Geochemistry of cobalt, nickel, chromium, and vanadium in the sediments of the estuary and open Gulf of St. Lawrence

1979 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1196-1209 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Loring
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Deposit ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Terrestrial Organic Matter ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Hydrous Oxides ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Local Anomalies

Total Co (3–22 ppm), Ni (4–160 ppm), V (4–168 ppm), and Cr (8–241 ppm) concentrations vary regionally and with textural differences in the sediments of the St. Lawrence estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. They are, except for local anomalies, at or near natural levels relative to their source rocks and other marine sediments.Chemical partition and mineralogical analyses indicate that small but biochemically significant quantities (2–24%) of the total element concentrations are potentially available to the biota and are most likely held by fine-grained organic material, hydrous iron oxides, and ion exchange positions in the sediments. In the upper estuary, nondetrital Ni, Cr, and V supplied from natural and anthropogenic (Cr) sources are apparently preferentially scavenged from solution by terrestrial organic matter and hydrous oxides and concentrated in fine-grained sediments deposited below the turbidity maximum. In the lower estuary, the fine-grained sediments are relatively enriched in nondetrital V supplied from anthropogenic sources in the Saguenay system. Elsewhere the sedimentation intensities of the nondetrital elemental contributions have remained relatively constant with fluctuations in total sediment intensity.Seventy-six to 98% of the total Co, Ni, Cr, and V is not, however, available to the biota, but held in various sulphide, oxide, and silicate minerals. The host minerals have accumulated at the same rate as other fine-grained detrital material except for some local anomalies. In the upper estuary, detrital V concentrations are highest in the sands as an apparent result of an enrichment of ilmenite and titaniferous magnetite from a nearby mineral deposit. In the open gulf, relatively high concentrations of Ni, Cr, and V occur in sediments from the Bay of Islands, Newfoundland, and probably result from the seaward dispersal of detrital Ni, Cr, and V bearing minerals from nearby ultrabasic rocks.

Geochemical factors controlling the accumulation and dispersal of heavy metals in the Bay of Fundy sediments

1982 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 930-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Loring
Keyword(s):  
Source Rocks ◽  
Bay Of Fundy ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Anthropogenic Inputs ◽  
Geochemical Factors ◽  
Industrial Sources ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Abundance And Distribution ◽  
Local Anomalies ◽  
Nova Scotian

Total Zn, Cu, Pb, Co, Ni, Cr, V, Hg, Be, As, Ba, and Se concentrations vary regionally and in response to textural variations of the sediments of the Bay of Fundy. They are, except for local anomalies, at or near natural levels in relation to their source rocks and other unpolluted marine sediments.Chemical partition indicates that small but significant amounts (1–27%) of the total element concentrations are potentially available to the biota. Potential bioavailable metals are derived from natural and industrial sources and are held in the sediments by fine grained organic material (Hg, Pb), hydrous iron oxides (Cr, V, Co, Pb), ion exchange positions (Zn), and calcareous components (Cu, Zn, Ba).Of the total metal content, however, 73–99% is not readily available to the biota but held in various sulphide (Zn, Cu, Pb, As, Se), oxide (Cr, Ni, Co, V), and silicate minerals (Cr, V, Co, Ni). The host minerals have accumulated at the same rates as other detrital material except for particles of zinc oxide that have been derived from industrial sources adjacent to the Bay of Fundy. The accumulations of fine grained host minerals are the main control on the abundance and distribution of Hg, Be, Zn, Pb, and As in the sediments whereas the dispersal of the ferromagnesian silicates and various oxide minerals, rather than the grain size of their hosts, accounts for dispersal of Cr, V, Co, and Ni in the sediments. These factors together with the present depositional pattern of the particles account for the accumulation and relative enrichment of most metals along with other fine grained materials in the "Quoddy region" of the bay. Local anomalies of detrital minerals related to bedrock exposures also account for high concentrations of Cr, V, and Ni in the vicinity of Grand Manan Island and along the Nova Scotian coast. Relatively high metal concentrations also occur near a dredge dispersal site off St. John Harbour and may reflect the initial impact of anthropogenic inputs on the natural levels of metals in the Fundy sediments.

Mercury in the Sediments of the Gulf of St. Lawrence

1975 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1219-1237 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Loring
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Terrestrial Organic Matter ◽  
Sedimentation Pattern ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Depositional Processes ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
Shelf Sediments ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

In sediments collected from the Saguenay fjord, the St. Lawrence estuary, and open Gulf of St. Lawrence, total mercury varies with sediment texture and location from 10 to 12 300 ppb (average 386 ppb). The highest concentrations occur in the Saguenay fjord (average 2980 ppb) and the lowest in the open Gulf of St. Lawrence (average 150 ppb). The concentration of mercury increases with decreasing grain size, the highest concentrations occur in the fine-grained sediments of the submarine troughs and shelf valleys and the lowest in the sandy shelf sediments. Analyses of the sediments from the Saguenay fjord, where mercury values range from 12 300 ppb at its head to > 500 ppb in the lower reaches, indicate that most of the mercury (70 to 90% of the total) is held by the organic matter in the sediments. The distribution of mercury in the fjord is apparently controlled by the downstream dispersal from local industrial sources of mercury-rich organic matter, most likely of terrestrial origin because of its high C/N ratio. In the St. Lawrence estuary where mercury values range from 30 to 950 ppb, and in the open Gulf where correlations between variables are lower and scattered anomalies exist, analyses indicate that mercury accumulates along with the fine-grained inorganic and organic matter in response to the present depositional processes. The distribution of mercury appears to be controlled by the sedimentation pattern. Terrestrial organic matter and industrial waste originating in the Saguenay drainage area have the strongest influence on its distribution.

The distribution and partition of zinc, copper, and lead in the sediments of the Saguenay fjord

1976 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 960-971 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Loring
Keyword(s):  
Soluble Fraction ◽  
Insoluble Fraction ◽  
Sediment Texture ◽  
Terrestrial Organic Matter ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Sulphide Minerals ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
Zn And Cu In ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

Zinc (Zn) concentrations vary between 43 and 145 ppm, copper (Cu) concentrations between 6 and 33 ppm, and lead (Pb) concentrations between 14 and 66 ppm in relation to sediment texture and location in the Saguenay fjord. The concentrations of the elements increase with decreasing grain size; the highest concentrations occur in the fine grained sediments (muds) in the upper part of the fjord and they decrease downstream. On the average, the fjord muds are enriched in Zn and Pb when compared to sediments from the St. Lawrence estuary and the open Gulf of St. Lawrence.Acetic acid extractions of the sediments indicate that 14 to 29% of the total Zn, 14 to 21% of the total Cu, and 12 to 25% of the total Pb is contributed by the non-detrital (acid soluble) fraction, and the remainder (70–88%) is contributed by the detrital (acid insoluble) fraction. Most of the Zn, Cu, and Pb in the detrital fraction is held in discrete sulphide minerals. These minerals accumulate at the same rate as other detrital sedimentary material in response to the present depositional conditions. Non-detrital Zn, Cu, and Pb contributions represent the portion of the total element content adsorbed by fine grained inorganic and organic material during transport and deposition. The distributions of non-detrital Pb and to a lesser extent of Zn and Cu in the fjord are apparently controlled by the downstream dispersal from local industrial sources of mercury (Hg)-rich terrestrial organic matter.

scholarly journals Tumors in St. Lawrence Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas)

1994 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 444-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. De Guise ◽  
A. Lagacé ◽  
P. Béland
Keyword(s):  
Small Population ◽  
Delphinapterus Leucas ◽  
Carcinogenic Effect ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Beluga Whales ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Endangered Population ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary ◽  
St Lawrence River

A population of 450–500 belugas ( Delphinapterus leucas) resides in the polluted estuary of the St. Lawrence River. Stranded carcasses of this endangered population were recovered and necropsied. High concentrations of organochlorines, heavy metals, and benzo-a-pyrene exposure were demonstrated in tissues of these whales. Between 1988 and 1990, 21 tumors were found in 12 out of 24 carcasses. Among these tumors, six were malignant and 15 were benign. The animals were between 1.5 and >29 years of age, and the ages of animals with and without tumors did not differ when two juvenile animals (1.5 and 3.5 years of age) were excluded. Seven other neoplasms had been reported previously in six out of 21 well-preserved carcasses examined in the same laboratory between 1982 and 1987. Overall, 28 of the 75 confirmed tumors reported so far in cetaceans (37%) were from this small population of beluga whales in the St. Lawrence Estuary. Such a high prevalence of tumors would suggest an influence of contaminants through a direct carcinogenic effect and/or a decreased resistance to the development of tumors in this population.

scholarly journals Terciérní říční sedimenty v širším okolí Jihlavy

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Francírek ◽  
Slavomír Nehyba
Keyword(s):  
Facies Analysis ◽  
River System ◽  
Flood Plain ◽  
Depositional Environments ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Oxbow Lake ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Moldanubian Unit ◽  
Organic Deposits

Tertiary deposits have been known around Jihlava city for many years. However, they have never been thoroughly studied. Most of the known occurrences are situated in the Jihlava Furrow. During the drilling research, these Tertiary deposits were newly detected in three wells: HGM-1, V1 and V4. Facies analysis, petrography and gamma spectrometry were performed on samples taken from all three wells. The model of basement of Cenozoic deposits has been constructed. Based on facies analysis, 8 lithofacies (7 studied deposits and 1 eluvium) have been described. The study of lithofacies has made the recognition of the depositional environments of the Tertiary deposits possible. The depositional environments of these deposits are interpreted as fluvial channelized gravels and non-channelized deposits (flood plain, crevasse splays, oxbow lake and lake). The channelized gravels have been found by the well HGM-1 in the overburden of the crystalline rocks of the Moldanubian. Their thickness is relatively low (1.7 m) and the channels were probably not deep. The non-channelized deposits are formed by clays, silts and fine-grained sands. In the upper part of the succession a layer of organic deposits (peat) has been detected. The results of petrography have shown that material originated from local sources, especially Moldanubian Unit and Jihlava Massif (gneisses, mica-schistes, granitoids, less importantly pegmatites and phyllites). High concentrations of Th and U have been found in the studied deposits. These high concentrations can be associated with the source rocks. The values of Th /U and Th /K ratios are signifi cantly higher in the studied deposits than in eluvium. This indicates conditions of weathering and sedimentation, and also points to input of the material from several sources. The model of crystalline basement shows that there were probably at least two spatially separated fluvial river systems. One river system was situated in the area of Velký Beranov and Měšín. The preserved remains of the second system are visible in the area of Jihlava city and its peripheral parts (Bedřichov and Pávov).

Geochemistry of zinc, copper and lead in the sediments of the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence

1978 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 757-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Loring
Keyword(s):  
Organic Material ◽  
Lower Estuary ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Elemental Concentrations ◽  
Suspended Particulate ◽  
Fine Grained Material ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Total Sedimentation ◽  
St Lawrence River

Total elemental concentrations (Zn, 8–215 ppm; Cu, 3–76 ppm; Pb, 9–66 ppm) vary texturally and regionally in the sediments of the St. Lawrence estuary and open Gulf of St. Lawrence.Chemical and mineralogical analyses indicate that 8–39% of the total Zn, 7–20% of the total Cu and 15–26% of the total Pb are weakly held by fine-grained organic material, oxide grain coatings, ion exchange positions and carbonates in the sediments. These concentrations are potentially available to the biota. The remaining concentrations (61–93% of the total) are not readily available but are locked up in fine-grained sulphide, oxide and silicate minerals.The highest concentrations of the detrital and non-detrital contributions occur in the pelites or muds of the upper estuary. Seaward these concentrations decrease as the natural and anthropogenic supply of dissolved and suspended particulate matter from the St. Lawrence River diminishes. The upper estuary acts as a sink for these elements because most of the non-detrital Zn, Pb and Cu supplied are removed here by adsorption onto fine-grained suspended terrestrial organic material from solution or before entry (Cu) and transferred to the bottom along with other fine-grained material in response to the present depositional conditions. Decreasing concentrations of these elements are deposited seaward and the sedimentation intensities of the non-detrital elements remain constant with fluctuations in total sedimentation intensity in the lower estuary and open Gulf of St. Lawrence.Biogeochemically, Zn is a contaminant and Pb and Cu are potential contaminants of the upper estuary sediments. Zn and Pb are potential contaminants in the lower estuary but all the elements are at or near natural levels in the open gulf sediments.

Distribution and partition of cobalt, nickel, chromium, and vanadium in the sediments of the Saguenay fjord

1976 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 1706-1718 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Loring
Keyword(s):  
Sedimentation Pattern ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Inorganic Particles ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Nickel Chromium ◽  
Cobalt Nickel ◽  
Saguenay Fjord ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Sandy Sediments ◽  
Fjord Sediments

In the Saguenay fjord sediments, cobalt (Co) concentrations vary between 5 and 20 ppm, nickel (Ni) concentrations between 7 and 36 ppm, chromium (Cr) concentrations from 33 to 70 ppm, and vanadium (V) concentrations from 67 to 149 ppm in relation to texture and location. The highest concentrations are found in the fine-grained sediments from the upper part of the fjord and the lowest concentrations occur in the sandy sediments near the mouth of the fjord. On the average, the fjord's muds are neither greatly enriched nor depleted in Co, Ni, Cr, and V when compared to muds from the St. Lawrence estuary and the open Gulf of St. Lawrence.Acetic acid extractions indicate that 8 to 25% of the total Co, 11 to 29% of the total Ni, 2 to 9% of the total Cr, and 5 to 23% of the total V are contributed by the non-detrital fraction and may be available to the biota in the fjord. Non-detrital Co, Ni, Cr, and V appear to have been removed from solution by adsorption onto fine-grained inorganic particles and their distribution controlled by the sedimentation pattern. Non-delrital Cr, V, and Ni are also associated with Mn and Fe oxides, which are present as grain coatings. Most of the Co, Ni, Cr, and V in the detrital fraction, which accounts for 71 to 98% of the total elemental concentrations are found in sulphide, oxide, and ferromagnesian minerals. These minerals accumulate at the same rate as other detrital sedimentary material in response to the present depositional conditions.The discharge of industrial waste has not resulted in an increase in the concentrations of Co, Ni, Cr, and V in the sediments above their natural levels.

Emissions of porewater compounds and gases from the subaquatic sediment disposal site “rodewischhafen”, hamburg harbour

1998 ◽  
Vol 37 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kussmaul ◽  
A. Groengroeft ◽  
H. Koethe
Keyword(s):  
Water Surface ◽  
Disposal Site ◽  
Dredged Material ◽  
Water Fluxes ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Deposit Surface ◽  
Groundwater Samples ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Mud Deposit

In the year 1993 a confined and unused harbour basin was used to store 290,000 m3 of fine-grained dredged material from Hamburg harbour. About 70% of the deposit surface was water covered. The edge areas were above the water table and covered with reed. Emissions of dissolved compounds into the groundwater, as well as surface gas emissions were measured from 1994 to 1996. As indicators for water fluxes from the deposit we used NH4+ and HCO3− because of their high concentrations in mud porewater in comparison to groundwater. The average concentrations of NH4+ and HCO3− in the porewater increased during 2 years from 85 to 250 mg NH4+ 1−1 and from 2.0 to 3.1 g HCO3− 1−1, while the groundwater samples showed constant values of 8 mg NH4+ 1−1 and 0.7 g HCO3− 1−1. Furthermore, the average gas emissions over the water surface were 3.2 g CH4 m−2 d−1 and 0.8 g CO2 m−2 d−1. In contrast, no methane and 3.0 g CO2 m−2 d−1 were emitted from land areas. The results indicated, that there were no significant emissions of mud porewater compounds into the groundwater but high CH4-emissions over the water covered surface of the mud deposit.

scholarly journals Benthic fluxes of dissolved organic nitrogen in the lower St. Lawrence estuary and implications for selective organic matter degradation

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 7609-7622 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Alkhatib ◽  
P. A. del Giorgio ◽  
Y. Gelinas ◽  
M. F. Lehmann
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Nitrogen ◽  
Organic Nitrogen ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Estuarine Sediments ◽  
Internal Source ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Element Partitioning ◽  
Sediment Porewaters ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary

Abstract. The distribution of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and carbon (DOC) in sediment porewaters was determined at nine locations along the St. Lawrence estuary and in the gulf of St. Lawrence. In a previous manuscript (Alkhatib et al., 2012a), we have shown that this study area is characterized by gradients in the sedimentary particulate organic matter (POM) reactivity, bottom water oxygen concentrations, and benthic respiration rates. Based on the porewater profiles, we estimated the benthic diffusive fluxes of DON and DOC in the same area. Our results show that DON fluxed out of the sediments at significant rates (110 to 430 μmol m−2 d−1). DON fluxes were positively correlated with sedimentary POM reactivity and varied inversely with sediment oxygen exposure time (OET), suggesting direct links between POM quality, aerobic remineralization and the release of DON to the water column. DON fluxes were on the order of 30 to 64% of the total benthic inorganic fixed N loss due to denitrification, and often exceeded the diffusive nitrate fluxes into the sediments. Hence they represented a large fraction of the total benthic N exchange, a result that is particularly important in light of the fact that DON fluxes are usually not accounted for in estuarine and coastal zone nutrient budgets. In contrast to DON, DOC fluxes out of the sediments did not show any significant spatial variation along the Laurentian Channel (LC) between the estuary and the gulf (2100 ± 100 μmol m−2 d−1). The molar C / N ratio of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in porewater and the overlying bottom water varied significantly along the transect, with lowest C / N in the lower estuary (5–6) and highest C / N (> 10) in the gulf. Large differences between the C / N ratios of porewater DOM and POM are mainly attributed to a combination of selective POM hydrolysis and elemental fractionation during subsequent DOM mineralization, but selective adsorption of DOM to mineral phases could not be excluded as a potential C / N fractionating process. The extent of this C- versus N- element partitioning seems to be linked to POM reactivity and redox conditions in the sediment porewaters. Our results thus highlight the variable effects selective organic matter (OM) preservation can have on bulk sedimentary C / N ratios, decoupling the primary source C / N signatures from those in sedimentary paleoenvironmental archives. Our study further underscores that the role of estuarine sediments as efficient sinks of bioavailable nitrogen is strongly influenced by the release of DON during early diagenetic reactions, and that DON fluxes from continental margin sediments represent an important internal source of N to the ocean.

scholarly journals The influences of sedimentary environments on organic matter enrichment in fine-grained rocks of the Paleogene Shahejie formation in Nanpu Sag, Huanghua Depression, Bohai Bay Basin

2021 ◽  
pp. 014459872110310
Author(s):  
Min Li ◽  
Xiongqi Pang ◽  
Guoyong Liu ◽  
Di Chen ◽  
Lingjian Meng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Source Rocks ◽  
Bohai Bay ◽  
Bohai Bay Basin ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Huanghua Depression ◽  
Shahejie Formation ◽  
Nanpu Sag

The fine-grained rocks in the Paleogene Shahejie Formation in Nanpu Sag, Huanghua Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, are extremely important source rocks. These Paleogene rocks are mainly subdivided into organic-rich black shale and gray mudstone. The average total organic carbon contents of the shale and mudstone are 11.5 wt.% and 8.4 wt.%, respectively. The average hydrocarbon (HC)-generating potentials (which is equal to the sum of free hydrocarbons (S1) and potential hydrocarbons (S2)) of the shale and mudstone are 39.3 mg HC/g rock and 28.5 mg HC/g rock, respectively, with mean vitrinite reflectance values of 0.82% and 0.81%, respectively. The higher abundance of organic matter in the shale than in the mudstone is due mainly to paleoenvironmental differences. The chemical index of alteration values and Na/Al ratios reveal a warm and humid climate during shale deposition and a cold and dry climate during mudstone deposition. The biologically derived Ba and Ba/Al ratios indicate high productivity in both the shale and mudstone, with relatively low productivity in the shale. The shale formed in fresh to brackish water, whereas the mudstone was deposited in fresh water, with the former having a higher salinity. Compared with the shale, the mudstone underwent higher detrital input, exhibiting higher Si/Al and Ti/Al ratios. Shale deposition was more dysoxic than mudstone deposition. The organic matter enrichment of the shale sediments was controlled mainly by reducing conditions followed by moderate-to-high productivity, which was promoted by a warm and humid climate and salinity stratification. The organic matter enrichment of the mudstone was less than that of the shale and was controlled by relatively oxic conditions.

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