Resuspension Conditions Research Articles

Nitrogen loading resulting from major floods and sediment resuspension to a large coastal embayment

Major floods pose a severe threat to coastal receiving environments, negatively impacting environmental health and ecosystem services through direct smothering with sediment and nutrient loading. This study examined the short and long-term impacts of the February 2022 major flood event on mud extent and sediment nitrogen flux in Moreton Bay (the Bay), a large, sub-tropical embayment in Southeast Queensland, Australia. Short-term impacts were assessed three days after the flood peak by sampling surface water at 47 sites in the direction of the predominant circulation pattern. Longer-term impacts were assessed by undertaking an intensive sediment survey of 223 sites and a nutrient flux experiment using sediment core incubations to simulate calm and resuspension conditions for the four key sediment classes. Short-term impacts revealed elevated turbidity levels extended across the Bay but were highest at the Brisbane River mouth, ammonium concentrations varied inversely with surface turbidity, whereas nitrate concentrates closely tracked surface turbidity. The sediment survey confirmed fine sediment deposition across 98 % of the Bay. Porewater within the upper 10 cm contained a standing pool of 280 t of ammonium, with concentrations more than three orders of magnitude higher than overlying surface waters. The nutrient flux experiment revealed an order of magnitude higher sediment ammonium flux rate in the sandy mud sediment class compared to the other sediment classes; and for simulated resuspension conditions compared to calm conditions for sand, muddy sand, and mud sediment classes. Scaling across the whole Bay, we estimated a mean annual sediment flux of 17,700 t/year ammonium, with a range of 13,500 to 21,900 t/year. Delivery of fine sediments by major floods over the last 50 years now impact >98 % of the benthic zone and provide a major loading pathway of available nitrogen to surface waters of Moreton Bay; representing a significant threat to ecosystem health.

Contrasting effects of MgAl- and MgFe-based layered double hydroxides on phosphorus mobilization and microbial communities in sediment

The effects of two types of layered double hydroxides (LDH) in-situ treatment on sediment phosphorus (P) mobilization and microbial community's structure were studied comparatively. The results presented that magnesium/aluminum-based (MA) and magnesium/iron (MF)-based LDH displayed great phosphate uptake ability in aqueous solution in a broad pH range of 3–8. The maximum phosphate sorption capacity of MA was 64.89 mg/g, around four times greater than that of MF (14.32 mg/g). Most of phosphate bound by MA and MF is hard to re-liberate under reduction and ordinary pH (5–9) conditions. In the in-situ remediation, the MA and MF capping/amendment both prevented P migration from the sediment to the overlying water (OL-water) under long-term anaerobic conditions, and MA had a better interception efficiency compared to MF in the same application mode. MA amendment significantly reduced mobile P (Mob-P) content in sediment and could remain its stable Mob-P inactivation capacity over a wide pH range. On the contrary, MF amendment increased Mob-P content in sediment and exhibited a variable ability to inactivate Mob-P under elevated pH conditions. MF can decrease Mob-P content at pH of 7 and 11 but increase Mob-P content at pH of 8–10. Under resuspension conditions, MA and MF capping groups still maintained low P levels in OL-water, while MA capping simultaneously showed a certain degree of resistance to sediment resuspension, but it had a weaker stabilizing effect for sediment than MF. Microbial community analysis manifested neither MA nor MF addition observably altered the sediment microbial diversity, but impacted the functional microorganisms' abundance and reshaped the microbial community's structure, intervening the sediment-P stabilization. Viewed from environmental friendliness, control efficiency, stability of P fixation capacity, and application convenience, MA capping wrapped by fabric is more suitable for addressing internal P loading in eutrophic lakes and holds great potential application.

Introducing La(OH)3 nanoparticles into attapulgite for the control of sediments internal phosphorus release: Effectiveness, mechanisms, and microbial community response

In-situ passivation of engineering materials is an economical and effective method to control internal phosphorus load in aquatic systems. However, few studies have simulated aerobic and anaerobic environments to compare the engineering materials control sediment phosphorus release performance with or without sediment re-suspension. In this study, we prepared and optimized lanthanum modified thermally attapulgite (LMTA) for sediment phosphorus immobilization with a maximum adsorption capacity of 97.99 mg/g. An 88-day sediment core cultivation experiment revealed that LMTA reduced the concentration of soluble reactive phosphate (SRP) and total phosphorus (TP) by 89.3% and 79.4% in absence of re-suspension, and by 89.8% and 78.3% with re-suspension, respectively. LMTA also transformed sediment Mobile-P into HCl-P and Res-P, which are inert phosphorus forms. Moreover, high-throughput sequencing showed that Nitrospirae abundance was significantly increased with LMTA, which could promote the water nitrogen cycle. The results confirmed that LMTA effectively controls internal phosphorus release, even under sediment re-suspension conditions.

The Effect of Drought on PM Concentrations in the Czech Republic

The main focus of this study is the effect of drought on air quality in the Czech Republic. PMX (PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations at 21 air quality monitoring stations of different types (rural, suburban and urban) were studied during a 10-year period from 2010 to 2019. Only data measured during the vegetation period (Apr-Sep) were used. In addition, other meteorological factors were taken into account as well, in particular wind speed, air and soil temperature and soil moisture. It was found that PM10 concentrations were higher by 26.7 to 46.7% during dry periods with the difference being statistically significant. A strong correlation was found between PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations and the soil temperature and moisture, particularly at the top soil layer (0-10 cm depth). Results of the study show that soil moisture affects the extent of resuspension and soil erosion. Soil moisture values above 36% create unfavourable conditions for resuspension or erosion even when soil temperature is higher than 20°C.

Combining GRACE and satellite altimetry data to detect change in sediment load to the Bohai Sea

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites provide a powerful tool for monitoring sediment mass change. However, signal leakage from nearby groundwater storage depletion in the North China Plain limits the potential capacity of GRACE to estimate sediment input from the Yellow River flows into the Bohai Sea. In the present work, we developed an improved approach based on forward modeling to reduce signal leakage from GRACE data and combined it with satellite altimetry to recover sediment load changes from 2003 to 2013 to the Bohai Sea. The total sediment input averaged 1.7 ± 0.8 Gt/yr, which agrees well with the estimate based on in-situ sediment data measured from the sediment cores (1.1 Gt/yr). Our method is also capable to describe sediment seasonal variations, with higher inputs in winter and spring, which confirm the output simulated by the sediment transportation model. We make presently tentative connections of seasonal variations to sediment resuspension driven by climatic monsoons contributed rough seas: although sediment load in rivers peaks in summer, low water discharge of the Yellow River leads to most of the sediment being deposited in a narrow area near the river mouth and not transported into the Bohai Sea; in winter and spring, huge waves provide favorable conditions for resuspension resulting in large amounts of sediment near the estuary being transported to the ocean along with northward waves. Moreover, our results indicate coastal erosion is also a nonnegligible resource of the sediment in the Bohai Sea. Comparing to the traditional approach, our study provides a new technological way to derive sediment in the Bohai Sea, which is capable of providing continuous measurements with improved timeliness at a lower cost.

Impact of Water Level Fluctuation on Sediment and Phosphorous Dynamics in Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia

Water level variation substantially affects the trophic levels in a lake. The primary objective of this research is to investigate the impact of water level fluctuation on sediment and phosphorous (P) dynamics in Tonle Sap Lake (TSL), Cambodia. Water samples were collected from eight cross sections in a lake at 3-month intervals for 3 years, during the low-water period (March and June) and high-water period (September and December) from December 2016 to June 2019. Water quality parameters—temperature, conductivity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, oxidation reduction potential, chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), and blue green algae—were measured using an EXO(R) sensor. The sedimentation and resuspension rates of the sediment were measured using a sediment trap. Sediments were collected during the low-water period of March 2017. The sediment resuspension condition was simulated via centrifugation (150 rpm, end-to-end mechanical shaker, room temperature 25 °C for 24 h) to assess phosphorous dynamics. The P content in the bed sediment was fractionated to obtain loosely bound, metal oxide bound, apatite bound, and organic bound P. Sediment resuspension was greater during the low-water period ( 4.8 m). The sites exhibited significant variation (p < 0.05) in terms of dissolved oxygen, pH, oxidation–reduction potential, Chl-a, and depth during low- and high-water periods. In general, the Chl-a concentration throughout the sampling campaigns ranged between 1.7 and 9.0 μg/L, suggesting the existence of a mesotrophic state in the TSL. The zero equilibrium P concentration of sediment in TSL was greater when the sediment was under the resuspension condition (18.9 ± 3.0 μg/L) than under the static condition (7.7 ± 1.1 μg/L). In TSL, during resuspension (low-water) conditions, sediments act as a source and release P (apatite bound, loosely bound, metal oxide bound, and soluble reactive P). However, in static (high-water) conditions, sediments act as a sink by adsorbing P from the overlying water.

Resuspension of spherical particles due to surface vibration

In this study, particle resuspension due to surface vibration was investigated. A spherical particle was assumed to rest on top of a thin plate, and an external vibrating force was applied normal on the plate at t=0 and at distance R from the particle. The external driving force created a displacement field in both time and space domains, where deformations in the body of the plate were considered small elastic oscillations that are perpendicular to the propagation of the displacement. Free oscillations were introduced via the theory of elasticity and the creation of waves on thin plates, i.e., bending waves. Particle motion in the vertical direction was initiated through plate displacement, provided that inertia due to particle mass is overcome. In particular, the particle was assumed to oscillate with a force (of oscillation) estimated via Newton’s second law of motion, comprising of two components: the acceleration due to the plate displacement and the particle mass. Subsequently, a simple force balance method was used to determine the conditions for resuspension. Accordingly, resuspension occurs when the oscillation force exceeds the couple of the adhesive and gravitational forces. The results suggest that the plate displacement depends on the characteristics of the applied force, material properties, and plate thickness. In addition, it was found that the oscillation force is substantially lower than the applied force and that it depends on plate displacement and particle mass. Additionally, the particle size significantly influencedthe outcome of resuspension. Thus, resuspension is favorable for large particles, strong applied forces, and high forcing frequencies.

New insights into the role of lake sediments in understanding watershed non-point source phosphorus pollution

A deep understanding of the relationship between watershed non-point source (NPS) pollution and lake total phosphorus (TP) accumulation is the basis of watershed–lake environmental management and ecological reconstruction, in which the acquisition of long-term NPS P and lake TP data over corresponding temporal and spatial scales seems to be the key issue. In this study, three typical sub-basins within Hongze Lake were selected as study sites. The sediment TP concentrations were designated as the lake indicator to relate with the NPS P loads, and the role of sediment in representing watershed NPS pollution was quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that, first, a notable fluctuation tendency in NPS P loads, which was largely influenced by policy, was found for all three sub-basins. Second, the deposition rate for three sediment cores was approximately 0.40 cm per year, with 13 cm cores reflecting the period since 1990. Third, the sediment is a faithful recorder of watershed NPS P pollution and lake nutrient enrichment. The correlation coefficient (r) between watershed NPS P loads and lake sediment TP concentrations showed notable differences when each watershed was considered separately. In particular, an ideal relationship was found in Basins 1 and 2, especially in the bottom 7 and 8 cm of the sediment cores, in which r exceeded 0.8. This showed that sediment can be an effective indicator of NPS P pollution during certain periods, such as 1990 – 2002, and diverse roles can be attributed to land-use/cover change and lake resuspension conditions. In addition, the weakest relationship existed in the No. 3 watershed, largely due to higher rainfall amounts compared with other two watersheds. For all the watersheds, lake sediment is a suitable indicator of watershed NPS P pollution over certain temporal and spatial scales.

Experimental Study on the Effects of a Vertical Jet Impinging on Soft Bottom Sediments

Artificial downwelling, which is an ecological engineering method, potentially alleviates bottom hypoxia by bringing oxygen-rich surface water down below the pycnocline. However, the downward flow is likely to disturb sediments (or induce sediment resuspension) when reaching the bottom and then have unwanted side effects on the local ecosystem. To evaluate this, our paper presents a theoretical model and experimental data for the sediment resuspension caused by artificial downwelling. The theoretical model considers the critical conditions for sediment resuspension and the scour volume with the downwelling flow disturbing sediment. Experiments with altered downwelling flow speeds, discharge positions relative to the bottom, and particle sizes of sediment were conducted in a water tank, and the results were consistent with our theoretical model. The results show that the critical Froude number (hereinafter Fr) for sediment resuspension is 0.5. The prevention of sediment resuspension requires the downwelling flow speed and the discharge position to be adjusted so that Fr &lt; 0.5; otherwise a portion of sediment is released into the water and its volume can be predicted by the derived formulation based on the Shields theory. Furthermore, sediment resuspension has side effects, such as a water turbidity increase and phosphorus release, the magnitudes of which are discussed with respect to engineering parameters. Further study will focus on field experiments of artificial downwelling and its environmental impacts.

Mineral dust resuspension under vibration: Onset conditions and the role of humidity

The vibration of dusty surfaces inevitably causes re-entrainment of particles into the atmosphere. Given that movement of mineral dust particles deposited on a surface begins at a critical frequency (fc) and amplitude, an experimental laboratory study was conducted to determine the onset conditions for resuspension of a vibrated granular soil. We determined the resuspension state diagram as a function of frequency and amplitude of a sinusoidal vibration, the granulometry of the dust and the thickness of the soil bed. The mitigation effect of humidity was also evaluated. Critical frequencies ranged between 2.5 and 23Hz when amplitudes were less than 12mm. These results were independent of bed thickness and perturbation type. For all particle sizes observed, fc decreased monotonically with A, contrasting with behavior observed for individual particles. In dry samples, fc for large size classes was markedly less when A was greater than 6mm; while the fc for fine fractions only decreased once amplitudes reached 10 mm. Experiments with wet granular soils demonstrated that wetting above an optimum humidity did not necessarily impede movement and caused agglomeration. This study provides guidelines for managing resuspension of granular soils subjected to vibrations.

Predicting Wave‐Induced Sediment Resuspension at the Perimeter of Lakes Using a Steady‐State Spectral Wave Model

AbstractA steady‐state spectral wave model, STWAVE, is evaluated as a tool for predicting wave‐induced sediment resuspension in lake littoral zones. Steady‐state wave height and bed‐shear stress estimates are tested against 2 years of high‐frequency wave height and turbidity data from six littoral measurement stations in Lake Tahoe. Average wave and sediment resuspension response to a broad range of wind conditions are well captured by the model. Despite steady‐state assumptions, the model reproduces patterns in wave height and sediment resuspension under time‐varying wind conditions at sites with different wave exposure. Model results are insensitive to the measurement location of wind data input among six offshore meteorological buoys. Uniform and variable wind field assumptions yield similar resuspension predictions. Results representing the steady‐state response to spatially uniform wind speed‐direction combinations enable output from a single set of model runs to serve as a reasonable static reference for hindcasting and predicting wave resuspension patterns. This obviates the need for repeated model runs, making STWAVE output an efficient tool for exploring long‐term spatio‐temporal patterns in nearshore wave forcing. Application of this tool is limited by wave height overprediction for short fetches and presumably by the validity of uniform wind field assumptions over very long fetches. Applied successfully at Lake Tahoe, we find that the north and east shores, exposed to the prevailing southwesterly winds, see resuspension conditions upward of 3,000 hr/year, while the south and west shores typically see less than 500. Location‐specific resuspension hours can vary by upward of ±200 hr/year due to shifting interannual wind patterns.

Temporal variability of partially-contaminated sediments in a strongly regulated reservoir of the upper Rhine River

The upper Rhine River is a highly harnessed and regulated river. EDF (a French electricity company) is in charge of eight dams on the upper Rhine River for producing hydro-electricity. In order to increase the safety and the competitiveness of the installations, but also to reduce their environmental impact, the sediment dynamics in these reservoirs has become a key factor to control and predict. In this study, we focused on the Marckolsheim reservoir, which is located 50 kilometers upstream the city of Strasbourg. Since its construction in 1961, this reservoir has been filled continuously with cohesive sediments, partially contaminated. Two field campaigns were performed in 2015 and 2016 under two different discharge conditions, with the objectives of quantifying the complex velocity fields on this site. The numerical codes TELEMAC-2D and SISYPHE were used to simulate in 2D the hydrodynamic and the suspended sediment transport of the reservoir. A ten kilometers long model was built and calibrated with the measured data of the 2015 and 2016 field campaigns, but also with measurements of sediment parameters that have been done separately. The originality of this model consists in an explicit 3D representation of the dam gates. An algorithm was implemented in TELEMAC in order to adapt the gates position at each time step, in conformity with the real regulation rules followed by the dam operator. By using upstream measured data of discharge and suspended sediment concentration, a four months period was simulated. The comparison of the simulated results with bathymetric surveys shows good agreements if specific properties of sediments related to settling processes are taken into account. Finally, the dynamics of the contaminated sediments was simulated. A 3D spatial distribution of the contaminated sediments in the reservoir was defined at the initial state by using in situ measurements. The fully coupled hydraulic-sediment-pollutant simulation performed over a single flood event gives first interesting highlights on the resuspension conditions of the contaminated sediments.

Migration of two antibiotics during resuspension under simulated wind–wave disturbances in a water–sediment system

In this study, the migration of antibiotics (norfloxacin, NOR; and sulfamethoxazole, SMX) under simulated resuspension conditions across the sediment-water interface were quantified for two locations in China: point A, located in Meiliang Bay of Lake Taihu, and point B, located in Dapukou of Lake Taihu. The concentrations of suspended solids (SS) in the overlying water amounted to 100, 500, and 1000 mg/L during background, moderate, and strong simulated wind–wave disturbances, respectively. At each SS level, the initial concentrations of the two antibiotics were set to 1, 5, and 10 mg/L. The results showed that both resuspended SS and the initial concentration of antibiotics could influence the migration of NOR in the water–sediment system. Specifically, both higher SS and initial antibiotic concentrations were associated with higher rates of migration and accumulation of NOR from water to sediment. In contrast, the migration of SMX in the water–sediment system was not impacted by SS or initial antibiotic concentration. The adsorption capacities of sediments for NOR and SMX were significantly different at both locations, possibly reflecting differences in cation exchange capacity (CEC) and organic material (OM) contents. In general, higher CEC and OM values were found in sediments with a higher adsorption capacity for the antibiotics. When CEC and OM values of sediments were higher, the adsorption capacity reached up to 51.73 mg/kg. Large differences in the migration from water to sediment were observed for the two antibiotics, with NOR migration rates higher than those of SMX. The accumulation of NOR in surface sediment during resuspension was about 14 times higher than that of SMX. The main reason for this is that the chemical adsorption of NOR is seldom reversible. Overall, this study demonstrates that resuspension of NOR and SMX attached to sediments under simulated wind–wave disturbances can promote the migration of the antibiotics from water to sediment; these results could be useful for assessing the migration and fate of commonly used antibiotics in water–sediment systems.

Interaction of a mode-2 internal solitary wave with narrow isolated topography

Numerical and experimental studies of the transit of a mode-2 internal solitary wave over an isolated ridge are presented. All studies used a quasi-two-layer fluid with a pycnocline centred at the mid-depth. The wave amplitude and total fluid depth were both varied, while the topography remained fixed. The strength of the interaction between the internal solitary waves and the hill was found to be characterized by three regimes: weak, moderate, and strong interactions. The weak interaction exhibited negligible wave modulation and bottom surface stress. The moderate interaction generated weak and persistent vorticity in the lower layer, in addition to negligible wave modulation. The strong interaction clearly showed material from the trapped core of the mode-2 wave extracted in the form of a thin filament while generating a strong vortex at the hill. A criterion for the strength of the interaction was found by non-dimensionalizing the wave amplitude by the lower layer depth, a/ℓ. A passive tracer was used to measure the conditions for resuspension of boundary material due to the interaction. The speed and prevalence of cross boundary layer transport increased with a/ℓ.

Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) shows increased public health risk associated with exposure to river water under conditions of riverbed sediment resuspension

Although higher microbial concentrations have been reported in sediments than in the overlying water column, most quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) studies have not clearly indicated the contribution of sediment-borne pathogens to estimated risks. Thus, the present study aimed at determining the public health risk associated with exposure to pathogenic bacteria in polluted river water under undisturbed conditions and conditions of sediment resuspension in the Apies River, Gauteng, South Africa. Microbial pathogens were isolated and identified using culture and molecular methods. The beta-Poisson dose-response model was used to estimate the probability of infection (Pi) with the various pathogens, following accidental/intentional ingestion of 1mL or 100mL (or 50mL) of untreated river water. Mean wet season Escherichia coli counts ranged between 5.8E+01 and 8.8E+04MPN/100mL (water column) and between 2.40E+03 and 1.28E+05MPN/100mL (sediments). Mean dry season E. coli counts ranged between 5.11E+00 and 3.40E+03MPN/100mL (water column) and between 5.09E+00 and 6.30E+03MPN/100mL (sediments). Overall (water and sediments) Vibrio cholerae was the most detected pathogen (58.8%) followed by Salmonella spp. (23.9%) and Shigella (10.1%). Ingestion of 1mL of river water could lead to 0%–4% and 1%–74% Pi with E. coli during the dry and wet season, respectively. During the dry season, the Pi with V. cholerae, Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. were 0%–1.39%, 0%–4.11% and 0%–0.16% respectively, depending on volume of water ingested. The risks of infections with all microorganisms increased during the wet season. A 2-log increase in water E. coli count following sediments disturbance led to approximately 10 times higher Pi with E. coli than when sediments were undisturbed. Therefore, the use of the untreated water from the Apies River for drinking, household purposes or recreational activities poses a potential health risk to the users of the river.

Bioavailability of sedimentary phosphorus under repeated sediment resuspension with the addition of algae.

The bioavailability of sedimentary P was investigated under repeated sediment resuspension with and without the addition of algae. Results show that the release of P as dissolved total P and dissolved inorganic P depends on the reduction in Fe/Al-P and Ca-P in the sediments. The reduction rates can be attributed to sediment resuspension and algal assimilation. However, under a low algal concentration, the assimilation of algae in P is lower than the readsorption of reoxidized Fe or other P-binding matter, such as clays and CaCO3 particles. This result was confirmed by the increase in algal available P (AAP) under sediment resuspension conditions with and without the addition of algae. Although measuring the formation and reduction rates of AAP is difficult, AAP is a good predictor of the bioavailability of sedimentary P. The bioavailable P in the sediments can be estimated using the sum of NH4Cl-P, AAP, and %Ca-P at certain concentrations of algae given the assimilation of Ca-P under sediment resuspension conditions with the addition of algae.

Combined Application of Ferrihydrite-Modified Diatomite and Gypsum to Phosphorus Control in a Laboratory-Scale Artificial Aquarium

Effects of the combined application of ferrihydrite-modified diatomite (FHMD) and gypsum on phosphorus control were investigated in a laboratory-scale artificial aquarium under anoxic and agitation conditions over 120 days. Daily oscillation of a metal grid to simulate agitating effects by wind did not yield the sediment resuspension in the 120-day treatment aquarium (120-day aquarium) due to the gypsum stabilization, while significant sediment resuspension was observed in the control aquarium. The combined application of FHMD and gypsum did not affect the total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) concentrations in both the control aquarium and the 120-day aquarium. Under anoxic conditions and sediment resuspension conditions, a large increase in total phosphorus (TP) concentrations was observed in the control aquarium. However, the TP concentrations in the 120-day aquarium stayed relatively stable, within a range of 9.1–13.3 μg/L. After the 120 days’ incubation, translocation from mobile labile-P and organic-P to P adsorbed by FHMD occurred. The combined application of FHMD and gypsum effectively maintained TP levels within the oligotrophic range under anoxic and agitation conditions in the laboratory-scale artificial aquarium by removing phosphorus from lake water and reducing sedimentary phosphorus release via gypsum sediment stabilization and FHMD phosphorus immobilization.

Remobilization of Phosphorus from Sediments of Taihu Lake during Periods of Simulated Resuspension

ABSTRACT: A particle entrainment simulator was used to experimentally produce representative lake resuspension conditions and to investigate the resulting transport of phosphorus to the overlying water column. Five sediment samples were collected from Taihu Lake in China, which has experienced significant eutrophication in recent years. From these experiments, suspended particulate matter concentrations at a steady‐state were calculated quantitatively as a function of shear stress. Soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations demonstrated significant differences depending on applied shears and contaminant loadings. Resuspension resulted in up to orders of magnitude higher particle‐bound algal available phosphorus (AAP) concentrations in the water column. On mass–weight basis, AAP concentrations decreased with shear stress. The same trend was observed for partition coefficients (Kd). However, AAP concentrations normalized for volume increased about 19 times. This was likely a result of entrainment of larger size, lower contaminated particles at higher shears, and the redistribution of phosphorus to water column.

Effects of nanoparticles of TiO2 on food depletion and life-history responses of Daphnia magna

The extent to which different forms of nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) aggregated with microalgae, decreased food levels and hence impaired growth, reproduction and fitness of Daphnia magna individuals were studied. Treatments included three different types of nano-TiO2 differing in their coating or crystalline structure but of similar primary size (20nm) plus a micron-sized bulk material, two exposure levels (1, 10mg/l) and two food ration levels of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris that included a non limiting (1.5μgC/ml) and a limiting one (0.3μgC/ml). Effects were assessed using standardized chronic tests and assays that maximized food depletion in the water column under semi-static and re-suspension conditions. Results indicated that the high ion levels in culture medium lead to the aggregation of nanoparticles followed by particle destabilization. Nanoparticle aggregates interacted with the algae cells, forming clusters. Large TiO2-algae agglomerates settled readily dramatically depleting the concentration of available food for D. magna. At limiting food rations food depletion by nanoparticle aggregation had dramatic effects on reproduction and fitness of exposed D. magna at 1mg/l irrespectively of the particle form. At high food rations effects were only observed for one of the nano-TiO2, P-25, at high exposure levels (10mg/l) under both semi-static and particle re-suspension conditions, which suggest that P-25 effects were mediated by clogging the gut and hence diminishing food acquisition. These results indicate that nano-TiO2 may affect the transfer of energy throughout the planktonic aquatic food webs increasing the settlement of edible particles from the water column.

Underwater Experiments and a Theoretical Model – Case Study in Tallinn Bay

ERM, A., BUSCHMANN, F., LISTAK, M., REBANE, J., and TOMING, G., 2013. Underwater experiments and a theoretical model – case study in Tallinn Bay. In: Conley, D.C., Masselink, G., Russell, P.E. and O'Hare, T.J. (eds.)The aim of this study was to experimentally validate a theoretical shear stress model for calculating critical shear velocities that cause sediment resuspension and bed load transport. Long period measurements with an acoustic Doppler velocimeter were carried out in the Tallinn Bay, in three stations with different bottom geology. Water turbidity was measured at the same level and a camera system was used to register sediment resuspension. Measurements showed that a detailed model must be used in case of strong interactions of waves and currents near the bottom. If currents are weak then a simple Nielsen model can be used to estimate sediment resuspension conditions. Thickness of the bottom boundary layer was found being 1 – 10 cm and the skin friction layer being 0.07 - 0.7 cm. A pilot study using constructed autonomous underwater particle image velocimetry device (PIV) showed that the upper part of bottom boundary layer i.e. the wave boundary layer could be observed by a field PIV-device.