Abstract
Studies of heavy metal concentrations in porewaters and in sediments from the Weser Estuary, Germany, indicate that the depth distribution of Mn, Cd, and Cu in the solid phase is predominantly influenced by the subsurface redox regime, while Ni shows only moderate alteration. Based on solid-phase heavy metal data from eight locations in the study area, linear regressions of Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, and Cd on Al allowed differences between the initial metal concentration and the concentration preserved in the sediments to be predicted. We calculate that, due to early diagenetic processes, Mn is enriched to 145 percent, while Cu and Cd are depleted to 71 percent and 46 percent, respectively, of the initial metal concentration in the near-surface sediment. Maximum depletion of Cd (84 percent), Cu (68 percent), Mn (54 percent), and Ni (24 percent) concentrations in the sediment, observed at a restricted area downcore, indicate the importance of post-depositional processes to metal preservation in the sediment. Without knowledge of the quantitative effects of diagenetic reactions on the preservation of metal concentrations in sediments, the depth distribution of metals in sediment cores may be misinterpreted as the effect of human activities.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alderton DHM (1985) Sediments. In: Historical monitoring. Technical Report 31. Monitoring and Assessment Research Centre (MARC). University of London
Aller RC and Benninger LK (1981) Spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved ammonia, manganese and silica fluxes from bottom sediments of Long Island Sound, U.S.A. J Mar Res 39:295–314
ARGE Weser (1982) Weserlastplan. Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Länder zur Reinhaltung der Weser, Bremen
ARGE Weser (1979–1991) Zahlentafeln der physikalisch-chemischen Untersuchungen. Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Länder zur Reinhaltung der Weser, Bremen
Berner RA (1980) Early diagenesis a theorethical approach. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 241 pp
Bruland KW, Bertine K, Koide M, and Goldberg ED (1974) History of metal pollution in Southern California coastal zone. Environ Sci Technol 8:425–432
Calvert SE and Pedersen TF (1993) Geochemistry of recent oxic and anoxic marine sediments: Implications for the geological record. Mar Geol 113:67–88
Calvert SE and Price NB (1972) Diffusion and reaction profiles of dissolved manganese in the porewaters of marine sediments. Earth Planet Sci Lett 16:245–249
Carignan R and Nriagu JO (1985) Trace metal deposition and mobility in the sediments of two lakes near Sudbury, Ontario. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 42:1413–1425
Elderfield H, McCaffrey RJ, Luedtke N, Bender M, and Truesdale VM (1981) Chemical diagenesis in Narragansett Bay sediments. Am J Sci 281:1021–1055
Emerson S, Jahnke R, and Heggie D (1984) Sediment-water exchange in shallow water estuarine sediments. J Mar Res 42:709–730
Förstner U and Reineck HE (1974) Die Anreicherung von Spurenelementen in den rezenten Sedimenten eines Profilkemes aus der Deutschen Bucht. Senckenberg Marit 6:175–184
Förstner U and Wittman GTW (1983) Metal pollution in the aquatic environment. New York: Springer-Verlag. 486 pp
Gaillard JF, Jeandel C, Michard G, Nicolas E, and Renard D (1986) Interstitial water chemistry of Villefranche Bay sediments: Trace metal diagenesis. Mar Chem 18:233–247
Gerringa LJA (1990) Aerobic degradation of organic matter and the mobility of Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn in marine sediment slurries. Mar Chem 29:355–374
Gobeil C, Silverberg N, Sundby B, and Cossa D (1987) Cadmium diagenesis in Laurentian Trough sediments. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 51:589–596
Hanson PJ, Evans DW, and Colby DR (1993) Assessment of elemental contamination in estuarine and coastal environments based on geochemical and statistical modeling of sediments. Mar Environ Res 36:237–266
Heggie DT, Klinkhammer GP, and Cullen D (1987) Manganese and copper fluxes from continental margin sediments. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 51:1059–1070
Kersten M, Dicke M, Kriews M, Naumann K, Schmidt D, Schulz M, Schiwkoski M, and Steiger M (1988) Distribution and fate of heavy metals in the North Sea. In: Salomons W, Bayne BL, Duursma EK and Förstner U (Eds), Pollution of the North Sea. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. pp 300–347
Knauth HD, Sturm R, and Milde P (1990) Zur Belastung des Weser Ästuars der südlichen Deutschen Bucht mit chlorierten Kohlenwasserstoffen und ausgewählten Schwermetallen. Teilgutachten des GKSS im Rahmen des Meßprogrammes Weser in Bremen, Geesthacht. 244 pp
Kotz L, Kaiser G, Tschöpel P, and Tölg G (1972) Aufschluss biologischer Matrices für die Bestimmung sehr niedriger Spurenelementgehalte bei begrenzter Einwaage mit Salpetersäure in einem Teflongefäss Z Anal Chem 260:207–209
Kracht F (1992) Einflussnahme frühdiagenetischer Prozesse auf die Schwermetallanreicherung in Sedimenten aus dem Wattgebiet der Wesermündung und aus dem Schlickgebiet der Deutschen Bucht südöstlich von Helgoland. PhD thesis. Bremen, Germany: University of Bremen
Lapp B and Balzer W (1993) Early diagenesis of trace metals used as an indicator of past productivity changes in coastal sediments. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 57:4639–4652
Lauff GH (1967) Estuaries. American Association for the Advancement of Science Publication 83. New York 757 pp
Lerman A (1979) Geochemical processes: water and sediment environments. New York: Wiley. 481 PP
Rehm E, Schulz-Baldes M, and Rehm B (1984) Geochemical factors controlling the distribution of Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cu and Cr in wadden areas of the Weser estuary (German Bight). Veroeff Inst Meeresforsch 20:75–102
Sagemann J, Skowronek F, Schulz HD, and Dahmke A (1994) Porewater response on seasonal environmental changes in intertidal sediments of the Weser Estuary (submitted)
Salomons W, Kerdijk H, van Pagee H, Klomp R, and Schreur A (1988) Behaviour and impact assessment of heavy metals in estuarine and coastal zones. In: Seeliger U, de Lacerda LD, and Patchineelam SR (Eds), Metals in coastal environments of Latin America. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. 292 pp
Schoer J, Nagel U, Eggersgluess D, and Förstner U (1982) Metal contents in sediments from the Elbe, Weser and Ems estuaries and from the German Bight (southeastern North Sea) Grain size effects. Mitt Geol Palaeontol Inst Univ Hamb SCOP/UNEP Sonderband 52:687–702
Shaw TJ, Gieskes JM, and Jahnke, RA (1990) Early diagenesis in differing depositional environments: the response of transition metals in porewater. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 54:1233–1246
Silverberg N and Sundby B (1990) Sediment-water interaction and early diagenesis in the Laurentian Trough. In: El-Sabh M and Silverberg N (Eds), Oceanography of a large scale estuarine system: The St. Lawrence. Coastal and estuarine studies. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. pp 202–238
Skowronek F, Sagemann J, Dahmke A, Wallmann K, and Schulz HD (1994) Seasonal heavy metal fluxes from a sediment area in the Weser Estuary, Germany (submitted)
Stenzel F (1994) Untersuchungen zur kleinräumigen Tiefenverteilung von Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni und Cd und der Austauschkapazität in Sedimenten des Weser Ästuares. Dipl thesis. Bremen: University of Bremen (in preparation)
Ullmann WJ and Aller RC (1982) Diffusion coefficients in nearshort marine sediments. Limnol. Oceanogr. 27:552–556
Wiley M (1976) Estuarine processes. II: Circulation sediments and transfer of material in the estuary. London: Academic Press. 428 pp
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Skowronek, F., Sagemann, J., Stenzel, F. et al. Evolution of heavy-metal profiles in river Weser Estuary sediments, Germany. Geo 24, 223–232 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00766892
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00766892