Acid-volatile sulfide as a factor mediating cadmium and nickel bioavailability in contaminated sediments
The authors investigated the influence of sulfide, measured as acid-volatile sulfide (AVS), on the bioavailability of cadmium and nickel in sediments. Seventeen samples from an estuarine system heavily contaminated with cadmium and nickel were analyzed for AVS and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) and tested in 10-d exposures with the amphipod Hyalella azteca and the oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus. Molar SEM(cadmium + nickel)/AVS ratios in the sediments ranged from less than one to greater than 200, with several in the range of 1 to 10. Samples with SEM/AVS ratios greater than one were consistently toxic to Hyalella azteca, whereas sediments with ratios less than one were not. Lumbriculus variegatus was less sensitive to the test sediments than Hyalella azteca, which was consistent with their relative sensitivity to cadmium and nickel in water-only exposures. SEM/AVS ratios in the sediments also appeared to be important in determining bioaccumulation of metals by Lumbriculus variegatus. These results support other studies with metal-spiked samples in demonstrating the importance of AVS in determining metal bioavailability in sediments and suggest that AVS normalization is a reasonable means for assessing the hazard of some sediment-associated metals to aquatic ecosystems.
- Research Organization:
- Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI (United States). Environmental Research Lab.
- OSTI ID:
- 5809610
- Report Number(s):
- PB-92-124296/XAB
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Pub. in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, v10 p1299-1307 1991. Prepared in cooperation with Manhattan Coll., Bronx, NY. Dept. of Chemistry
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CADMIUM
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
NICKEL
SEDIMENTS
CONTAMINATION
SULFIDES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
EXTRACTION
QUANTITY RATIO
TOXICITY
WATER POLLUTION
CHALCOGENIDES
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
METALS
POLLUTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology