Because of the bioaccumulation of penta- and tetrapolybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants in biota,the environmental biotransformation of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) is of interest. BDE-209 accounts for more than 80% by mass of PBDE production and is the dominant PBDE in sediments. Most sediments are anaerobic and reports of microbial reductive dehalogenation of hydrophobic ...

Large wood (LW) commonly forms log jams, influencing bed composition and biota via complex flow-sediment-wood interactions. A LW blockage, often induced by river-crossing infrastructure, can strongly alter channel hydraulics sediment transport patterns, thus inducing a ‘forced’ morphology. For studying the deposition of bedload gravel fractions in presence rigid jam, novel experimental setup is...

[1] The Earth’s surface is shaped by the interaction of tectonics, water, sediment, solutes, and biota over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales and across diverse environments. Development of a predictive science of Earth surface dynamics integrates many disciplines and approaches, including hydrology, geomorphology, ocean and atmospheric science, sedimentary and structural geology, geo...

The bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by the filter-feeding soft-shell clam Mya arenaria was evaluated at three sites near Boston (MA, USA) by assessing the chemical activities of those hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in the sediment bed, water column, and organisms. Polyethylene samplers were deployed to measure the activities ...

Stream-bed sediments from three paired catchments, each draining a lower agricultural intensity system and a higher agricultural intensity system, were analysed for (a) total P (TP), (b) bioavailable-P (Resin-P), (c) equilibrium phosphorus concentration (EPC0), and (d) degree of phosphorus saturation (DPS). The influence of agriculture on sediment P was explored within the context of other key ...

A critical review of the last 25 years of dioxin policy in the Elbe river catchment is presented along seven main theses of the River Basin Community (RBC)-Elbe background document "Pollutants" for the Management Plan 2016-2021. In this period, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins/-furans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) will play a major role: (i) as new priority substan...

Introduction To employ improved countermeasures against PCB sources and to reduce the risk to aquatic biota, it is important to identify sources and migration pathways and ascertain their contribution to PCB pollution . Thus, a wider range of studies is required to identify potential PCB sources in the environment. The objective of this study is to identify PCB pollution sources affecting Tokyo...

The accumulation of 14C-benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) sorbed to sediment was examined in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) to compare uptake from sediment with a high organic carbon (OC) content (7.7%), to that with a low OC content (2%). Ingestion of sediments was quantified by co-labeling the sediment with 141Cerium, which was not assimilated by the fish. Results of this study indicated that (1) s...

A 125-mile reach of the South River, Virginia, was contaminated with mercury during the first half of the 20th century. As increased concentrations of mercury have persisted, researchers have carefully studied its distribution in the river biota and estimated associated risks. The present study evaluated the influence of mercury on feeding rate and uptake by the amphipod Hyalella azteca. The te...

Recent Lake Tanganyika Hg deposition records were derived using C and excess Pb geochronometers in sediment cores collected from two contrasting depositional environments: the Kalya Platform, located mid-lake and more removed from watershed impacts, and the Nyasanga/Kahama River delta region, located close to the lake’s shoreline north of Kigoma. At the Kalya Platform area, pre-industrial Hg co...