Influence of bioturbation by Hediste diversicolor on mercury fluxes from estuarine sediments: a mesocosms laboratory experiment

Mercury, with its reactive forms being the most deleterious for the trophic chains, has been identified as a major pollutant in a few confined bodies of the coastal zone. Due to feeding, burrowing, and bioirrigation activities, infauna are known to play a crucial role in the biogeochemical processes of contaminants. The main goal of the present study is to evaluate the effects of Hediste diversicolor bioturbation on mercury fluxes from estuarine sediments in a mesocosms laboratory experiment. Additionally, an attempt was made to establish a relationship between the amount of remobilised mercury to the water column and the degree of contamination of the sediments using a mercury contamination gradient. The present experiment demonstrated that the bioturbation activity caused by the gallery-diffuser H. diversicolor did not influence the remobilisation of mercury (in dissolved reactive forms) from the sediment to the water column. The concentration of dissolved reactive mercury in the water column also did not reflect the degree of contamination in the sediments. The results obtained were in accordance with the sediment characteristics of the Mondego Estuary and Ria de Aveiro (Portugal), since they are very rich in organic matter content, iron/manganese total and hydrous oxides. These physicochemical characteristics of the sediments may partially justify the retention of mercury by these systems, even when they are subjected to bioturbation. In conclusion, sediments with high organic matter content and a high concentration of iron/manganese hydrous oxides allowed for efficient retention of mercury, and the bioturbation process did not seem to affect the system. Another conclusion from this study is that the remobilisation of mercury by bioturbation to the water column is not a fast process, requiring more than 24h. This study constitutes an important work in the area of the effects of bioturbation on mercury remobilisation. Considering the toxicity of mercury for the biota, it is essential to evaluate the real magnitude of mercury processes occurring in estuarine systems in order to obtain essential information on metal behaviour.     

Influence of bioturbation by the polychaete Nereis diversicolor on the structure of bacterial communities in oil contaminated coastal sediments

Patterns of change in the structure of bacterial communities monitored by ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA) in oil contaminated sediments inhabited or not by the marine polychaete Nereis diversicolor were studied during 45 days under laboratory conditions. Results supported by principal component analysis showed a marked response of the bacterial communities to the oil contamination and to the presence of N. diversicolor. Phylogenetic affiliation of specific RISA bands showed that, in the contaminated sediments, the presence of the marine polychaetes favoured the development of bacteria which may play an active role in natural bioremediation processes of oil polluted environments.     

First record of freshwater bryozoans (Bryozoa: Phylactolaemata) in the aquatic invertebrate fauna of Serbia

Species of freshwater bryozoans are newly recognized in the fauna of aquatic invertebrates in Serbia. This first record includes a total of five species of class Phylactolaemata found at eight localities during limnological investigations in the period from 2002 to 2006. Four species are assigned to family Plumatellidae (Plumatella casmiana, P. emarginata, P. geimermassardi and Hyalinella punctata). Family Cristatellidae is represented by one species (Cristatella mucedo). The freshwater bryozoans in the form of intact colonies and especially as dormant bodies were identified to the species level. The identification was done using scanning electron microscopy, analyzing resting bodies’ morphological ultrastructure.     

水丝蚓生物扰动对东洞庭湖沉积物氮释放的影响

研究了不同投放密度和不同环境条件下水丝蚓的生物扰动对东洞庭湖沉积物氮释放的影响.研究表明:水丝蚓的生物扰动作用对沉积物氮释放有明显的促进作用,水丝蚓生物扰动促进下的NH4+-N释放构成沉积物氮释放的主要动因.与未投放水丝蚓的空白组相比,当水丝蚓密度为1和2 ind./cm2时,上覆水中总氮的浓度分别增加了15％和32％...     

Site amplification in lava rock on soft sediments

Seismicity and volcanic activity in Iceland are related to the Mid-Atlantic plate boundary that crosses the island. Due to volcanic activity, different sea levels through the ages and glacial drift, the geology in Iceland is quite complex at many sites. In June 2000, two major earthquakes of magnitude 6.6 (M_w) and 6.5 (M_w) occurred in southern Iceland. Ground motion from these main shocks and a number of aftershocks were recorded at the Icelandic strong motion network operated by the University of Iceland. At one of the instrumented sites considerable amplification was recorded on lava-rock overlying alluvial deposits. This site fits poorly in the soil classification systems of most earthquake codes. In this paper the recorded data is analyzed with different methods and the results are compared with the results of a one-dimensional site response analysis. The different methods produce the same characteristic of soil amplification at the site. The findings of this study have important implications for design criteria for sites with similar geology.     

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.     

Erodibility of some crust forming soils/sediments from the Southern Aral Sea Basin as determined in a wind tunnel

Severe dust storms in the Southern Aral Sea Basin have become common with the desiccation of the sea. The high incidence of dust in the area has had severe ecological consequences. Within the framework of efforts to reduce this phenomenon, deflatability as well as deflatability‐related characteristics of some prominent soils/sediment surfaces in the Southern Aral Sea Basin were examined. The materials included a salt crust from a developed Solonchak, a Takyr crust and a Takyr‐like soil, and salt crusts from undeveloped Solonchaks formed on the exposed bottom of the Aral Sea. Characteristics determined were particle size distribution, dry aggregate size distribution and salt, carbonate and organic carbon contents. Deflatability was examined using a suction type wind tunnel with a SENSIT‐type sensor to detect airborne unconsolidated material, on materials treated to different moisture levels and with a chemical stabilizer, and on restored crusts created from the unconsolidated materials. Fine sand dominates in the materials, and in the Takyr crust and Takyr‐like soils is accompanied by significant amounts of silt and clay. All materials contain moderate amounts of carbonate and are low in organic matter. All soils/sediments contain salts, but in the salt crusts of the Solonchaks the salt fraction dominates. They all have more than 50 per cent PM₈₅₀ (particles with diameter <850 µm), indicating a relatively high deflatability potential. The materials from the Takyr crusts and Takyr‐like soil with a high proportion of fine aggregates had the lowest threshold friction velocities, while the salt crusts of the Solonchaks with a high proportion of coarse aggregates had the highest. This suggests that Takyrs and Takyr‐like soils are the most deflatable and Solonchak soils the least deflatable. These differences are attributed to the presence of salts that create stable, large aggregates in the Solonchak crusts. Wetting of the materials to three moisture levels considerably increased threshold friction velocity. The increase was most prominent in the salt‐rich materials, and was attributed to the rapid formation of surface films by drying in the course of the wind tunnel determinations. Applications of chemical stabilizers at two levels also considerably increased threshold friction velocity. On the restored crusts, threshold friction velocity dramatically increased, occasionally to non‐recordable values. This increase was monitored with both the salt crusts characteristic for the Solonchak soils and the fine‐grained crusts characteristic for the Takyr soils. The stability was attributed to the tightly packed salt particles in the salt crusts, and to the cohesive properties of the fine‐grained materials in the Takyr crusts. Once the crusts were ruptured, however, strong deflation commenced. These results suggest that by maintaining moisture in the soils/sediments (for example, by maintaining a high water table in the Amu‐Darya river flood plain) deflation can be reduced. By the same means, deflation can be reduced by creating new crusts or by preserving existing crusts. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Toxicity assessment of sediments associated with various land-uses in coastal South Carolina, USA, using a meiobenthic copepod bioassay

Coastal urbanization supplies surrounding estuarine environments with urban-related contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals and pesticide mixtures. In our study, adult female and male copepods (Amphiascus tenuiremis) were chronically exposed to 18 sediment samples collected from sites influenced by different land-uses. Sediment samples were collected from three major suburban areas (Hilton Head, Kiawah Island and the Okatee River watershed) and a pristine site (North Inlet) in coastal South Carolina. Three-sediment bioassays (six sites per bioassay) were conducted by culturing copepods for 14 days in quadruplicate test sediments under flow-through conditions at 20 degrees C and 12:12 LD cycles. Adult survival and copepod reproductive output were quantified. Sediment samples were also analyzed by GC-MS for low and high molecular weight PAHs. Minimal adult mortality was observed in most sediment samples. However, sediments from Hilton Head Island and the Okatee River showed significant effects on copepod reproductive output (i.e., nauplii, copepodites and clutch size). Thus, we determined that reproductive endpoints rather than adult copepod survivorship were more sensitive to effects of contaminated sediments on A. tenuiremis. Furthermore, six (33%) of the 18 sites had a >25% reduction in copepod bioassay endpoints relative to controls, suggesting a high risk to long term A. tenuiremis population maintenance.     

On the relevance of meiobenthic research for policy-makers

The need for scientific advice to manage the aquatic environment in an ecosystem context has never been greater. Many assessments of ecosystem state and change use inadequate data on non-conspicuous, non-target organisms. These include meiofauna, a diverse group of small-sized organisms (<1 mm) that live in a range of terrestrial and aquatic environments. Meiobenthic research published between 2007 and 2011 has failed to underpin ecosystem management and conservation practices. This is partly because of the belief amongst decision-makers and the public that microscopic organisms beyond our normal range of perception are ecologically unimportant. Methodological limitations related to the taxonomic identification of small-sized organisms and the narrow scope of many contemporary meiofauna studies are also to blame. This article explores ways in which meiobenthologists can improve the impact and uptake of their research.     

Free and bound polybrominated diphenyl ethers and tetrabromobisphenol A in freshwater sediments

Both free and bound fractions of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in sediment were examined. The free fraction was operationally defined as the fraction of each target compound extracted with a solvent mixture of hexane/acetone by Soxhlet extraction, while the bound fraction was the portion released from the sediments by alkaline hydrolysis following the solvent extractions. Tri- to hepta-BDEs and TBBPA were detected in the bound fraction. Bound PBDEs accounted for 0.2-2.8% of the total PBDEs and bound TBBPA accounted for 6.5-48% of the total TBBPA, in surface sediments. In sediment cores, these percentages ranged from 1.8% to 42% for bound PBDEs and 22-92% for bound TBBPA. The percentages of bound materials showed an increasing trend with the sediment depth. Sequestration of PBDEs and TBBPA within sediments might be an important geochemical fate of these brominated flame retardants.     

The role of external ammonium inputs in freshwater acidification

Gaseous ammonia released into the atmosphere from animal manure, fertilizer and industrial processes, neutralizes acid oxidation products of sulphur and nitrogen oxides in precipitation. This results in a substantial increase in pH of precipitation. Once deposited in soil or water, the ammonium compounds may be oxidized to nitric acid. This means that hydrogen ions neutralized in the atmosphere are now released. This paper concerns bulk precipitation sampled at some selected northern Italian and Dutch sites, representing areas with different regional industrial and agricultural impact. In addition the role of external loads of ammonium in freshwater acidification is discussed considering an ammonium sulphate polluted subalpine lake in northern Italy and the results of experimentla studies on susceptible soft water systems in The Netherlands. In these cases the acidifying effect of biochemical ammonium conversions, particularly ammonium oxidation, was evident, reaching pH values below 4. Regarding the deleterious chemical and ecological effects, a reduction in the emission of gaseous ammonia is programmed for The Netherlands. In the Alpine region atmospheric ammonia and ammonium also constitute a threat for sensitive ecosystems.     

Quantification of termite bioturbation in a savannah ecosystem: Application of OSL dating

Luminescence dating is one of the most promising technique available for studying bioturbation on pedological timescales. In this study, we use multi-grain and single-grain quartz OSL to quantify termite bioturbation processes (Macrotermes natalensis) in a savannah ecosystem in Ghana. Termites transport soil from depth to the surface to construct termitaria. Over time, erosion levels these mounds and returns the sediment to the soil surface. These two processes of construction and erosion together represent an upward “conveyor belt” sediment transport process. We find that the sediment is effectively bleached during the erosion process allowing us to quantify retrospectively, for the first time, the surface deposition rate, the inverse of the upwards transport rate. At this site, this is ~0.28 mm year⁻¹ and began about 4.000 years ago. Downward mixing through subsurface galleries may replace 10–20% of the volume ka⁻¹ below the unit formed by reburied termite deposits.     

Distribution,source identification and risk assessment of selected metals in sediments from freshwater lake

This study is based on the assessment of distribution,source apportionment and risk assessment of selected metals in freshly deposited sediments from freshwater lake,Pakistan.Composite sediments were collected and processed to assess Ca(NO_3)_2-extractable and acid-extractable levels of the metals in the sediments using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry.Enrichment factors(EF),geoaccumulation indices(I_(geo)),contamination factors(C_f) and degree of contamination(C_(deg)) were computed to estimate the degree of contamination.The potential ecological risk was assessed using sediment quality guidelines and mean-ERM-quotient(m-ERM-Q).On the average basis,acid-extractable metals followed the decreasing concentration order:CaMgFeKMnNaSrZnPbCrCoCu-LiCd,whereas,the Ca(NO_3)_2-extractable levels were:NaPhCdSrCoCrKMg-CuZnLiCaFeMn.The highest Ca(NO_3)_2 extractable concentrations were observed for Na,Pb and Cd,while that of Ca,Fe and Mn were the least.EF showed very high and extremely high enrichment of Pb and Cd,respectively,while Ca,Co,Cr,Li,Mg,Mn,Sr and Zn manifested moderate enrichment:the I_(geo) results revealed moderate to strong and strong to extreme pollution for Pb and Cd,respectively;and the C_f study showed moderate,considerable and very high contamination by Co,Pb and Cd,respectively.The C_(deg) revealed very high degree of contamination in the sediments as a whole.Principal component analysis(PCA) and cluster analysis(CA) showed considerable anthropogenic contributions of Cd,Pb,Co,Mn,K,Zn and Li in the sediments.Measured levels of Cd and Pb exceeded ERL values,manifesting occasional adverse biological effects to the dwelling biota.Moreover,the mERM-Q study manifested 21%probability of toxicity in the sediments.     

Erodibility of cohesive streambeds in the loess area of the midwestern USA

Excess stress parameters, critical shear stress (τ_c) and erodibility coefficient (k_d), for degrading channels in the loess areas of the midwestern USA are presented based on in situ jet‐testing measurements. Critical shear stress and k_d are used to define the erosion resistance of the streambed. The jet‐testing apparatus applies hydraulic stresses to the bed and the resulting scour due to the impinging jet is related to the excess stress parameters. Streams tested were primarily silt‐bedded in texture with low densities, which is typical of loess soils. Results indicate that there is a wide variation in the erosion resistance of streambeds, spanning six orders of magnitude for τ_c and four orders of magnitude for k_d. Erosion resistance was observed to vary within a streambed, from streambed to streambed, and from region to region. An example of the diversity of materials within a river system is the Yalobusha River Basin in Mississippi. The median value of τ_c for the two primary bed materials, Naheola and Porters Creek Clay Formations, was 1·31 and 256 Pa, respectively. Streambeds composed of the Naheola Formation are readily eroded over the entire range of shear stresses, whereas only the deepest flows generate boundary stresses great enough to erode streambeds composed of the Porters Creek Clay Formation. Therefore, assessing material resistance and location is essential in classifying and modelling streambed erosion processes of these streams.     

Burial and turbulent transport by bioturbation: a 27‐year experiment in southeast Australia

In order to assess the net effect and relative importance of geomorphic processes at two natural woodland sites in southeast Australia, 100 small tiles were placed on the soil surface in 1979 and their movement was monitored over the course of nearly three decades. Rates of tile burial and other tile displacement were considerable but also markedly random, being largely inconsistent with expected patterns of displacement by orthodox creep and rainwash processes. This included substantial upslope displacement and burial depths that ranged from zero to 5 cm. We suggest that such turbulent transport in the topsoil has mostly been caused by the direct and indirect transfer of soil and clasts by animals and plants (i.e. bioturbation). In addition to direct evidence of biota interacting with tiles, the effectiveness of bioturbation at our sites has been well established and the overall tile burial rate of 0·25 to 0·4 mm yr^?1 is comparable to rates of surface mounding. Patterns of tile movement are generally consistent with soils‐geomorphic theory regarding the biomantle and bioturbation‐driven stonelayer formation, and provide further evidence that soil transfer and slope movement, in many situations, are markedly random and complex processes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of biogenic hydrocarbons in the assessment of oil pollution of freshwater bodies

The results of studying the concentrations and component composition of hydrocarbons and associated oxidized hydrophobic compounds in water bodies with different degrees of oil product pollution are given. It is shown that the role of biogenic hydrocarbons in the assessment of oil pollution of freshwater bodies, especially those having high biological productivity, can be quite significant. Such assessment requires the examination of their genesis by using the proposed gas-chromatographic and luminescent criteria. The most informative object for observations in the identification of oil and biogenic hydrocarbons for the assessment of chronic oil pollution of freshwater bodies is bottom sediment.