Integrative assessment of sediment quality in terms of chemical contamination in Jinhae Bay,South Korea

The assessment of sediment quality by considering chemical contaminants is required for the effective management of coastal environments. In this study, complex data sets of heavy metals and organic pollutants were integrated to evaluate sediment quality. Thirty-two target pollutants were quantitatively determined in surface sediments from 80 stations in Jinhae Bay, South Korea. A sediment quality index (SQI) was derived by combining the functions of “scope” (the number of variables that do not meet guideline objectives) and “amplitude” (the magnitude by which these variables exceed the guideline objective). The SQI reflects the spatial gradient and differences in the contamination status with regard to heavy metals and organic pollutants in Jinhae Bay. Fifty-nine out of eighty stations surveyed (74%) were classified as being in “excellent” or “good” condition according to the SQI, and no stations were in a “poor” condition. The mean sediment quality guideline quotient (mSGQq) ranged from 0.06 to 0.31 (from nontoxic to marginally toxic). Acute sediment toxicity leading to amphipod mortality was recorded at 17 stations (21%) of the 80 surveyed, where the mortality rate was slightly over 20%. No significant relationship was observed between sediment toxicity and the concentration of each toxicant or mSQGq.     

Water quality assessment at Jinhae Bay and Gwangyang Bay,South Korea

A new water quality index for evaluating the water quality of Jinhae Bay and Gwangyang Bay was developed. Four water quality parameters were selected as water quality indicators for the water quality index: dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP), chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), and dissolved oxygen (DO). Reference levels of DIN, DIP, and Chl-a were determined as 6.22 μmol L^?1, 0.38 μmol L^?1, and 2.32 μmol L^?1, respectively, on the basis of a long-term dataset that was collected monthly in the Korea Strait over a period of seven years (2006–2012). The water quality index established for Jinhae Bay and Gwangyang Bay is (bottom DO grade × 0.33) + (surface Chl-a grade × 0.33) + (surface DIN grade × 0.17) + (surface DIP grade × 0.17). On the basis of a three-year observation, the water quality of Jinhae Bay was classified as “good” in winter and spring, “poor” in summer, and “fair” in autumn and exhibited large spatial variation, with the lowest-quality water observed in Masan Bay. The water quality of Gwangyang Bay was classified as “good” in winter, “fair” in spring, “poor” in summer, and “fair” in autumn. Unlike Jinhae Bay, the water quality of Gwangyang Bay exhibited minimal spatial variation. In both bays, water quality among the four seasons was worse during summer. It is essential that a survey for water quality evaluation be conducted during summer.     

Spatial and seasonal variations in the water quality of Jinhae Bay,Korea

The chemical and biological characteristics of surface waters in Jinhae Bay were investigated over four seasons to understand water quality in light of the growing industrialisation occurring within this area. Jinhae Bay includes four smaller bays: Masan; Hangam; Jindong; and Gohyun. The water quality in Jinhae Bay varied spatially and seasonally. The water quality of both Hangam Bay and Masan Bay was highly degraded, demonstrating high concentrations of ammonia, nitrate, chlorophyll a and particulate organic carbon. Contamination from sewage was the dominant cause of the water quality deterioration in these bays. Conversely, the water quality in Jindong Bay and Gohyun Bay was not as severely affected as that of the above two bays. Water quality in Jinhae Bay was particularly poor in summer when nutrient loading was highest due to the run-off associated with high precipitation. Principal component analysis indicated that nitrogen contamination was a major factor influencing the water quality of Jinhae Bay. The effective reduction in high-nitrogen discharges is essential to improve water quality in Jinghae Bay.     

Physical and Acoustic Properties of Gas-bearing Sediments in Jinhae Bay,the South Sea of Korea

High-resolution seismic survey and sediment core sampling were conducted to investigate acoustic characteristics of gas-bearing sediments in Jinhae Bay, the southeast of Korea. The sediment in Jinhae Bay is mostly homogenous mud deposited after the Holocene transgression. Along with the 410 km of chirp seismic profiling, five piston core samples were collected on the track lines.

Gassy sediments are common and occur widely in the bay. Core samples were analyzed for sediment texture, physical properties (porosity, water content, bulk density, and grain density), acoustic properties (compressional wave velocity and attenuation), and electrical resistivity. X-radiograph image analysis was also performed to observe the shape of degassing cracks. There is no significant downcore variation on physical and sediment textures regardless of existence of gas bubbles. However, compressional wave velocity dramatically decreases from average 1480 to 1380～739 m/s for the cores that penetrate the gas-bearing zones. This is probably due to degassying cracks that developed by escaping gases and free gas bubbles that are still trapped in the cores. Electrical resistivity is the only geotechnical property that increases in the gas-bearing zone where compressional wave velocity abruptly decreases. This indicates the possibility of using both electrical resistivity as an index variable as well as to compressional wave velocity to identify gassy sediment microstructure because there are little changes in texture and composition of sediment.     

粤西海陵湾底质沉积特征与泥沙输运路径

在分析粤西海陵湾表层沉积物分布特征的基础上,应用泥沙搬运矢量模型计算了泥沙净输运趋势。结果表明,海区南北两端均存在着一个泥沙聚集区,北侧是径流与涨潮上潮流交绥的响应,南侧是波浪与落潮下泄流交绥的响应。分选性好的中部广大区域受单一动力作用,泥沙净输移方向由北指向南。     

Acoustic characters and distribution pattern of modern fine-grained deposits in a tide-dominated coastal bay: Jinhae Bay,Southeast Korea

Jinhae Bay, a semi-enclosed, tide-dominated coastal embayment on the southeastern coast of Korea, receives large amounts of sediment derived from the Nakdong River. The irregular surface of the acoustic basement is overlain by a modern sedimentary sequence up to 25 m thick, characterized by an acoustically semitransparent subbottom. Sediments, consisting mainly of terrigenous and bioturbated mud, accumulate at a rate of 2–5 mm/yr. About 21% of the suspended sediments discharged from the Nakdong River, that is approximately 1.0 × 10⁶ tons per year, accumulate in Jinhae Bay. Modern sedimentation began probably at about 5000 yr BP, when sea level approached its present level.     

胶州湾表层沉积物黏土矿物分布特征及物源分析

利用X射线衍射（XRD）对胶州湾150个站位表层沉积物的黏土矿物组成及含量进行分析,研究了胶州湾表层沉积物黏土矿物的分布特征及其物质来源。结果表明,胶州湾表层沉积物中黏土矿物组成主要是伊利石（65.1%）和蒙脱石（17.1%）,其次是绿泥石（9.0%）和高岭石（8.8%）。在空间分布上,伊利石含量表现为西侧高、东侧低,高值区主要分布在大沽河、洋河口外两侧;蒙脱石含量高值区分布于胶州湾东北部、大沽河口东侧和湾口附近;绿泥石含量表现为东侧高、西侧低,且高值区整体呈条带状分布;高岭石含量表现为斑状分布,规律性不明显。黏土矿物物源分析表明,大沽河、洋河等入海河流所携带的陆源物质是胶州湾的主要物质来源,其中,大沽河是胶州湾沉积物中伊利石、蒙脱石和高岭石的主要物源,绿泥石则是大沽河、李村河及胶州湾东侧沿岸物质侵蚀风化产物共同作用的结果。     

三门湾表层沉积物黏土矿物特征及来源分析

利用XRD方法分析了三门湾表层沉积物中的黏土矿物组成和含量,结合沉积物粒径趋势分析及长江和三门湾流域中小河流的黏土矿物组合特征,开展了三门湾沉积物的来源分析。结果表明,三门湾表层沉积物中黏土矿物以伊利石为主,其次为高岭石和绿泥石,蒙脱石含量最低。其中,伊利石高值区位于海湾中部,高岭石和绿泥石高值区分布在港汊附近,蒙脱石则在近岸呈斑块状分布。三门湾现代表层沉积物主要来源于长江入海物质,海湾周边短源山溪性河流带来的物质仅影响了河口近岸区。     

Suspended-sediment concentration and mineralogy in the central and western Mediterranean and mineralogic comparison with bottom sediment

Concentrations and mineralogy of suspensates in the central and western Mediterranean are vertically and laterally variable. This variability is related to input by resuspension of bottom sediments and from local terrigenous sources. Bottom currents flowing through constrictions at the straits of Sicily and Gibraltar and the eastern entrance of the Alboran Sea resuspend bottom sediments, giving rise to increased concentrations of suspensates in near-bottom waters and limited inputs to higher levels. There is no evidence of a suspensate-rich bottom water in the Balearic Sea.Terrigenous sources are believed to be the cause of increasing relative amounts of montmorillonite in surface waters as they flow eastward within the Mediterranean. Montmorillomite is relatively more important in suspended sediments than in bottom sediments where kaolinite—chlorite is dominant.     

Preliminary results on suspended sediment transport by tidal currents in Gomso Bay,Korea

This study briefly investigated sediment transport by tidal currents in Gomso Bay, on the mid-west coast of Korea during the summer season. Hydrodynamic measurements with benthic tripods (TISDOSs) show that near-bed suspended sediments are transported toward the bay mouth along the low-water line of tidal flats in the southern part of the bay, while they are directed offshore in front of the major tidal channel at the bay mouth according to tidal asymmetry. However, suspended sediments in the main body of sea water, observed from transect and anchor-site measurements, indicate a consistent incoming toward the uppermost tidal flats. A brief episode of relatively strong winds from the west and southeast displays that wind waves can yield the near-bed suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) overwhelming the SSC by tidal currents alone in the remaining duration.     

Clay mineralogy of Quaternary sediments in the Wash Embayment,eastern England

The Wash is an area of extensive intertidal flat sedimentation. Samples were examined from the intertidal zone of deposition and also from areas that are probable sources of the sediments being deposited.The mineralogy of the clay fractions of the sediments is dominated by illite, mixed layer illite-montmorillonite, montmorillonite, kaolinite and chlorite with only minor amounts of quartz and calcite. There is no apparent difference in the qualitative nature of the clay minerals found in the sediments. There is also little or no significant variation in the relative proportions of the clay minerals in the modern intertidal flat sediments. However, variations are found between the relative proportions of clay minerals present in the probable source materials and the intertidal flat sediments.Evans (1965) proposed that the main sources of the intertidal sediments are via erosion of the floors of the North Sea and the Wash, and the exposed coasts of Lincolnshire and Norfolk. Whilst accepting these as primary sources, the clay mineral data indicate that erosion and redeposition of the intertidal flat material is a further important source of clay grade sediments.     

三沙湾夏季底边界层动力过程及悬沙输运特征

基于2018年8月福建三沙湾湾内外共两个定点站位的船基和座底三脚架观测数据,研究了三沙湾底边界动力过程及悬沙输运特征。结果表明,三沙湾湾内湾外两个站位均表现出涨落潮历时相近但涨落潮流速明显不对称的现象,即湾内涨潮流速大于落潮流速,湾外则相反。湾内水体受淡水输入影响较大,表现出落潮期间显著的温盐层化,而涨潮期间水体混合良好;湾外水体受淡水影响不明显,表现为水体温度主导的层化。通过对底边界层动力过程的分析表明,湾内(距底0.75m)、湾外(距底0.50m)站位底边界层的平均摩阻流速分别是0.016m/s、0.013m/s,且两个站位拖曳系数基本相等(2.03×10^–3),表明在相同流速下湾内站位的底部切应力更大,近底沉积物再悬浮和搬运相对湾外站位更为显著。因此观测期间悬沙浓度最大值出现在湾内站位,为109mg/L,且悬沙在垂向上的分布可达上层水体;湾外站位悬沙浓度更低,并且底部悬浮泥沙仅能影响至距底5m的水体。悬沙通量机制分解结果表明,三沙湾夏季的潮周期单宽悬沙从湾外向湾内方向净输运,湾内站位向湾内方向净输运74.88 g/(m·s),平流输沙占主导作用,贡献率41....     

The sediment load and deposition by river discharge and their relation to organochlorine pesticides pollutants in the sediment bottom of Nha Trang Bay,Vietnam

Ocean Science Journal - Based on previous results from the “River reef impact studies project that was carried out as a co-operation programme between ZMT (Germany) and NIO (Vietnam) from...     

Turbid bottom water layer and bottom sediment in the Seto Inland Sea

Measurement of the vertical distribution of total suspended matter (TSM) was carried out during summer throughout the Seto Inland Sea. TSM concentration near the bottom is influenced significantly by water movement and turbid bottom water is observed in all areas where median grain size (Md) of the bottom sediment is more than 47gf. The high concentration of TSM near the bottom may be due to resuspension of the surface layer of bottom sediments. Comparison of the organic content of the resuspended matter with that of the bottom sediment shows that the resuspended matter contains more organic matter with a lower C : N ratio than the bottom sediment. The C : N ratio of the resuspended matter is similar to that of TSM in the surface layer of the water column. It is thought that TSM in surface waters sinks and settles on the surface of the bottom sediment. This deposited material is then easily resuspended in the water column by tidal currents before becoming permanently incorporated into the bottom sediment.     

Threshold value of Benthic Pollution Index (BPI) for a muddy healthy benthic faunal community and its application to Jinhae Bay in the southern coast of Korea

For the determination of benthic community health criteria of a biotic index, Benthic Pollution Index (BPI), the faunal data on macrobenthic community of Deukryang Bay collected in 2012 were used. Each macrobenthic fauna was classified into 4 functional groups according to their feeding and life history strategies and BPI was calculated using the abundance of fauna for these functional groups. Amphipods were the dominant faunal group belonging to Functional Group (FG) II in Deukryang Bay during all seasons. The BPI value fluctuated seasonally from 55 to 61, and the overall mean value of BPI in the reference area was 60, which was estimated as the threshold value for healthy communities. We tried to use BPI as an assessment tool for macrofaunal community health status by categorizing the BPI values into 5 grades. If the BPI value of the community is more than 60, the health status of a macrobenthic community will be assessed as ‘Excellent’ (Grade 1) and as ‘Good’ (Grade 2), if between 40 and 60, as ‘Fair’ (Grade 3), if between 30 and 40, as ‘Poor’ (Grade 4), if between 20 and 30, and finally the health status of a community will be assessed as ‘Very Poor’ (Grade 5), if the BPI value is less than 20. This assessment tool using BPI was applied to macrobenthic communities in Jinhae Bay including the Special Management Area of South Korea. In Jinhae Bay, the FG IV containing a spionid species, Paraprionospio patiens was the most dominant group. The values of BPI in Jinhae Bay were very low and ranged from 11 to 23. The ecological health status of macrobenthic communities in Jinhae Bay was ‘Very Poor’ at more than 50% of sites, especially in summer.     

Sensitivity of Salt-leached Clay Sediments in the Ariake Bay Area,Japan

This study aims to determine whether the principle that “divalent cation predominance in the pore water precludes quick clay development” applies to the Ariake Bay sediments. The chemical and geotechnical properties of an Ariake clay sediment are presented, and sensitivity is discussed with a focus on pore-water salinity and cation composition. In recent years, reduction of pore-water salinity has occurred due to permeation of river water through the sediments because of overpumping of groundwater. Sodium remains the dominant pore-water cation in an upper zone, whereas divalent cations are dominant in the deeper zone. Divalent cation domination in the deeper zone is ascribed to Ca release from nearby cement-stabilized sediments and to Mg increase in response to a change in river water quality. The upper zone's sensitivity ranged from 15 to 77, and the remolded strength was mostly <0.5 kPa, such that quick clay was present over much of its depth. In contrast, the deeper zone's sensitivity was <40, and its remolded strength exceeded 0.5 kPa; quick clay was not present despite the <2 g/L salinity. The absence of quick clay is ascribed to the high remolded strength caused by the pore-water divalent to monovalent cation ratio being greater than 0.25.     

Polarography of the bottom sediments in the Sevastopol Bay

By the method of polarographic profiling performed with the help of an Au-Hg glass microelectrode, we obtained the first high-resolution vertical profiles of the distributions of oxygen, sulfides, oxidized and reduced forms of iron, reduced manganese, and iron monosulfide in pore waters of the bottom sediments in the Sevastopol Bay. It is shown that the regional features of the vertical distributions of the main polarographically active compounds are determined by the combination of several factors: the contents of organic carbon and iron and the sizes of particles of the sediments.     

Heavy-mineral variability in bottom sediments of the lower Chesapeake Bay,Virginia

Heavy minerals in bottom-sediment samples of the lower Chesapeake Bay show distribution patterns and interrelationships that denote characteristic mineral suites associated with defined geographic provinces. The Baymouth province has a garnet—hornblende—pyroxene suite, which is largely attributed to the influx of littoral and shelf sediments; the Eastern Shore province has a similar suite, derived largely from coastal erosion of the Eastern Shore peninsula. The Northern and Combined River provinces have a zircon—tourmaline—staurolite assemblage, which reflects derivation from an Appalachian Piedmont—Atlantic Coastal Plain sourceland. The Western Shore province is associated with a zircon—epidote—staurolite assemblage, apparently derived jointly from tributary influx and coastal erosion of the western shore. Factor analysis identified two major factors that account for 63% of the total variation in the relative amounts of the seven most common heavy minerals. The dominant factor (44%) is based on a zircon—hornblende—staurolite—pyroxene relationship, which indicates that mineral stability, as influenced by sediment maturity, is a major contributing factor. The second factor (19%) based on a tourmaline—epidote—staurolite—garnet relationship indicates that provenance is another major cause of heavy-mineral variability within the lower bay.