Water, Air, and Soil Pollution

, Volume 99, Issue 1–4, pp 541–556 | Cite as

Water-sediment exchange of nutrients during early diagenesis and resuspension of anoxic sediments from the Northern Adriatic Sea shelf

  • Federico Spagnoli
  • Maria Cristina Bergamini
Role of Sediments in Element Cycles

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study on nutrient exchange at the sediment-water interface which is caused by early diagenesis and resuspension of bottom sediments. The research was carried out on anoxic silty-clay sediment cores collected south of the Po river delta (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy) in late summer.

The early diagenetic processes were investigated by means of the integrated study of pore-water chemistry and solid phase composition. Exchange at the sediment-water interface was studied by comparing the fluxes measured in incubated cores with the fluxes calculated by modelling pore-water profiles. Nutrient exchange during resuspension was analysed by simulating a storm event in the laboratory.

The high production of nutrients near the sediment-water interface is mainly caused by the anoxic degradation of organic matter and the successive reductions of Mn and Fe-oxyhydroxides and, to a lesser extent, of sulphate. The oxic degradation of organic matter occurs only at the sediment-water interface.

In the incubation experiment the increases of phosphate, ammonia, nitrate, silica, and Fe in bottom waters were measured. The comparison between calculated and measured fluxes showed that: a) the fluxes are mainly controlled by molecular diffusion; b) phosphate and Fe sink because of the Fe-oxyhydroxide precipitation and nitrification process influences the ammonia and nitrate fluxes.

Resuspension caused the release of: a) phosphate through surficial desorption and authigenic apatite dissolution; b) ammonia by means of the oxic degradation of organic matter; and c) dissolved silica generated by biogenic silica dissolution. Resuspension also caused a weak removal of Fe. The more oxic conditions following resuspension favoured the formation of a Fe-oxyhydroxide film at the sediment-water interface which inhibited the phosphate fluxes from sediments to the water column.

Keywords

Diagenesis resuspension sediment pore-water marine 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Aller, R.C.: 1980,Advances in Geophysics 22, 237–350.Google Scholar
  2. Artegiani, A., Bregant, D., Paschini, E., Pinardi, N., Raichic, F. and Russo, A.,J. Physical Oceanogr., in press.Google Scholar
  3. Barbanti, A. and Sighinolfi, G.P.: 1988,Environ. Technol. Lett. 9, 127–134.Google Scholar
  4. Barbanti, A., Bergamini, M.C., Frascari, F., Miserocchi, S. and Rosso, G.: 1994,J. Environ. Qual. 23, 1093–1102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Barbanti, A., Bergamini, M.C., Frascari, F., Miserocchi, S., Ratta, M. and Rosso, G.: 1995,Mar. Freshwater Res. 46, 55–67.Google Scholar
  6. Bender, M., Jahnke, R., Weiss, R., Martin, W., Heggic, D.T., Orchardo, J. and Sowers, T.: 1989,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 53, 685–697.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Berelson, W.M., Hammond, D.E. and Johnson, K.S.: 1987a,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 51, 1345–1363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Berelson, W.M., Hammond, D.E., Smith, K.L., Jahnke, R.A., Devol, A.H., Hinga, K.R., Rowe, G.T. and Saules, F.: 1987b,Mar. Technol. Soc. J. 21, 26–32.Google Scholar
  9. Berelson, W.M., Hammond, D.E., O'Neill, D., Zu, M., Chin, C. and Zukin, J.: 1990,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 54, 3001–3012.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Berelson, W.M., Hammond, D.E., McManus, J. and Kilgore, T.E.: 1994,Global Biogeochem. Cycles 8, 219–235.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Berner, R.A.: 1971,Priciples of chemical sedimentology, McGraw-Hill (eds.), New York, p. 240.Google Scholar
  12. Berner, R.A.: 1980,Early diagenesis: a theoretical approach, Princeton Univ. Press (eds.), N.J., p. 241.Google Scholar
  13. Calvo, C., Donazzolo, R., Guidi, F. and Orio, A.: 1991,Water Res. 25, 1295–1302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Canfield, D.E.: 1989,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 53, 619–632.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. Cline, J.D.: 1969,Limnol. Oceanogr. 14, 454–458.Google Scholar
  16. Cook, H.E., Johnson, P.D., Mutti, C. and Zemmels, I.: 1975,Methods of sample preparation and X-ray diffraction data analysis. X-ray mineralogy laboratory, deep-sea drilling project, University of California, Riverside Init. Rep. DSDP 28, 999-1007.Google Scholar
  17. Crema, R., Castelli, A. and Prevedelli, D.: 1991,Mar. Pollut. Bull. 22, 503–508.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Dal Cin, R.: 1983,Boll. Soc. Geol. 102, 9–56.Google Scholar
  19. Drake, E.D., Cacchione, D.A., Frascari, F., Bortoluzzzi, G., Tate, G., Miserocchi, S., Thede, J. and Viall, R.: 1992,Rapp. Comun. Int. Mer Medit. 33.Google Scholar
  20. Fanning, K.A., Carder, K.L. and Betzer, P.R.: 1982,Deep-Sea Res. 29, 953–996.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Forstner, U. and Salomons, W.: 1980,Environ. Technol. Lett. 11, 494–517.Google Scholar
  22. Franco, P., Jeftic, L., Malanotte Rizzoli, P., Michelato, A. and Orlic, M.: 1982,Oceanologica Acta 5, 379–389.Google Scholar
  23. Frignani, M. and Turci, C.: 1981.CNR, AQ/2/12 101.Google Scholar
  24. Frignani, M. and Langone, L.: 1991,Continental Shell Res. 11, 525–542.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Froelich, P.N.: 1980,Limnol. Oceanogr. 25, 242–248.Google Scholar
  26. Gieskes, J.M. and Rogers, W.C.: 1973,J. Sedim. Petr. 43, 272–277.Google Scholar
  27. Giordani, P. and Hammond, D.E.: 1985,Technical Report No. 20, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Geologia Marina (Bologna), p. 33.Google Scholar
  28. Giordani, P., Hammond, D.E., Berelson, W.M., Montanari, G., Poletti, R., Milandri, A., Frignani, M., Langone, L., Ravaioli, M., Rovatti, G. and Rabbi, E.: 1992,Sci. Total Environ. Supplement, 251–275.Google Scholar
  29. Golterman, H.L. and Booman, A.: 1988,Verh. Int. Ver. Linmol. 23, 904–909.Google Scholar
  30. Guerzoni, S., Frignani, M., Giordani, P. and Frascari, F.: 1984,Environ. Geol. 6, 111–119.Google Scholar
  31. Hammond, D.E., Fuller, C., Harmon, D., Hartman, B., Korosec, M., Miller, L.G., Rea, R., Warren, S., Berelson, W. and Hager, S.W.: 1985,Hydrobiologia 129, 69–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Hammond, D.E., McManus, J., Berelson, W., Kilgore, T. and Pope, R.,Deep-Sea Res., in press.Google Scholar
  33. Howarth, R.W.: 1978,Limnol. Oceanogr. 23, 1066–1069.Google Scholar
  34. Hunter, K.A. and Liss, P.S.: 1982,Limnol. Oceanogr. 27, 322–335.Google Scholar
  35. Klump, V.J. and Martens, C.S.: 1981,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 45, 101–121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  36. Krom, M. and Berner, R.A.: 1981,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 45, 207–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  37. Li, Y. and Gregory, S.: 1974,Geochim. Cosrnochirn. Acta 38, 703–714.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  38. Marchetti, R.: 1992,Sci. Total Environ. Supplement, 21–33.Google Scholar
  39. Nelson, B.W.: 1970,Deltaic sedimentation — modern and ancient, Morgan T. Ed., Soc. Ec. Paleon. Sp. Pubbl.15, 152–184.Google Scholar
  40. Orlich, M., Gacic, M. and La Violette, P.E.: 1992,Oceanologica Acta 15, 109–124.Google Scholar
  41. Oviatt, C.A., Hunt, C.D., Vargo, G.A. and Kopchynski, K.W.: 1981,J. Mar. Res. 34, 605–626.Google Scholar
  42. Petersen, W., Wallmann, K., Pinglin, Li, Schroeder, F. and Knauth, H.D.: 1995,Mar. Freshwater Res. 46, 1926.Google Scholar
  43. Ruttenberg, K.C. and Berner, R.A.: 1993,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 57, 991–1007.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. Samtschi, P., Hohener, P., Benoit, G. and Bucholtz-ten Brink, M.: 1990,Mar. Chem. 30, 269–315.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  45. Sfriso, A., Donazzolo, R., Calvo, C. and Orio, A.A.: 1990,Environ. Technol. 12, 371–379.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  46. Sholkovitz, E.: 1973.Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 37, 2043–2073.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  47. Spagnoli, F.: 1993,Diagenesi precoce e processi di scambio di sostanze nutrienti e metalli in tracce tra acqua e sedimento in condizioni di quiete e di risospensione di un'area marina a sud del delta del Po, PhD Dissertation. Univ. Trieste, Italy.Google Scholar
  48. Strickland, J.D.H. and Parsons, T.R.: 1972, A practical Handbook of seawater anakysis, Fish. Res. Board Canada, Ottawa, p. 310.Google Scholar
  49. Sundby, B., Anderson, L.G., Hall, P.O.J., Iverfeldt, A., Rutgers Van der Loeff, M.M. and Westerlund, S.F.G.: 1986,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 50, 1281–1288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  50. Tessier, A., Campbell, P.C.G. and Bisson, M.: 1979,Anal. Chem. 51, 844–850.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  51. Tsai, C.H. and Lick, W.: 1986,J. Great Lakes Res. 12, 314–321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  52. Ullman, W.J. and Aller, R.C.: 1982,Limnol. Oceanogr. 27, 552–556.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  53. Westerlund, S.F.G., Anderson, L.G., Hall, P.O.J., Iverfeldt, A., Rutgers Van der Loff, M.M. and Sundby, B.: 1986,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 50, 1289–1296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  54. Westrich, J.T. and Berner, A.: 1984,Limnol. Oceanogr. 29, 236–249.Google Scholar
  55. Wollast, R. and Garrels, R.: 1971,Nature London Phys. Sci. 229, 94.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Kluwer Academic Publishers 1997

Authors and Affiliations

  • Federico Spagnoli
    • 1
  • Maria Cristina Bergamini
    • 1
  1. 1.Istituto di Gelologia Marina, Consigho Nazionale delle RicercheBolognaItaly

Personalised recommendations