Arsenic incorporation in a salt marsh ecosystem

Replicate portions of a Delaware salt marsh were enclosed in cylindrical microcosms and exposed to elevated levels of inorganic arsenic (arsenate). All biotic and abiotic components in dosed cylinders rapidly incorporated arsenic. Spartina blades showed the greatest arsenic enrichment, with dosed plants incorporating arsenic concentrations an order of magnitude higher than controls. Spartina detritus and sediments also exhibited greatly elevated arsenic concentrations. Virtually all of the arsenic was incorporated into plant tissue or strongly sorbed to cell surfaces. Thus, elevated arsenic concentrations in estuarine waters will be reflected in living and non-living components of a salt marsh ecosystem, implying that increased arsenic will be available to organisms within the marsh ecosystem.     

Quaternary stratigraphy of the buried valleys of the lower Red Deer River,Alberta, Canada

The Quaternary fills of the buried valleys of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan have provided a wealth of information for the reconstruction of the glacial-interglacial record of the western plains of Canada, and this paper reports on the previously unstudied stratigraphy of the buried Calgary Valley and its former tributaries in the lower Red Deer River area. We attempt to differentiate Empress Group sediments, which potentially relate to pre-glacial, interglacial/ interstadial and post-glacial lake and river deposition, using sedimentology, stratigraphy and palaeoecology. Twenty-nine stratigraphical logs indicate that Empress Group sediments have infilled a considerably large area of badlands and tributary coulees that once drained into the Calgary Valley, located 15 km to the north of Dinosaur Provincial Park. Radiocarbon dates of 52.4 ka, 27.4 ka and > 42.4 ka and glacially modified quartz grains suggest that at least some of the valley fills date to interglacial or interstadial periods and may be mid-Wisconsinan in age. However, outcrops of an older till overlying other valley fills suggest that the buried valleys were only partially excavated during interglacials/interstadials and that older (even pre-glacial) sediments could have survived. Subglacial channels, recognisable on air photographs, largely coincide with buried valley positions due to the preferential excavation of the Quaternary sediment by meltwater and are filled with post-glacial lake sediment from which a radiocarbon date of 16 ka BP was obtained. Pre-glacial and glacial/post-glacial Empress Group sediments are lithologically indistinct but cover a large time span in southern Alberta.     

Screening of polymers on selected Hawaii soils for erosion reduction and particle settling

In recent years, high‐molecular‐weight anionic polyacrylamides (PAMs) have been tested on a variety of soils, primarily in temperate climates. However, little information is available regarding the effectiveness of PAM for preventing soil loss through runoff in tropical settings. Screening tests were performed using three negatively charged PAMs and one positively charged PAM on five Hawaii soils (two Oxisols, one Vertisol, and two Aridisols) to determine erosion loss, sediment settling, and aggregate stability. A laboratory‐scale rainfall simulator was used to apply erosive rainfall at intensities from 5 to 8·5 cm h^?1 at various PAM doses applied in both dry and solution forms. Soil detachment due to splash and runoff, as well as the runoff and percolate water volumes, were measured for initial and successive storms. The impact of PAM on particle settling and aggregate stability was also evaluated for selected soil‐treatment combinations. Among the PAMs, Superfloc A‐836 was most effective, and significantly reduced runoff and splash sediment loss for the Wahiawa Oxisol and Pakini Andisol at rates varying between 10 and 50 kg ha^?1. Reduced runoff and splash sediment loss were also noted for PAM Aerotil‐D when applied in solution form to the Wahiawa Oxisol. Significant reductions in soil loss were not noted for either the Lualualei Vertisol or the Holomua Oxisol. It is believed that the high montmorillonite content of the Lualualei Vertisol and the low cation‐exchange capacity of the Holomua Oxisol diminished the effectiveness of the various PAMs tested. The polymers were also found to enhance sediment settling of all soils and helped improve their aggregate stability. This screening study shows the potential use of PAM for tropical soils for applications such as infiltration enhancement, runoff reduction, and enhanced sedimentation of detention ponds. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.