Trace Metal Cycling in South San Francisco Bay : The significance of non-point source pollution

ISBN-13: 9783639158199 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 56 str.

John Haskins

Opis

The non-point source sediment fluxes of Cd, Cu, andNi from the sediment-water interface in South SanFrancisco Bay are described and compared to knownpoint sources of both anthropogenic and watershedorigins. Fluxes of these metals were determined bybenthic flux chambers and by the mathematicalmodeling of gradients in metal concentrations inpore water taken from sediment cores. Experimentswere also performed to assess benthic macrofaunalcontributions of sediment fluxes using the invasiveAsian clam Potamocorbula amurensis. Because of majorclean-up efforts conducted since the 1970 s fluxes ofcontaminants from point sources have decreasedsignificantly yet metal contamination remain high.Fluxes from non-point sources must comprise asignificant source to the South Bay waters. Theaddition of clams reversed the direction andincreased the magnitude of the fluxes of thesemetals. These data suggest 1) non-point sources suchas sedimentary flux is important and 2) that invasivespecies such as P. amurensis, can have profoundaffects on benthic bioirrigation in the sediments dueto burrowing and feeding generating exchange ofpore waters with the overlying water column.

O autorze

John Haskins grew up in the Bay Area and after attending USF he
went on to complete his Masters in marine science at Moss Landing
Marine Laboratories. John is currently working at the Elkhorn
Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve conducting water
quality studies around the Elkhorn Slough watershed.