Mobile sediment in an urbanizing karst aquifer: implications for contaminant transport

 Here we investigate geochemical characteristics of sediment in different compartments of a karst aquifer and demonstrate that mobile sediments in a karst aquifer can exhibit a wide range of properties affecting their contaminant transport potential. Sediment samples were collected from surface streams, sinkholes, caves, wells, and springs of a karst aquifer (the Barton Springs portion of the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) Aquifer, Central Texas) and their mineralogy, grain-size distribution, organic carbon content, and specific surface area analyzed. Statistical analysis of the sediments separated the sampling sites into three distinct groups: (1) streambeds, sinkholes, and small springs; (2) wells; and (3) caves. Sediments from the primary discharge spring were a mix of these three groups. High organic carbon content and high specific surface area gives some sediments an increased potential to transport contaminants; the volume of these sediments is likely to increase with continued urbanization of the watershed. Received: 13 April 1998 · Accepted: 6 October 1998     

Heavy metals in sediments of the Tecate River, Mexico

Ten sites along the Tecate River, Mexico were sampled to evaluate the cadmium, lead, nickel and chromium concentrations in sediments. The result shows contamination for cadmium in most of the sites, where two sites were class 4 (polluted to strongly polluted) according to geoaccumulation index proposed by Muller. Two sites were found polluted for all the heavy metals analyzed (Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni), indicating the effect of anthropogenic activities. A correlation between Ni and Cd concentration had been found indicating a common source. These metals are usually used in electroplating industry. The results of this study can be used for decision makers to prioritize measures to control the pollution for these metals.     

南极普里兹湾表层沉积物微量元素分布特征及其物源指示意义

利用电感耦合等离子体质谱仪测定了中国南极科考21~27航次期间获取的普里兹湾表层沉积物中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、Cr、Co、Al、Fe、Mn的含量,分析了普里兹湾微量元素的分布特征,结合沉积物粒度分布、生物硅含量,并利用富集系数和主成分分析的方法,探讨了微量元素的物源指示意义。研究结果表明:普里兹湾沉积物中的微量元素含量与南大洋其他海域具有很好的可比性。Cu、Zn、Cr、Co、Fe、Mn含量在陆坡深海区明显高于冰架边缘区和陆架区;Al、Pb含量在冰架边缘区较高;而Cd含量在陆架区相对较高。人类活动对普里兹湾沉积物中的微量元素没有明显的影响,南极大陆岩石风化产物和海洋生物源性沉降是其主要来源。冰架边缘区及陆架破折处P2-9站位的微量元素主要为岩源性输入。陆架区、陆坡深海区的微量元素Cu、Zn、Cr、Co、Fe、Mn明显受到生源性物质输入的影响。而普里兹湾沉积物中Cd则主要来源于硅藻的吸收利用及硅质软泥的富集。     

The influence of grain-size analysis methods and sediment mixing on curve shapes and textural parameters: Implications for sediment trend analysis

To this day, deterministic physical models capable of explaining the evolution of grain-size distributions in the course of transport are still lacking. For this reason, various attributes of particle frequency distributions, in particular curve shapes and textural parameters, have for many decades been investigated for potential information about transport behaviour and size-sorting processes of sediments in numerous environments. Such approaches are essentially conceptual and hence rely heavily on the validity of the assumptions on which they are based. A factor which has to date been largely ignored in this context, is the fact that different methods of grain-size analysis (e. g. sieving, laser absorption and diffraction, settling velocity measurements), when applied to the same sample material, produce variable curve shapes, and hence incongruous textural data. This is illustrated by selected examples showing the differences between sieving and settling results, conversion of settling velocities into equivalent settling diameters (psi-phi-transformations), and the influences of particle shape, particle density, and water temperature. It is demonstrated that particle-size distributions are not only method-dependent but also dependent on the adopted post-processing procedure. As a result, only frequency curves generated by the same method and subsequently processed by identical computational procedures can be meaningfully compared. Furthermore, the computation of textural parameters from bi- or multimodal size distributions produces spurious results which are unrelated to the processes leading to the mixing of different size populations frequently observed in nature. In such cases, only the decomposition of such distributions into individual populations and the spatial comparison of such populations makes any sense. Because a physical explanation for the generation of size distributions is lacking, a particular curve shape of a grain-size population has no meaning on its own. Only a systematic comparison of progressively changing curve shapes (and associated textural parameters) of sediments collected on a closely spaced grid can yield data suitable for sediment trend analysis.     

Physical criteria for distinguishing sandy tsunami and storm deposits using modern examples

Modern subaerial sand beds deposited by major tsunamis and hurricanes were compared at trench, transect, and sub-regional spatial scales to evaluate which attributes are most useful for distinguishing the two types of deposits. Physical criteria that may be diagnostic include: sediment composition, textures and grading, types and organization of stratification, thickness, geometry, and landscape conformity.

Published reports of Pacific Ocean tsunami impacts and our field observations suggest that sandy tsunami deposits are generally < 25 cm thick, extend hundreds of meters inland from the beach, and fill microtopography but generally conform to the antecedent landscape. They commonly are a single homogeneous bed that is normally graded overall, or that consists of only a few thin layers. Mud intraclasts and mud laminae within the deposit are strong evidence of tsunami deposition. Twig orientation or other indicators of return flow during bed aggradation are also diagnostic of tsunami deposits. Sandy storm deposits tend to be > 30 cm thick, generally extend < 300 m from the beach, and will not advance beyond the antecedent macrotopography they are able to fill. They typically are composed of numerous subhorizontal planar laminae organized into multiple laminasets that are normally or inversely graded, they do not contain internal mud laminae and rarely contain mud intraclasts. Application of these distinguishing characteristics depends on their preservation potential and any deposit modifications that accompany burial.

The distinctions between tsunami and storm deposits are related to differences in the hydrodynamics and sediment-sorting processes during transport. Tsunami deposition results from a few high-velocity, long-period waves that entrain sediment from the shoreface, beach, and landward erosion zone. Tsunamis can have flow depths greater than 10 m, transport sediment primarily in suspension, and distribute the load over a broad region where sediment falls out of suspension when flow decelerates. In contrast, storm inundation generally is gradual and prolonged, consisting of many waves that erode beaches and dunes with no significant overland return flow until after the main flooding. Storm flow depths are commonly < 3 m, sediment is transported primarily as bed load by traction, and the load is deposited within a zone relatively close to the beach.     

Accumulation and speciation of selenium in evaporation basins in California,USA

The accumulation of selenium in evaporation basins (or ponds) in the San Joaquin Valley, California is of a great concern due to its potential hazards to environments. In this study, the accumulation, speciation and concentrations of Se were examined in waters as well as sediments in a system of the evaporation ponds. A significant decrease in the total dissolved Se concentration in Cell 1 in which drainage water with higher Se concentration was pumped from Inlet Channels indicated that the immobilization of Se was active in the Cell 1 and resulted in the higher Se concentration in sediments compared to the terminal cell such as Cell 9. The percentage of reduced Se species such as selenite [Se(IV)] and org-Se of total Se in drainage waters was also found increased in Cell 1 compared to Inlet Channels. The total dissolved Se concentrations in water along flow paths from Cell 1 were relatively constant except for terminal cells such as Cells 9 and 10, which showed higher total dissolved Se concentrations due to evapoconcentration. The percentage of reduced Se forms of total Se was inversely proportional to the percentage of Se(VI) depending on the redox condition of evaporation ponds along the flow paths. Sequential extractions of Se species in sediments indicated that organic associated Se and elemental Se were prevalent forms in sediments in the ponds system. The higher concentrations of elemental Se and organic associated Se in sediments in Cell 1 indicated that the immobilization of Se was active in the sediments compared to Cell 9, while the percentage of both fractions of total Se in sediments in Cells 1 and 9 was relatively constant. The organic materials from algae might provide carbon sources for Se reduction and Se sink in sediments in its elemental and organic associated forms.     

不同供氧方式对水库底泥氮磷释放的影响

采用实验室模拟试验,研究了三种供氧方式——曝气、投加过氧化氢和投加过氧化钙对水库底泥氮磷释放的影响.研究结果表明:(1)溶解氧是控制底泥氮磷释放的重要因素,厌氧条件能加速底泥释放磷和氨氮;(2)曝气、投加过氧化氢和投加过氧化钙均能显著提高底部水体的溶氧水平,并能有效抑制底泥氮磷的释放.三种供氧方式对底泥释磷的控制效率依次为:投加CaO2>曝气>投加H2O2;对氨氮释放的控制效率则为:曝气>投加CaO2>投加H2O2.     

湖泊底泥疏浚环境效应:Ⅰ.内源磷释放控制作用

通过为期一年的疏浚模拟试验,在试验室培养疏浚与对照柱样研究了底泥疏浚对内源磷释放的控制效果．结果发现,疏浚表层30cm能够有效的消减沉积物中不f司形态磷含量与孔隙水中PO4^3-P含量．在一年的试验周期内,疏浚和对照柱沉积物-水界面的PO4^3-P通量分别为-143．8至14．4与-237．3至3047．6μg／（m^2&#183;d）,疏浚柱沉积物-水界面的磷通量总体上低于未疏浚对照的磷通量,尤其是在温度较高的月份,从2006年3-10月疏浚柱沉积物-水界面磷释放通量显著低于未疏浚对照柱,疏浚沉积物的磷的释放潜力低于未疏浚对照沉积物．研究结果表明,在外源磷得到有效控制的前提下,底泥疏浚是消减研究区内源磷负荷有效的技术手段．     

菹草、伊乐藻对沉积物磷形态及其上覆水水质的影响

采集武昌南湖湖水、沉积物进行沉水植物的盆栽试验,试验设置沉积物未施磷处理和施100mg/kg磷处理,分别对应沉积物低内源磷和高内源磷状态,同时种植菹草、伊乐藻,以研究沉积物中磷形态及上覆水水质的变化特点.研究从2007年9月15日开始,历时160d.结果表明,高内源磷沉积物处理后,上覆水中水溶性总磷含量在沉水植物的作用下明显降低;种植沉水植物可使水体总磷、总氮、叶绿素a含量显著降低,且伊乐藻对总磷的净化效果优于菹草;沉水植物对高内源磷沉积物的上覆水中叶绿素a的控制比对低内源磷条件下的效果更好;无论沉积物是否输入磷,在盆栽条件下,上覆水中叶绿素a随时间的变化均能较好地用一级动力学模型来描述;上覆水TDP、TP与沉积物中Ca_(10)-P之间有极显著正相关;种植菹草或伊乐藻的沉积物中Ca_(10)-P与上覆水中TDP和TP的相关系数分别为0.990(P≤0.01)和0.977(P≤0.05).     

沉积物再悬浮对浮游动物群落结构影响的模拟实验

沉积物再悬浮是浅水湖泊的重要特征之一.通过模拟实验,比较不同再悬浮程度下浮游动物群落结构的变化,以探讨沉积物再悬浮对浮游动物的影响.结果显示,不同处理下总悬浮物与叶绿素a浓度差异显著.再悬浮组中枝角类简弧象鼻溞(Bosmina coregoni)、角突网纹溞(Ceriodaphnia cornuta)和轮虫占优势,而对照组中大型枝角类溞属(Daphniasp.)占优势,再悬浮使浮游动物群落组成趋于小型化.不同再悬浮条件下隆线溞(Daphnia carinata)、简弧象鼻溞(Bosmina coregoni)和轮虫的丰度差异显著,角突网纹溞(Ceriodaphnia cornuta)和桡足类丰度差异不显著.总悬浮物浓度与轮虫和简弧象鼻溞丰度显著正相关,与隆线溞丰度显著负相关,与其它浮游动物种群丰度无显著相关性.本研究显示,沉积物再悬浮是决定浮游动物群落结构变化的重要过程之一.