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IN SITU BENTHIC FLOW-THROUGH CHAMBERS TO DETERMINE SEDIMENT-TO-WATER FLUXES OF LEGACY HYDROPHOBIC ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS
Mustajarvi, L., E. Eek, G. Cornelissen, A.-K. Eriksson-Wiklund, E. Undeman, and A. Sobek.
Environmental Pollution 231(1):854-862(2017)
Contaminated sediments can release hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) to the water column. In situ assessment of HOC sediment-to-water flux is currently done with closed benthic flux chambers, which have a sampling time exceeding one month. The effect of bioturbation on the sediment-to-water release of HOCs is largely ignored. A novel benthic flux chamber is presented that not only measures sediment-to-water flux of legacy HOCs within days but also includes the effect of bioturbation by continuous pumping of water through the chamber. This design allows for sediment-to-water flux measurements under more natural conditions. In a field test in a contaminated Baltic Sea bay, measured fluxes were 62-2,300 ng/m2/d for individual PAHs and 5.5-150 ng/m2/d for PCBs. These fluxes were 3-23 times (PAHs) and 12-74 times (PCBs) higher than fluxes measured with closed benthic chambers deployed in parallel at the same location. The observed differences in HOC flux between the two designs are partly attributed to the effect of bioturbation. This paper is Open Access at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749117303299608 .
Environmental Pollution 231(1):854-862(2017)
Contaminated sediments can release hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) to the water column. In situ assessment of HOC sediment-to-water flux is currently done with closed benthic flux chambers, which have a sampling time exceeding one month. The effect of bioturbation on the sediment-to-water release of HOCs is largely ignored. A novel benthic flux chamber is presented that not only measures sediment-to-water flux of legacy HOCs within days but also includes the effect of bioturbation by continuous pumping of water through the chamber. This design allows for sediment-to-water flux measurements under more natural conditions. In a field test in a contaminated Baltic Sea bay, measured fluxes were 62-2,300 ng/m2/d for individual PAHs and 5.5-150 ng/m2/d for PCBs. These fluxes were 3-23 times (PAHs) and 12-74 times (PCBs) higher than fluxes measured with closed benthic chambers deployed in parallel at the same location. The observed differences in HOC flux between the two designs are partly attributed to the effect of bioturbation. This paper is Open Access at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749117303299
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