Estuarine sediments elemental cycling

Elemental Cycling within Estuarine and Coastal Sediments... 

Sulfur is not only involved in the cycling of Fe or pyrite in marsh soils and estuarine sediments, but can also play an important role in retaining heavy metal and trace elements in these systems (Boulegue et al., 1982). 

Rowe, C.L. (2003) Growth responses of an estuarine fish exposed to mixed trace elements in sediments over a full life cycle. Ecotoxicological and Environmental Safety, 54, 229-239. 

The cycling of elements in bioturbated surface sediments can also be expressed in terms of turnover times defined as period of time required for a complete oxidation - reduction cycle of the reactive fraction. Additional consideration of the bioturbation depth and the sedimentation rate then reveals the number of redox-cycles before ultimate burial. In Tab. 7.2 representative results for estuarine (coastal) and slope sediments are given. 

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