Role of benthic communities in organic contaminant transport and fate. 1: Bioturbation

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:85938

Schaffner, L C; Dickhut, R M; Mitra, S; Lay, P L ^[1]

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1. Coll. of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA (United States). School of Marine Science

The authors discuss their results for a series of laboratory experiments in which they evaluate benthic macrofauna effects, via bioturbation, bioirrigation and biosuspension processes, on organic contaminant (PAHs, PCBs) transport and fate. The major findings are: (1) macrofauna enhance loss of compounds from the sediment relative to controls in which macrofauna have been removed; the macrofauna effects are similar for all compounds studied, regardless of physical-chemical properties, suggesting that physical transport mechanisms are important; (2) direct resuspension via feeding processes is a potentially important process regulating contaminant flux across the sediment-water interface; (3) bioadvective processes are important for contaminant burial; contaminants are found in animal burrows well below the sediment surface within a few days following contaminant addition at the sediment-water interface; (4) diffusive processes, as a function of bioirrigation and contaminant physical chemistry, have some influence on the final fate of compounds in their systems; (5) macrofaunal effects are temperature-dependent and, therefore, vary seasonally. Implications for modeling organic contaminant transport and fate in estuarine and coastal systems will be discussed.

• OSTI ID: 85938
• Report Number(s): CONF-9410273--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BENTHOS
BIOINTRUSION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
ESTUARIES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
POLLUTION
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SEDIMENTS
WATER POLLUTION