Elbe estuary

Japenga et al. [56] determined polychlorinated biphenyls and chlorinated insecticides in River Elbe estuary sediments by a procedure in which the sediments were pretreated with acetic acid, mixed with silica and Soxhlet-extracted with benzene/hexane. Humic material and elemental sulphur were removed by passing the extract through a chromatographic column containing basic alumina, on which sodium sulphite and sodium hydroxide were adsorbed. Silica fractionation was followed by gas chromatography to analyse chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Recovery experiments with standard solutions gave recoveries of 90-102%. 

Elbe estuary (Germany) Estuarine sediment NP 0.370-0.480a [39]... 

Lohse, 3. and Michaelis, W., 1983. Carbohydrates in particulate matter of the Elbe estuary. In E.T. Degens and S. Kempe (eds), Transport of Carbon and Minerals in Major World Rivers. Pt. 2. Mitt. Geol.-Palaont. Inst. Univ. Hamburg, SCOPE/UNEP Sonderbd., 55 371-383. 

Brasse, S., Nellen, M., Seifert, R., and Michaelis, W. (2002) The carbon dioxide system in the Elbe estuary. Biogeochemistry 59, 25-40. 

Kemer, M., and Spitzy, A. (2001) Nitrate regeneration coupled to degradation of different size fractions of DON by the picoplankton in the Elbe estuary. Microb. Ecol. 41, 69-81. 

Stehr, G., Bottcher, B., Dittbemer, P., Rath, G., and Koops, H. P. (1995). The ammonia-oxidizing nitrifying population of the River Elbe estuary. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 17. 

Kerner, M. Wallmann, K. (1992) Remobilisation events involving Cd and Zn from intertidal flat sediments in the Elbe estuary during the tidal cycle. Est. Coastal Shelf Sci. 35, 371-93. 

A well known Elbe-specific compound is tetrabutyl tin, the parent substance for the synthesis of mono- to tributyl tin compounds widely used as antifoulants, stabilizers in poly(vinyl chloride)s (PVC) and industrial as well as agricultural biocides. The origin of tetrabutyl tin in sediments and suspended particulate matter of the Elbe river can be linked to an industrial point source situated near the confluence of the Mulde and the Elbe rivers (Wilken et al. 1994, Schwarzbauer, 1997). The occurence of tetrabutyl tin not only at sample sites mainly influenced by the Elbe river (sample sites A,B and C), but also in sediments situated farer from the Elbe estuary (sample sites E,F) indicates a wide spatial distribution of Elbe-derived organic matter in the German Bight. 

Estuarine Cycling of Sediment-Associated Pollutants" (St. Lawrence U.S. East Coast Gironde, Scheldt, Rhine, Ems, Weser, Elbe Estuaries)... 

Kersten, M. Kerner, M. (1985) Transformations of heavy metals and plant nutrients in a tidal freshwater flat sediment of the Elbe estuary as affected by Eh and tidal cycle. In Proc. Int. Conf. Heavy Metals in the Environment, Athens, pp. 533-535. Edinburgh CEP Consultants. 

Nolet, B.A., V.A.A. Dijkstra, and D. Heidecke. 1994. Cadmium in beavers translocated from the Elbe River to the Rhine/Meuse estuary, and the possible effect on population growth rate. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 27 154-161. 

De Voogt et al. [23] analysed marine and estuarine sediments from 22 sites in northwestern Europe (extending from Ireland and France to Norway and Sweden) by HPLC-FL. NP, OP, AgPEO and AgPEO concentration ranges of 0.1-17, highest levels were found in the estuaries of the rivers Seine, Mersey, Rhine/Meuse, Weser and Elbe. 

Detailed investigations were carried out in the estuaries of some of the European rivers such as the Elbe, Weser and the Ems (Fig. 12) in order to understand the nature of these processes. The major emphasis during these studies was the behaviour of organic matter during estuarine mixing. 

Fig. 12. Map depicting sampling locations in the estuaries of the rivers Elbe, Weser and the Ems Rivers.

The selected case study (Section 7) demonstrates the hazard potential of river sediments. In numerous investigations, pT-values were generated for sediments and dredged material of the rivers Rhine (with its tributaries Moselle and Saar), Ems, Weser, Elbe, Oder and their estuaries, as well as the North and Baltic Seas. Several pT-values were also generated for sediments in the Sepetiba Bay (Federal State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) to identify toxic areas. Again, the pT-method was used as an ecotoxicological discriminator to map out sediment quality in polluted zones (Soares and de Freitas, 2000). 

Kappenberg, J., and Grabemann, I. (2001) Variability of the mixing zones and estuarine turbidity maxima in the Elbe and Weser Estuaries. Estuaries 24, 699-706. 

Kempe, S. (1982) Valdivia cruise, October 1981 carbonate equilibria in the estuaries of Elbe, Weser, Ems, and in the southern German Bight. Mitt. Geol. Paleont. Inst. Univ. Hamburg, SCOPE/UNEP, Sonderband 52, 719-742. 

Benzothiazoles from vulcanization of rubber tires are found so enriched in some situations that they are used as a marker for street run-off water. Thiocya-natomethylthiobenzothiazole used as a fungicide in wood protection and antifouling paints may degrade into benzothiazoles and methylthiobenzothiazole is used in vulcanization processes, so these materials find their way into rivers and ultimately estuaries. Bester et al. (1997) determined the presence of benzothiazole and methylthiobenzothiazole in estuarine and marine waters. Their concentrations range from 0.04 ngL to 1.37 ngL . Methylthiobenzothiazole and benzothiazole vary from 0.25 ng L to 2.7 ngL in the North Sea, while 55 ngL methylthiobenzothiazole was found in the Elbe River. 

In addition to gases produced naturally in the environment, estuaries tend to be enriched in byproducts of industry and other human activity. A few studies have investigated volatile organic pollutants such as chlorinated hydrocarbons (chloroform, tet-rachloromethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichlor-oethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene) and monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene and m- and p-xylene). Concentrations of VOCs are controlled primarily by the location of the sources, dilution of river water with clean marine water within the estuary, gas exchange, and in some cases, adsorption onto suspended or settling solids. In some cases (for example, chloroform) there also may be natural biotic sources of the gas. Volatilization to the atmosphere can be an important cleansing mechanism for the estuary system. Since the only estuaries studied to date are heavily impacted by human activity (the Elbe and... 

Fig. 13 Decline in mercury pollution in the estuary regions of the Elbe (Island of Trischen) and Weser (Island of Mellum) represented by the pollution values of herring gull eggs FW = fresh weight...

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