Contrasting trace element geochemistry in two American and French salt marshes

Trace metals were analyzed in the bulk fine phase of two contrasting salt marsh cores on the North Atlantic east (Baie de l'Aiguillon, LaRochelle, France) and west (Lewes, DE, USA) coasts. The purpose is to gauge how the different clay mineral sources and surface sedimentary diagenetic conditions affect the respective trace element geochemistries. It has been established that there is considerably more clay mineral diagenesis at the zone of redox transition in the Delaware core than in the l'Aiguillon core. The Delaware core shows unweathered glacial sedimentary material directly deposited from the continental shelf whereas the l'Aiguillon core is formed from soil clays deposited after river and estuarine transport. Although there is strong Mn redox depletion in the Delaware salt marsh core, and enrichment in the French one at l'Aiguillon, transition elements seem to follow iron content in both cores. The trace pollutant elements Pb, Sn and Zn show pronounced depth profiles in both North Atlantic cores. The Pb, Sn and Zn appear to be carried by clay sources into the French marshes, while appearing to be largely deposited by atmospheric processes as well into the Delaware marsh.Upon deposition, the Zn appears to become decoupled from lead, which is probably more strongly fixed on clays. The Sn seems to be both air transported, and carried as well on non-clay phases contaminated by industrial organo-tins, including antifouling bottom paints. Copper while uniformly enriched in France, probably from use in regional vineyards, appears enriched only near the top at Delaware, suggesting diagenetic recycling in the more abundant peat in the surface. The Cs and Li appear to be tracers for specific soil-derived clay sources in the French core source materials. These observations suggest that clay is a very important carrier in fixing trace elements for historical records as salt marsh sediments.     

Temporal variability of Pb fluxes and bioturbation in shelf sediments beneath the high primary production area off Concepción, central-southern Chile (36°S)

We estimated monthly fluxes of ²¹⁰Pb in shelf sediments beneath a high productivity area off central-southern Chile (36°S) during 1 year (September 2002-August 2003). Sediment cores were obtained using a multiple corer and were analyzed mainly for ²¹⁰Pb, total pigments, and macrofauna abundance. The ²¹⁰Pb inventories and fluxes were estimated for surface sediments (0-5 cm) and bioturbation coefficients were inferred using chlorophyll-a (reactive) profiles. In general, ²¹⁰Pb content was inversely correlated with phytodetritus fluxes. High photosynthetic pigment contents in surface sediments were consistently associated with lower ²¹⁰Pb contents. Macrofaunal activity responded to oxygen and organic matter supplies at the sediment surface, generally concentrated in the first centimeters, but particularly so during months of high organic matter fluxes and deficient bottom water oxygen conditions. At this study site, several processes involved in the ²¹⁰Pb surface distribution make it difficult to accurately estimate ages at the surface. We postulate that the organic fluxes promote changes in the faunal activity, which, in combination with sediment resuspension and water circulation over the shelf, produce seasonal variations in the ²¹⁰Pb inventories.     

Accumulation of sediments,trace metals (Pb,Cu) and total hydrocarbons in Narragansett Bay,Rhode Island

The accumulation of sediments, trace metals and hydrocarbons has been estimated from the analysis of the sediment from six coring sites in Narragansett Bay. Radionuclides (²³⁴Th_xs, ²¹⁰Pb_xs, ^239,240Pu) with known input functions and trace metals (Cu, Pb) were used. We estimate that 6·9 × 10⁴ tons of sediments, 51–90 tons of Pb, 72–100 tons of Cu and 400–1000 tons of total hydrocarbons accumulate annually under present conditions in the bay. This represents 64–117% (Pb), 89–123% (Cu) and 23–58% (hydrocarbons), respectively, of present day inputs to the bay. Furthermore, close to 100% of the particle-reactive radionuclides ²¹⁰Pb and ^239,240Pu accumulate in the bay. Present day inputs to the bay were calculated independently as 77–80 tons Pb and 81 tons of Cu. Sewage effluents were the dominant source of Cu, whereas atmospheric deposition and urban runoff were most important for Pb. Dredging activities by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1946 and 1971 removed more sediments from the bay than would have accumulated during the same time in the undredged areas of the bay. Copper smelting and coal mining on the shores of the upper bay during 1866–1880 left an imprint in the sediments which is still evident. Model derived accumulation rates of Pb, Cu and coal during that time were 3–4 times present-day inputs.     

Impact of dynamic feedbacks between sedimentation,sea-level rise,and biomass production on near-surface marsh stratigraphy and carbon accumulation

Salt marshes accrete both organic and inorganic sediments. Here we present analytical and numerical models of salt marsh sedimentation that, in addition to capturing inorganic processes, explicitly account for above- and belowground organic processes including root growth and decay of organic carbon. The analytical model is used to examine the bias introduced by organic processes into proxy records of sedimentation, namely ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb. We find that accretion rates estimated using ²¹⁰Pb will be less than accretion rates estimated using the ¹³⁷Cs peak in steadily accreting marshes if (1) carbon decay is significant and (2) data for ²¹⁰Pb extend below the ¹³⁷Cs peak. The numerical model expands upon the analytical model by including belowground processes such as compaction and root growth, and by explicitly tracking the evolution of aboveground biomass and its effect on sedimentation rates. Using the numerical model we explore how marsh stratigraphy responds to sediment supply and the rate of sea-level rise. It is calibrated and tested using an extensive data set of both marsh stratigraphy and measurements of vegetation dynamics in a Spartina alterniflora marsh in South Carolina, USA. We find that carbon accumulation in marshes is nonlinearly related to both the supply of inorganic sediment and the rate of sea-level rise; carbon accumulation increases with sea-level rise until sea-level rise reaches a critical rate that drowns the marsh vegetation and halts carbon accumulation. The model predicts that changes in carbon storage resulting from changing sediment supply or sea-level rise are strongly dependent on the background sediment supply: if inorganic sediment supply is reduced in an already sediment poor marsh the storage of organic carbon will increase to a far greater extent than in a sediment-rich marsh, provided that the rate of sea-level rise does not exceed a threshold. These results imply that altering sediment supply to estuaries (e.g., by damming upstream rivers or altering littoral sediment transport) could lead to significant changes in the carbon budgets of coastal salt marshes.     

大亚湾海域多环芳烃和有机氯农药的高分辨率沉积记录

以GC／ECD和GC／MS内标法分析测定了大亚湾沉积物柱样（DYW03—8）中多环芳烃（PAHs）和有机氯农药（0CPs）的含量，结合^210Pb定年，重建了该海域近50年来PAHs和OCPs的污染历史，并对其可能的来源和输入途径进行了探讨。结果表明，近50年来该海域沉积物中PAHs和OCPs的含量总体上均呈上升趋势，且一般都在上世纪90年代以后这种上升变得更加明显；PAHs主要来源于化石燃料的不完全燃烧，即热成因，并可能主要通过大气颗粒物沉降以及工业和生活污水的直接排放等途径进入水体沉积物中；HCHs和DDTs的组成特征及其变化趋势揭示，该区可能曾大量使用过林丹（γ-HCHs）作为杀虫剂，近15年来随着该地区各种经济开发活动的加强，残留在土壤中的这些农药组分更多地随地表径流进入到水体沉积物中。同时，DDTs类农药也可能仍存在新的输入源，但这种输入的强度在近几年似乎有所减弱。     

Identification of Pb sources in Yellow Sea sediments using stable Pb isotope ratios

Rapid economic developments in East Asian countries have inevitably resulted in environmental degradation in the surrounding seas, and concern for both the environment and protection from pollutants is increasing. Identification of sources of contaminants is essential to environmental pollution management. In this study, the provenance of anthropogenic lead (Pb), a major pollutant of Yellow Sea sediments, was determined for river mouth sediments, including those of the Changjiang, Huanghe, Han, and Geum Rivers, and for age-determined shelf core sediments through the measurement of Pb isotope ratios in the HCl-leached fraction using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC ICP/MS). Anthropogenic Pb has accumulated in shelf core sediments since 1910, and its isotope ratios were estimated as 0.863–0.866 and 2.119–2.125 for ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb, respectively, from the mixing relationships of the two endmembers. River mouth sediments exhibited enough distinction in anthropogenic Pb isotope ratios to be discriminated: 0.874 (2.144) in the Huanghe, 0.856 (2.129) in the Han, 0.857 (2.122) in the Geum, and 0.854 (2.101) in the Changjiang for ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb (²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb), respectively. Although isotope ratios of geogenic Pb in sediments dating before 1910 showed narrow ranges (0.842–0.845 and 2.088–2.100 for ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb, respectively), distinct isotope ratios in each core permitted source identification of sediments in the Yellow Sea based on geographic locations and the geogenic Pb of each river. By comparing the isotope ratios of the estimated anthropogenic Pb to source-related materials, the provenances of anthropogenic Pb in Chinese river sediments were presumed to be Chinese coal or ore, which is also a major source of atmospheric particulate Pb. The anthropogenic Pb in the shelf core sediments in the northern Yellow Sea originated from northern Chinese cities such as Beijing and Tianjin through atmospheric pathways. Pb isotope ratios indicated that Pb in Korean river sediments was characteristic of local Korean ores.     

Radionuclides in Arctic sea ice: Tracers of sources,fates and ice transit time scales

Arctic sea ice can incorporate sediment and associated chemical species during its formation in shallow shelf environments and can also intercept atmospherically transported material during transit. Release of this material in ice ablation areas (e.g. the Fram Strait) enhances fluxes of both sediments and associated species in such areas. We have used a suite of natural (⁷Be, ²¹⁰Pb) and anthropogenic (¹³⁷Cs, ²³⁹Pu, ²⁴⁰Pu) radionuclides in sea ice, sea-ice sediments (SIS), sediment trap material and bottom sediments from the Fram Strait to estimate transit times of sea ice from source to ablation areas, calculate radionuclide fluxes to the Fram Strait and investigate the role of sea-ice entrained sediments in sedimentation processes. Sea ice intercepts and transports the atmospherically supplied radionuclides ⁷Be and ²¹⁰Pb, which are carried in the ice and are scavenged by any entrained SIS. All of the ⁷Be and most of the excess ²¹⁰Pb measured in SIS collected in the Fram Strait are added to the ice during transit through the Arctic Ocean, and we use these radionuclides as chronometers to calculate ice transit times for individual ice floes. Transit times estimated from the ²¹⁰Pb inventories in two ice cores are 1–3 years. Values estimated from the ⁷Be/²¹⁰Pb_excess activity ratio of SIS are about 3–5 years. Finally, equilibrium values of the activity ratio of ²¹⁰Pb to its granddaughter ²¹⁰Po in the ice cores indicate transit times of at least 2 years. These transit times are consistent with back-trajectory analyses of the ice floes. The latter, as well as the clay-mineral assemblage of the SIS (low smectite and high illite content), suggest that the sampled sea-ice floes originated from the eastern Siberian Arctic shelf seas such as the eastern Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea. This result is in agreement with the relatively low activities of ^239,240Pu and ¹³⁷Cs and the ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios (∼0.18, equivalent to that in global fallout) in SIS, indicating that prior global atmospheric fallout, rather than nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities, forms the main source of these anthropogenic radionuclides reaching the western Fram Strait at the time of sampling (1999). Transport of radionuclides by sea ice through the Arctic Ocean, either associated with entrained SIS or dissolved in the ice, accounts for a significant flux in ablation areas such as the Fram Strait, up to several times larger than the current atmospheric flux in the area. Calculated fluxes derived from sea-ice melting compare well to fluxes obtained from sediment traps deployed in the Fram Strait and are consistent with inventories in bottom sediments. ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atomic ratios lower than 0.18 in bottom sediments from the Fram Strait provide evidence that plutonium from a source other than atmospheric fallout has reached the area. Most likely sources of this Pu include tropospheric fallout from atomic weapons testing of the former Soviet Union prior to 1963 and Pu released from nuclear reprocessing facilities, intercepted and transported by sea ice to the ablation areas. Future work is envisaged to more thoroughly understand the actual mechanisms by which radionuclides are incorporated in sea ice, focusing on the quantification of the efficiency of scavenging by SIS and the effect of melting and refreezing processes over the course of several years during transit.     

Tracing the origin of Pb using stable Pb isotopes in surface sediments along the Korean Yellow Sea coast

To investigate the factors controlling lead (Pb) concentration and identify the sources of Pb in Yellow Sea sediments along the Korean coast, the concentration of Pb and Pb isotopes in 87 surface and 6 core sediment samples were analyzed. The 1 M HCl leached Pb concentrations had a similar geographic distribution to those of fine-grained sediments, while the distribution of residual Pb concentrations resembled that of coarse-grained sediments. Leached Pb was presumed to be associated with manganese (Mn) oxide and iron (Fe) oxy/hydroxide, while residual Pb was associated with potassium (K)-feldspar, based on good linear relationships between the leached Pb and the Fe/Mn concentrations, and the residual Pb and K concentrations. Based on a ratio–ratio plot with three isotopes (²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb) and the geographic location of each sediment, sediments were categorized into two groups of samples as group1 and group2. Group 1 sediments, which were distributed in Gyeonggi Bay and offshore (north of 36.5°N), were determined to be a mixture of anthropogenic and natural Pb originating from the Han River, based on a ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb against a Cs/Pb_leached mixing plot of core and surface sediments. Group 2 sediments, which were distributed in the south of 36.5°N, also showed a two endmembers mixing relationship between materials from the Geum River and offshore materials, which had very different Pb concentrations and isotope ratios. Based on the isotopes and their concentrations in core and surface sediments, this mixing relationship was interpreted as materials from two geographically different origins being mixed, rather than anthropogenic or natural mixing of materials with the same origin. Therefore, the relative percentage of materials supplied from the Geum River was calculated using a two endmembers mixing model and estimated to be as much as about 50% at 35°N. The spatial distribution of materials derived from the Geum River represented that of fine-grained sediments originating from the Geum River. It was concluded that Pb isotopes in sediments could be used as a tracer in studies of the origin of fine-grained sediments along the Korean Yellow Sea coast.     

ENSO as a natural experiment to understand environmental control of meiofaunal community structure

The sediments of the Bay of Concepción and the adjacent shelf underlie one of the most productive upwelling areas in the SE Pacific margin. Reports on factors controlling meiofaunal community structure in these kinds of organic‐rich and oxygen‐deficient habitats are scarce in the literature. In this study, five sites along a transect from the mid‐Bay of Concepción (27 m) to the outer shelf (120 m) were studied on fives dates (May, August, November 1997, and March and May 1998) in order to assess the dynamic relationships between sedimentary organic matter and metazoan meiofauna. The sampling period coincided with the 1997–1998 El Niño event. Sediment parameters investigated were the redox potential discontinuity depth, photosynthetic pigment concentrations (chlorophyll a and phaeopigments), organic carbon, nitrogen, total lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins. In general, lowest values of meiofauna abundance and biomass were found within the naturally eutrophic Bay of Concepción and towards the shelf break, while maximum values occurred at intermediate depths. During the whole period, the meiofaunal abundance was negatively correlated with the concentration of most of the biochemical components of organic matter, as well as with the sediment phaeopigment content. However, positive correlations were found with chlorophyll a derived indices and with bottom‐water oxygen content. Most of the sediment parameters displayed a seasonal cycle, but towards the beginning of 1998, an effect of the 1997–1998 El Niño was evident. Typical austral‐summer (i.e. oxygen‐deficient) conditions did not develop, and sedimentary parameters reflected a decreased input of phytodetritus. Along the transect, the magnitude of this effect on meiofauna varied among sites. An overall positive response, in terms of meiofaunal abundance was observed, probably due to the amelioration of low oxygen conditions in the sediment.     

Trace metal assessment in sediment, molluscs and reed leaves in the bay of follonica (Italy)

Marine surficial sediments, intertidal molluscs and reed leaves collected in the Bay of Follonica are slightly contaminated by Pb, Ni, Zn and Fe. The main pollution sources are the waste water and the atmospheric emission of industrial plants. Probably, the weathering of the pyrite deposits along the eastern coast of Elba Island and adsorption and coprecipitation with hydrous Fe-Mn oxides increase the trace metal concentrations in sediments from the Piombino Channel. Mussels and limpets are contaminated by Hg because of the higher background level of the northern Tyrrhenian Sea.     

钦州湾沉积物中重金属的多元统计分析：空间关系、生态风险和来源识别

海湾是海洋和陆地相互作用和人类活动最强烈的区域,沉积物中重金属的含量和分布都受到人类活动的影响。为了探究钦州湾沉积物中重金属的含量水平、污染程度和可能来源,本研究分析了钦州湾表层沉积物中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、Cr、Hg和As的含量及空间分布,采用地质累计指数（Igeo）和潜在生态风险指数（PERI）定量分析了重金属的污染程度和生态风险,并利用自组织映射(SOM)和正定矩阵因子分解法(PMF)模型评估了重金属的可能来源。结果表明：钦州湾表层沉积物重金属中Zn的平均含量最高,Hg平均含量最低;除个别站位的Pb含量符合海洋沉积物质量第二类标准外,其他重金属含量均符合海洋沉积物质量第一类标准;Igeo结果表明钦州湾表层沉积物主要的污染元素为Pb、Hg和Cu;PERI结果表明Hg是钦州湾表层沉积物主要的生态风险元素。SOM和PMF模型结果表明钦州湾表层沉积物重金属主要受自然来源、农业活动、工业生产活动的共同影响,各来源的相对贡献率分别为39.65%、29.15%和31.20%。     

Recent volumetric changes in salt marsh soils

Salt marsh sediment volume decreases from organic decomposition, compaction of solids, and de-watering, and each of these processes may change with age. Variability in the vertical accretion rate within the upper 2 m was determined by assembling results from concurrent application of the ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb dating techniques used to estimate sediment age since 1963/1964, and 0 to ca 100+ years before present (yBP), respectively. The relationship between ²¹⁰Pb and the ¹³⁷Cs dated accretion rates (Sed₂₁₀ and Sed₁₃₇, respectively) was linear for 45 salt marsh and mangrove environments. Sed₂₁₀ averaged 75% of Sed₁₃₇ suggesting that vertical accretion over the last 100+ years is driven by soil organic matter accumulation, as shown for the pre ¹³⁷Cs dated horizon. The ratio of Sed₂₁₀/Sed₁₃₇ declines with increasing mineral content. A linear multiple regression equation that includes bulk density and Sed₁₃₇ to predict Sed₂₁₀ described 97% of the variance in Sed₂₁₀. Sediments from Connecticut, Delaware and Louisiana coastal environments dated with ¹⁴C indicate a relatively constant sediment accretion rate of 0.13 cm year⁻¹ for 1000–7000 yBP, which occurs within 2 m of today's marsh surface and equals modern sea level rise rates. Soil subsidence is not shown to be distinctly different in these vastly different coastal settings. The major reason why the Sed₁₃₇ measurements indicate higher accretion rates than do the Sed₂₁₀ measurements is because the former apply to younger sediments where the effects of root growth and decomposition are greater than in the latter. The most intense rates of change in soil volume in organic-rich salt marshes sediments is, therefore, neither in deep or old sediments (>4 m; >1000 years), but within the first several hundreds of years after accumulation. The average changes in organic and inorganic constituents downcore are nearly equal for 58 dated sediment cores from the northern Gulf of Mexico. These parallel changes downcore are best described as resulting from compaction, rather than from organic matter decomposition. Thus most of the volumetric changes in these salt marsh sediments occurs in the upper 2 m, and declines quickly with depth. Extrapolation forwards or backwards, using results from the ²¹⁰Pb and the ¹³⁷Cs dating technique appear to be warranted for the types of samples from the environments described here.     

Accumulation rate and heavy metal pollution in Osaka Bay sediments

The accumulation rates of sediment cores in Osaka Bay have been determined by using²¹⁰Pb dating technique. In the upper 10 cm²¹⁰Pb_ex contents show a constant value with depth. The accumulation rates below the homogeneous layer of sediments ranging from 0.12 to 0.61cm y^–1 (0.067–0.34 g cm^–2 y^–1) were obtained. The higher contents of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cr were observed in the upper 10 to 30 cm of sediments. Assuming that the increment of heavy metal content in sediments is due to anthropogenic origin, the amount of anthropogenic input of heavy metals into sediments were estimated to be 1,300–2,700g cm^–2 for Zn, 150 – 480 for Cu, 360 – 410 for Pb and 320 – 480 for Cr. The increment appears to start about 100 years ago. In surfical sediments most of heavy metal contents exceeded the background content, and then most part of Osaka Bay is polluted by heavy metals.     

Advective pore water input of nutrients to the Satilla River Estuary,Georgia, USA

In situ benthic flux measurements, pore water nutrient profiles, water column nutrient distributions, sediment grain size distributions and side-scan sonar observations suggest that advective transport of pore waters may be a major input pathway of nutrients into the Satilla River Estuary (coastal Georgia, USA). In situ benthic chamber incubations demonstrate the occurrence of highly variable, but occasionally very large sea floor fluxes of silicate, phosphate, and ammonium. Locally occurring benthic microbial mineralization of organic matter, as estimated by S³⁵-sulphate reduction rate measurements, is insufficient to support these large fluxes. We hypothesize that the observed interlayering of permeable, sandy sediments with fine-grained, organic-rich sediments in the estuary provides conduits for advective transport of pore water constituents out of the sediments. Because permeable layers may extend significant distances beneath the salt marsh, the large fluxes observed may be supported by remineralization occurring over large areas adjacent to the estuary. Advective transport may be induced by pressure gradients generated by a variety of processes, including landward recharge by meteoric or rain waters if sand layers extend far enough into the maritime coastal lands. Alternatively, tidal variations across the salt marsh sediment surface may hydraulically pump water through the sediment system. Because these fluxes appear to be concentrated into small layers, this source may be a significant input of nutrients to the estuary even if permeable, sandy layers comprise a very small proportion of the seabed.     

长江口及其邻近陆架沉积物中226Ra和210Pb的分布特征

本文利用放射化学分析法测定了长江口及其邻近陆架沉积物中~(226)Ra和~(210)Pb的含量。结果表明,在该海区的沉积物中,~(226)Ra含量的水平分布随经度增加而直线下降,而~(210)Pb含量的水平分布则随经度增加而直线上升,二者形成明显的同步反向分布。     

杭州湾南岸潮滩的~(210)Pb分布及其沉积学意义

杭州湾南岸潮滩的~(210)Pb垂向分布具有随深度波动的特征。湖滩颗粒物在吸附模拟系统中的~(210)Pb分配系数,主要受颗粒物含量的影响。本文从潮滩沉积~(210)Pb初始比度在低于平衡点一侧波动的机理,以及被沉积间断所分隔的有效封闭段的存在出发,提出选择常态沉积层的高~(210)Pb比度窗口,建立以CIC模式估计潮滩沉积速率的方法。     

Magnitude and variability of Holocene sediment accumulation in Santa Monica Bay,California

The spatial variability of Holocene (past 10,000 years) sediment accumulation in Santa Monica Bay (California) was examined to identify controls sediment trapping in a bathymetrically complex coastal embayment and to provide geologic context for the post-industrial sedimentary record and associated pollution gradients. Sediment chronologies based on downcore AMS 14C dates were used to quantify long-term (millennia) accumulation rates in an effort to elucidate particle-transport pathways and sinks. Sediment accumulation rates for the full range of bayfloor environments (50-630 m water depths) range from 22 to 102 mg/cm(2)/year (15-88 mm/100 year), have an overall mean of 51+/-21 mg/cm(2)/year (1 sigma, n=11), and are comparable to rates reported for adjacent borderland basins. Maximal accumulation rates on the Malibu shelf and within a reentrant to Redondo canyon are interpreted to reflect (1) proximity to sediment sources and (2) localized oceanographic and topographic conditions conducive to sediment trapping and deposition. The 14C-derived accumulation rates are 2-10 times lower than rates determined through (210)Pb geochronology for the same sites in a related study, revealing that Holocene sediment accumulation has been non-steady-state. Santa Monica Bay is an important sink for suspended matter; averaged over the past several millennia a mass of sediment equivalent to 10-80% of the modern annual river supply is sequestered yearly. Net influx of suspended matter derived from the adjacent Palos Verdes shelf is evinced by a concentration gradient of p,p'-DDE in bayfloor sediments, whereas the distribution of anthropogenic silver suggests transport from Santa Monica shelf to the southeastern boundary of the bay. The results of this study provide new insight to the long-term fates of particulate matter in Los Angeles coastal waters.     

Trace metal (Cd,Cu, Ni and Pb) cycling in the upper water column near the shelf edge of the European continental margin (Celtic Sea)

This study investigates the relative importance of processes that affect trace metal (TM) cycling in the upper water column at the shelf edge of the Celtic Sea on the western European continental margin. The examined processes include external inputs (by atmosphere and river), physical factors (upwelling, winter mixing and water mass advection) and biological processes (in situ uptake, regeneration and export to deep waters). The concentrations of dissolved Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb were measured with this aim in January 1994 and June 1995 at vertical stations across slope, including stations with upwelling, and in the surface waters along the Celtic Sea shelf. Additionally, deep sea (from sediment trap data) and atmospheric fluxes were estimated. The metal profiles over the slope off the Celtic Sea are quite similar to open ocean profiles already described in the northeast Atlantic, and the concentrations in surface waters are only slightly enriched compared to the nearby open ocean (1.2–1.3× for Cd and Ni). The external sources to the system appear to be of weak influence: the fluvial input is locally strong at the coast and then “diluted” along the large continental shelf; the atmospheric deposition is not significant at the annual scale in comparison to the metal content in the upper waters of the shelf edge (at least for Cd, Ni and Cu). In the upwelling zone, a significant increase in concentrations was observed in the summer surface mixed layer (×2 for nitrate and Cd and ×1.5 for Ni) in comparison to the non-upwelling zone. In winter, concentrations of bioreactive metals increased significantly in the surface waters in comparison to the low summer levels (×5 for nitrate and Cd). Our results suggest that upwelling and winter mixing act as regenerated sources that lead to the resupply of the bioreactive elements above the permanent thermocline with a low export to deeper waters. The tracing of the Mediterranean intermediate waters (MIW) from Gibraltar to the studied area shows indeed that its elemental content at the Celtic shelf edge is mainly due to the conservative mixing of the three “end-member” component waters which are thought to make up the MIW. The remineralization of organic matter within this water mass during its transport to the north would contribute only 20% of the nutrients and Cd concentrations recorded at the Celtic Sea shelf edge. According to the correlation found with nutrients in the 10–200-m layer, dissolved Pb would also be subjected to biological uptake and regeneration within the seasonal thermocline. Particulate scavenging removal of Pb would take place below the permanent thermocline throughout the water column.     

C25 and C30 biogenic alkenes in sediments and detritus of a New England salt marsh

As part of a geochemical study of C₂₅ and C₃₀ biogenic alkenes in estuarine environments, distributions of these compounds in detritus and sediments collected from a New England salt marsh (Round Swamp on Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island) have been determined. The alkene assemblages detected, consisting primarily of four acyclic C₂₅ dienes and trienes and a C₃₀ bicyclic diene, qualitatively resemble those previously reported for other sediments in which anoxic conditions were prevalent. These similarities exist despite significant differences in the principal sources of sedimentary organic matter, suggesting that the occurrence of these specific alkenes is more likely associated with an in situ process common to anoxic environments than with a direct input from a specific source. Size fractionation (> 840 μm and < 840 μm to 1·2 μm) of marsh detritus revealed that the larger size fraction, consisting primarily of decaying Spartina debris, contains significant amounts of alkenes. This result, together with alkene subsurface profiles which show high surface concentrations decreasing to near-background levels by 20 cm, suggest that anaerobic bacteria are mediating in situ production of these compounds. Previous studies of bacterial hydrocarbons have not reported the presence of these C₂₅ and C₃₀ alkenes, although similar compounds have been isolated from several species of methanogenic bacteria. However, attempts to induce alkene synthesis by decomposing Spartina anaerobically in the laboratory were unsuccessful. In light of this result, the exact source of alkenes in marsh sediments remains uncertain. The absence from marsh sediments of other C₂₅ alkenes whose sedimentary distributions had been previously correlated with the presence of marine (planktonic) organic matter implies the existence of different origins for structurally related constituents of this hydrocarbon series.     

大亚湾表层沉积物中重金属分布特征

为了解大亚湾沉积物中重金属分布及污染状况,于2016年8月对大亚湾海域表层沉积物中重金属元素（As、Cd、Cr、Pb、Zn和Cu）展开调查,并将获得的各元素含量与粒度、Fe、Mn和总有机碳（TOC）等相关理化要素进行相关性分析。结果表明：大亚湾沉积物中重金属受陆源输入影响较大,含量基本呈现为沿岸高、湾内低的趋势,总体质量较好,基本符合第一类海洋沉积物质量标准要求;澳头湾和范和港附近海域人类活动密集,重金属含量较高。通过相关性分析结果发现,大亚湾重金属主要来源为岩石的风化和侵蚀、工业污水排放和渔业养殖等;Cu与铁锰氧化物结合性弱于其他元素,在还原性环境中被沉积物吸附形成金属Cu硫化物可能是喜洲岛附近海域Cu元素含量异常高值的原因;作为湾内有机质主要来源的水生浮游生物的生长状态对Cr、Zn和Pb含量影响较大;Cr、As和Pb与粉砂结合为主,Zn与粘土结合为主。