Fate of copper and cadmium in a sediment-water system,and effect on chitin degrading bacteria

Fate and effect of copper and cadmium on the degradation of chitin were studied in sediment microcosms. Artificial sediment was spiked with metals, and metal partitioning between sediment components, overlying water and bacteria was described. Most of the added metals were bound to sediment particles. Remarkable metal enrichments were found on Fe-oxide, Mn-oxide, and chitin. In sediments containing the nominal concentration of 100 mg/kg Cu, the chitin-degrading bacteria Cytophaga johnsonae showed a significant decrease in N-acetylglucoseaminidase activity. Toxicity of copper was attributed to free ions in the overlying water. The bacteria were more sensitive to copper than to cadmium. Inhibitory effects of cadmium were primarily caused by sediment-associated cadmium.     

PRESENT STATUS OF EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON HEAVY METAL POLLUTANT ADSORPTION－DESORPTION BY SEDIMENT IN CHINA

ＰＲＥＳＥＮＴＳＴＡＴＵＳＯＦＥＸＰＥＲＩＭＥＮＴＡＬＳＴＵＤＹＯＮＨＥＡＶＹＭＥＴＡＬＰＯＬＬＵＴＡＮＴＡＤＳＯＲＰＴＩＯＮ－ＤＥＳＯＲＰＴＩＯＮＢＹＳＥＤＩＭＥＮＴＩＮＣＨＩＮＡＨＵＡＮＧＳｕｉｌｉａｎｇａｎｄＷＡＮＺｈａｏｈｕｉ（Ｐｏｓｔｄｏｃ...     

滆湖沉积物理化特征及磷释放腄

对滆湖表层底泥、柱状层祥和间隙水进行理化分析,模拟不同条件下的沉积物磷释放。结果表明,0～20cm深度范围内,各项理化指标变化较大;大于2cm后差异较小。当提高沉积物-水体系温度、降低氧含量(或Eh),提高pH及施以水动力作用时,可促进沉积物磷释放进程。无菌条件对磷释放有抑制作用。采用实验室模拟和间隙水浓度扩散模型计算得到的磷总释放量分别为10.65t/a和9.40t/a,其中湖面网围区释放量占全湖总量的28.2～35.4％。建议适度控制网围养殖规模,以减少内源磷污染。     

Structure,composition and bulk properties of upland stream gravels

Upland gravel-bedded streams in the U.K. have received only scant attention from both hydrologists and sedimentologists, but are worthy of further investigation. The sedimentology of three small streams in Teesdale in the Pennines has been examined in detail. Grain-size characteristics, bedforms, structure, composition and packing characteristics of these deposits are described, and compared where appropriate with published information. It is argued that a fuller appreciation of gravel bed composition and morphology should eventually contribute to an improved understanding of sediment transport and deposition mechanisms, and, hence, to improved accuracy in sediment transport and deposition estimates.     

Autosuspension and the energetics of two-phase flows: Reply to comments on ‘experimental test of autosuspension’ by J. B. Southard and M. E. Mackintosh

The experimental programme of Southard and Mackintosh (1981) provides a definitive refutation of the autosuspension criterion as it was originally defined. A simple energy budget for dilute two-phase flow is derived from continuum theory of mixtures; it shows that Bagnold's criterion is based on an arbitrary comparison of two elements of the complete two-phase system. It is recommended that facile, ab hoc criteria for the behaviour of such complex flows be avoided in favour of analyses based on fundamental equations of motion.     

Long-term erosion on granitic roadcuts based on exposed tree roots

Exposed roots were used to estimate soil and bedrock erosion on the cut slopes of a 45-year-old road constructed in granitic soils of the Idaho Batholith. The original roadcut surface was defined by projecting a straight line from the toe of the cut past the end of the exposed root to the intersection of a straight line projected along the surface of the hillslope. A cross-sectioning technique was then used to determine erosion to the present roadcut surface. A total of 41 exposed root sites were used to estimate erosion on a 1350 m-long section of road. Average erosion was 1·0 and 1·1 cm/year for soil and bedrock respectively. Buttressing by tree roots caused lower erosion rates for soil as compared to bedrock. Both soil and bedrock erosion rates showed statistically significant correlations with the gradients of the original cut slope. The bedrock erosion data provide a reasonable estimate of the disintegration rate of exposed granitic bedrock exhibiting the weathering and fracturing properties common to this area. The road is located in a study watershed where long-term sediment yield data are available. Sediment data from adjacent study watersheds with no roads were compared to sediment data from the roaded watershed to estimate the long-term increase in sediment yield caused by the road. The increase amounts to about 2·4 m³/year. This figure, compared to the average annual on-site road erosion, provides an erosion to sediment delivery ratio of less than 10 per cent. Based on study results, road construction and maintenance practices are suggested for helping reduce roadcut erosion.     

EUTROPHICATION AND RED TIDES AS CONSEQUENCES OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1 mTRoorcnoxThe EnvirDment AgenCy of UK (l997) defins eUtIDPhication as "the enrichInnt of waters byinorgedc plant nUtrientS that result in the simulation of an mp Of syInPtOInati changes. These includethe inCrased PrOduCtiOn Of aigae or othe aquatic PlantS, affeChng the quallty of the water and distUIbingthe balance Of orpedsms Present within it. Such changes Inay be undesirable and intetw with wateuses." Sndth et al. (l999) indicated tha eopation of waters is mainly caused by h…     

The role of sedimentation rate and permeability in the slope stability of the formerly glaciated Norwegian continental margin: the Storegga slide model

Despite the gently dipping slopes (ca 1°), large-scale submarine slope failures have occurred on the mid-Norwegian continental margin (Storegga, Sklinnadjupet, Traenadjupet), suggesting the presence of special conditions predisposing to failure in this formerly glaciated margin. With a volume estimated between 2,400 and 3,200 km³ and an affected area of approximately 95,000 km², the Storegga slide represents one of the largest and best-studied submarine slides of Holocene age known worldwide. Finite element modeling of slope failure indicates that a large (6.5 < Ms < 7.0) seismic triggering mechanism would not be sufficient to cause failure at more than 110 m below the seabed as observed for the slip planes at Storegga (northern sidewall). This implies that other factors (e.g., liquefaction, strain softening, gas charging, rapid burial) are needed to explain the occurrence of the Storegga slide with a deep surface of failure. In this paper, we discuss the importance of the compaction effect of rapidly accumulated sediments in the slide area. During compaction, sediment grains reorganize themselves, thereby, expelling pore water. Consequently, depending on sedimentation rate and permeability, excess pore pressures might result beneath less permeable sediments. Our modeling and cross-checking illustrate how excess pore pressure generation due to high sedimentation rate could explain the development of layers of weakness, and thus, how such a large slide might have been initiated in deep sediments. Using the highest sedimentation rate estimated in the area (36 and 27 m/kyr between 16.2 and 15 kyr BP), 1D modeling shows excess pore pressure values of around 200 kPa at a depth of 100 m below the seafloor 15 kyr BP and 60 kPa at a depth of 100 m at the time of the slide (8 kyr BP). Excess pore pressure apparently drastically reduced the resistance of the sediment (incomplete consolidation). In addition, 2D modeling shows that permeability anisotropies can significantly affect the lateral extent of excess pore pressure dissipation, affecting, that way, normally consolidated sediments far from the excess pore pressure initiation area.     

The geochemical study of fluvio-lacustrine aquifers in the Kathmandu Basin (Nepal) and the implications for the mobilization of arsenic

The geochemical analyses of fluvial-lacustrine aquifer sediments of the Kathmandu Valley have been made as a step in assessing the environment for the mobilization of arsenic in groundwater. Elements measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) include 4 major oxides (Fe₂O₃, TiO₂, CaO, P₂O₅) and 14 trace elements (As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, V, Sr, Y, Nb, Zr, Th, Sc and TS). Elution tests of 15 selected core samples were also carried out to determine the potential leaching of arsenic from the sediments. The XRF results show that average bulk concentrations of the major oxides and trace elements are similar to modern unconsolidated sediments and average upper continental crust. However, the abundance of elements varies with grain size, with higher concentrations in finer-size grades. Variations in elemental abundances within the basin are strongly controlled by sediment facies. The elution tests show that greater amounts of arsenic are generally eluted from the fine sediments, although the rates are variable. The results overall suggest that As concentrations in the bulk sediments are not a controlling factor for elevated As in the Kathmandu Basin groundwater, and the roles of other factors such as redox conditions and organic matter contents are likely to be more significant.