The behaviour of dissolved organic material,iron and manganese in estuarine mixing

Fractionation by ultra-filtration of the dissolved organic material (DOM) in the River Beaulieu, with typical concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of 7–8 mg C/l, showed it to be mainly in the nominal molecular weight range of 10³–10⁵, with 16–23% of the total DOC in the fraction > 10⁵. The molecular weight distribution of DOM in the more alkaline River Test (average DOC, 2 mg C/l) was similar. In the River Beaulieu water, containing 136–314 βg Fe/l in ‘dissolved’ forms, 90% or more of this Fe was in the nominal molecular weight fraction > 10⁵. Experiments showed that DOM of nominal molecular weight <10⁵ could stabilize Fe(III) in ‘dissolved’ forms. The concentrations of ‘dissolved’ Fe in the river water probably reflect the presence of colloidal Fe stabilized by organic material and this process may influence the apparent molecular weight of the DOM. Dissolved. Mn (100–136 βg/l) in the River Beaulieu was mainly in true solution, probably as Mn(II), with some 30% in forms of molecular weight greater than ca 10⁴.During mi xing in the Beaulieu Estuary, DOC and dissolved Mn behave essentially conservatively. This contrasts with the removal of a large fraction of the dissolved Fe (Holliday and LISS, 1976, Est. Coastal Mar. Sci. 4, 349–353). Concentrations of lattice-held Fe and Mn in suspended particulate material were essentially uniform in the estuary, at 3.2 and 0.012%, respectively, whereas the non-lattice held fractions decreased markedly with increase in salinity. For Mn the decrease was linear and could be most simply accounted for by the physical mixing of riverborne and marine participates, although the possibility that some desorption occurs is not excluded. The non-linear decrease in the concentration of non-lattice held Fe in particulates reflected the more complex situation in which physical mixing is accompanied by removal of material from the ‘dissolved’ fraction.     

Sulfate reduction and the nature of organic matter in estuarine sediments

The reduction of sulfate by sulfate reducing bacteria in the anoxic zone is an extremely important process during early diagenesis of marine sediments. Our data from Great Bay, NH reinforce the proposal that the rate of sulfate reduction is directly proportional to the reactivity of the organic matter or the amount of readily metabolizable organic matter present in the sediment and, hence, the source of the organic material in the anoxic zone. It appears that organic matter rich in marine organic remains is more easily degraded in the anoxic zone and that sulfate reduction rates can vary considerably in an estuarine system where many types of organic material may be deposited.     

Bacterial reworking of terrigenous and marine organic matter in estuarine water columns and sediments

Amino acids and the bacterial biomarkers muramic acid and d-amino acids were quantified in the ultrafiltered dissolved, particulate and sedimentary organic matter (UDOM, POM and SOM) of the St. Lawrence system (Canada). The main objectives were to better describe the fate of terrigenous and marine organic matter (OM) in coastal zones and to quantify the bacterial contributions to OM composition and diagenesis. Regardless of their origin, the carbon (C) content of the particles substantially decreased with depth, especially near the water-sediment interface. Major diagenetic transformations of organic nitrogen (N) were revealed and important differences were observed between terrigenous and marine OM. Amino acid contents of particles decreased by 66-93% with depth and accounted for 12-30% of the particulate C losses in marine locations. These percentages were respectively 18-56% and 7-11% in the Saguenay Fjord where terrigenous input is important. A preferential removal of particulate N and amino acids with depth or during transport was measured, but only in marine locations and for N-rich particles. This leads to very low amino acid yields in deep marine POM. However, these yields then increased to a level up to three times higher after deposition on sediments, where SOM showed lower C:N ratios than deep POM. The associated increase of bacterial biomarker yields suggests an active in situ resynthesis of amino acids by benthic bacteria. The N content of the substrate most likely determines whether a preferential degradation or an enrichment of N and amino acid are observed. For N-poor OM, such as terrigenous or deep marine POM, the incorporation of exogenous N by attached bacteria can be measured, while the organic N is preferentially used or degraded in N-rich OM. Compared to the POM from the same water samples, the extracted UDOM was poor in N and amino acids and appeared to be mostly made of altered plant and bacterial fragments. Signs of in situ marine production of UDOM were observed in the most marine location. The POM entering the St. Lawrence Upper Estuary and the Saguenay Fjord appeared made of relatively fresh vascular plant OM mixed with highly altered bacterial debris from soils. In contrast, the POM samples from the more marine sites appeared mostly made of fresh planktonic and bacterial OM, although they were rapidly degraded during sinking. Based on biomarker yields, bacterial OM represented on average ∼20% of bulk C and approximately 40-70% of bulk N in POM and SOM, with the exception of deep marine POM exhibiting approximately two times lower bacterial contributions.     

Temporal and spatial variations in estuarine sedimentation

Sedimentation in estuaries is normally viewed as a continuous process controlled by inputs of fluvial and marine materials, which migrate in response to tidal circulation. Short-term examination yields reproducible and measurable rates of sedimentation; measurement of annual cycles reveals that sediment may be eroded from a site normally subject to deposition. Likewise annual migration patterns of turbidity maximum zones permits deposition of fine sediments at different parts of the estuary according to season. Study of long-term variations in the positions of sand banks shows that advances of the tidal flat margins may occur suddenly in response to catastrophic events; events that result in mid-channel banks becoming attached to the outer margins of the tidal flat. An example is also given of a channel-margin sand bank known to have repeatedly migrated round an elliptical path, taking approximately 25 yr to regain its original position. Long-term migration of bay head beach bars driven into the Eden Estuary and moving slowly landward are shown to create areas of temporary shelter for salt marshes, which are then over-run as the bar continues toward the head of the estuary. Several examples of anthropogenic influences on estuarine sediments are noted, with major deposits of coarse gravels attributed to known shipping trade within the Tay Estuary. Finally attention is drawn to the effects of deposition of coal mine wastes on the Fife coast: the erosion and redeposition of the wastes to form coastal platforms, their removal once mining ceased (all within a period of 90 yr), and the associated mining-induced subsidence of the coastal cliffs.     

Arsenic,iron and organic matter in sediments and groundwater in the Pannonian Basin,Hungary

In the central part of the Pannonian Basin, factors controlling the distribution of As in sediments and groundwater of the upper 500 m were studied. In core samples, the amounts of As, Fe and Mn extractable with hydroxylamine hydrochloride (NH₂OH · HCl) in 25% acetic acid, the proportion of the <0.063 mm size fraction, and the sediment organic C (C_org) contents were measured. In the groundwaters concentrations of As, humic substances, and selected major chemical components were determined. In most core samples extractable Fe, as FeOOH, and C_org are correlated, but some samples have excess Fe, or organic matter. In cases where either excess Fe or excess organic matter is found, the amount of As is also elevated. The spatial distribution of As in the groundwater and the lack of a consistent correlation of As with a single component indicate that there is no single factor controlling the concentration of dissolved As over the entire study area. The only consistent feature is enrichment of As relative to Fe in the groundwater, compared to the sediments. This suggests that the dissolution of Fe minerals, which primarily adsorb As, is not congruent. In reducing conditions Fe(III) oxyhydroxides together with adsorbed As dissolve, and siderite with little or no As precipitates. When sub-regions are separated and studied individually, it can be shown that hydrogeological features of the sediments, the proportions of Fe minerals and sedimentary organic matter, and the concentration of dissolved humic materials, all influence the accumulation and mobilization of As. The significance of the different mobilizing processes, however, and the mean concentration of As, is different in the recharge, through-flow and discharge areas.     

The effects of sea salts on the forms of nitrogen released from estuarine and freshwater sediments: Does ion pairing affect ammonium flux?

In sediments with oxidized surface layers, the percentage of mineralized nitrogen that is nitrified/denitrified, compared with that released directly as ammonium, appears to be affected by the presence of sea salts. In estuarine systems, a significant portion of the nitrogen is released as ammonium, whereas in freshwater systems, most of the mineralized nitrogen is often released from the sediments as nitrogen gas. We hypothesized that this discrepancy is caused by differential competition between physical diffusion and nitrification/denitrification in the two systems. The vertical migration (by Fickian diffusion) of ammonium out of the oxic layer may be hindered by cation exchange (or sorption) interactions with sediment particles to a greater extent in fresh water than in estuarine systems. The resulting relatively long residence time, and potentially high levels of particle-bound ammonium in the freshwater sediments, would favor nitrification as the major ammonium removal process. By contrast, ion pair formation of ammonium with seawater anions and blockage of sediment cation exchange sites with seawater cations may allow a sizable fraction of the ammonium to diffuse out of estuarine sediments before it is nitrified. A salt effect, consistent with this hypothesis, has been demonstrated in experimental systems by changing the ionic composition of water flowing above intact cores of freshwater and estuarine sediments. Steady-state ammonium release from Lake Michigan sediments was substantially enhanced in the presence of 30% seawater over that in the presence of lake water alone. Likewise, steady-state ammonium release, from Ochlockonee River and Bay sediments (Florida) and from Toms River and Barnegat Bay sediments (New Jersey), was usually higher in the presence of diluted synthetic seawater than it was in the presence of fresh water.     

The post-depositional reactivity of iron and managanese in the sediments of a macrotidal estuarine system

Four cores of anoxic sediments were collected from the Seine estuary to assess the early diagenesis pathways leading to the formation of previously reactive phase. Pore waters were analyzed for dissolved iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) and different ligands (e.g., sulfate, chloride, total inorganic carbon). The anoxic zone is present up to the first centimeter depth, in these conditions the reduction of Mn and Fe oxides and SO₄ ²⁻ was verified. The sulfate reduction was well established with a subsequent carbon mineralization in the NORMAI94 core. The chemical speciation of Mn and Fe in the dissolved and solid phases was determined. For the dissolved phase, thermodynamic calculations were used to characterize and illustrate the importance of carbonate and phosphate phases as sinks for Fe and Mn. The ion activity product (IAP) of Fe and Mn species was compared to the solubility products (Ks) of these species. In the solid phase, the presence of higher concentration of calcium carbonate in the Seine sediments is an important factor controlling Mn cycle. The carbonate-bound Mn can reach more than 75% of the total concentration. This result is confirmed by the use of electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The reduction of Fe is closely coupled to the sulfate reduction by the formation of new solid phases such as FeS and FeS₂, which can be regarded as temporal sinks for sulfides. These forms were quantified in all cores as acid volatile sulfide (AVS: FeS+ free sulfide) and chromium reducible sulfide (CRS: FeS₂+elemental sulfur S⁰).     

Organic carbon burial rates,and carbon and sulfur relationships in coastal sediments of the southern Baltic Sea

Organic C burial rates and C–S relationships were investigated in the Holocene sediment sequences of 3 shallow polymictic coastal lagoons in the southern Baltic Sea to better understand the biogeochemical cycling of C and S in these environmental systems. The results show that these lagoons may have a considerable influence on the environmental status of the southern Baltic Sea area in having the potential to act as a temporary sink or source for heavy metals. High organic C accumulation rates (C_org-AR) can be observed in the sediments due to a high organic matter supply from land and a high productivity of the water bodies as a result of eutrophication. However, organic C burial does not increase as a result of increasing sediment accumulation rates (SAR). Even when high sedimentation rates do occur, there appears to be a thorough recycling and resuspension of the sediment enhancing the biological decay of organic matter before burial or the removal of organic matter from the system by transport. That is why high SAR in the coastal lagoons do not enhance pyrite formation, and thereby permanent fixing of heavy metals in the sediments, to the extent that could be expected from their magnitude. Initially there is a high potential for a temporary binding of heavy metals, but the latter are likely to be subject to mobilization and redistribution within the sediments and the water column. The patterns of burial of organic and mineral matter are different from those observed in the present-day Baltic Proper, implying possible important links in deposition between the central and coastal areas of the Baltic Sea and implications for C cycling in the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea.     

近岸沉积物再悬浮期间所释放溶解有机物的荧光特征

对采自厦门湾九龙江人海河口的4个沉积物样品进行了室内再悬浮模拟实验,利用荧光激发-发射矩阵光谱(EEMs)研究了再悬浮过程中从沉积物中释放出的有色溶解有机物(CDOM)的荧光特征,同时通过与相应站位沉积物间隙水和底层水的对比分析,探讨了河口近岸海域的沉积物再悬浮作用作为水体中溶解有机物来源之一的可能性.结果表明,对给定站位,CDOM相对荧光强度和溶解有机碳(DOC)含量分布变化非常一致,均为间隙水最高,再悬浮次之,底层水最低;站位之间,底层水和再悬浮水样中CDOM相对荧光强度随盐度的降低而增加,从海端向河端增加的趋势明显.EEMs分析表明,各样品中均存在类腐殖质荧光与类蛋白质荧光团,且模拟实验也表明再悬浮作用可释放类腐殖质与类蛋白质荧光物质到底层水中,表明底质再悬浮将是近岸水体中CDOM的一个重要来源.与相应的底层水相比,间隙水的荧光峰(如峰A/C)的位置发生红移.再悬浮样品中EEMs的荧光团同时表现出相应底层水和间隙水的特征,但是荧光峰(峰A和峰C)的最大激发和发射波长更接近底层水中相应荧光团,与间隙水相比,则发生谱峰位置的蓝移.近海端样品中荧光峰M明显,随着盐度的降低,底层水和再悬浮水样的γ(M/C)值逐渐降低,且海源的峰M由海端向河端逐渐消失,表明峰M属于海洋自生来源.本研究区域DOM的荧光指数在1.61～1.93之间,表明近海端样品DOM主要为生物来源,而近河端样品DOM主要为陆源输入,或者为陆源与生物活动共同作用的结果.     

松辽盆地松科1井上白垩统烃源岩有机碳含量与沉积速率的关系*

与海相盆地相比,陆相湖盆沉积物TOC和沉积速率关系的研究尚处于探索阶段,尤其是在沉积作用对TOC的控制机理研究方面还有待深入。首先运用旋回地层学方法,识别了松科1井南孔上白垩统天文周期,并利用滑动窗口频谱分析方法计算了各窗口的沉积速率及对应的TOC值。以姥鲛烷和植烷(Pr/Ph)比值作为氧化还原条件的指标,以介形虫壳体的δ¹³C作为古生产力大小的指标,对不同环境和不同古生产力条件下TOC和沉积速率的关系进行了探讨。研究表明: 在还原环境下,TOC主要取决于古生产力高低,而沉积速率的影响相对较小,当古生产力较高时,TOC值一般大于1%;反之,TOC值小于1%。但在氧化环境、低古生产力条件下,TOC随着沉积速率先增大后减小,其临界值为11,cm/ka。     

Metabolism and organic carbon fluxes in the tidal freshwater Hudson River

We summarize rates of metabolism and major sources and sinks of organic carbon in the 148-k long, tidally influenced, freshwater Hudson River. The river is strongly heterotrophic, with respiration exceeding gross primary production (GPP). The P:R ration averages 0.57 (defined as the ratio of GPP to total ecosystem respiration) if only the aquatic portion of the ecosystem is considered and 0.70 if the emergent marshes are also included. Gross primary production (GPP) by photoplankton averages approximately 300 g C m^?2 yr^?1 and is an order of magnitude greater than that by submersed macrophytes. However, the river is deep, well mixed, and turbid, and phytoplankton spend a majority of their time in the dark. As a result, respiration by living phytoplankton is extremely high and net primary production (NPP) by phytoplankton is estimated to be only some 6% of GPP. NPP by phytoplankton and submersed macrophytes are roughly equal (approximately 20 g C m^?2 yr^?1 each) when averaged over the river. Emergent marshes are quite productive, but probably less than 16 g C m^?2 yr^?1 enters the aquatic portion of the ecosystem from these marshes. Heterotrophic respiration and secondary production in the river are driven primarily by allochthonous inputs of organic matter from terrestrial sources. Rates of metabolism vary along the river, with depth being a critical controlling factor. The P:R ratio for the aquatic portion of the ecosystem varies from 1 in the mid-river to 0.2 in the deeper waters. NPP is actually negative in the downstream waters where average depths are greater since phytoplankton respiration exceeds GPP there; the positive rates of NPP occurring upriver support a downstream advection of phytoplankton to the deeper waters where this C is largely respired away by the algae themselves. This autotrophic respiration contributes significantly to oxygen depletion in the deeper waters of the Hudson. The tidally influenced freshwater Hudson largely fits the patterns predicted by the river continuum model for larger rivers. However, we suggest that the continuum model needs to more clearly distinguish between GPP and NPP and should include the importance of autotrophic respiration by phytoplankton that are advected along a river. The organic carbon budget for the tidally influenced freshwater Hudson is balanced to within a few percent. Respiration (54%) and downstream advection into the saline estuary (41%) are the major losses of organic carbon from the ecosystem. Allochthonous inputs from nonpoint sources on land (61%) and GPP by phytoplankton (28%) are the major sources to the system. Agricultural erosion is the major source of allochthonous inputs. Since agricultural land use increased dramatically in the last century, and has fallen in this century, the carbon cycle of the tidally influenced freshwater Hudson River has probably changed markedly over time. Before human disturbance, the Hudson was probably a less heterotrophic system and may even have been autotrophic, with gross primary production exceeding ecosystem respiration.     

Pyrite and oxidized iron mineral phases formed from pyrite oxidation in salt marsh and estuarine sediments

We used scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis to examine sediments from vegetated portions of three salt marshes, the Great Sippewissett Marsh (Cape Cod, MA), Sapelo Island (Georgia), and the Hackensack Meadowlands (N.J.), and from the sediments of an estuary, Newark Bay (N.J.). Pyrite particles were abundant in sediments from all sites. Both fine grained pyrite crystals and framboids were found. Single, fine grained crystals (diameter = 0.2 to 2.0 micrometers) predominated in all samples, strong evidence for rapid formation of pyrite.We also found both microcrystalline and framboidal iron-oxyhydroxide phases in many of the sediment samples. This is evidence of pyrite oxidation within the sediments and suggests that iron is conserved in salt marshes even as pyrite is oxidized. The thermodynamic stability of iron phases in marsh sediments, and recent pyrite oxidation studies in coal, suggest goethite as the crystalline iron-oxyhydroxide phase present. In addition, we sometimes found a red amorphous coating on grass roots from the Great Sippewissett and Sapelo Island marshes. This coating is likely a form of hydrated iron (III) oxide.     

The anaerobic degradation of organic matter in Danish coastal sediments: iron reduction, manganese reduction, and sulfate reduction

We used a combination of porewater and solid phase analysis, as well as a series of sediment incubations, to quantify organic carbon oxidation by dissimilatory Fe reduction, Mn reduction, and sulfate reduction, in sediments from the Skagerrak (located off the northeast coast of Jutland, Denmark). In the deep portion of the basin, surface Mn enrichments reached 3.5 wt%, and Mn reduction was the only important anaerobic carbon oxidation process in the upper 10 cm of the sediment. In the less Mn-rich sediments from intermediate depths in the basin, Fe reduction ranged from somewhat less, to far more important than sulfate reduction. Most of the Mn reduction in these sediments may have been coupled to the oxidation of acid volatile sulfides (AVS), rather than to dissimilatory reduction. High rates of metal oxide reduction at all sites were driven by active recycling of both Fe and Mn, encouraged by bioturbation. Recycling was so rapid that the residence time of Fe and Mn oxides, with respect to reduction, ranged from 70-250 days. These results require that, on average, an atom of Fe or Mn is oxidized and reduced between 100-300 times before ultimate burial into the sediment. We observed that dissolved Mn2+ was completely removed onto fully oxidized Mn oxides until the oxidation level of the oxides was reduced to about 3.8, presumably reflecting the saturation by Mn2+ of highly reactive surface adsorption sites. Fully oxidized Mn oxides in sediments, then, may act as a cap preventing Mn2+ escape. We speculate that in shallow sediments of the Skagerrak, surface Mn oxides are present in a somewhat reduced oxidation level (< 3.8) allowing Mn2+ to escape, and perhaps providing the Mn2+ which enriches sediments of the deep basin.     

The radiocarbon age of organic carbon in marine surface sediments

Long-term carbon cycling and climate change are strongly dependent on organic carbon (OC) burial in marine sediments. Radiocarbon (¹⁴C) has been widely used to constrain the sources, sinks, and processing of sedimentary OC. To elucidate the dominant controls on the radiocarbon content of total organic carbon (¹⁴C_TOC) accumulating in surface sediments we construct a box model that predicts ¹⁴C_TOC in the sediment mixed layer (measured as fraction modern, Fm). Our model defines three distinct OC pools (“degradable,” “semi-labile,” and “refractory”) and assumes that ¹⁴C_TOC flux to sediments is exclusively derived from surface ocean primary productivity, and hence follows a “generic” surface ocean dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) bomb curve. Model predictions are compared to a set of 75 surface sediment samples, which span a wide geographic range and reflect diverse water column and depositional conditions, and for which sedimentation rate and mixed-layer depth are well characterized. Our model overestimates the Fm value for a majority (65%) of these sites, especially at shallow water depths and for sites characterized by depleted δ¹³C_TOC values. The model is most sensitive to sedimentation rate and mixed-layer depth. Therefore, slight changes to these parameters can lead to a match between modeled and measured Fm values at many sites. Yet, in some cases, we find that measured Fm values cannot be simulated without large and unrealistic changes to sedimentation rate and mixed-layer depth. These results point to sources of pre-aged OC to surface sediments and implicate soil-derived terrestrial OC, reworked marine OC, and/or anthropogenic carbon as important components of the organic matter present in surface sediments. This approach provides a valuable framework within which to explore controls on sedimentary organic matter composition and carbon burial over a range of spatial and temporal scales.     

A rapid estimation of organic carbon in silty lake sediments

A rapid and convenient method is described for the estimation of active organic carbon in silty lake sediments collected in regional geochemical surveys. The method utilizes measurement of optical density at 500 nm, of a 4 M nitric acid ? 0.1 M hydrochloric acid leach of a sediment sample and has a precision of ± 26% as determined from separate replicate analyses. An attractive feature of the method lies in its use of the same leach solution on which atomic absorption analyses of trace metals may be made.     

Determination of organic carbon in soils and sediments in an automatic method

Our automatic digestion device is applied in determining the quantity of organic carbon in the soils/sediments. Its operation process is simple. The reaction conditions are optimized; the complex pretreatments are automated; and a great number of samples can be analyzed at the same time. Comparison shows that the experiment using the device is safer and easier. The correlation coefficiency is greater than 0.999, indicating a good linear relationship. The relative standard deviations of three different concentrations are less than 5%. Standard addition recoveries of high and low concentration range between 94.7% and 100% and between 91.7% and 105% respectively. Method determination limitation (MDL) of this method meets the practical requirements. The device in this paper supports a compositive SOC determination method. Its advantages include improved time and labor efficiency, and accuracy. The device is widely used in the studies of agricultural science, carbon cycle, climate change and environmental protection.     

Sulphur uptake by salt grasses,mangroves, and seagrasses in anaerobic sediments

Stable sulfur isotope analyses show that rooted estuarine plants growing in anoxic sediments incorporate substantial amounts of ³⁴S-depleted sulfides, or oxidation products thereof. In roots, this incorporation predominates over sulfate uptake from interstitial porewater. Either the plants incorporate normally toxic sulfides, or they are creating and using a specialized nutrient pool of oxidized sulfides at the root-sediment interface.     

Influences of organic matter and calcification rate on trace elements in aragonitic estuarine bivalve shells

A suite of elements (B, Na, Mg, S, K, Ca, V, Mn, Cr, Sr, and Ba) was measured in aragonitic shells of the estuarine bivalve Corbula amurensis, the Asian clam, using the Sensitive High-Resolution Ion MicroProbe with Reverse Geometry (SHRIMP RG). Our initial intent was to explore potential geochemical proxy relationships between shell chemistry and salinity (freshwater inflow) in northern San Francisco Bay (SFB). In the course of this study we observed variations in shell trace element to calcium ([M]/Ca) ratios that could only be attributed to internal biological processes. This paper discusses the nature and sources of internal trace element variability in C. amurensis shells related to the shell organic fraction and shell calcification rates. The average organic content of whole C. amurensis shells is 19%. After treating whole powdered shells with an oxidative cleaning procedure to remove organic matter, shells contained on average 33% less total Mg and 78% less total Mn. Within our analytical uncertainty, Sr and Ba contents were unchanged by the removal of organic matter. These results show that aragonitic C. amurensis shells have a large component of non-lattice-bound Mg and Mn that probably contribute to the dissimilarity of [M]/Ca profiles among five same-sized shells. Non-lattice-bound trace elements could complicate the development and application of geochemical proxy relationships in bivalve shells. Because B, Ba and Sr occur exclusively in shell aragonite, they are good candidates for external proxy relationships. [M]/Ca ratios were significantly different in prismatic and nacreous aragonite and in two valves of the same shell that had different crystal growth rates. Some part of these differences can be attributed to non-lattice-bound trace elements associated with the organic fraction. The differences in [M]/Ca ratios were also consistent with the calcification rate-dependent ion transport model developed by Carré et al. [Carré M., Bentaleb I., Bruguier O., Ordinola E., Barrett N. T. and Fontugne M. (2006) Calcification rate influence on trace element concentrations in aragonitic bivalve shells: evidences and mechanisms. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta70, 4906-4920] which predicts that [M]/Ca ratios increase as calcification rates increase and Ca²⁺ channel specificity decreases. This result, in combination with the possibility that there were ontogenetic variations in growth rates among individuals younger than 2 years, underscores the need to develop an independent age model for C. amurensis shells. If growth-rate effects on lattice-bound [M]/Ca ratios can be constrained, it may yet be possible to develop high-resolution geochemical proxies for external solution chemistry in low-salinity regions of SFB.     

Pb-210 and Cs-137 distribution in Burullus lagoon sediments of Nile river delta, Egypt: sedimentation rate after Aswan High Dam

This paper examines the Burullus lagoon deposits of the Nile delta coast and the distribution of Pb-210 and Cs-137. Three vibrocores from the lagoon have revealed densely concentrated shell fragments of brackish water origin in the upper (<ca. 15cm, in general) core sediments. Pb-210 and Cs-137 are in general measurable above this sediment core horizon, but, the rest downcore remains as an irregular distribution pattern, probably incurred due to secondary sediment transport or seawater seepage related processes. The present study of Pb-210 and Cs-137 and associated sediment nature of Burullus lagoon prefers sediments of <15 cm in vibrocores to after Aswan High Dam constructed in 1964, with sedimentation rate of 0.42-0.56 cm/a.