Creek Sediments Research Articles

Continuous-flow fractionation of selenium in contaminated sediment and soil samples using rotating coiled column and microcolumn extraction

Dynamic fractionation is considered to be an attractive alternative to conventional batch sequential extraction procedures for partitioning of trace metals and metalloids in environmental solid samples. This paper reports the first results on the continuous-flow dynamic fractionation of selenium using two different extraction systems, a microcolumn (MC) packed with the solid sample and a rotating coiled column (RCC) in which the particulate matter is retained under the action of centrifugal forces. The eluents (leachants) were applied in correspondence with a four-step sequential extraction scheme for selenium addressing “soluble”, “adsorbed”, “organically bound”, and “elemental” Se fractions extractable by distilled water, phosphate buffer, tetramethylammonium hydroxide, and sodium sulphite solutions, respectively. Selenium was determined in the effluent by using an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer.Contaminated creek sediment and dumped waste (soil) samples from the abandoned mining area were used to evaluate resemblances and discrepancies of two continuous-flow methods for Se fractionation. In general, similar trends were found for Se distribution between extractable and residual fractions. However, for the dumped waste sample which is rich in organic matter, the extraction in RCC provided more effective recovery of environmentally relevant Se forms (the first three leachable fractions). The most evident deviation was observed for “adsorbed” Se (recoveries by RCC and MC are 43 and 7mgkg−1, respectively). The data obtained were correlated with peculiarities of samples under investigation and operational principles of RCC and MC.

Methylation of Hg downstream from the Bonanza Hg mine, Oregon

Abstract Speciation of Hg and conversion to methyl-Hg were evaluated in stream sediment, stream water, and aquatic snails collected downstream from the Bonanza Hg mine, Oregon. Total production from the Bonanza mine was >1360 t of Hg, during mining from the late 1800s to 1960, ranking it as an intermediate sized Hg mine on an international scale. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the distribution, transport, and methylation of Hg downstream from a Hg mine in a coastal temperate climatic zone. Data shown here for methyl-Hg, a neurotoxin hazardous to humans, are the first reported for sediment and water from this area. Stream sediment collected from Foster Creek flowing downstream from the Bonanza mine contained elevated Hg concentrations that ranged from 590 to 71,000 ng/g, all of which (except the most distal sample) exceeded the probable effect concentration (PEC) of 1060 ng/g, the Hg concentration above which harmful effects are likely to be observed in sediment-dwelling organisms. Concentrations of methyl-Hg in stream sediment collected from Foster Creek varied from 11 to 62 ng/g and were highly elevated compared to regional baseline concentrations (0.11–0.82 ng/g) established in this study. Methyl-Hg concentrations in stream sediment collected in this study showed a significant correlation with total organic C (TOC, R 2 = 0.62), generally indicating increased methyl-Hg formation with increasing TOC in sediment. Isotopic-tracer methods indicated that several samples of Foster Creek sediment exhibited high rates of Hg-methylation. Concentrations of Hg in water collected downstream from the mine varied from 17 to 270 ng/L and were also elevated compared to baselines, but all were below the 770 ng/L Hg standard recommended by the USEPA to protect against chronic effects to aquatic wildlife. Concentrations of methyl-Hg in the water collected from Foster Creek ranged from 0.17 to 1.8 ng/L, which were elevated compared to regional baseline sites upstream and downstream from the mine that varied from

Dispatches

Dispatches

Runoff Transport of Pyrethroids from a Residential Lawn in Central California

An irrigation runoff study on a residential lawn was conducted in California, northeast of Sacramento, during the summer and fall of 2008 to investigate the contribution of turf uses of pyrethroids to residues in Californian urban creek sediments. This study examined how over irrigation (i.e., irrigation that produces runoff) in the summer season may transport recently applied pyrethroids. The study included liquid and granular applications of both bifenthrin [(2-methyl-3-phenyl-phenyl) methyl 3-(2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoro-prop-1-enyl)-2,2-dimethyl-cyclopropane-1-carboxylate] and beta-cyfluthrin [Cyano(4-fluoro-3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl 3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2-dimethyl-cyclopropanecarboxylate]. Generally, runoff did not occur at irrigation rates of 2.03 cm/h (0.8 in/h) but did occur when the irrigation rates were increased to about 3.81 cm/h (1.5 in/h), generating chemical losses in the first runoff event of up to 0.58 and 0.08% of applied for beta-cyfluthrin and bifenthrin, respectively. Chemical runoff losses dropped significantly between over-irrigation events with the third over-irrigation event chemical runoff losses representing 0.026 and 0.015% of applied for beta-cyfluthrin and bifenthrin, respectively. Runoff losses were generally less for liquid formulations than granular formulations but within a factor of three. Additionally, the study included a simulated winter rainstorm 8 wk after application. The low runoff losses from turf seen in this study suggest that other sources could be contributing to observed residues in urban streams. Other sources could include pyrethroids ending up on impervious surfaces, such as concrete driveways from off-target applications to turf, spills, and other poor handling practices, or pyrechroids applied directly to impervious surfaces for insect control.

Characterization of the Active Bacterial Community Involved in Natural Attenuation Processes in Arsenic-Rich Creek Sediments

Acid mine drainage of the Carnoulès mine (France) is characterized by acid waters containing high concentrations of arsenic and iron. In the first 30 m along the Reigous, a small creek draining the site, more than 38% of the dissolved arsenic was removed by co-precipitation with Fe(III), in agreement with previous studies, which suggest a role of microbial activities in the co-precipitation of As(III) and As(V) with Fe(III) and sulfate. To investigate how this particular ecosystem functions, the bacterial community was characterized in water and sediments by 16S rRNA encoding gene library analysis. Based on the results obtained using a metaproteomic approach on sediments combined with high-sensitivity HPLC-chip spectrometry, several GroEL orthologs expressed by the community were characterized, and the active members of the prokaryotic community inhabiting the creek sediments were identified. Many of these bacteria are β-proteobacteria such as Gallionella and Thiomonas, but γ-proteobacteria such as Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and α-proteobacteria such as Acidiphilium, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes were also detected.

A novel family of functional operons encoding methane/ammonia monooxygenase‐related proteins in gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs

Genomes of alphaproteobacterial and verrucomicrobial methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) encode sequence-divergent copies of particulate methane monooxygenase [pMMO = (PmoABC); pmoCAB]. In contrast, sequenced gammaproteobacterial MOB (Gamma-MOB) genomes contain single or multiple near-identical copies of pmoCAB operons. In betaproteobacterial ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (Beta-AOB), near-identical amoCAB operons encode ammonia monooxygenase (AMO), a homologue of pMMO. Here, we report that Gamma-MOB in the genera Methylomonas, Methylobacter and Methylomicrobium also encode a sequence-divergent particulate monooxygenase (pXMO). Whereas all known genes encoding pMMO or AMO cluster in the order 'CAB', the genes encoding pXMO are uniquely organized in the non-canonical form 'pxmABC.' Steady state pxm mRNA was detected in cultures of Methylomonas sp. as well as in freshwater creek sediment samples, demonstrating that pxm genes are expressed in culture and in situ. Inclusion of PxmA and PxmB proteins in phylogenetic analyses of the Pmo/Amo protein superfamilies created trifurcated trees with three major clades: (i) Pmo of Alpha- and Gamma-MOB and Amo of Gamma-AOB; (ii) Amo of Beta-AOB, Pmo of putative ethane-oxidizing Gamma-MOB and Pxm of Gamma-MOB; and (iii) verrucomicrobial Pmo and Amo of ammonia-oxidizing Archaea. These data support but do not prove the hypothesis that oxygen-dependent methane and ammonia monooxygenases evolved from a substrate-promiscuous ancestor after horizontal transfer while being integrated into the catabolic contexts of their extant hosts.

Survival of E. coli O157:H12 in creek sediments after inoculation and re-inoculation

This work tested the hypothesis that E. coli survival after streambed sediment inoculation does not differ significantly from survival in the same sediment after re-inoculation. The E. coli O157:H12 survived in two sediments with markedly different particle size distributions and organic matter contents in one-month-long experiments in flow-through chambers at 14°C and 23°C. The inactivation rates after re-inoculation were smaller than after inoculation; the differences were significant (P < 0.1) in two of four experiments. This study suggests that E. coli O157:H12 was able to adapt to the sediment environment so that its survival after re-inoculation improved.

Effluent‐dominated streams. Part 1: Presence and effects of excess nitrogen and phosphorus in Wascana Creek, Saskatchewan, Canada

Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada (population 190,400) treats its sewage at a modern sewage treatment plant (STP) on Wascana Creek. In the winter, treated sewage effluent makes up almost 100% of stream flow. Four surveys conducted from 2005 to 2007, in differing seasons, indicated significantly higher nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations at sites downstream of the STP compared to an upstream control site. Downstream, Wascana Creek is N hypersaturated (total dissolved N >3 mg/L) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) makes up a greater percentage of total P (TP). Diminished nutrient retention capacities for both N and P are directly attributable to STP effluent. Creek SRP concentrations are less than estimates of equilibrium P concentrations (EPC(o)), indicating that creek sediments may be a source of P, further exacerbating hypereutrophic ambient SRP concentrations. As well, NO(2) + NO(3)-N concentrations far surpass World Health Organization limits for drinking water (10 mg/L) and sensitive taxa, while NH(3)-N, NH(4)-N, and NO(2) + NO(3)-N exceed Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for Protection of Aquatic Life and those for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. High NH(4)-N concentrations may be responsible for depressions not only in algal biomass and production observed downstream but reductions in primary to bacterial production ratios (PP:BP). In spring and fall, these reductions push PP:BP from net autotrophy to heterotrophy. The Wascana Creek study highlights the considerable problems associated with excess nutrients in effluent-dominated ecosystems (EDS). It also underlines the need for better controls on NH(4)-N additions from STPs in such EDS, especially in a day and age when freshwater supplies are dwindling and negative effects of climate change are expected.

Evaluation of the toxicity of river and creek sediments in Hungary with two different methods

The aim of this study is to compare the responses of two different ecotoxicological methods for the determination of the toxic hazard of river or creek sediments in Hungary. Since water quality is intrinsically linked to sediment quality, the ecotoxicological control of sediments is also very important in the water quality policy. The 2000/60 EC Water Framework Directive aims at achieving a good qualitative and quantitative status of all water bodies by 2015. Fifteen sediments and four sludges were collected at different sites in Hungary, which are contaminated by industrial sewage. The first assay is the acute toxicity test with the crustacean Daphnia magna Straus (OECD 202) using larvae less than 1 day old, and an exposure time of 2 days. The second assay is the Ostracodtoxkit F with freshly hatched larvae of the crustacean Heterocypris incongruens and an exposure time of 6 days. The Ostracodtoxkit F test is a "direct sediment contact" bioassay, in which the test organisms are in continuous contact with the sediments. The Daphnia tests were applied on water extracts of the sediment without any contact of the test organisms with the contaminated sediment. The same 1:4 water/sediment ratio has been applied to both tests. The results showed higher toxic effects of the sediments to H. incongruens than to D. magna confirming the need to complement "water only" tests with "solid phase" assays for a meaningful evaluation of the toxic hazard of aquatic environments. The sensitivity of H. incongruens is similar to that of the other test species which are currently used for solid-phase assays. The growth inhibition of H. incongruens is a very sensitive endpoint for sediment toxicity testing. The sediment toxicity tested by ostracods showed strong correlation with concentration of total chromium, lead, and cadmium together.

Diel depth distributions of microbenthos in tidal creek sediments: high resolution mapping in fluorescently labeled embedded cores

Intertidal sediments experience substantial changes in temperature, salinity, and solar irradiation over short time periods. We applied the Fluorescently Labeled Embedded Core (FLEC) technique to map distribution patterns of microbenthos in tidal creek sediments. Our aims were to determine if micro-scale distributions varied over the course of a day and to test the null hypothesis that microbenthos are randomly distributed. Eight samples were collected at 3 h intervals from an intertidal sandflat on Sapelo Island, Georgia, USA. Cores were incubated with CellTracker Green (CMFDA, hereafter, CTG), a fluorogenic compounds that accumulates in metabolically active cells. Cores were embedded with epoxy and examined with laser scanning confocal microscopy. Image analysis was used to map the vertical locations of active microbenthos, which in these sediments consisted of benthic microalgae (BMA), ciliates, and flagellates. Microbenthos were abundant over the entire depth profiled (2 cm), although O2 microelectrode profiles indicate that only the top 3 mm of sediment was oxygenated during high light (1,000 μE m−2 s−1). More than 91% of organisms mapped were <22 μm in diameter and, based upon size and cell appearance, were BMA. Microbenthos accumulated in the top 1 mm at 0800 and 1100 h, corresponding to both low tide and high solar irradiation. This pattern conforms to BMA migratory rhythms determined by other methods. The standardized Morisita’s Index of dispersion determined that CTG-positive objects were significantly clumped at all time points and at each of the three spatial scales examined. This clumping pattern likely results from the heterogeneous distribution of resources, such as prey items for phagotrophs and dissolved nutrients or growth substrates for autotrophs or heterotrophs.

Urban pesticide risk assessment and risk management: Get involved

Urban pesticide risk assessment and risk management: Get involved

Manganese and Sulfate Removal from a Synthetic Mine Drainage Through Pilot Scale Bioreactor Batch Experiments

Mine drainage is a significant problem in the Appalachian Plateau due to elevated metal and solute concentrations. Most metals may be removed by oxidation/precipitation or natural buffering, but Mn is more difficult to remove due to its higher solubility. Some mine drainages in southeastern Kentucky have average sulfate and Mn concentrations exceeding 1,300 and 30 mg L−1, respectively. Manganese does not readily form sulfidic minerals, and MnS precipitation following sulfate reduction has not proven to be a promising pathway for permanent Mn immobilization. Our study involved batch experiments with five different organic carbon sources in combination with five inorganic substrates to treat a simulated mine drainage with pH 6.2 and Mn and sulfate concentrations of 90 and 1,500 mg/L, respectively. The Mn removal capacity varied widely between treatment mixtures, from 80%. The most effective treatment was provided by the biosolids or wood mulch amendments in combination with the creek sediment. Sulfate reduction levels were not stoichiometrically matched with MnS formation, suggesting that the prevalent Mn removal mechanisms were sorption and precipitation as oxide, oxy-hydroxide and carbonate, rather than Mn-sulfide phases.

The effect of increased nitrate loading on nitrate reduction via denitrification and DNRA in salt marsh sediments

The effects of increased nitrogen loading on denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in marsh sediments were studied in permanently submerged subtidal creek sediments and on the tidally inundated vegetated marsh platform in Plum Island Sound estuary, Massachusetts. DNRA and denitrification in surface sediments were measured at all sites using whole‐core incubations and the isotope pairing technique, which allows distinction between denitrification of water column nitrate and coupled nitrification‐denitrification. On the marsh platform, denitrification was also measured at depth in the rhizosphere, using a new approach that combined the push‐pull method and the isotope pairing technique. In tidal creek sediments, fertilization increased denitrification of water column nitrate by approximately one order of magnitude, and coupled nitrification‐denitrification threefold. Coupled nitrification‐denitrification made a significant contribution to the total N2 production in the unfertilized creek but was of minor importance in the fertilized creek due to increased rates of denitrification of water column nitrate. In the surface sediment of the marsh platform, fertilization increased denitrification of water column nitrate by an order of magnitude during inundation of the marsh platform, about 12% of the day. However, coupled nitrification‐denitrification occurring at depth in the rhizosphere was the main denitrification pathway, accounting for more than 50% of the total N2 production in the fertilized as well as in the reference marsh. DNRA was measured in the surface sediment only, where it was comparable in magnitude to denitrification in the fertilized as well as in the unfertilized marsh.

The Cartagena–La Unión mining district (SE spain): a review of environmental problems and emerging phytoremediation solutions after fifteen years research

After mining in the Cartagena-La Unión Mining District (SE Spain) was discontinued in 1992, various studies have shown that large amounts of toxic metals continue to be transferred with the spread of unstabilized mining wastes to the nearby ecosystems. Local creeks seem to be important pathways carrying eroded materials from the headwaters to the nearby coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Studies have shown the presence of high metal concentrations in the sediments of riverbeds and in river mouths and adjacent coastal marshes (e.g. 500 mg kg(-1) As; 12 000 mg kg(-1) Pb). Also, some nearby agricultural areas are affected (up to 10 mg kg(-1) Pb in lettuce leaves). Metal transfer into biota has been demonstrated in creek sediments in relation to benthic organisms (up to 222 mg kg(-1) Pb in molluscs). The mining wastes in the area are spontaneously colonized by native plant species. On the tailings, most of the plant species are grasses (e.g. Lygeum spartum, Piptatherum miliaceum); in polluted salt marshes, halophytic species dominate (e.g. Arthrocnemum macrostachyum). Metal uptake by plants is in general low (10 mg kg(-1) for Cu; <200 mg kg(-1) Pb; <500 mg kg(-1) Zn). Preliminary tests have shown the suitability of amendments (e.g. lime, fertilizer, pig manure) to improve the establishment of certain vegetation on the tailings. Phytostabilization appears to be a promising technology to decrease erosion in the tailings. However, tailings must be individually analysed in order to determine their geostructural stability, as in addition, mechanical stabilization will be needed in some cases to prevent collapse.

The effect of increased nitrate loading on nitrate reduction via denitrification and DNRA in salt marsh sediments

The effects of increased nitrogen loading on denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in marsh sediments were studied in permanently submerged subtidal creek sediments and on the tidally inundated vegetated marsh platform in Plum Island Sound estuary, Massachusetts. DNRA and denitrification in surface sediments were measured at all sites using whole-core incubations and the isotope pairing technique, which allows distinction between denitrification of water column nitrate and coupled nitrification-denitrification. On the marsh platform, denitrification was also measured at depth in the rhizosphere, using a new approach that combined the push-pull method and the isotope pairing technique. In tidal creek sediments, fertilization increased denitrification of water column nitrate by approximately one order of magnitude, and coupled nitrification-denitrification threefold. Coupled nitrification-denitrification made a significant contribution to the total N2 production in the unfertilized creek but was of minor importance in the fertilized creek due to increased rates of denitrification of water column nitrate. In the surface sediment of the marsh platform, fertilization increased denitrification of water column nitrate by an order of magnitude during inundation of the marsh platform, about 12% of the day. However, coupled nitrification-denitrification occurring at depth in the rhizosphere was the main denitrification pathway, accounting for more than 50% of the total N2 production in the fertilized as well as in the reference marsh. DNRA was measured in the surface sediment only, where it was comparable in magnitude to denitrification in the fertilized as well as in the unfertilized marsh.

Phosphorus and carbohydrate limitation of fecal coliform and fecal enterococcus within tidal creek sediments

Aquatic sediments can be a significant reservoir of bacterial indicators of fecal contamination at levels higher than the waters above them. Several environmental factors have been identified that can enhance the role of sediments as a reservoir for enteric pathogens, including carbon and/or phosphorus availability. In order to investigate the influence of these and other environmental factors on sediment fecal bacteria populations, sediment samples were collected from a coastal watershed in southeastern North Carolina and analyzed for fecal coliform and fecal enterococcus using a modified membrane filtration technique. Measurements of sediment phosphorus, sediment carbohydrate, and environmental factors were made and relationships with bacteria concentrations were assessed. These observations were accompanied by an experimental laboratory manipulation of phosphorus and carbohydrate and their effects on sediment-associated fecal coliform and enterococcus. Field results suggested that sediment-associated indicator bacteria were not limited by sediment phosphorus or carbohydrate. Experimental results suggested that sediment-associated fecal bacteria were more frequently limited by bioavailable carbohydrate. Sediment phosphorus was limiting for fecal enterococcus only where sediment P was initially low (<31 μg P g−1). A strong positive response by sediment fecal coliform concentrations to recent (24 h) precipitation was evidence that stormwater runoff delivers fecal bacteria loadings that are only partly measurable by conventional water sampling schemes, and by driving sediment and sediment P-loading plays a significant role in enhancing aquatic sediments as reservoirs for fecal microbes.

Effects of sunlight on the production of dissolved organic and inorganic nutrients from resuspended sediments

A series of laboratory-based and field experiments was conducted to address the effects of sunlight-exposed resuspended sediments on dissolved nutrient fluxes in two different water bodies. In suspensions of tidal creek sediments in 0.2 μm-filtered creek water, measurable increases in dissolved nutrients occurred after only 2 h of exposure to simulated sunlight. During a 6-h irradiation, nutrient release rates for total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and phosphate were 2.2 ± 0.5 (standard error; S.E.) μmol g−1 h−1 and 0.09 ± 0.005 μmol g−1 h−1 (S.E.), compared to no significant changes in dark controls. The majority of nitrogen was released as dissolved organic nitrogen (87% on average) with lesser amounts of ammonium (13%). Continental shelf sediments resuspended in unfiltered seawater also released phosphate and TDN when exposed to sunlight, suggesting that this process can occur in a variety of marine and estuarine environments. The source material for inorganic nutrients appears to be associated with sediments rather than dissolved organic matter, as no significant changes in nutrient concentrations occurred in experiments with 0.2 μm-filtered creek water or seawater alone. Results suggest that photoproduction of dissolved nutrients from resuspended sediments could be an episodically significant and previously unrecognized source of dissolved organic and inorganic nutrients to coastal ecosystems. This process may be especially important for continental margins where episodic resuspension events occur, as well as in regions experiencing high riverine sediment fluxes resulting from erosion associated with deforestation and desertification.

Comparative study of mercury accumulation in some brackish water fishes in a tropical lagoon and its adjacent creek in south western Nigeria

The Hg content of some brackish water fishes, water and sediment in Lagos lagoon and Abule - Agege creek were investigated from February to September, 2004. The pH of the lagoon was neutral however the creek was mildly acidic (6.75) in the dry season. The Hg content of the lagoon ranged from 0.27 - 0.40 mg/l for water and 0.46 - 0.56 µg/g dry wt for sediment lower than the creek range (0.41 - 0.42 mg/l and 0.71 - 0.72 µg/g) for the dry season. For the rainy season high Hg levels were recorded in lagoon water ranged from 0.41 - 0.48 mg/l more than the creek ranged from 0.42 - 0.44 mg/l. However, more mercury was recorded in the creek sediment 0.95 µg/g than that in lagoon sediment 0.71 - 0.81 µg/g. Surface water temperature for the creek was lower than the lagoon. Generally, higher mercury values were recorded in sediment than in the water in both the lagoon and the creek. For the fish species 0.72 ± 0.05 µg/g of Hg was detected in Sarotherodon melanotheron, more than in both Tilapia guineensis and Hemichromis fasciatus, this is related mainly to the mode of feeding. Hg content of the examined fish was below maximum permissible levels (0.5 - 1.5 µg/g) in the food chemical codex. Key words: Biomagnifications, Hg, brackish water, fish, chemical codex.

Post‐depositional memory record of mercury in sediment near the effluent disposal site of a chlor‐alkali plant in Thane Creek–Mumbai Harbour, India

A mercury‐cell chlor‐alkali plant, operating for 40 years at Airoli (eastern bank of Thane Creek), India, has caused widespread contamination of the surrounding environment. Untreated wastewater from the plant was discharged to Thane Creek for several years. Thane Creek joins the Ulhas Estuary by a narrow arm and opens to the Arabian Sea through Mumbai Harbour. The Ulhas Estuary is impacted by mercury (Hg) released from several industries including two chlor‐alkali industries. In order to understand the historical record of anthropogenic Hg and its association to Al, Fe and total organic carbon (TOC), estimation of Hg, Al, Fe and TOC was made in surface sediments and cores from Thane Creek–Mumbai Harbour and the adjacent coastal area. Though 70% of the chlor‐alkali plant has been changed to membrane cell technology, surficial sediment in the vicinity of effluent release contains a high concentration (up to 1.19 µg g−1 dry wt) of Hg compared with its background value (0.10 µg g−1 dry wt). The contaminated creek sediments are prone to current‐driven resuspension and are acting as a strong source of Hg to the sediment of the coastal region. Several rocks and sediments from the catchment area were analysed to find out the natural background level of Hg. A high suspended load transported from the catchment region provides natural dilution to the Hg‐contaminated sediment of the Bay. Lithogenic and anthropogenic Hg buried in marine sediments is quantified based on normalization with Al, Fe and TOC, and inter‐comparisons of the results indicate comparable values obtained by using Al and Fe, while discernible deviations are found when normalization is carried out using TOC. The Hg profile in the core, from the effluent release site for which sedimentation rate has been established, is discussed in terms of the progressive removal of Hg from the effluent after the mid‐1970s and partial changeover of the manufacturing process from Hg cell to membrane cell production subsequent to 1992. Based on the reported sedimentation rate in the locality, a maximum concentration (49.19 µg g−1 dry wt) of Hg corresponds to the year 1967, when the chlor‐alkali plant started discharging its untreated effluent to the creek. Results indicate that more than 80% of Hg settles in the vicinity of its discharge and, once deposited in the sediment, it is not affected to any substantial degree by diagenesis.

A Small-Scale Sulfate-Reducing Bioreactor for Manganese Removal from a Synthetic Mine Drainage

This research evaluated the efficiency of a mesocosm scale bioreactor to remove Mn from a synthetic mine drainage in the presence of selected organic and inorganic substrate combinations that could enhance sulfate reduction and induce Mn sulfide precipitation. The mine drainage tested was slightly acidic (pH 6.2) and had average Mn and SO4 concentrations of 90 and 1,500 mg/L, respectively. The substrates used were creek sediment amended with either wood mulch or a wood mulch and biosolid mixture. Greater than 90% of Mn and 70% of sulfate was removed over a 65-day test period. The results suggested multiple Mn removal mechanisms including sorption, complexation, and Mn sulfide, Mn oxide, and/or Mn carbonate precipitation.