Effects of sediment resuspension on the degradation of phenanthrene
- State Univ. of New York, Stony Brook, NY (United States). Marine Sciences Research Center
Degradation of bulk organic matter in sediments is enhanced by oxic/anoxic cycling, a feature common in coastal sediments which are resuspended into overlying waters. The authors are examining the effect of periodic cycling of sediment between an oxic water column and a reducing sediment bed on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) degradation by altering resuspension frequency in controlled laboratory exposures. Rates of initial degradation in coastal sediment have been studied for {sup 14}C-labeled phenanthrene in sediments that were suspended at the following frequencies: 12/day, 6/day, 1/day, 0.25/day and 0/day in liter-sized flow through chambers. Results to date show that degradation rates are initially log linear, with the greatest initial rates (2.4--2.7%/day) occurring in the first three treatments. In treatments resuspended less frequently, this rate decreases with time and is followed at 10--12 days, by another rate increase, which may indicate the stimulation of a bacterial subpopulation. Rates of PAH mineralization are tied to the lability and mineralization of other pools of sediment organic matter, that in turn are also affected also by oxic/anoxic cycling. Addition of fresh diatom detritus stimulated the rates of phenanthrene degradation in resuspension experiments where labile organic matter had already been consumed and microbial activity was low; in contrast diatom addition depressed phenanthrene degradation in sediment exposures with more labile organic matter remaining. The authors are further addressing the behavior of phenanthrene in exposures where they vary the concentration of initial phenanthrene and the concentration and nature of co-substrates.
- OSTI ID:
- 382703
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9645%%254
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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