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Aquatic Geochemistry (v.8, #3)
Benthic Respiration and Inorganic Nutrient Fluxes in the Estuarine Region of Patos Lagoon (Brazil) by L. F. Niencheski; R. A. Jahnke (pp. 135-152).
In situ benthic flux chamber experiments were performed during late austral spring and early summer of 1996 at eleven nearshore locations in the southern Patos Lagoon, Brazil. The Patos Lagoon is the largest lagoonal system in South America and is a very important nursery ground for local fin fish and shell fish fisheries. These are the first benthic flux measurements made in Patos Lagoon and they suggest that remineralizationwithin the sediments may dominate the recycling of organic matter and nutrients in thelagoon. Measured oxygen benthic fluxes (45–160 mmol m-2 d-1) are sufficientto remineralize reported mean water column carbon fixation while phosphate and fixednitrogen benthic fluxes (-0.4–2 and -1.1–4.2 mmol m-2 d-1, respectively)are sufficient to supply 100% and 25% of the required water column nutrient demand,respectively. Although of limited areal and temporal coverage, these initial studiesdemonstrate that sediments play a major role in the metabolism and nutrient cyclingwithin the Patos Lagoon Estuary and that future studies of lagoonal biogeochemistrymust consider exchange with the bottom.
Keywords: lagoon; estuary; biogeochemistry; sediments; benthic flux
Oxidation and Origin of Organic Matter in Surficial Eastern Mediterranean Hemipelagic Sediments by P. J. M. Van Santvoort; G. J. De Lange; J. Thomson; S. Colley; F. J. R. Meysman; C. P. Slomp (pp. 153-175).
Aerobic mineralisation of Corg in surface sedimentsof the deep (>2000 m water depth) eastern Mediterranean Sea has been quantified by analysis of detailedbox core Corg concentration versus depth profiles and the modelling environment for early diageneticproblems MEDIA. The reactive fraction comprises 60–80% of the total Corg reachingthe sediments and is largely oxidised within the surficial 10 cm. A non-reactive C orgfraction (GNR) dominates at depths >10 cm, and makes up20–40% of the total C org flux to the sediments. First-order rateconstants for decomposition of the reactive fraction calculated from theC org profiles range from 5.4 × 10-3 to8.0 × 10-3 y-1 to 8.0 × 10-3 y-1. Total mineralization rates in thesurface sediment are between 1.7 and 2.6 μmol C cm-2 y-1 and thus are typical for oligotrophic, deep-seaenvironments. The low fluxes and rapid remineralisation of C org are accompanied by210Pbexcess surface mixed layers which are only 2 cm deep, among the thinnest reported for oxygenated marine sediments.Model results indicate a mismatch between the C org profiles and O2 microprofileswhich were measured onboard ship. This can be attributed to a combination of decompression artefactsaffecting onboard measurement of the O2 profiles or the leakage ofoxygen into the core during handling on deck. Furthermore, the used Db values, based on 210Pb, may not befully appropriate; calculations with higher Db values improve the O2 fits. The surficial sedimentδ13C org values of ∼ -22‰ become less negative with increasing depth and decreasing C orgconcentrations. The major δ13C change occurs in the top 3 to 4 cm and coincides with the interval weremost of the organic carbon oxidation takes place. This indicates that the reactive fractionof organic matter, commonly assumed to be marine, has a more negative δ13C orgthan the refractory fraction, usually held to be terrestrial. Palaeoproductivity estimates calculated from thesediment data by means of literature algorithms yield low surface productivities(12–88 gC m-2 y-1), which are in good agreement with field measurements of primary productivity in otherstudies. Such values are, however, significantly lower than those indicated by recent productivitymaps of the area derived from satellite imagery (>100 gC m-2 y-1).
Keywords: organic carbon; eastern Mediterranean; oxidation; production; 210Pb; diagenesis; δ13C
Geochemical Modelling as a Tool for Actinide Speciation during Anoxic Leaching Processes of Nuclear Fuel by M. Amme (pp. 177-198).
The behaviour of many radiotoxic elements, which are contained within spent nuclear fuel planned for direct disposal, is strongly dependent on the redox chemistry of the aqueous media present in the deep geological systems, where such disposal options are investigated. Especially actinide elements are known to be sensitive. The knowledge of the speciation of actinides in the case of a possible mobilisation by intruding groundwater is therefore crucial and part of the source term calculation of many countries' performance assessment procedures. In this study, the influence of redox conditions and complexant concentration in two selected groundwaters upon the species distribution of U and Pu is assessed by using the thermodynamic modeling code PHREEQC version 2.3. The modeled systems were derived from laboratory leaching experiments testing nuclear fuel dissolution. For the calculations, critically reviewed data for U and Pu complexation were used. The results show that under the conditions calculated, U and Pu are present mainly as U(VI) and Pu(IV). The presence of solid UO2 substrate is supposed to change this distribution. The calculational use of different groundwaters as aqueous phase, implying a slightly different solution composition, affects U and Pu speciation: U species distribution is affected mainly by complexant concentration, Pu species are influenced by pH changes. A sensitivity study on Pu speciation is performed; constants changed within their confidence intervals were applied. The results are compared with experimental observations, and differences and possible expected effects during the dissolution of real, complex materials are discussed.
Keywords: species-adapted Nernst equation; redox measurements; leaching experiments; geochemical modelling; sensitivity study; actinides; nuclear fuel dissolution; groundwaters; uranium; plutonium; solubility data
Corrigendum: Sulphide-bearing Waters in Northern Apennines, Italy: General Features and Water-rock Interaction
by Lorenzo Toscani; Giampiero Venturelli; Tiziano Boschetti (pp. 199-199).
Corrigendum: Geochemistry of ice-covered, meromictic Lake A in the Canadian High Arctic
by John A. E. Gibson; Warwick F. Vincent; Patrick Van Hove; Claude Belzile; Xioawa Wang; Derek Muir (pp. 201-201).