The effect of flocculation on the size distributions of bottom sediment in coastal inlets: Implications for contaminant transport

Abstract

Grain size is the most basic of classification criteria for sediments. The size distribution of a given sediment records the physical transport processes involved in its formation. By using precise grain size analysis and the model of Kranck et al. (1996a,b), it is possible to break down a sediment into the three major components from which it was formed: material deposited as flocs, material deposited as single grains from suspension, and material carried under higher energy conditions. With this method, both the amount of material deposited in a flocculated state and the maximum size, or floc limit, of the particles composing the floc can be determined. Changes in floc limit indicate changes in the aggregation dynamics of the system. As most trace metals and many other contaminants associate closely with the fine particle fraction of sediments, it is important to determine both the areal distribution and reworking history of the floc settled portion of a sediment. This paper discusses the application of the method to coastal inlets in Atlantic Canada and examines the relationship between proportion of floc-settled material and trace metal concentrations. Disaggregated inorganic grain size distributions are also used to illustrate changes in the aggregation dynamics in areas of intense aquaculture.