Organochlorine micropollutants in the Jiulong River Estuary and Western Xiamen Sea, China

Organochlorine contaminants including 12 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and 18 insecticides were determined in water, pore water and sediments of the Jiulong River Estuary and Western Xiamen Sea, China. The results showed that the levels of the total PCBs ranged from non-detectable to 1500 ngl(-1) in water, from 209 to 3870 ngl(-1) in pore water, and from 2.78 to 14.8 ng g(-1) dry weight in sediments. Total organochlorine insecticide concentrations were from below the limit of detection to 2480 ngl(-1) in water, from 267 to 33400 ngl(-1) in pore water, and from 4.22 to 46.3 ng g(-1) dry weight in sediments. Concentrations of PCBs and insecticides in pore water were significantly higher than those in surface water, due to the high affinity of these hydrophobic compounds for sediment phase. The PCB congeners with the highest concentrations were CB153, CB180 and CB194, which together accounted for 68-87% of total PCBs in water, pore water and sediment. Among the hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) compounds, beta-HCH was found to be a major isomer. Analysis of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-chlorophenyl-ethane (DDT) and its metabolites showed that 1, 1-dichloro-2[o-chlorophenyl]-2[p-chlorophenyl]-ethylene (DDE) was dominant in the group. In comparison to a 1998 study in the Western Xiamen Sea, levels of organochlorines were enhanced due probably to recent inputs and changes in sediments. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sources and transport of dissolved and particulate organic carbon in the Mississippi River estuary and adjacent coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), stable carbon isotopic (delta(13)C) compositions of DOC and particulate organic carbon (POC), and elemental C/N ratios of POC were measured for samples collected from the lower Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers and adjacent coastal waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico during the low flow season in June 2000 and high flow season in April 2001. These isotopic and C/N results combined with DOC measurements were used to assess the sources and transport of terrestrial organic matter from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers to the coastal region in the northern Gulf of Mexico. delta(13)C values of both POC (-23.8parts per thousand to -26.8parts per thousand) and DOC (-25.0parts per thousand to -29.0parts per thousand) carried by the two rivers were more depleted than the values measured for the samples collected in the offshore waters. Strong seasonal variations in delta(13)C distributions were observed for both POC and DOC in the surface waters of the region. Fresh water discharge and horizontal mixing played important roles in the distribution and transport of terrestrial POC and DOC offshore. Our results indicate that both POC and DOC exhibited non-conservative behavior during the mixing especially in the mid-salinity range. Based on a simple two end-member mixing model, the comparison of the measured DOC-delta(13)C with the calculated conservative isotopic mixing curve indicated that there was a significant in situ production of marine-derived DOC in the mid- to high-salinity waters consistent with our in situ chlorophyll-a measurements. Our DOC-delta(13)C data suggest that a removal of terrestrial DOC mainly occurred in the high-salinity (>25) waters during the mixing. Our study indicates that the mid- to high- (10-30) salinity range was the most dynamic zone for organic carbon transport and cycling in the Mississippi River estuary. Variability in isotopic and elemental compositions along with variability in DOC and POC concentrations suggest that autochthonous production, bacterial utilization, and photo-oxidation could all play important roles in regulating and removing terrestrial DOC in the northern Gulf of Mexico and further study of these individual processes is warranted. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential P limitation leads to excess N in the pearl river estuarine coastal plume

There is excess nitrate (NO3) in the Pearl River coastal plume in the southern waters of Hong Kong in summer. We hypothesize that phosphorus (P) limitation controls the utilization of excess NO3 due to the high N:P ratio in the Pearl River. To test this hypothesis, we conducted two 1-day cruises on July 13 and 19, 2000 to examine the response of the phytoplankton to P additions with respect to changes in biomass, uptake of nutrients and nutrient uptake ratios using a batch incubation of natural water samples collected from the Pearl River estuary and adjacent coastal waters. At a station (E1, salinity =5) in the Pearl River estuary, the N/P ratio at the surface was 46:1, (64 muM DIN: 1.3 muM PO4) and decreased to 24:1 (12 muM DIN: 0.5 muM PO4) downstream at a station (Stn 26, salinity =26) in the coastal plume south of Hong Kong. Without a P addition, NO3 in the water samples collected at E1 could not be depleted during a 9 day incubation (similar to20 muM NO3 remaining). With a P addition, NO3 disappeared completely on day 6 with the depletion of the added PO4 (2-3 muM). This was also true for a station, E4 (salinity= 15) further downstream, but within the estuary. At Stn 26, in the coastal plume south of Hong Kong, NO3 (similar to11.5 muM) was eventually depleted without the addition of PO4, but it took 8 days instead of 5 days for Stn E4. The uptake ratio of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) to PO4, without a P addition was 51:1, 43:1 and 46:1 for Stns E1, E4 and 26, respectively. With a P addition, the DIN/PO4 uptake ratio decreased to 20:1, 14:1 and 12:1, respectively, for the 3 stations. These results clearly indicate potential P limitation to utilization of NO3 in the Pearl River estuary, resulting in excess NO3 in waters of the coastal plume downstream of the estuary, some of which would eventually be transported offshore. High uptake ratios of N:P without a P addition (43N:1P) suggest that phytoplankton have a nitrogen uptake capacity in excess of the Redfield ratio of 16N: 1P by 2.5-3 times. The value of 2.5-3 times was likely a maximum that should have contained a contribution of P released from desorption of P from sediments or from regeneration by zooplankton grazing and bacterial activity during the incubation of natural water samples. Without a P addition, however, phytoplankton biomass did not increase. This means that P turnover rates or regeneration may allow phytoplankton to take up additional N in excess of the Redfield ratio and store it, but without increasing the algal biomass. Therefore, high ambient N:P ratios in excess of the Redfield ratio do indicate potential P limitation to phytoplankton biomass in this estuarine coastal ecosystem. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Studies on the regional feature of organic carbon in sediments off the Huanghe River Estuary waters

Organic carbon (OC) in definitely small area sediments(according to marine dimension)off the Huanghe River Estuary is investigated in order to evaluate the feature of regional difference of physical and chemical properties in marginal sea sediments. The distributions of OC in sediments with natural grain size and the relationship with the pH, Eh,Es and Fe3+/Fe2+ are discussed. In addition,OC decomposition rates in surfacial/subsurfacial sediments are estimated. OC concentrations range from 0.26% to 1.8%(wt)in the study area. Significant differences in OC content and in horizontal distribution as well as various trends in surfacial/subsurfacial sediments exhibit the feature of regional difference remarkably in marginal sea sediments. The complicated distribution of OC in surface sediments is due to the influence of bacterial activity and abundance, bioturbation of benthos and physical disturbance. The OC decomposition rate constant in surfacial/subsurfacial sediments ranges from 0.0097 to 0.076 a(-1) and the relatively high values may be mainly related to bacteria that are mainly responsible for OC mineralization;meio-and macrofauna affect OC degradation both directly, through feeding on it, and indirectly through bioturbation and at the same time coarse sediments are also disadvantageous to OC preservation. In almost all the middle and bottom sediments the contents of OC decrease with the increase of deposition depth, which indicates that mineralization of OC in the middle and bottom sediments has occurred via processes like SO42- reduction and Fe-oxide reduction.

A nitrogen budget of the Changjiang river catchment

Based on 1997-1998 field investigations in the Changjiang river mouth, rain sampling from the river's upper reaches to the mouth, historical data, and relevant literature, the various sources of Total Nitrogen (TN) and Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN) in the Changjiang river catchment and N transport in the Changjiang river mouth were estimated. The export fluxes of various form of were mainly controlled by the river runoff, and the export fluxes of NO3-N, DIN and TN in 1998 (an especially heavy flood year) were 1438 103 tonnes (t) yr(-1) or 795.1 kg km(-2) yr(-1) 1746 10(3) t yr(-1) or 965.4 kg km(-2) yr(-1) and 2849 10(3) t yr(-1) or 1575.3 kg km(-2) yr(-1), respectively. The TN and DIN in the Changjiang river came mainly from precipitation, agricultural nonpoint sources, N lost from fertilizer and soil, and point sources of industrial waste and residential sewage discharge, which were about 56.2% and 62.3%, 15.4% and 18.5%, 17.1% and 14.4%, respectively, of the N outflow at the Changjiang river mouth; maximum transport being in the middle reaches.

Seasonal and spatial distribution of matrix-bound phosphine and its relationship with the environment in the Changjiang River Estuary, China

Sediment is commonly considered as a source of phosphine, which is a highly toxic and reactive atmospheric trace gas. This study aims to investigate the seasonal and spatial distribution of matrix-bound phosphine (MBP) and its relationship with the environment in the Changjiang River Estuary. A total of 43 surface sediments were collected in four seasons of 2006, and concentrations of MBP and relative environmental factors were analyzed. MBP ranged from 1.93 to 94.86 ng kg(-1) dry weight (dw) with an average concentration of 17.14 ng kg(-1) dw. The concentrations of MBP in the tipper estuary were, higher than those in the lower estuary, which could be attributed to greater pollutant inputs in the upper estuary. The concentrations of MBP also varied with season, with November > August > May > February. Significant correlations existed between MBP and total phosphorus (TP), organic phosphorus (OP), inorganic phosphorus (W), organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), the grain size, and redox potential (Eh), suggesting that these sedimentary environmental characteristics played an important role in controlling the MBP levels in the sediments. Notably, there were positive linear relationships between the concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), TP, and chlorophyll a (Chl a) in bottom water and MBP in sediments. These relationships might be very complicated and need further exploration. This work is the first comprehensive study of the seasonal and spatial distribution of MBP in sediments and its relationships with environmental factors in a typical estuary, and will lead to deeper understanding of the phosphorus (P) biogeochemical cycle. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavior of uranium in the Yellow River plume (Yellow river estuary)

The Yellow River (Huanghe) is the second largest river in China and is known for its high turbidity. It also has remarkably high levels of dissolved uranium (U) concentrations (up to 38 nmol l(-1)). To examine the mixing behavior of dissolved U between river water and seawater, surface water samples were collected along a salinity gradient from the Yellow River plume during September 2004 and were measured for dissolved U concentration, U-234:U-238 activity ratio, phosphate (PO43-), and suspended particulate matter. Laboratory experiments were also conducted to simulate the mixing process in the Yellow River plume using unfiltered Yellow River water and filtered seawater. The results showed a nonconservative behavior for dissolved U at salinities < 20 with an addition of U to the plume waters estimated at about 1.4 X 10(5) mol yr(-1). A similarity between variations in dissolved U and PO43- with salinity was also found. There are two major mechanisms, desorption from suspended sediments and diffusion from interstitial waters of bottom sediments, that may cause the elevated concentrations of dissolved U and PO43- in mid-salinity waters. Mixing experiments indicate that desorption seems more responsible for the elevated dissolved U concentrations, whereas diffusion influences more the enrichment of PO43-.

Size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass in autumn of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuary and its adjacent waters after the Three Gorges Dam construction

A cruise was undertaken from 3rd to 8th November 2004 in Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuary and its adjacent waters to investigate the spatial biomass distribution and size composition of phytoplankton. Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration ranged 0.42-1.17 mu g L-1 and 0.41-10.43 mu g L-1 inside and outside the river mouth, with the mean value 0.73 mu g L-1 and 1.86 mu g L-1, respectively. Compared with the Chl-a concentration in summer of 2004, the mean value was much lower inside, and a little higher outside the river mouth. The maximal Chl-a was 10.43 mu g L-1 at station 18 (122.67 degrees E, 31.25 degrees N), and the region of high Chl-a concentration was observed in the central survey area between 122.5 degrees E and 123.0 degrees E. In the stations located east of 122.5 degrees E, Chl-a concentration was generally high in the upper layers above 5 m due to water stratification. In the survey area, the average Chl-a in sizes of > 20 mu m and < 20 mu m was 0.28 mu g L-1 and 1.40 mu g L-1, respectively. High Chl-a concentration of < 20 mu m size-fraction indicated that the nanophytoplankton and picophytoplankton contributed the most to the biomass of phytoplankton. Skeletonema costatum, Prorocentrum micans and Scrippsiella trochoidea were the dominant species in surface water. The spatial distribution of cell abundance of phytoplankton was patchy and did not agree well with that of Chl-a, as the cell abundance could not distinguish the differences in shape and size of phytoplankton cells. Nitrate and silicate behaved conservatively, but the former could probably be the limitation factor to algal biomass at offshore stations. The distribution of phosphate scattered considerably, and its relation to the phytoplankton biomass was complicated.

Responses of a coastal phytoplankton community to increased nutrient input from the Changjiang (Yangtze) River

Nutrient input from the Changjiang River (Yangtze River) has been increasing dramatically since the 1960s. At the mouth of the Changjiang River, the nitrate concentration has increased about three-fold in 40 years, from 20.5 mu mol/L in the 1960s to 59.1 mu mol/L in the 1980s and to 80.6 mu mol/L in 1990-2004. Phosphate concentration increased by a factor of 30%, from 0.59 mu mol/L in the 1980s to 0.77 mu mol/L in 1990-2004. The increasing nitrate input has arisen mostly from the mid and lower reaches of the Changjiang River, where the river meets one of the most strongly developed agriculture areas in China. Responses of the coastal phytoplankton community to the increasing nutrient inputs are also seen in the available monitoring data. First, a trend of increasing phytoplankton standing stock from 1984 to 2002 appeared in the Changjiang River estuary and adjacent coastal waters, especially in late spring. Secondly, the proportion of diatoms in the whole phytoplankton community showed a decreasing trend from about 85% in 1984 to about 60% in 2000. Finally, red tides/harmful algal blooms increased dramatically in this area in terms of both number and scale. About 30-80 red tide events were recorded each year from 2000 to 2005 in the East China Sea. The scale of some blooms has been in excess of 10,000 km(2). (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The status and characteristics of eutrophication in the Yangtze River (Changjiang) estuary and the adjacent East China Sea, China

Eutrophication has become increasingly serious and noxious algal blooms have been of more frequent occurrence in the Yangtze River Estuary and in the adjacent East China Sea. In 2003 and 2004, four cruises were undertaken in three zones in the estuary and in the adjacent sea to investigate nitrate (NO3-N), ammonium (NH4-N), nitrite (NO2-N), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), dissolved reactive silica (DRSi), dissolved oxygen (DO), phytoplankton chlorophyll a (Chl a) and suspended particulate matter (SPM). The highest concentrations of DIN (NO3-N+NH4-N+NO2-N), SRP and DRSi were 131.6, 1.2 and 155.6 mu M, respectively. The maximum Chl a concentration was 19.5 mg m(-3) in spring. An analysis of historical and recent data revealed that in the last 40 years, nitrate and SRP concentrations increased from 11 to 97 mu M and from 0.4 to 0.95 mu M, respectively. From 1963 to 2004, N:P ratios also increased from 30-40 up to 150. In parallel with the N and P enrichment, a significant increase of Chl a was detected, Chl a maximum being 20 mg m(-3), nearly four times higher than in the 1980s. In 2004, the mean DO concentration in bottom waters was 4.35 mg l(-1), much lower than in the 1980s. In comparison with other estuaries, the Yangtze River Estuary was characterized by high DIN and DRSi concentrations, with low SRP concentrations. Despite the higher nutrient concentrations, Chl a concentrations were lower in the inner estuary (Zones 1 and 2) than in the adjacent sea (Zone 3). Based on nutrient availability, SPM and hydrodynamics, we assumed that in Zones 1 and 2 phytoplankton growth was suppressed by high turbidity, large tidal amplitude and short residence time. Furthermore, in Zone 3 water stratification was also an important factor that resulted in a greater phytoplankton biomass and lower DO concentrations. Due to hydrodynamics and turbidity, the open sea was unexpectedly more sensitive to nutrient enrichment and related eutrophication processes.

Inorganic carbon of sediments in the Yangtze River Estuary and Jiaozhou Bay

JGOFS results showed that the ocean is a major sink for the increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide resulting from human activity. However, the role of the coastal seas in the global carbon cycling is poorly understood. In the present work, the inorganic carbon (IC) in the Yangtze River Estuary and Jiaozhou Bay are studied as examples of offshore sediments. Sequential extraction was used to divide inorganic carbon in the sediments into five forms, NaCl form, NH3 H2O form, NaOH form, NH2OH HCl form and HCl form. Studied of their content and influencing factors were also showed that NaCl form < NH3 H2O form < NaOH form < NH2OH HCl form < HCl form, and that their influencing factors of pH, Eh, Es, water content, organic carbon, organic nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen, organic phosphorus and inorganic phosphorus on inorganic carbon can be divided into two groups, and that every factor has different influence on different form or on the same form in different environment. Different IC form may transform into each other in the early diagenetic process of sediment, but NaCl form, NH3 H2O form, NaOH form and NH2OH HCl form may convert to HCl form ultimately. So every IC form has different contribution to carbon cycling. This study showed that the contribution of various form of IC to the carbon cycle is in the order of NaOH form > NH2OH HCl form > NH3 H2O form > NaCl form > HCl form, and that the contribution of HCl form contributes little to carbon cycling, HCl form may be one of end-result of atmospheric CO2. So Yangtze River estuary sediment may absorb at least about 40.96x10(11) g atmospheric CO2 every year, which indicated that offshore sediment play an important role in absorbing atmospheric CO2.

GEO-ECOLOGICAL TRANSECT STUDIES IN NORTHEAST TIBET (QINGHAI, CHINA) REVEAL HUMAN-MADE MID-HOLOCENE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE UPPER YELLOW RIVER CATCHMENT CHANGING FOREST TO GRASSLAND

Geo-ecological transect studies in the pastures of the upper catchment of the HuangHe (99 degrees 30'-100 degrees 00'E/35 degrees 30'-35 degrees 40'N'; 3,000-4,000 in a.s.l., Qinghai province, China) revealed evidence that pastures replace forests. Plot-based vegetation records and fenced grazing exclosure experiments enabled the identification of grazing indicator plants for the first time. The mapping of vegetation patterns of pastures with isolated juniper and Spruce forests raise questions as to the origin of the grasslands, which arc widely classified as "natural" at present. Soil investigations and charcoal fragments of Juniperus (8,153 +/- 63 uncal BP) and Picea (6,665 +/- 59 uncal BP) provide evidence of the wider presence of forests. As temperatures and rainfall records undoubtedly represent a forest climate, it is assumed that the present pastures have replaced forests. Circumstantial evidence arising from investigations into the environmental history of the Holocene effectively substantiates this theory.