ISSN:
1573-2932
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
Notes:
Abstract Sediments from a mid-Lake Ontario station (33A) and from the Western Basin close to the Niagara River (529) contained elevated concentrations of several metals but were not grossly polluted, and did not differ much in metal concentrations. Sediments and elutriates of sediment differed in metal concentrations and the relative abundance of metals. Also pH in elutriates was higher than in sediments. Phosphate concentrations in elutriates were 2 orders of magnitude higher than in lakewater. Elutriates appeared to act as sources of P to lakewater microorganisms and to algae in cultures. In contrast, sediments competed for phosphate with P-sufficient algae. In lakewater and in P-deficient algal cultures, 32P-PO4 dynamics either did not change or were erratic upon sediment addition suggesting that initial consumption of phosphate by sediments was followed by release. We conclude that, in elutriates, phosphate availability and metal toxicity to microorganisms are too different from that of the solid phase to allow the use of elutriates to model sediments in studies of the effects of dredging, or dredged sediment disposal on phosphate uptake in microorganisms.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00228782
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