Bedload transport and bedforms migration under sand supply limitation

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - Most studies on sediment transport and bedforms migration consider unlimited sediment supply conditions. However, areas where the sediment supply is limited are...     

A fractal derivative model to quantify bed-load transport along a heterogeneous sand bed

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - Bed-load transport is a complex process exhibiting anomalous dynamics, which cannot be efficiently described using the traditional advection–diffusion...     

Transferral of HMs pollution from road-deposited sediments to stormwater runoff during transport processes

Ratio of turbidity and TSS (Tur/TSS) was used to characterize PSD of stormwater particles. Pb and Zn preferred to accumulate in finer RDS, while Cu, Cr and Ni in coarser RDS. HMs pollution in stormwater particles increased linearly with Tur/TSS. Dissolvability of HMs and PSD variations contribute to the differences between RDS and stormwater. Stormwater runoff, derived from the wash-off of road-deposited sediments (RDS), contains elevated heavy metal (HM) concentrations and, thus, imposes an increasing threat to urban aquatic ecosystems. In-depth understanding of the variations of HMs pollution from RDS to stormwater during transport processes facilitates the development of effective RDS and stormwater control strategies. Toward this end, the distribution of HMs (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni) in RDS and stormwater were investigated simultaneously. The results show a preferential accumulation of Pb and Zn in the finer (<38.5 μm) RDS, and Cu, Cr and Ni in the coarser (38.5–150 μm) RDS. For stormwater, n.d.~48.6% of HMs fractionated into the dissolved phase, and stormwater particles constitute the primary carriers of HMs. Furthermore, the accumulation of HMs in stormwater particles increased linearly with finer particle size distributions (PSD). Geoaccumulation index (I_geo) highlighted the predominant pollution of both RDS and stormwater particles by Cu, Pb and Zn. Nonetheless, Cu, Pb, and Ni mostly contributed the potential ecological risk of RDS, whereas Cu, Pb, and Zn mainly contributed that of stormwater particles. Moreover, contamination by Cu, Pb and Zn was significantly higher in stormwater particles than that in RDS. These differences are attributable to the solubility and size-dependent accumulation of HMs in RDS, as well as the PSD variations during transport processes. The study outcomes highlight the importance of very fine (nano- and submicron- scale) RDS in stormwater pollution and the necessity of control.     

Bed load transport of sediments and morphodynamics in the Topolobampo coastal lagoon system,Mexico

The Topolobampo coastal lagoon system, located on the eastern side of the Gulf of California, is a marine zone of considerable economic importance with vessel traffic, dredging operations and aquaculture development. Despite its relevance as a conservation site, this ecosystem has been poorly studied. Since life in marine substrates is abundant, we investigated the capability of tidal hydrodynamics in the lagoon to erode and to accumulate sediment. We calculated the morphodynamics caused by bed load sediment transport applying a two dimensional non-linear hydrodynamic finite difference model. Bed erosion and accretion patterns of sediment (for specific grain size: 170 μm) were determined from the divergence of sediment transport. After a year of numerical simulation of sediment transport the areas of noticeable changes on the bottom of the lagoon have been revealed. Most of sediment accretion took place in the narrow steeped channel connecting the Topolobampo and Ohuira sections. This area appears characterized by the presence of high tidal velocity gradients. Another finding was that accretion areas were coupled with erosion zones in an alternating form. This outcome suggests that sediment do not travel long distances but is deposited nearby the erosion sites. The results are strong evidence of the influence of tidal hydrodynamics on the sediments distribution in the Topolobampo coastal lagoon system and on the generation of substrates where marine life may find protection.     

Biochar-derived heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Population increase, urbanization and industrialization induce a drastic need for energy. Actually, fossil fuel resources are heavily exploited to meet the energy...     

Regulating heterogeneous emissions

This paper examines how regulations ought to adapt to the heterogeneity of emissions. A methodology for differentiating among pollutants and source locations is developed and applied. In general, regulations need to become more sensitive to gross differences in the marginal damages of individual emissions.     

Bifunctional catalysts for heterogeneous electro-Fenton processes: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Fenton processes allow to degrade and mineralize toxic organic contaminants, yet classical Fenton processes require continuously adding hydrogen peroxide and...     

Determination of enzymatic activities for the characterization of sediments

In‐vivo enzymatic activity tests have been used for the characterization of sediments. Sediment samples representing three typical situations on the river Elbe and one reference site on the river Spree were investigated from March to October 1993. Fresh sediments and pore water were analyzed for their dehydrogenase and proteolytic enzymatic activities, respectively. The dehydrogenase and protease activities varied depending on sampling site, date and kind of sample. From the mean values of the dehydrogenase activities over the whole period of investigation significant differences between the sampling sites became evident. The dehydrogenase activity of pore water rather than that of the whole sediment is suitable to differentiate between anthropogenically influenced and not influenced sites. The dehydrogenase activities in the contaminated samples were extremly higher than those in the uncontaminated samples. In contrast to this, samples from the uncontaminated sites showed a considerably higher specific proteolytic activity. This fact is interpreted as a possible enzymatic inhibition.     

An improved index for monitoring metal pollutants in surface sediments

An approach for defining the quality of surface sediments of limited areas in terms of heavy metal contents is proposed. Sediments were taken on a bi‐dimensional mapping, for checking possible different sources of pollution in the case study, a harbour zone. Non residual metals were determined by ICP‐AES in cold diluted hydrochloric acid leachates of sediments. An “enrichment factor”;, r, can be computed for each metal: metals with r values exceeding unity can be considered as indicators of metal pollution. A “total enrichment factor”;, R, was proposed in order to assess the degree of pollution of sediments for each site. R is an adimensional value that accounts for the presence of metals that exceed threshold values determined by background concentrations.     

Bayesian methods for analyzing movements in heterogeneous landscapes from mark-recapture data

Spatially referenced mark-recapture data are becoming increasingly available, but the analysis of such data has remained difficult for a variety of reasons. One of the fundamental problems is that it is difficult to disentangle inherent movement behavior from sampling artifacts. For example, in a typical study design, short distances are sampled more frequently than long distances. Here we present a modeling-based alternative that combines a diffusion-based process model with an observation model to infer the inherent movement behavior of the species from the data. The movement model is based on classifying the landscape into a number of habitat types, and assuming habitat-specific diffusion and mortality parameters, and habitat selection at edges between the habitat types. As the problem is computationally highly intensive, we provide software that implements adaptive Bayesian methods for effective sampling of the posterior distribution. We illustrate the modeling framework by analyzing individual mark-recapture data on the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia), and by comparing our results with earlier ones derived from the same data using a purely statistical approach. We use simulated data to perform an analysis of statistical power, examining how accuracy in parameter estimates depends on the amount of data and on the study design. Obtaining precise estimates for movement rates and habitat preferences turns out to be especially challenging, as these parameters can be highly correlated in the posterior density. We show that the parameter estimates can be considerably improved by alternative study designs, such as releasing some of the individuals into the unsuitable matrix, or spending part of the recapture effort in the matrix.     

Comparison of extraction methods for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon determination in sediments

Different sample preparation methods for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in lake and river sediments were compared and evaluated. Freeze‐dried sediment materials were extracted using Soxhlet extraction, ultrasonic agitation and digestion with various solvents and solvent mixtures. Similarly, clean‐up methods using various types of sorbents for separation of PAHs tested.

The following method gives the best results for the determination of PAHs: freeze‐dried sediment samples were extracted using Soxhlet extractor with dichloromethane (6 hr, dark), extracts were cleanup using Silica gel and a mixture of n‐hexa‐ne‐dichloromethane was used for the elution of PAHs.

This method was used for the determination of 7 selected PAHs in sediment samples from Finnish lakes and Czech streams.     

Ecological effects of dumping of dredged sediments; options for management

Dredging and dumping of dredged sediments in estuarine and coastal waters may lead to increased turbidity and enhanced sediment deposition at dump sites. This mainly affects primary production by phytoplankton, performance of visual predators (e.g. fish, birds), and growth and survival of benthic organisms. This paper combines a compilation of literature information and results of additional experimental studies on the effect of enhanced concentrations of suspended matter (SPM) on growth of bivalve molluscs, and on survival of macro- and meiozoobenthos after dumping of dredged sediments. Furthermore, it focuses on non-toxic dredged sediments only. Release of nutrients from dredged sediments did, so far, hardly influence estuarine phytoplankton production. Increased turbidity may affect dab as well as prey location by sandwich terns. Enhanced SPM-concentrations are unfavourable for young herring and smelt. Growth of filter-feeding bivalves may be impaired, especially at SPM-concentrations >250 mg/l. Estuarine nematodes can survive burial by 10 cm of dumped dredged sediment provided that its physical characteristics are similar to those of the original sediment. Sessile benthos organisms such as mussels and oysters can cope with sediment deposition of only 1–2 cm. Other macrozoobenthos can survive sediment deposition of 20–30 cm. Recovery of benthos at a dump site will occur if the interval between successive dumpings is sufficiently long. Options for management of dumping of dredged sediments are described, relating to different locations of dump sites in estuarine and coastal waters, to different seasons, and to the actual use (area and frequency) of dump sites.     

Simplified method for the determination of acid-soluble sulfides in marine sediments

A simple, rapid method for the measurement of acid-soluble sulfides from marine sediments, in the range of 0 to 350 g sulfide, was developed. Using the mean of 4 replicates, the maximum sensitivity of the method is ±5.48 g. The method is based on iodometric back titration after the reaction of a standard iodine solution with the sulfide, which is precipitated on paper wicks as zinc, sulfide. The mean coefficient of variation, based on raw titration data, is 0.71% for aliquots from field samples, 0.41% for standards, and 0.21% for blanks. The method is used to compare zinc acetate-fixed subsamples, one group having been stored for 1 month in a refrigerator at 5°C and the other having been analyzed immediately after collection. No significant differences in sulfide content between subsamples, at the 95% confidence level, were noted.     

Arylsulfatase activity in marine sediments

Arylsulfatase activity and arylsulfatase-producing bacteria were estimated in sediment samples collected from 3 different biotopes: marine, estuarine, and mangrove. No direct relationship could be established between activity and the number of bacteria at any station. In general, clayey sediments always harboured more arylsulfatase producers than sandy sediments, irrespective of salinity variations. Of the 3 biotopes investigated, the mangrove area exhibited maximum activity. The enzyme showed two pH optima, one at 6.2, the other at 9.0. The optimum substrate concentration was 12x10^-4M. Higher substrate concentrations tended to inhibit arylsulfatase activity. The recovery of added phenolphthalein was maximum only at pH 6.2; KCN, Na₂So₄, and KH₂Po₄ inhibited enzyme activity by 65.5, 46.8 and 37.5%, respectively. More than one type of arylsulfatase may be present in marine sediments; further studies on the role of arylsulfatases are required, since arylsulfatases have been reported to bear on the formation and hardening of exoskeletons in marine forms.     

Experimental and numerical investigations of the effect of imbricated gravel structures on flow and solute transport in a highly heterogeneous alluvial-proluvial fan aquifer,SW China

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - An alluvial-proluvial fan (APF) has heterogeneous characteristics, which result in the development of imbricated gravel channel networks formed by flow erosion. In...     

Evidence for regional heterogeneous atmospheric particulate matter distribution in China: implications for air pollution control

Environmental Chemistry Letters - China has suffered from severe nationwide air quality degradation for decades. PM2.5, the atmospheric particulate matter with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter of...     

Heavy metals in albanian coastal sediments

Heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Cd, Pb, Sn) concentration has been determined on 39 coastal sediment samples collected in Albania. The relationship between the heavy metals content and the grain size has been considered. All metals, except Cu and Cd, resulted accumulated in the finest fraction, which constituted up to 95% of most of the considered sediments. A good correlation has been found for Ni, Cr, Fe, Zn, Cu in the entire area, indicating a common origin for these metals in the analyzed sediments. Concentration values fall in the range reported for Dinaric chain derived sediments, revealing, generally, a natural origin of the metal contents. Though in some selected areas such as the Drin and the Skumbin Bay, an antropogenic input of Cr, Fe, Ni and Cu can be observed, as the result of discharging of mines and smelter activities.     

Adsorption of sulfonamides on lake sediments

Sulfonamides (SAs) are one class of the most widely used antibiotics around the world. Their fate and transport in the aquatic environment is of great concern. In this study, adsorption of four SAs—sulfadiazine (SD), sulfamethoxazole (SMZ), sulfadimethoxine (SDM) and sulfamethazine (SM2)—in single-solute and multi-solute systems on sediments of Dianchi (DC) Lake and Taihu (TH) Lake, China was investigated with batch experiments. In the single-solute adsorption system, the Langmuir model and the dual-mode model described the adsorption process better than the Freundlich model. Model fitness was better on DC sediment than on TH sediment. The order of adsorption capacity approximately followed a decreasing order of SDM>SD>SM2>SMZ on both sediments, which was likely attributed to the distinctly different water solubility of the four SAs. In the multi-solute system, the order of adsorption capacity was SM2>SDM>SD>SMZ, which was probably related to the compound speciation caused by the pH values of the experimental solution. In the multi-solute system, both competitive and cooperative adsorption played important roles in the adsorption of sulfonamides on sediments.     

New parameterization scheme for effective indices for emissions from road transport

The local to regional processes of chemical transformations, washout and dry deposition cannot be directly resolved in global scale models, they rather need to be parameterized. A suitable way to account for the non-linearity, e.g., in chemical transformation processes, is the use of effective emission indices (EEIs). EEI translate the actual (small scale) emissions into input for global scale models, partially accounting for unresolved processes occurring shortly after the release of the emissions.The emissions from the road traffic have some specifics, because of which the concept of deriving EEI from the interaction of an instantaneous plume with the ambient air is perhaps not so convenient. A new parameterization scheme for the EEI from the road transport is suggested in the present paper, based on few simplifying assumptions and introducing the adjoin equations approach, which makes it possible to achieve unified, not depending on the specific emission pattern, procedure for calculating the EEI from road traffic.     

Methodological approach for metal pollution evaluation in sediments collected from the Taranto Gulf

The concentrations of Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, V, and Sn were determined in marine sediments collected from Taranto Gulf (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy). The aim of this article is to study the methodological approach in order to evaluate total metal levels determined in marine sediments of a contaminated area (Taranto Gulf, Southern Italy), to identify contaminated areas and to predict adverse biological effects based on Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs). The results are discussed in relation to geological characteristics of sediments in order to define background levels and anthropogenic input. Experimental results were elaborated by multivariate statistical techniques and Geographical Information System (GIS) software. The geoaccumulation index I _geo and two sets of SQGs (in particular (a) the threshold effect level (TEL), the probable effect level (PEL) and (b) the effect range-low (ERL) and the effect range median (ERM)) have been used for environmental evaluation of metal concentrations. Results show that in Taranto coastal area, Mar Piccolo basin represents the most contaminated area. A comparison with results from other Mediterranean areas demonstrates that for some metals (such as Cd, Pb, and Hg) Taranto seas represent one of the most polluted areas in the Mediterranean Sea. A comparison of metal levels with SQGs also suggests an ecotoxicological risk for benthic organisms mainly in the first inlet of Mar Piccolo.