Water and sediment quality in Qinghai Lake,China: a revisit after half a century

Qinghai Lake, situated on the Qinghai–Tibet plateau, is the largest lake in China. In this study, the water and sediment quality were investigated in Qinghai Lake, three sublakes, and five major tributaries. Both Na⁺ and Cl^? were found to be the major ions present in Qinghai Lake and the three sublakes, while Ca²⁺ and HCO^3? dominated the tributaries. Compared with historical data from the 1960s, the concentrations of NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ^?, and soluble reactive silica have increased considerably, likely caused by increased human activities in the area. Compared to the historical data, chemical oxygen demand has increased and lake water transparency has decreased, likely related to an increase in nutrient levels. Relatively high concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were observed in Qinghai Lake sediments, although P fraction types and low water concentrations of these two indicate low possibility of transfer into the water column. The ratios of C/N suggest that the organic matter in the sediments are primarily from autochthonous sources. TN and total organic carbon in the sediment cores increased slowly up the core while TP and total inorganic carbon have been fairly constant.     

Hydrology, suspended sediment dynamics and nutrient loading in Lake Takkobu, a degrading lake ecosystem in Kushiro Mire, northern Japan

Suspended sediment and nutrient loadings from agricultural watersheds have lead to habitat degradation in Lake Takkobu. To examine their relationships with land-use activities, we monitored sediment, nutrient and water discharges into the lake for a 1-year sampling period. The Takkobu River contributed the largest portion of the annual water discharge into the lake, compared with the other tributaries. During dry conditions, lake water flowed into the Kushiro River, and conversely during flooding, Kushiro River water flowed into the lake. Inflows from the Kushiro River had a high proportion of inorganic matter, with high concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus, attributed to agricultural land-use development and stream channelization practiced since the 1960s in the Kushiro Mire. Nutrient loadings from these two rivers were significantly higher during flooding than in dry conditions. However, there was no clear correlation between river discharge and nutrient concentrations. Since land-use activities in the Kushiro River and Takkobu River watersheds were concentrated near rivers, nutrients easily entered the drainage system under low flow conditions. In contrast, water discharged from small, forest-dominated watersheds contained a low proportion of inorganic matter, and low nutrient concentrations. The suspended sediment delivered to the lake during the sample period was estimated as approximately 607 tons, while the total nitrogen and total phosphorus inflows were about 10,466 and 1,433 kg, respectively. Suspended sediment input into the lake was 65%, and total nitrogen and total phosphorus were 40% and 48%, respectively, being delivered by the Kushiro River.     

Assessment and sources of nonaromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of three harbors in Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Nonaromatic hydrocarbons and geochemical parameters from 17 sediment?Cwater interface samples were used to assess sources of organic matter in three harbors, located in Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil. The evaluation was based on the molar C/N/P ratios, abundance of resolved nonaromatic hydrocarbons (3.0?C25.9 ??g g^???1), unresolved complex mixture, and two indexes: the carbon preference index (CPI) and the low molecular weight to high molecular weight ratio. The results indicate that the organic matter is predominantly of terrestrial origin (C/N > 10 and CPI > 2). Variations in the total organic carbon from 0.43 to 2.98 mmol g^???1 and total phosphorus from 82.4 to 464.3 ??g g^???1 showed no clear correlation with the silt and clay fractions of the sediments possibly due to anthropogenic input. In contrast to the low level of contamination based on the acyclic hydrocarbon distribution, the results obtained from a series of geologically stable hopanes and steranes reveal the presence of less degradable petroleum derivatives.     

Seasonal baseline of nutrients and stable isotopes in a saline lake of Argentina: biogeochemical processes and river runoff effects

The seasonal variability of inorganic and organic nutrients and stable isotopes and their relations with plankton and environmental conditions were monitored in Lake Chasicó. Principal component analysis evidenced the strong influence of the river runoff on several biogeochemical variables. Silicate concentrations were controlled by diatom biomass and river discharge. Higher values of nitrate and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) indicated agricultural uses in the river basin. Elevated pH values (～9) inhibiting nitrification in the lake explained partially the dominance of ammonium: ～83 % of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). The low DIN/SRP ratio inferred nitrogen limitation, although the hypotheses of iron and CO₂ limitation are relevant in alkaline lakes. Particulate organic matter (POM) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) were mainly of autochthonous origin. The main allochthonous input was imported by the river as POM owning to the arid conditions. Dissolved organic carbon was likely top-down regulated by the bacterioplankton grazer Brachionus plicatilis. The δ¹³C signature was a good indicator of primary production and its values were influenced probably by CO₂ limitation. The δ¹⁵N did not evidence nitrogen fixation and suggested the effects of anthropogenic activities. The preservation of a good water quality in the lake is crucial for resource management.     

Spatial distribution and human contamination quantification of trace metals and phosphorus in the sediments of Chaohu Lake,a eutrophic shallow lake,China

Distinguishing and quantifying anthropogenic trace metals and phosphorus accumulated in sediment is important for the protection of our aquatic ecosystems. Here, anthropogenic proportion and potential sources of trace metals and phosphorus in surface sediments of Chaohu Lake were evaluated based on the exhaustive geochemical data. The analysis shows that concentrations of major and trace metals, and phosphorus, displayed significant spatial diversity and almost all elements were over the pre-industrial background value, which should be related to the variations of sediment composition partially. Therefore, conservative element normalization was introduced and calculated enrichment factors (EFs) of the elements were referenced highlighting the human contamination. EFs of the major and trace metals, except Zn, Pb, and Cu, were all nearly 1.0, indicating the detrital origin. The EFs of Zn, Pb, Cu and phosphorus were 1.0–10.4, 1.0–3.8, 1.0–4.9, and 1.0–7.6, respectively, showing moderate to significant contamination. Higher EFs of Zn, Pb and Cu occurred in the mouth areas of Nanfei River and Zhegao River, and they decreased to the lake center in the northwest and northeast lake areas, respectively. We deduced that anthropogenic Zn, Pb, and Cu were mainly from urban and industrial point sources and the non-point sources of atmospheric deposition contributed little to their contamination. The EFs of phosphorus showed similar spatial degradation with that of Zn, Pb, and Cu. Moreover, higher EFs (>1) of phosphorus also occurred in other areas adjacent to the river mouths besides Nanfei River and Zhegao River. This indicated that the non-point agricultural source may also be responsible for the contamination of phosphorus in Chaohu Lake in addition to the urban sewage sources. Anthropogenic phosphorus was mainly concentrated in the speciation of NaOH-P, which had higher potential biological effects than the detrital proportion. Concentrations of Zn, Pb and Cu surpassed the threshold effect concentrations (TEC) of consensus-based sediment quality guidelines of freshwater ecosystems, especially in the contaminated northwest area of Chaohu Lake. This highlighted the contributions of anthropogenic contamination to the elevated potential biological effects of trace metals. Though there had been no obvious human contamination of Cr and Ni in Chaohu Lake, concentrations were all over the TECs, which may be due to higher background levels in the parent materials of soils and bedrocks in Chaohu Lake catchment.     

基于人工神经网络的巢湖富营养化分时分区评价

应用人工神经网络方法,以温度、高锰酸盐指数、总磷、总氮作为评价参数,对巢湖湖区12个点位的营养状态进行了分时段评价,一共评价了2000年至2003年四个年度的各月份的营养状态。因为湖泊的营养状态水平是变化的,不同区域、不同时段营养状态水平是不同的,因此采用分区分时评价更能全面客观地反映巢湖的营养状态水平及其变化特征。     

Contrasting temporal trends and relationships of total organic carbon, black carbon, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rural low-altitude and remote high-altitude lakes

Historical records of total organic carbon (TOC), black carbon (BC), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were reconstructed in dated sediment cores from four nearby lakes in central Switzerland. In the sub-Alpine Lake Thun, located at 558 m a.s.l., the proximity to anthropogenic emission sources is reflected in higher input of BC and PAHs into sediments with fluxes only slightly decreasing during the last decades. PAH/BC ratios are relatively high and correlation between levels of total PAHs and BC is almost inexistent in Lake Thun, probably due to the presence of less condensed forms of the BC spectrum (char BC) that is underestimated with the chemothermal oxidation method applied in this study. The sediment profiles of TOC, BC, and PAHs are noticeably different in the mountain lakes located around 2000 m a.s.l. In Lake Engstlen, the PAH/BC ratios, as well as the correlation between PAHs and BC, point towards appreciable amounts of predominantly light soot particles. Light soot particles have higher mobility and can, therefore, be efficiently transported to this remote site. The proglacial Lake Oberaar is shown to be a receptor of BC and PAHs released by the fast melting adjacent glacier acting as a secondary source for these conservative species temporarily stored in the glacier ice. Finally, Lake Stein is in strong contrast to all other lakes. High flux of BC into Lake Stein, combined with constant temporal evolutions of BC and PAHs, and in particular BC/TOC ratios approaching 100% are all strong indications for a geogenic presence of graphite in its catchment area.     

A 100 year sedimentary record of heavy metal pollution in a shallow eutrophic lake, Lake Chaohu, China

This study has worked on the evaluation of the temporal and spatial evolution of heavy metal contamination in sediment taken from a shallow eutrophic lake, Lake Chaohu, China, over the last 100 years, and thereby used (137)Cs and (210)Pb dating, a PIRLA procedure, statistical analysis, geochemical normalization and a enrichment factor calculation (EF). Concentrations of 5174, 29?325, 10.7, 36.4, 20.4, 386.0, 21.1 and 38.4 mg kg(-1) for Ti, Fe, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn, respectively, are proposed as natural background values for the Lake Chaohu based on a PIRLA procedure. The contamination history from the last 100 years can be divided into two periods. Before the 1960s, heavy metal contamination did not occur and there was no spatial difference for heavy metal distribution. Since the 1960s, heavy metal enrichment and contamination has occurred, and the west half of the lake region showed a higher degree of contamination than the east half to various intensified anthropogenic activities. In the east half of the lake region, the anthropogenic source of heavy metals mainly originated from agricultural intensification, whereas in the west half of the lake it originated from city runoff and industry as well as agriculture. In all anthropogenic heavy metals, Co is only from industry.     

典型湖泊水华特征及相关影响因素分析

通过2011-2015年对太湖、巢湖和滇池水华高发季节的连续监测,以藻类密度和水华面积为判据评价了3个湖体的水华情况及变化趋势,探讨了水华发生的主要影响因素。结果表明：太湖水华程度以"轻度水华"为主,巢湖水华程度以"轻微水华"为主,滇池水华程度以"中度水华"为主;太湖、巢湖和滇池水华规模均以"零星性水华"为主;太湖和巢湖藻类密度与水温、pH、溶解氧、总氮、总磷和高锰酸盐指数均呈显著正相关,与透明度呈显著负相关,与氨氮无显著相关性;滇池藻类密度与水温、总磷和高锰酸盐指数均呈显著正相关,与透明度和氨氮呈显著负相关,与pH、溶解氧和总氮无显著相关性。     

From lake to estuary,the tale of two waters: a study of aquatic continuum biogeochemistry

The balance of fresh and saline water is essential to estuarine ecosystem function. Along the fresh-brackish-saline water gradient within the C-43 canal/Caloosahatchee River Estuary (CRE), the quantity, timing and distribution of water, and associated water quality significantly influence ecosystem function. Long-term trends of water quality and quantity were assessed from Lake Okeechobee to the CRE between May 1978 and April 2016. Significant changes to monthly flow volumes were detected between the lake and the estuary which correspond to changes in upstream management. and climatic events. Across the 37-year period, total phosphorus (TP) flow-weighted mean (FWM) concentration significantly increased at the lake; meanwhile, total nitrogen (TN) FMW concentrations significantly declined at both the lake and estuary headwaters. Between May 1999 and April 2016, TN, TP, and total organic carbon (TOC), ortho-P, and ammonium conditions were assessed within the estuary at several monitoring locations. Generally, nutrient concentrations decreased from upstream to downstream with shifts in TN/TP from values >?20 in the freshwater portion, ~?20 in the estuarine portion, and <?20 in the marine portion indicating a spatial shift in nutrient limitations along the continuum. Aquatic productivity analysis suggests that the estuary is net heterotrophic with productivity being negatively influenced by TP, TN, and TOC likely due to a combination of effects including shading by high color dissolved organic matter. We conclude that rainfall patterns, land use, and the resulting discharges of runoff drive the ecology of the C-43/CRE aquatic continuum and associated biogeochemistry rather than water management associated with Lake Okeechobee.     

Elemental composition of sediments in Lake Jinzai, Japan: Assessment of sources and pollution

Bottom sediments from Lake Jinzai in southwest Japan were analyzed to determine their chemical compositions and to assess the potential for ecological harm by comparison with sediment quality guidelines. The pollution status of lake sediments was evaluated by employing contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), and geoaccumulation index (I(geo)), focusing on a suite of elements in lakebed and core sediments. Elevated concentrations of As, Pb, Zn, Cu, TOC, N, and P were present in several layers of the upper core and other surface sediments. The elevated metal concentrations are likely related to the fine-grained nature of the sediments, reducing bottom conditions produced by abundant organic matter, and possibly minor non-point anthropogenic sources. Moreover, correlations between the concentrations of trace metals and organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron, suggest that these elements play a role in controlling abundances. Calculated CF, PLI, and I(geo) indicate that the sediments are strongly polluted with respect to As, moderately to strongly polluted with Zn, and moderately polluted with Pb and Cu. Metal concentrations exceed the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) lowest effect level and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) interim sediment quality guidelines that indicate moderate impact on aquatic organisms in the study area.     

Water quality of potential reference lakes in the Arkansas Valley and Ouachita Mountain ecoregions,Arkansas

This report describes a study to identify reference lakes in two lake classifications common to parts of two level III ecoregions in western Arkansas—the Arkansas Valley and Ouachita Mountains. Fifty-two lakes were considered. A screening process that relied on land-use data was followed by reconnaissance water-quality sampling, and two lakes from each ecoregion were selected for intensive water-quality sampling. Our data suggest that Spring Lake is a suitable reference lake for the Arkansas Valley and that Hot Springs Lake is a suitable reference lake for the Ouachita Mountains. Concentrations for five nutrient constituents—orthophosphorus, total phosphorus, total kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total organic carbon—were lower at Spring Lake on all nine sampling occasions and transparency measurements at Spring Lake were significantly deeper than measurements at Cove Lake. For the Ouachita Mountains ecoregion, water quality at Hot Springs Lake slightly exceeded that of Lake Winona. The most apparent water-quality differences for the two lakes were related to transparency and total organic carbon concentrations, which were deeper and lower at Hot Springs Lake, respectively. Our results indicate that when nutrient concentrations are low, transparency may be more valuable for differentiating between lake water quality than chemical constituents that have been useful for distinguishing between water-quality conditions in mesotrophic and eutrophic settings. For example, in this oligotrophic setting, concentrations for chlorophyll a can be less than 5 μg/L and diurnal variability that is typically associated with dissolved oxygen in more productive settings was not evident.     

Effects of crude oil residuals on soil chemical properties in oil sites, Momoge Wetland, China

Crude oil exploration and production has been the largest anthropogenic factor contributing to the degradation of Momoge Wetland, China. To study the effects of crude oil on wetland soils, we examined the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP), as well as pH and electricity conductivity (EC) from oil sites and uncontaminated areas in the Momoge Wetland. All contaminated areas had significantly higher (p < 0.05) contents of TPH and TOC, but significantly lower (p < 0.05) TN contents than those of the uncontaminated areas. Contaminated sites also exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.05) pH values, C/N and C/P ratios. For TP contents and EC, no significant changes were detected. The level of soil contamination and impact of oil residuals on soil quality greatly depended on the length of time the oil well was in production. Oil residuals had caused some major changes in the soils’ chemical properties in the Momoge Wetland.     

Stable isotopes and C/N ratios in marine sediments as a tool for discriminating anthropogenic impact

Sources of anthropogenic pollution were categorised by combining elemental and isotopic techniques (C/N ratios and δ(13)C, δ(15)N) on samples of surficial sediments in the harbour of Naples (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). The study area, due to the intense and diversified industrial and commercial activities, is an appropriate natural laboratory to verify reliability and relevance of geochemical methodologies applied to exploration of sources, pathways and fate of contaminants in highly polluted coastal marine systems. Application of cluster analysis to the whole dataset and resolution of a δ(13)C and δ(15)N Moore-Penrose system equation provided information to reliably discriminate and identify anthropogenic point sources in the studied sediments. In particular, effects of oil spilling and wastewater discharge within the area of the harbour of Naples were clearly discriminated thus suggesting high-potential of the two numerical techniques, applied to the C and N elemental and isotopic values, to explore effects of anthropogenic impact in marginal and confined coastal basins. The δ(15)N values showed high sensitivity to discriminate sewage discharges (treated or untreated organic matter), clearly indicating the point of emissions. The δ(13)C shows indirect capability of discriminating crude oil and petroleum products.     

Sediments as a potential tool for assessment of sewage pollution in Barigüi River, Brazil

Sediments constitute a pollutant trap and have proven to be an efficient tool to identify environmental impacts. Sediments are considered a very important means to assess the level of contamination of water bodies because of their ability to accumulate metals and organic. The anthropogenic inputs of sewage, with or without prior treatment, in aquatic environments, affect the geochemical composition of sediment. In addition, the sediment adsorbs hydrophobic compounds found in feces, such as the fecal sterols. The granulometric and geochemical composition of the sediment of Barigüi River-Brazil was investigated. The results show that silt and clay dominate the granulometric composition of the sediments. The geochemical composition of sediments showed high concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen. The Redfield ratios confirm the inputs of phosphorus and nitrogen. The TOC/N ratio was used to identify the source of pollution. N/TP ratios were found between 1.0 and 3.5. Clearly, an input of phosphorus, sewage is the most acceptable source, following the historic profile of the Barigüi River. High concentration of nitrogen phosphorus labels the area to be polluted by sewage. To confirm the sewage pollution, adsorbed fecal sterols in sediments were investigated. The concentration of total sterols was found between 0.86 and 304.58 μg g^???1. Two distinguished scenario was found, one severely polluted and another slightly polluted. The highest concentrations of total fecal sterols were associated with sediment whose geochemical composition showed higher levels of TOC, as well as higher proportions of silt and clay. Also, epicoprostanol, a coprostanol isomer, was used as an indicator of the level of treatment or age of the fecal matter because it is formed during the treatment of wastewater and sludge digestion. If the treatment of sludge takes a long time, epicoprostanol can form from cholesterol, and relative proportions of those compounds may be used as an indicator of the presence of untreated sewage in the sediments. The epicoprostanol was found in the range between 0.02 and 9.71 μg g^???1; concentration of up to 0.015 μg g^???1 represents situations where there is strong contamination by sewage. All sites investigated showed a concentration of epicoprostanol higher than the value adopted as threshold. The lower concentration of epicoprostanol found for all sites is consistent with the high concentration found for coprostanol, and this is typical for untreated sewage.     

Phosphorous speciation in surface sediments of the Cochin estuary

Sequential chemical extraction using chelating agents were used to study the P dynamics and its bioavailability along the surface sediments of the Cochin estuary (southwest coast of India). Sediments were analyzed for major P species (iron bound P, calcium bound P, acid soluble organic P, alkali soluble organic P and residual organic P), Fe, Ca, total carbon, organic carbon, total nitrogen and total sulfur contents. An abrupt increase in the concentration of dissolved inorganic P with increasing salinity was observed in the study region. Iron-bound P exhibited a distinct seasonal pattern with maximum values in the monsoon season when fresh water condition was prevailed in the estuary. As salinity increased, the percentage of iron-bound P decreased, while that of calcium-bound P and total sedimentary sulfur increased. C/P and N/P ratios were low which indicate that large amounts of organic matter enriched with P tend to accumulate in surface sediments. The high organic P contribution in the sedimentary P pool may indicate high organic matter load with incomplete mineralization, as well as comparatively greater percentage of humic substance and resistant organic compounds. Principal component analysis is employed to find the possible processes influencing the speciation of P in the study region and indicate the following processes: (1) the spatial and seasonal variations of calcium bound P and acid soluble organic P was mainly controlled by sediment texture and organic carbon content, (2) sediment redox conditions control the distribution of iron bound P and (3) the terrigenous input of organic P is a significant processes controlling total P content in surface sediments. The bioavailable P was very high in the surface sediments which on an average accounts for 59 % in the pre-monsoon, 65 % in the monsoon and 53 % in the post-monsoon seasons. The surface sediments act as a potential internal source of P in the Cochin estuary.     

Contribution of point sources and non-point sources to nutrient and carbon loads and their influence on the trophic status of the Ganga River at Varanasi,India

To determine the possible contributions of point and non-point sources to carbon and nutrient loading in the Ganga River, we analyzed N, P, and organic carbon (OC) in the atmospheric deposits, surface runoff, and in the river along a 37-km stretch from 2013 to 2015. We also assessed the trophic status of the river as influenced by such sources of nutrient input. Although the river N, P, and productivity showed a declining trend with increasing discharge, runoff DOC and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) increased by 88.05 and 122.7% between the Adpr and Rjht sites, indicating contributions from atmospheric deposition (AD) coupled with land use where agriculture appeared to be the major contributor. Point source input led to increased river concentrations of NO₃ ^?, NH₄ ⁺, DRP, and DOC by 10.5, 115.9, 115.2, and 67.3%, respectively. Increases in N, P, and productivity along the gradient were significantly negatively correlated with river discharge (p < 0.001), while river DOC and dissolved silica showed positive relationships. The results revealed large differences in point and non-point sources of carbon and nutrient input into the Ganga River, although these variations were strongly influenced by the seasonality in surface runoff and river discharge. Despite these variations, N and P concentrations were sufficient to enhance phytoplankton growth along the study stretch. Allochthonous input together with enhanced autotrophy would accelerate heterotrophic growth, degrading the river more rapidly in the near future. This study suggests the need for large-scale inter-regional time series data on the point and non-point source partitioning and associated food web dynamics of this major river system.     

Historical variation of elements with respect to different geochemical fractions in recent sediments from Pigeon Lake, Alberta, Canada

Geochemical analysis of elements and organic matter were conducted on vertical profiles of the recent sediments from Pigeon Lake, Alberta, Canada, to determine historical variations in elemental content of the sediments as related to their geochemical fractions. The elements are grouped according to their affinity with different geochemical fractions, by using cluster analysis and sequential extraction experiments. As a result, four elemental fractions were identified: clastic mineral detritus; carbonate; organic; and elements that show less similarity to the previous groups perhaps due to anthropogenic input or the influence of other fractions, such as oxyhydroxides. Following the identification of geochemical fractions in the sediments, a three-step normalizing method was applied using parameters that represent each geochemical fraction. These normalizing techniques appear to be important in verifying whether the variation of elements is indeed the result of anthropogenic and/or natural activities. The normalized data are correlated with the recent history of human activity and natural events near Pigeon Lake. Given the age of the lake sediments, this correlation indicates that the depth profiles of elements after being normalized to the organic and carbonate fractions reflect the variation of detrital input into the lake. However, the former mainly corresponds to the coarse-grained clastic minerals originating from high-energy erosion as the result of natural events (e.g., flooding), whereas the latter corresponds to the low-energy erosion of the fine particles (enriched in lithophile elements) due to deforestation in the drainage basin. Normalizing to the clastic mineral detritus fraction results in the increase of heavy metals in the uppermost part of the sediment profiles, which coincides with industrial activities during the past two decades in central Alberta. However, the concentration of these elements is negligible, as compared to the quantities released by geogenic processes (erosion).     

Distribution and ecotoxicological significance of trace element contamination in a ~150 yr record of sediments in Lake Chaohu, Eastern China

This paper presents the concentrations, vertical profiles and possible sources of selected major and trace elements in a sediment core covering ～150 years of sedimentation in Lake Chaohu, eastern China. Element concentrations were measured by portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) and were used to evaluate possible environmental consequences of the recent industrialization in China. Statistical analyses identify four groups: (1) organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), Pb, Zn, and As associated with the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides; (2) Mn, Cr, Ni and Cu from industrial and mining activities; (3) Fe, Rb, K, Co, Ti and Ca influenced by post-depositional processes and land exploitation; and (4) Zr and Sr from the soil. The vertical profiles of elements placed in the first two groups show distinct increases in concentrations above depths of 20 cm (~1978), coincident with the timing of industrialization in China, and the anthropogenic-derived fluxes are higher than the lithogenic-derived fluxes over the last three decades. With the exception of Zr and Sr, association of the measured metals with organic carbon and nitrogen suggests that organic matter may act as a carrier phase. The geoaccumulation index (I(geo)) reveals increased contamination from elements in the first two groups in recent years. Element concentrations, compared with the Effects Range-Low (ERL) and Effects Range-Median (ERM) levels set by NOAA, suggest that adverse biological effects from Ni contamination are very likely.     

Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometry of plankton and the nutrient regime in Cabo Frio Bay, SE Brazil

This long-term study, performed during the years 2003–2005 and 2008–2009, investigated the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents of the phyto- and zooplankton communities and the nutrient regime of Cabo Frio Bay, SE Brazil. The information intends to serve as baseline of the plankton C, N, and P stoichiometry for the calibration of biogeochemical and ecological models in support to future findings related to the local and regional phenomena of climatic change. Cabo Frio Bay is a small semienclosed system set adjacent to a region subject to sporadic coastal upwelling. Zooplankton exhibited average annual C, N, and P contents of 11.6?±?6.9 %, 2.8?±?1.8 %, and 0.18?±?0.08 %, and phytoplankton (>20 μm) 6.8?±?6.0 %, 1.6?±?1.5 %, and 0.09?±?0.08 %, respectively. The C/N/P ratios correspond to the lowest already found to date for a marine environment. The low C contents must have been brought about by a predominance of gelatinous zooplankton, like Doliolids/ Salps and also Pteropods. Average annual nutrient concentrations in the water were 0.21?±?0.1 μM for phosphate, 0.08?±?0.1 μM for nitrite, 0.74?±?1.6 μM for nitrate, and 1.27?±?1.1 μM for ammonium. N/P ratios were around 8:1 during the first study period and 12:1 during the second. The plankton C/N/P and N/P nutrient ratios and elemental concentrations suggest that the system was oligotrophic and nitrogen limited. The sporadic intrusions of upwelling waters during the first study period had no marked effect upon the systems metabolism, likely due to dilution effects and the short residence times of water of the bay.