Testing the potential of luminescence dating of high-alpine lake sediments

The potential of luminescence dating of high-alpine lacustrine sediments is tested on samples taken from three high-altitude moraine-bounded lakes in the Swiss Alps. Independent age control is provided by radiocarbon ages and detailed palynological data in all cases. All samples show good luminescence characteristics (no thermal transfer, good dose recovery and recycling), but two samples show rather low quartz signals. Radioactive disequilibria in the uranium decay chain observed in one sample are accounted for by using a dynamic modelling approach. Because all cores had largely dried out and water content had not been measured after sampling, we developed a modern limnological approach to retrospectively establish palaeo-water content. Applying average water content values from a dataset of modern sediments with similar characteristics to the samples investigated here we obtained ages that match the independent age control. Whereas the low-signal quartz separates consistently underestimate these ages, the polymineral samples more accurately match them, do not suffer from anomalous fading and are thus considered reliable. This study demonstrates for the first time that applying luminescence dating to high-alpine, ice-proximal lacustrine sediments is a promising avenue to obtain a chronology for such depositional environments.     

Alcohol compounds in Azolla imbricata and potential source implication for marine sediments

This study investigated the composition of long-chain alkyl diols,triols,sec-alcohols,hydroxyl acids,and other hydroxylated compounds in Azolla imbricata and compared the organic alcohol components of Azolla filiculoides,Azolla microphylla,and South China Sea(SCS)sediments in order to investigate the possible indication of Azolla being the biological source of diols and triols in SCS sediment.Large amounts of diols,monohydroxy acids,and sec-alcohols with internal hydroxy groups atω20 were detected in the three types of Azolla.Among these,1,ω20-diol andω20-hydroxy acid exhibited strong even-odd predominance distribution,whereasω20-sec-alcohol exhibited strong odd-even predominance distribution.In addition,small amounts of diols,triols,and dihydroxy acids with internal hydroxy groups at 9,10 orω9,ω10 were detected,among which the chain length of C_(29)was predominate.Compounds having similar structures as those in Azolla reflected a similar biosynthetic pathway:ω20-hydroxy acid exhibiting even-odd predominance distribution is decarboxylated toω20-sec-alcohol exhibiting odd-even predominance distribution and converted to 1,ω20-diol with even-odd predominance distribution by acyl reduction;ω9,ω10-hydroxy acid is converted to 1,20,21(1,ω9,ω10)-triol by acyl reduction,and then converted to 9,10-diol by hydrogenation and dehydration.The alcohol components in A imbricata were clearly not the biological source of 1,13/1,14/1,15-C_(28,30,32)diols and 1,3,4-C_(27-29)triols in the SCS sediment.Certain marine diatoms might be the source of 1,14-C_(28,30)diol in inshore sediment,but the biological source of diols and triols in the SCS sediment requires further investigation.     

Isolation of PAH-degrading bacteria from mangrove sediments and their biodegradation potential

Surface sediment samples were collected from seven mangrove swamps in Hong Kong SAR with different degrees of contamination. The total concentrations of 16 PAHs in these sediments ranged from 169.41 to 1058.37 ng g⁻¹ with the highest concentration found in Ma Wan and the lowest in Kei Ling Ha Lo Wai mangrove swamp. In each swamp, three bacterial consortia were enriched from sediments using phenanthrene (Phe) as the sole carbon and energy source, and individual bacterial colony showing Phe degradation was isolated and identified by 16S rDNA gene sequence. The consortia enriched from Sai Keng and Ho Chung sediments had highest ability to degrade mixed PAHs in liquid medium, with 90% Phe and Fla (fluoranthene) degraded in 7 days. On the other hand, Kei Ling Ha Lo Wai-enriched consortia degraded less than 40% Phe and Fla. Pyrene (Pyr) was hardly degraded by the consortia enriched from sediments. Bacterial isolates, namely Rhodococcus (HCCS), Sphingomonas (MWFG) and Paracoccus (SPNT) were capable to degrade mixed PAHs (Phe + Fla + Pyr). Their degradation percentages could be lower, comparable or even higher than their respective enriched consortia, depending on the consortium and the type of PAH compounds. These results suggest that PAH-degrading bacteria enriched from mangrove sediments, either as a mixed culture or as a single isolate could be used for PAHs bioremediation.     

太湖表层沉积物中有机氯农药残留及遗传毒性初步研究

采用GC-ECD对太湖表层沉积物中的有机氯农药含量进行了定性定量分析.太湖20个采样点均有不同程度的有机氯农药检出,16种有机氯农药总量为4.22-460.99ng/g(dw),北部湖区、潮心区以及沿岸区等均有高值点出现,与沉积物有机质含量、氮磷营养盐含量分布并不一致.检出率最高的有机氯农药组分为DDTs、HCHs.DDTs含量检出顺序为P,P'-DDT>P,P'-DDD>P,P'-DDE,说明环境中可能仍然具有DDT箱入特征;HCHs中?HCH,?HCH检出相当,怃-HCH检出较高,主要为早期残留.结合鼠伤寒沙门氏菌/哺乳动物微粒体酶系(Ames)试验研究太湖典型溯区表层沉积物中有机污染物的遗传毒性,初步确定可能的生态风险因子.     

湖泊疏浚堆场淤泥污染及潜在生态风险评价

疏浚淤泥内通常含有不同类型的有毒有害物质,在堆场直接堆放过程中可能会对周围环境产生有害影响.本文针对太湖及巢湖相应疏浚堆场内淤泥进行研究,探讨淤泥中重金属、多环芳烃以及多氯联苯等污染物含量及潜在生态风险;根据重金属的风险指数法和持久性有机污染物的风险商法,对各污染物的潜在生态风险进行定量分析.研究结果表明,太湖白旄堆场以及孔湾堆场淤泥内重金属及多环芳烃含量较小,潜在生态风险较低;巢湖南庄堆场淤泥内各类有害物质含量较大,种类较多,对于周围环境具有较高的潜在生态威胁.多氯联苯则在各个疏浚堆场淤泥中具有很高的积累量,潜在生态风险较高,应引起管理者的重视.     

白洋淀沉积物重金属潜在生态风险及生物可利用性分析

沉积物是湖泊水体重金属的主要汇集场所,也是湖泊重金属污染研究及整治的重点.本文分析了白洋淀多个淀区沉积物中16种重金属含量水平及垂向分布特征,解析了其中典型有害重金属潜在生态风险,并基于酸可挥发性硫（AVS）及同步可提取金属（SEM）、间隙水溶解态金属、可转化态金属形态分级等研究,对重金属生物可利用性进行了分析.结果表明：沉积物重金属含量均值高低依次为Fe （29630.50 mg/kg）>Ti （3213.07 mg/kg）>Mn （539.44 mg/kg）>Zn （104.01 mg/kg）>V （76.63 mg/kg）>Cr （52.60 mg/kg）>Cu （43.49 mg/kg）>Ni （35.83 mg/kg）>Pb （26.75 mg/kg）>Co （10.32 mg/kg）>As （8.96 mg/kg）>Mo （2.06 mg/kg）>Sb （1.57 mg/kg）>Tl （0.43 mg/kg）>Cd （0.31 mg/kg）>Hg （0.16 mg/kg）;其中,10种重金属在各淀区沉积物中呈现出自北往南逐渐降低的趋势,各金属在不同淀区分布差异性主要由污染输入所致.除北部烧车淀区域外,其余区域重金属潜在生态风险总体处于较低水平.重金属污染主要来源于该区域周边河道,但近10年来污染输入及在沉积物中的富集总体趋于稳定并呈逐渐降低的趋势.入淀污染不仅增加了该区域沉积物中重金属总量,也使得其中可转化态重金属比例较高,大多在30%~90%之间,提升了重金属生物可利用潜力.水生植物等内生性有机质的大量富集导致沉积物还原性较强,AVS含量较高,沉积物中AVS和ΣSEM均值分别为（10.59±6.37）和（2.23±1.53）μmol/g （dw）.Cd、Cu、Ni、Pb、Zn等金属由于高含量还原态硫的固定而生物可利用性较低.然而,As和Hg在这样的高有机质和强还原环境下更容易溶解和释放,是潜在生物可利用性相对较高的金属,在间隙水中的浓度分别达到（17.07±0.23）和（2.39±0.94）μg/L,未来研究及整治中应给予更多关注.     

Contamination and potential biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mangrove sediments of Xiamen, China

Five stations were established in the Fenglin mangrove area of Xiamen, China to determine the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the numbers of PAH-degrading bacteria in surface sediments. Assessing the biodegradation potential of indigenous microorganisms and isolating the high molecule weight (HMW)-PAH degrading bacteria was also one of the aims of this work. The results showed that the total PAH concentration of sediments was 222.59 ng g(-1) dry weight, whereas the HMW-PAH benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) had the highest concentration among 16 individual PAH compounds. The variation in the numbers of PAH-degrading bacteria was 2.62 x 10(2)-5.67 x 10(4)CFU g(-1) dry weight. The addition of PAHs showed a great influence in increasing the microbial activity in mangrove sediments. A bacterial consortium, which could utilize BaP as the sole source of carbon and energy, and which was isolated from mangrove sediments and enriched in liquid medium for nearly one year degraded 32.8% of BaP after 63 days incubation.     

Clostridium perfringens as a potential indicator for the presence of sewage solids in marine sediments

Marine sediment cores collected from several depths of water and distances from a California sewage outfall were tested to see if sediments influenced by sewage solids were a reservoir of enteric pathogens, and if concentrations of indicator bacteria were related to the presence of sewage solids. Vertical distributions of microorganisms in marine sediments were determined; there was a decrease of indicator bacteria with increasing sediment depth. Aeromonas was randomly isolated, but none of the enteric bacterial pathogens or viruses were detected. While classic indicator bacteria were of little value in predicting the presence of pathogens, or relative amounts of sewage solids, Clostridium perfringens may be a suitable indicator. Clostridium perfringens concentrations were not related to the presence of pathogens in sediments.     

Barium content of marine sediments near drilling sites: A potential pollutant indicator

Barite is commonly used as a weighting agent in oil- and gas-well drilling mixture; therefore, the distribution pattern of barium in marine sediments near drilling sites may provide an indicator of anthropogenic chemical contamination from these operations. Present average content of barium in benthic sediments from the Southern California Bight was determined to be 637 ppm, with a range from 43 to 1899 ppm, and that of the mainland and the channel island intertidal sediments averaged 879 and 388 ppm, respectively.     

Future fluvial erosion and sedimentation potential of cohesive sediments in a coastal river reach of SW Finland

This study aims to analyse the combined impacts of future discharges and sea levels on erosion–sedimentation potential, and its seasonal changes, in a ~43‐km‐long coastal river reach of South‐west Finland. To our knowledge, this kind of combined study has not been performed before. In addition to surveying the present erosion–sedimentation conditions, the daily erosion–sedimentation potential is simulated with a one‐dimensional hydrodynamic model for the 1971–2000 and 2070–2099 periods by applying four discharge scenarios. Different sea level stages are also employed in the simulations. All scenarios forecast increasing autumn and winter discharges, but diminishing summer discharges. This indicates increasing river channel erosion, particularly during winters and autumns. Although discharge changes have altogether a greater influence on erosion–sedimentation potential, the importance of sea level changes on sedimentation is noticeable in the estuary. The rising sea level scenarios increase the sedimentation potential. In total, by 2070–2099, the erosion potential may increase in most parts of the study area. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Correlation assessment and monitoring of the potential pollutants in the surface sediments of Pyeongchang River, Korea

The study provides a baseline for the assessment of the organic and inorganic pollution specially, heavy metal contamination in the surface sediments of Pyeongchang River,South Korea.The assessment of the study areas was done with respect to metal pollution load,ecological risk and geoaccumulated risk.Based upon the used indices,a priority index(P_index) was used to rank the utmost contaminated sites.Though the concentrations of mercury in all sediments were below the guideline, the significant enriched contamination was observed by all applied indices.As expected,the values of pollution load index（PLI）,ecological risk index（RI） and geoaccumulation risk index(I_geo) demonstrated lower heavy metal contamination in upstream areas compared to the downstream. Admittedly,sediments were unpolluted to slightly-polluted according to PLI while high to extremely high ecological risks were observed in several sediment samples.Furthermore,all the samples were uncontaminated as per I_geo.After simplification of I_geo,the P_index,showed the utmost contaminated sediments with a value of 2.537.Notably,protective measures should be taken to the highly contaminated areas which are prioritized by P_index Admittedly,the maximum concentrations of total organic carbon,total nitrogen,inorganic nitrogen,total phosphorous,inorganic phosphorous,calcium, magnesium,sodium and potassium were significantly observed as 7.8×10⁴,3,185,36,1,032,3.7, 1,5163,2,881,669 and 4,076mg/kg accordingly.     

Correcting for potential 222Rn loss in 210Pb dating of sediments from the South Adriatic Pit

Measurement of ²²⁶Ra activity concentrations is often used to estimate supported levels of ²¹⁰Pb for purposes of geochronology. However, the implicit assumption that supported ²¹⁰Pb and ²²⁶Ra are in secular radioactive equilibrium may not always be true because of the migration of an intermediate product, gaseous ²²²Rn. As a consequence, supported ²¹⁰Pb activity concentration might be lower than the measured ²²⁶Ra value, which was the case in a core collected from the South Adriatic Pit. Here we present a new approach to improve the determination of supported ²¹⁰Pb, which is based on correction of ²²⁶Ra activity concentrations using the average (²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra) activity ratio in deeper sediment layers. Using this approach, sedimentation rates for the South Adriatic Pit with a constant rate of supply model and a constant initial concentration model were 0.054 g/cm²/a and 0.070 g/cm²/a, respectively.     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments of southwest Taiwan: regional characteristics and potential sources

Very little information is available on the contamination of coastal sediments of Taiwan by PBDEs and PCBs. In this study, we determined the concentrations of 19 PBDE and 209 PCB congeners in 57 surface sediment samples to identify the possible sources of PBDEs and PCBs. The total PBDE and PCB concentrations ranged from below detection limit to 7.73 ng/g and 0.88-7.13 ng/g, respectively; these values are within the ranges observed for most coastal sediments worldwide. The PBDE congeners were dominated by BDE-209 (50.7-99.7%), with minor contributions from penta- and octa-BDEs. The signatures of PCB congeners suggested that PCB residues in Kaohsiung coast may be the legacy of past use or the result of ongoing inputs from the maintenance, repair and salvage of old ships. Principal component analysis of the congener-specific composition of PBDEs and PCBs revealed distinct regional patterns that are related to the use of commercial products.     

Use of the clam Asaphis deflorata as a potential indicator of organochlorine bioaccumulation in Hong Kong coastal sediments

In order to test its ability as a bioaccumulator, the deposit feeding clam Asaphis deflorata, collected from a clean coastal area in Hong Kong (Ding Chau, Ma On Shan), was exposed to field-collected sediments representing a gradient of contamination. Sediments were collected from four sites, namely Shek O in the southeast of Hong Kong Island, Ap Lei Chau in Aberdeen district, Tai Kok Tsui in the Mong Kok waterfront, and To Kwa Wan near Kowloon City pier. Shek O was the cleanest and To Kwa Wan was the most polluted site. Replicate 30 L fiberglass tanks containing equal numbers of organisms were maintained for 28 days, with equal quantities of sediment and filtered seawater. Prior to this the animals were depurated for 10 days in clean sediment. During the 28-day holding period, sampling of both sediment and clams was performed on days 0, 10 and 28, along with condition index measurements. Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in sediments showed that Shek O was the cleanest of the sites, followed by Ap Lei Chau, Tai Kok Tsui and To Kwa Wan. There were marked differences among the sites, especially in PAH concentrations, with To Kwa Wan showing extremely high sediment concentrations.Following exposure, the biota concentrations of various organochlorine pesticides and PCBs suggested that there was sediment concentration-dependent accumulation by A. deflorata on day 10 of the experiment. However, there was no significant increase on day 28 for any of the compounds tested. Contaminant concentrations in clams feeding on Shek O sediments were minimal and almost the same on all sampling days, indicating the presence of only baseline contaminant concentrations. The condition indices (CI) of the clams on various sampling days showed that the animals were relatively more stable in sediment from Shek O. There were some deaths in all the test tanks (including those containing Shek O sediments). In addition, clams appeared to bury faster in the cleaner Shek O sediment and remained buried, unlike those in the sediment from the other locations, where some remained predominantly on the surface. Nevertheless, despite not completely burying, the clams in other test sediments still exhibited sediment concentration-dependent tissue accumulation. The results of the investigation indicate the possibility of developing a standard test protocol for bioaccumulation by sediment dwelling invertebrates, for practical use in Hong Kong, using A. deflorata.     

Use of the clam Asaphis deflorata as a potential indicator of organochlorine bioaccumulation in Hong Kong coastal sediments

In order to test its ability as a bioaccumulator, the deposit feeding clam Asaphis deflorata, collected from a clean coastal area in Hong Kong (Ding Chau, Ma On Shan), was exposed to field-collected sediments representing a gradient of contamination. Sediments were collected from four sites, namely Shek O in the southeast of Hong Kong Island, Ap Lei Chau in Aberdeen district, Tai Kok Tsui in the Mong Kok waterfront, and To Kwa Wan near Kowloon City pier. Shek O was the cleanest and To Kwa Wan was the most polluted site. Replicate 30L fiberglass tanks containing equal numbers of organisms were maintained for 28 days, with equal quantities of sediment and filtered seawater. Prior to this the animals were depurated for 10 days in clean sediment. During the 28-day holding period, sampling of both sediment and clams was performed on days 0, 10 and 28, along with condition index measurements. Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in sediments showed that Shek O was the cleanest of the sites, followed by Ap Lei Chau, Tai Kok Tsui and To Kwa Wan. There were marked differences among the sites, especially in PAH concentrations, with To Kwa Wan showing extremely high sediment concentrations. Following exposure, the biota concentrations of various organochlorine pesticides and PCBs suggested that there was sediment concentration-dependent accumulation by A. deflorata on day 10 of the experiment. However, there was no significant increase on day 28 for any of the compounds tested. Contaminant concentrations in clams feeding on Shek O sediments were minimal and almost the same on all sampling days, indicating the presence of only baseline contaminant concentrations. The condition indices (CI) of the clams on various sampling days showed that the animals were relatively more stable in sediment from Shek O. There were some deaths in all the test tanks (including those containing Shek O sediments). In addition, clams appeared to bury faster in the cleaner Shek O sediment and remained buried, unlike those in the sediment from the other locations, where some remained predominantly on the surface. Nevertheless, despite not completely burying, the clams in other test sediments still exhibited sediment concentration-dependent tissue accumulation. The results of the investigation indicate the possibility of developing a standard test protocol for bioaccumulation by sediment dwelling invertebrates, for practical use in Hong Kong, using A. deflorata.     

Heterogeneity in titaniferous lunar basalts

Small, but real, chemical differences exist between subsamples of fine-grained, quench-textured titaniferous lunar basalts. The existence of different textural domains with different chemistries is thought to account for most of this variation. In addition to the textural domains, 74275 has a population of a few percent of Fo_77–80 olivine “megacrysts”, as well as dunite fragments of Fo_80–84. These materials are thought to be extraneous and to compromise the primary nature of 74275.Recognition of the small chemical variations present may aid in understanding some discrepancies in the experimental petrology literature. However, these small variations have a distressing petrogenetic significance since they severely limit resolution in recognizing the number and depth of origin of primary magmas.     

云南阳宗海沉积物重金属污染时空特征及潜在生态风险

分析了阳宗海柱状及表层沉积物中Al、Fe、Mn、Zn、Cr、Co、Ni、Cu、As、Cd、Pb等金属元素的含量,结合沉积年代学,研究了沉积物重金属污染的时空变化和潜在生态风险特征.结果表明,表层沉积物中重金属含量具有一定的空间差异性,As、Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn在中东部湖区含量较高,而Cr、Co、Ni含量高值位于南、北湖区的近岸区域;柱状沉积物中,1990s之前As、Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn含量较为稳定,1990s中后期以来,其含量逐渐增加,并在2009-2010年前后达到最大值,此后逐渐下降;而柱状沉积物中Cr、Co、Ni含量变化趋势与Al、Fe相似,总体上由下向上逐渐降低,这主要与沉积物质地(粒度)逐渐变粗有关.重金属富集系数表明,阳宗海沉积物中主要污染元素为As、Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn,1990s中后期污染程度快速增加,2009-2010年前后达到峰值,此后污染程度逐渐降低;表层沉积物中Cu为未污染至"弱"污染水平;Zn、Pb为"弱-中等"污染水平,As为"中等-强"污染水平,Cd为"弱-强"污染水平,中东部湖区污染程度高于其他湖区,这可能与该湖区缺少入湖径流、自然碎屑物质沉积速率较低以及砷污染事件等人为源的重金属贡献影响更为显著有关.生态风险评价结果表明,在2002-2010年前后沉积物重金属达到"中等-强"潜在生态危害,主要贡献因子是Cd和As,近年来其生态风险等级逐渐降低;表层沉积物中重金属在中东部湖区具有"中等"程度潜在生态危害,而其他湖区表层沉积物重金属具有较低程度的潜在生态风险.     

Heavy metal content in relation to particle size and organic content of surficial sediments in Miami River and transport potential

Transport of contaminants in Miami River (Florida, USA) sediments with river currents is a concern due to their potential impact in areas that are away from the potential sources. Accumulation profiles of five metals (As, Cd, Hg, Zn, Pb) in the surficial sediments of the Miami River were evaluated in relation to grain size (from less than 0.075 mm to 6.3 mm) and organic content. Surficial sediment samples were collected along the river basin as well as in bay waters. Fine sediments ( o 0.106 mm) contained more than 10 times the levels of Cd and Hg and more than 6 times the levels of arsenic in comparison to the sediments that are larger than 0.850 mm. Zn and Pb levels were more than 10 times in the fine sediments ( o 0.106 mm) in comparison to those that were larger than 4.750 mm. Cd, Hg, and Zn levels had sig-nificant correlation with the total organic carbon content of the sediments. This indicates that Cd, Hg, and Zn in fine sediments have the potential to be metabolized in addition to potential to be mobilized with river currents. Analysis of the Gibbs settling velocities of particles showed that particles smaller than 0.5 mm can be transported with the river currents. The levels of heavy metal in fine sediments ( o 0.425 mm) along the river bed showed that fine particles had tendency to be mobilized and accu-mulate at locations where the rivers currents are low and carried out to the bay.     

洞庭湖支流枯水期表层水和沉积物中氯苯甲醚类化合物分布特征与生态风险

环境中的氯苯甲醚类化合物(chloroanisoles,CAs)主要来自于氯酚类化合物及其他结构相似的氯代烃.在我国洞庭湖血吸虫疫区,五氯酚作为灭螺剂施放对周围环境造成了CAs污染.运用气相色谱质谱联用方法测定洞庭湖支流(澧水、藕池河和沱江)表层水和沉积物中的CAs,并分析其分布特征与生态风险.结果显示:(1)水体是CAs的主要赋存介质.三支流表层水中CAs体现出显著差异性,污染水平由大到小为澧水>藕池河>沱江,三者总CAs浓度分别为18.94、8.83和4.14 ng/L;在3支流中沉积物中的总CAs无明显差异,分别为2.86、3.61和4.07 ng/g.(2)澧水表层水和沉积物中高氯取代CAs(三氯苯甲醚、四氯苯甲醚和五氯苯甲醚)为主要污染物(分别占73.75%和68.89%);藕池河表层水中低氯取代CAs(一氯苯甲醚和二氯苯甲醚)占比相对较高(48.59%),而沉积物中以高氯取代CAs为主(93.38%);沱江表层水和沉积物中占比较高的CAs为一氯苯甲醚,分别占28.26%和75.56%.(3)空间分布上,从上游到下游澧水表层水中CAs浓度呈现波动下降的趋势,而沉积...     

Use of the clam Asaphis deflorata as a potential indicator of organochlorine bioaccumulation in Hong Kong coastal sediments

In order to test its ability as a bioaccumulator, the deposit feeding clam Asaphis deflorata, collected from a clean coastal area in Hong Kong (Ding Chau, Ma On Shan), was exposed to field-collected sediments representing a gradient of contamination. Sediments were collected from four sites, namely Shek O in the southeast of Hong Kong Island, Ap Lei Chau in Aberdeen district, Tai Kok Tsui in the Mong Kok waterfront, and To Kwa Wan near Kowloon City pier. Shek O was the cleanest and To Kwa Wan was the most polluted site. Replicate 30 L fiberglass tanks containing equal numbers of organisms were maintained for 28 days, with equal quantities of sediment and filtered seawater. Prior to this the animals were depurated for 10 days in clean sediment. During the 28-day holding period, sampling of both sediment and clams was performed on days 0, 10 and 28, along with condition index measurements. Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in sediments showed that Shek O was the cleanest of the sites, followed by Ap Lei Chau, Tai Kok Tsui and To Kwa Wan. There were marked differences among the sites, especially in PAH concentrations, with To Kwa Wan showing extremely high sediment concentrations.Following exposure, the biota concentrations of various organochlorine pesticides and PCBs suggested that there was sediment concentration-dependent accumulation by A. deflorata on day 10 of the experiment. However, there was no significant increase on day 28 for any of the compounds tested. Contaminant concentrations in clams feeding on Shek O sediments were minimal and almost the same on all sampling days, indicating the presence of only baseline contaminant concentrations. The condition indices (CI) of the clams on various sampling days showed that the animals were relatively more stable in sediment from Shek O. There were some deaths in all the test tanks (including those containing Shek O sediments). In addition, clams appeared to bury faster in the cleaner Shek O sediment and remained buried, unlike those in the sediment from the other locations, where some remained predominantly on the surface. Nevertheless, despite not completely burying, the clams in other test sediments still exhibited sediment concentration-dependent tissue accumulation. The results of the investigation indicate the possibility of developing a standard test protocol for bioaccumulation by sediment dwelling invertebrates, for practical use in Hong Kong, using A. deflorata.