Crude Oil Metabolites in Groundwater at Two Spill Sites

Two groundwater plumes in north central Minnesota with residual crude oil sources have 20 to 50 mg/L of nonvolatile dissolved organic carbon (NVDOC). These values are over 10 times higher than benzene and two to three times higher than Diesel Range Organics in the same wells. On the basis of previous work, most of the NVDOC consists of partial transformation products from the crude oil. Monitoring data from 1988 to 2015 at one of the sites located near Bemidji, MN show that the plume of metabolites is expanding toward a lakeshore located 335 m from the source zone. Other mass balance studies of the site have demonstrated that the plume expansion is driven by the combined effect of continued presence of the residual crude oil source and depletion of the electron accepting capacity of solid phase iron oxide and hydroxides on the aquifer sediments. These plumes of metabolites are not covered by regulatory monitoring and reporting requirements in Minnesota and other states. Yet, a review of toxicology studies indicates that polar metabolites of crude oil may pose a risk to aquatic and mammalian species. Together the results suggest that at sites where residual sources are present, monitoring of NVDOC may be warranted to evaluate the fates of plumes of hydrocarbon transformation products.     

A Chart for Judging Optimal Sample Spacing for Ore Grade Estimation: Part II

Natural Resources Research - Resources of mineral deposits are commonly estimated using data extracted from rock cores obtained by drilling. Information of good quality and quantity is essential to...     

The structure of the benthic macrofaunal assemblages and sediments characteristics of the Paraguaçu estuarine system, NE, Brazil

The structure of the benthic macrofaunal assemblages of the estuarine portion of Paraguaçu River, NE, Brazil, and its relationship with surface sediment characteristics (trace metals, PAHs, nutrients and grain size) and physical variables were investigated at ten stations on two contrasting occasions, summer (dry season) and winter (rainy season). A total of 1258 individuals (632 in winter and 626 in summer) and 62 taxa representing polychaetes, crustaceans, bivalves, echinoderms, bryozoans, sponges, cnidarians and cephalochordates were collected. Benthic assemblages in the upper estuary were unlike those in the lower estuary and a clear substitution of benthic taxa along the estuary was observed. Macrofaunal invertebrates in the low salinity region, composed of coarse sediments, were dominated by tellinids, venerids (bivalves), cirolanids (isopods), cyclopoids (copepods), and nereidids (polychaetes). While the high salinity region, composed of fine sediments, were dominated by nuculids (bivalves), cirratulids (polychaetes), and by amphiurids (ophiuroids). The Paraguaçu estuarine system is not severely affected by anthropogenic activities. In the great majority of the study sites, concentrations of trace metals and PAHs in the sediments were near background values. Nutrients values were also low. We formulated new models of taxon distribution and suggested detailed studies on the effects of salinity variation and studies using functional approaches to better understand the processes causing the spatial patterns in tropical estuarine benthic assemblages.     

Satellite-derived estimates of potential carbon sequestration through afforestation of agricultural lands in the United States

Afforestation of marginal agricultural lands represents a promising option for carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. An ecosystem carbon model was used to generate new national maps of annual net primary production (NPP), one each for continuous land covers of ‘forest’, ‘crop’, and ‘rangeland’ over the entire U. S. continental area. Direct inputs of satellite “greenness” data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor into the NASA-CASA carbon model at 8-km spatial resolution were used to estimate spatial variability in monthly NPP and potential biomass accumulation rates in a uniquely detailed manner. The model predictions of regrowth forest production lead to a conservative national projection of 0.3 Pg C as potential carbon stored each year on relatively low-production crop or rangeland areas. On a regional level, the top five states for total crop afforestation potential were: Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri, whereas the top five states for total rangeland afforestation potential are: Texas, California, Montana, New Mexico, and Colorado. Afforestation at this level of intensity has the capacity to offset at least one-fifth of annual fossil fuel emission of carbon in the United States. These projected afforestation carbon gains also match or exceed recent estimates of the annual sink for atmospheric CO₂ in currently forested area of the country.     

Prediction of the long-term performance of abandoned lead zinc mine tailings in a Welsh catchment

In this study we investigated the sulphidic mine tailings from Frongoch and Grogwynion, two abandoned lead zinc mines in mid-Wales, UK. Despite falling within the same ore field the mine waste characterisation has identified differences in the tailings from the two sites. Bulk concentrations range from 10 to 52 g kg^− 1 for Pb, 1.1 to 2.9 g kg^− 1 for Zn in Grogwynion and from 1.0 to 130 g kg^− 1 for Pb, 11 to 110 g kg^− 1 for Zn in Frongoch. An experimental (European standard leaching tests TS 14429 and TS 14405) and geochemical modelling approach was used to study the leaching composition as a function of pH and liquid/solid ratio. There was little correlation between the tailings bulk metal concentrations and the leachate composition, but variations in Pb and Zn concentrations were found to be consistent with control of dissolved Pb and Zn by secondary minerals and the mechanisms of dissolution/precipitation/sorption involving them. Specifically, the Grogwynion mine tailings with near-neutral pH have predominantly lead and zinc carbonates controlling Pb and Zn solubility in the leachates, whereas the Pb and Zn concentrations in Frongoch leachates are best modelled with a surface complexation model for metal sorption to oxyhydroxides. The different speciation results in a greater sensitivity of Grogwynion tailings to acidification with a potential release of Pb in solution up to 10 times higher than in Frongoch, despite similar bulk Pb concentrations. At acid pH, Zn is similarly dissolved to a greater extent in Grogwynion than in Frongoch tailings. There was no evidence of sulphide oxidation during the batch and column leaching tests and the suitability of using these European leaching standards for the characterisation of sulphidic mine waste materials for waste management purposes has been considered.     

Spatial and temporal changes in estuarine water quality during a post-flood hypoxic event

A major fish kill occurred in the Richmond River estuary in January 2008 due to oxygen depletion following extensive overbank flooding. This paper examines spatial and temporal changes in the chemistry of main channel waters, thereby identifying the primary sources of deoxygenating water. Over 40 km of the mid- to lower estuary main channel was deoxygenated within seven days of the flood peak. Hypoxia was confined to downstream of the confluences with mid-estuary backswamp basins and occurred during the later phase of the flood recession. Water chemistry at key locations in the estuary indicated elevated concentrations of redox sensitive species associated with acid sulfate soils (ASS) during the hypoxic period. Peak concentrations of Fe²⁺ up to 18.2 μmol L⁻¹, dissolved Mn up to 4.3 μmol L⁻¹, chemical oxygen demand (COD) up to 2052 μmol L⁻¹, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) up to 960 μmol L⁻¹ and elemental S⁰ up to 4.7 μmol L⁻¹ were found in the backswamp discharge confluences and mid-estuary main channel locations. The geochemical signature of main channel floodwaters identifies anaerobic decomposition of floodplain vegetation in ASS backswamps as a primary process leading to generation of hypoxic waters. The transport of these hypoxic floodwaters to the estuary has been accelerated and prolonged by extensive floodplain drainage, thereby enhancing the magnitude and duration of estuarine deoxygenation.     

Decoupling of nutrient and grazer impacts on a benthic estuarine diatom assemblage

Strong interactions between top-down (consumptive) and bottom-up (resource supply) trophic factors occur in many aquatic communities, but these forces can act independently in some microphytobenthic communities. Within benthic estuarine diatom assemblages, the dynamics of these interactions and how they vary with abiotic environmental conditions are not well understood. We conducted a field experiment at two sites with varying habitat characteristics to investigate the interactive effects of grazers and nutrients on benthic estuarine diatoms. We crossed snail (Cerithidea californica) and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) addition treatments in enclosures on a restored tidal sandflat and a reference tidal mudflat in Mugu Lagoon, southern California. We repeated the study in summer 2000 and spring 2001 to assess temporal variation in the interactions. Snails caused a large decrease in diatom relative abundance and biomass (estimated as surface area); nutrients increased diatom abundance but did not alter diatom biomass. Snails and nutrients both reduced average diatom length, although the nutrient effect was weaker and temporally variable, occurring in the reference mudflat in the spring. There were few interactions between snail and nutrient addition treatments, suggesting that links between top-down and bottom-up forces on the diatom community were weak. There were no consistent differences in diatom assemblage characteristics between the two study sites, despite marked differences in sediment grain size and other abiotic characteristics between the sites. The strong diatom response to herbivores and weaker responses to enrichment differed from the previous studies where cyanobacteria increased in response to nutrient enrichment, further dissolving the “black box” perception of microphytobenthic communities.     

Late Quaternary marine deposition in New South Wales and southern Queensland — An evolutionary model

From new data on coastal and continental shelf morphology, sediments, stratigraphy and chronology, it is possible to formulate a general model of late Quaternary marine sedimentation, for New South Wales and southern Queensland. This model integrates various factors influencing deposition in coastal and shelf environments, in relation to glacio‐eustatic sea level oscillations.

The model involves several components, including (i) very slow to negligible continental margin subsidence during the Quaternary, (ii) an inherited geomorphic framework; (iii) oscillations of sea level of c 100 m amplitude every 100 000 years, with interglacial high sea levels being close to present and only the Last Interglacial being significantly higher; and (iv) a wave climate that induces a potential south to north littoral sand transport at all sea level positions.

Terrigenous sediment that is moved from the hinterland through embayments to the shelf is either stored as barrier, estuarine or inner shelf deposits, or lost to depositional sinks on the continental slope or into coastal dune fields. Over many glacial‐interglacial cycles, sand has been progressively moved northward and has accumulated in vast aeolian sand deposits in southern Queensland. Littoral sand transport was especially effective during sea levels lower than present. The relatively shallow and lower gradient shelf north of Newcastle (33°S) has encouraged preservation at the coast of a wide range of depositional morphologies, including Pleistocene barriers, whereas the steeper southern shelf has induced net sediment loss seawards and shoreline erosion, excpt in the Holocene. To account for Holocene barrier development in the southern region, the model invokes reworking of sand deposits stranded high on the inner shelf at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch. These were in disequilibrium with Postglacial marine processes that operated at a lower level of the sea than did those during the Last Interglacial maximum.