Sediment Remediation with New Composite Sorbent Amendments to Sequester Phosphorus, Organic Contaminants, and Metals.

This study tested two sediment amendments with active sorbents: injection of aluminum (Al) into sediments and thin-layer capping with Polonite (calcium-silicate), with and without the addition of activated carbon (AC), for their simultaneous sequestration of sediment phosphorus (P), hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs), and metals. Sediment cores were collected from a eutrophic and polluted brackish water bay in Sweden and incubated in the laboratory to measure sediment-to-water contaminant release and effects on biogeochemical processes. We used diffusive gradients in thin-film passive samplers for metals and semi-permeable membrane devices for the HOC polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Al injection into anoxic sediments completely stopped the release of P and reduced the release of cadmium (Cd, -97%) and zinc (Zn, -95%) but increased the sediment fluxes of PAH (+49%), compared to the untreated sediment. Polonite mixed with AC reduced the release of P (-70%), Cd (-67%), and Zn (-89%) but increased methane (CH4) release. Adding AC to the Al or Polonite reduced the release of HOCs by 40% in both treatments. These results not only demonstrate the potential of innovative remediation techniques using composite sorbent amendments but also highlight the need to assess possible ecological side effects on, for example, sedimentary microbial processes.

Meiofauna improve oxygenation and accelerate sulfide removal in the seasonally hypoxic seabed.

Oxygen depleted areas are widespread in the marine realm. Unlike macrofauna, meiofauna are abundant in hypoxic sediments. We studied to what extent meiofauna affect oxygen availability, sulfide removal and microbial communities. Meiofauna were extracted alive and added to intact sediments simulating abundance gradients previously reported in the area. A total of 324 porewater microprofiles were recorded over a 3-week incubation period and microbial community structure and cable bacteria densities were determined at the end of the experiment. At high abundances meiofauna activity deepened oxygen penetration by 85%, 59%, and 62% after 5, 14, and 22 days, respectively, compared to control sediment with scarce meiofauna. After 6 days, meiofauna increased the volume of oxidized, sulfide-free sediment by 68% and reduced sulfide fluxes from 8.8 to 0.4 mmol m-2 d-1. After 15 days, the difference with the control attenuated due to the presence of a cable bacteria population, which facilitated sulfides oxidation in all treatments. 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that meiofauna affected microbial community structure (beta diversity). Thus, meiofauna bioturbation plays an important role in deepening oxygen penetration, counteracting euxinia and in structuring microbial diversity of hypoxic sediments. Co-existence with cable bacteria demonstrates neutralism interaction between these two ecosystem engineers.