Some aspects of pollution in Southampton Water

1972 ◽  
Vol 180 (1061) ◽  
pp. 451-468 ◽  

The levels of some trace metals have been studied in Southampton Water. Particulate iron, though variable, is generally high and the concentration appears to be correlated with the amount of particulate matter. Zinc is approximately doubled in concentration inside Southampton Water, but much higher levels are occasionally encountered. Copper and nickel are only somewhat higher and total mercury is lower inside Southampton Water than in Solent waters. Zinc and copper are concentrated approximately 30000 times on a dry mass basis by Mercenaria mercenaria . Mercury is concentrated by Mercenaria and other bivalves; the mud which is especially rich in total mercury may represent an important source of mercury for these animals. Primary nutrients, phosphate, nitrate and ammonium, increase in concentration from seaward on proceeding up the estuεry. Surface waters appear to be especially rich in nitrate and ammonium. Gross pollution seems unlikely in view of low nitrite concentration and high oxygen values virtually throughout the estuary. The high rate of turnover of organic substrates by heterotrophic organisms may be associated with relatively large amounts of organic matter in Southampton Water. This has to some extent been confirmed by direct surveys of particulate and dissolved organic carbon which also suggest that regional differences exist. Higher levels of organic matter occur near the head of the estuary, near Marchwood, the Docks, and the mouth of the River Itchen. Although thermal changes in Southampton Water appear to have been slight, some increase in winter minimal temperatures and in summer maxima have occurred, especially in the Marchwood area. No evidence exists of deleterious effects on marine organisms. Phytoplankton can apparently endure rises of at least 10°C for short periods without injurious effects. The density of zooplankton has not decreased; possibly certain species (e. g. Elminius modestus ) have been favoured by thermal changes. A marked increase in Mercenaria mercenaria population may be associated with the small thermal rise and remarkably high population densities are encountered. Spawning appears to be correlated with summer temperatures exceeding 18 to 19°C.

2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 1019-1023 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alastair Brown ◽  
Olaf Heilmayer ◽  
Sven Thatje

Metabolism and growth rate of the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, were investigated in a population invasive to Southampton Water, southern England. An individual metabolic model expressed as a function of soft tissue dry mass was fitted to data of 18 individuals (log (VO2) = −1.952 + 0.543 • log (DM); F1,16 = 201.18, P < 0.001, r2 = 0.926). A von Bertalanffy growth function was fitted to 227 size-at-age data pairs of 18 individuals (Ht = 80.13 • (1 − e−0.149 • (t−0.542)); r2 = 0.927). Individual age-specific somatic production was calculated, demonstrating increase with age to a maximum of 3.88 kJ y−1 at ten years old followed by decrease, and individual age-specific annual respiration was calculated, demonstrating asymptotic increase with age to 231.37 kJ y−1 at 30 years old. Results found here lie within the physiological tolerances reported across the biogeographical range, suggesting that the species' biogeographical limitation in the UK to Southampton Water results from ecological rather than physiological factors.


Author(s):  
Xuliang Lou ◽  
Jianming Zhao ◽  
Xiangyang Lou ◽  
Xiejiang Xia ◽  
Yilu Feng ◽  
...  

Soil organic matter contains more carbon than global vegetation and the atmosphere combined. Gaining access to this source of organic carbon is challenging and requires at least partial removal of polyphenolic and/or soil mineral protections, followed by subsequent enzymatic or chemical cleavage of diverse plant polysaccharides. Soil-feeding animals make significant contributions to the recycling of terrestrial organic matter. Some humivorous earthworms, beetles, and termites, among others, have evolved the ability to mineralize recalcitrant soil organic matter, thereby leading to their tremendous ecological success in the (sub)tropical areas. This ability largely relies on their symbiotic associations with a diverse community of gut microbes. Recent integrative omics studies, including genomics, metagenomics, and proteomics, provide deeper insights into the functions of gut symbionts. In reviewing this literature, we emphasized that understanding how these soil-feeding fauna catabolize soil organic substrates not only reveals the key microbes in the intestinal processes but also uncovers the potential novel enzymes with considerable biotechnological interests.


2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia A. Howitt ◽  
Darren S. Baldwin ◽  
Gavin N. Rees ◽  
Barry T. Hart

Environmental Context. Iron oxides, as suspended minerals or as a colloidal phase, are common in Australian freshwater systems. Freshwater systems are also loaded with carbon-based substances, ‘dissolved organic matter’, but not all is biologically available as food to freshwater organisms. However, photochemical interactions between these iron oxides and dissolved organic matter provide a mechanism for biologically resistant carbon to re-enter the food web. Suspended iron oxides thus need to be considered in carbon cycles in aquatic ecosystems. Abstract. The photochemical degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from the leaves of River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) was examined, with a particular focus on the photochemical generation of CO2, consumption of O2, and the effect of particulate iron minerals on these photochemical reactions. Solutions of leaf leachate were irradiated with ultraviolet and visible light in the presence and absence of amorphous iron oxides. Addition of fresh iron oxide was found to increase the rate of photodegradation of the organic matter by up to an order of magnitude compared to the reactions without added iron oxide. The ratio of CO2 produced to O2 consumed was ~1:1 in both the presence and absence of iron oxyhydroxide. The reactivity of the iron oxides was dependent on the preparation method and decreased with increased storage time. These results suggest that photochemical reactions on particle surfaces should be considered when examining carbon transformation in aquatic ecosystems, especially at sites with potential for the production of iron oxyhydroxides.


1980 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. G. Wernli ◽  
R. J. Wilkins

SummaryGrass silage (21.0 % D.M.) was given ad libitum to sheep together with supplements of rolled barley, dried-grass pellets or dried-grass wafers at 12 and 25 g organic matter (OM)/kg0·75.Intake of silage was greater with supplement at 12 g/kg0·75 but total intake of OM and digestible organic matter (DOM) increased with increasing supplement. Intake of OM was higher with the pellet supplement than with other supplements. Intake of DOM, however, did not differ between the pellet and barley treatments, but was lower with wafers.Concentrations of ammonia and total volatile fatty acids and the molar proportions of butyric and higher volatile fatty acids were higher when silage was supplemented with barley than with dried grass. Mean rumen retention times of silage and of supplement were highest in the barley-supplemented treatments. Dried-grass wafers were retained longer than dried-grass pellets. Supplement treatments did not differ significantly for eating and ruminating times, rumen fluid volume and pH, digestion rate in the rumen and nitrogen retention.At the low supplement rate silage consumption may have been controlled by factors associated directly with the silage, whereas at the high rate intake was limited either by physical factors or by the potential energy demand of the animals.


2019 ◽  
Vol 193 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-142
Author(s):  
Verónica Díaz-Villanueva

Forest streams receive large amounts of leaves whose leachates are an important source of dissolved organic matter (DOM), providing not only carbon but also organic nutrients to the microbial communities in streams. I carried out a field study to evaluate the effect of different DOM concentrations on the biofilm structure and functional traits in two similar forest streams belonging to the same catchment. I compared biofilm biomass and nutri- ent content throughout one year, algal species composition, and biofilm community-level physiological profiles in two streams with different DOM concentration and aromaticity. Dissolved nutrient concentrations were higher in the stream with higher DOM concentration, with a concomitant higher biofilm biomass, and there was also a temporal pattern, with higher values during the autumn. Phosphorus content in biofilms was also higher in the high DOM stream, coincidently with a higher capacity of the community to utilize organic P source (glucose-1-P) as a substrate. In contrast, the biofilms from the stream with lower DOM concentrations preferentially used N-organic substrates (amino acids and amines). These results reveal that the biofilms of forest streams make use of organic matter nutrients, so that streams with different DOM loads may differ in biofilm biomass due to changes in both bacterial and autotrophic biomass. In addition, biofilm dynamics may be related to forest phenology, as the highest OM input in this deciduous forest is represented by tree leaves, which supply DOM through leachates, and in particular, with P-rich leachates. In conclusion, different DOM concentrations in two nearby streams led to differences in the community-level physiological profile, as has been previously demonstrated at larger spatial scales in oceans, lakes and along larger rivers.


1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 199-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-Y. Ding ◽  
S.-C. Wu

In this study experiments simulating sediment/water system were carried on with sediments spiked with aldrin, heptachlor epoxide and p,p'-DDE. It was expected that these hydrophobic contaminants would be released to the overlying water column from sediment bed with molecular diffusion and co-diffusion with dissolved organic matter (DOM) as well. A three-phase-transport model including aqueous, solid and mobile adsorptive phases was developed and used to describe the behavior of these contaminants and to explain the results of the experiments. Sensitivity analyses show that observable effects of DOM occur only under conditions of high partition coefficient (Koc) of the contaminant and high rate of transfer from sediment organic matter to DOM. In this study, owing to the low concentration of DOM and relatively low hydrophobicity of the compounds, the DOM-associated pollutant flux does not significantly contribute to the total flux. Also, the simulated results of the model can reasonably explain the variations of the concentrations of the spiked compounds observed in the microcosms.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 1539-1550 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Hahn-Schöfl ◽  
D. Zak ◽  
M. Minke ◽  
J. Gelbrecht ◽  
J. Augustin ◽  
...  

Abstract. Peatland restoration by inundation of drained areas can alter local greenhouse gas emissions as CO2 and CH4. Factors that can influence these emissions include the quality and amount of substrates available for anaerobic degradation processes and the sources and availability of electron acceptors. In order to learn about possible sources of high CO2 and CH4. emissions from a rewetted degraded fen grassland, we performed incubation experiments that tested the effects of fresh plant litter in the flooded peats on pore water chemistry and CO2 and CH4. production and emission. The position in the soil profile of the pre-existing drained peat substrate affected initial rates of anaerobic CO2 production subsequent to flooding, with the uppermost peat layer producing the greatest specific rates of CO2 evolution. CH4 production rates depended on the availability of electron acceptors and was significant only when sulfate concentrations were reduced in the pore waters. Very high specific rates of both CO2 (maximum of 412 mg C d−1 kg−1 C) and CH4 production (788 mg C d−1 kg−1 C) were observed in a new sediment layer that accumulated over the 2.5 years since the site was flooded. This new sediment layer was characterized by overall low C content, but represented a mixture of sand and relatively easily decomposable plant litter from reed canary grass killed by flooding. Samples that excluded this new sediment layer but included intact roots remaining from flooded grasses had specific rates of CO2 (max. 28 mg C d−1 kg−1 C) and CH4 (max. 34 mg C d−1 kg−1 C) production that were 10–20 times lower than for the new sediment layer and were comparable to those of a newly flooded upper peat layer. Lowest rates of anaerobic CO2 and CH4 production (range of 4–8 mg C d−1 kg−1 C and <1 mg C d−1 kg−1 C) were observed when all fresh organic matter sources (plant litter and roots) were excluded. In conclusion, the presence of fresh organic substrates such as plant and root litter originating from plants killed by inundation has a high potential for CH4 production, whereas peat without any fresh plant-derived material is relatively inert. Significant anaerobic CO2 and CH4 production in peat only occurs when some labile organic matter is available, e.g. from remaining roots or root exudates.


2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine M. Haynes ◽  
Michael D. Preston ◽  
James W. McLaughlin ◽  
Kara Webster ◽  
Nathan Basiliko

Haynes, K. M., Preston, M. D., McLaughlin, J. W., Webster, K. and Basiliko, N. 2015. Dissimilar bacterial and fungal decomposer communities across rich to poor fen peatlands exhibit functional redundancy. Can. J. Soil Sci. 95: 219–230. Climatic and environmental changes can lead to shifts in the dominant vegetation communities present in northern peatland ecosystems, including from Sphagnum- to vascular-dominated systems. Such shifts in vegetation result in changes to the chemical quality of carbon substrates for soil microbial decomposers, with leaves and roots deposited in the peat surface and subsurface that potentially decompose faster. This study characterized the bacterial and fungal communities present along a nutrient gradient ranging from rich to poor fen peatlands and assessed the metabolic potential of these communities to mineralize a variety of organic matter substrates of varying chemical complexity using substrate-induced respiration (SIR) assays. Distinct microbial communities existed between rich, intermediate and poor fens, but SIR in each of the three sites exhibited the same pattern of carbon mineralization, providing support for the concept of functional redundancy, at least under standardized in vitro conditions. Preferential mineralization of simple organic substrates in the rich fen and complex compounds in the poor fen was not observed. Similarly, no preference was given to “native” organic matter extracts derived from each fen, with microbial communities opting for the most bioavailable substrate. This study suggests that soil bacteria and fungi might be able to respond relatively rapidly to shifts in vegetation communities and subsequent changes in the quality of carbon substrate additions to peatlands associated with environmental and climatic change.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Benjapon Kunlanit ◽  
Laksanara Khwanchum ◽  
Patma Vityakon

The objectives of this study were to investigate effects of land use on accumulation of soil organic matter (SOM) in the soil profile (0–100 cm) and to determine pattern of SOM stock distribution in soil profiles. Soil samples were collected from five soil depths at 20 cm intervals from 0 to 100 cm under four adjacent land uses including forest, cassava, sugarcane, and paddy lands located in six districts of Maha Sarakham province in the Northeast of Thailand. When considering SOM stock among different land uses in all locations, forest soils had significantly higher total SOM stocks in 0–100 cm (193 Mg·C·ha−1) than those in cassava, sugarcane, and paddy soils in all locations. Leaf litter and remaining rice stover on soil surfaces resulted in a higher amount of SOM stocks in topsoil (0–20 cm) than subsoil (20–100 cm) in some forest and paddy land uses. General pattern of SOM stock distribution in soil profiles was such that the SOM stock declined with soil depth. Although SOM stocks decreased with depth, the subsoil stock contributes to longer term storage of C than topsoils as they are more stabilized through adsorption onto clay fraction in finer textured subsoil than those of the topsoils. Agricultural practices, notably applications of organic materials, such as cattle manure, could increase subsoil SOM stock as found in some agricultural land uses (cassava and sugarcane) in some location in our study. Upland agricultural land uses, notably cassava, caused high rate of soil degradation. To restore soil fertility of these agricultural lands, appropriate agronomic practices including application of organic soil amendments, return of crop residues, and reduction of soil disturbance to increase and maintain SOM stock, should be practiced.


Author(s):  
P. C. Head

Determinations have been made of paniculate iron in samples collected from Southampton Water over a period of 2 years. Concentrations of 106–1046 ug/l. were found. Total amounts of paniculate matter ranged from 1·3 to 48·6 mg/1., of which iron constituted 0–5–14%. Amounts of paniculate matter and paniculate iron showed a highly significant correlation. For one station where wind-speed data were available there was a highly significant correlation between the amount of particulate matter and the mean daily wind speed for the 4 days prior to sampling. No clearly defined seasonal variation in the amounts of particulate matter or particulate iron was found. The concentration of particulate iron in the estuary appeared to be dominantly controlled by meteorological and hydrological factors.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document