ?oodplain evolution in a tectonically active setting. Sedimentary strata were subsampled for organic content, bulk density, and grain size measurements. Organic samples were analysed for ¹⁴C age, which yielded net‐averaged sedimentation rates for all cores. Overbank deposition rates decreased at all study sites through time and declined in the downstream direction. The ability of intermediary‐order streams to store sediment in ?oodplains decreased the ability of highest‐order streams to record sediment‐pulse events. The effects of anthropogenic disturbance, primarily logging, on long‐term overbank deposition rates were minimal. Climatic variability, by affecting sediment loading in the channel network, is the principal control on ?oodplain evolution through the Holocene. A hypothetical model is proposed to explain overbank deposition rates in the Navarro basin, which may be extrapolated to the northern‐coastal California region during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. The complexities observed in sediment storage and routing in this study imply that caution should be made when extrapolating sediment‐yield measurements obtained at river mouths or coastal shelves to geomorphic events within small, tectonically active basins. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Core Sampler for Soft Bottom Sediments with Lower Closing Mechanism

A novel sediment core sampler is represented. It is suitable for liquid sediments and for undisturbed sediment cores with a large core diameter from shallow and deep waters.     

Organic pollutants in sediment cores of NE-Germany: comparison of the marine Arkona Basin with freshwater sediments

During a contamination survey in NE-Germany sediment cores were sampled at 5 locations with freeze-coring devices and conventional box-coring systems. In total more than 40 samples were analysed for several organic compounds (136 PCDD/F, 33 PCB, 39 PAH, 10 DDX, 4 HCH, 4 CB), sedimentological parameters (TOC, TC, TIC, LOI), some total trace metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn) and dated by measurement of the ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs activity. The deepest segment of the cores from the Arkona Basin and the freshwater lakes were dated back to the end of the 19th century. A comparison of marine versus freshwater data is presented. The contamination levels of Arkona Basin were often lower than anthropogenically influenced freshwater sediments and more similar to a freshwater sediment core only influenced by deposition, with an additional Oder River inflow. Differences in patterns and contamination levels are discussed.