Water Quality Assessments - A Guide to Use of Biota , Sediments and Water in

Since the publication of the original version of this guidebook in 1978 (UNESCO/WHO, 1978), much new information has been published on the role of particulates in the uptake, release and transport of pollutants, as well as sediment-bound nutrient and contaminant interactions with water and biota, within the aquatic environment. Assessment of the literature on sediments clearly reveals the prominent role that they play in elemental cycling, and this has been used to great effect in environmental monitoring and assessment. For this reason, a separate chapter is now devoted to this topic to provide the basic background and understanding needed to interpret accurately data derived from sediment sampling programmes. More detailed information is also available in Golterman et al. (1983), Häkanson and Jansson (1983) and Salomons and Förstner (1984).