Toxicity marine sediments

Copper concentrations in sediment interstitial pore waters correlate positively with concentrations of dissolved copper in the overlying water column and are now used to predict the toxicity of test sediments to freshwater amphipods (Ankley et al. 1993). Sediment-bound copper is available to deposit-feeding clams, especially from relatively uncontaminated anoxic sediments of low pH (Bryan and Langston 1992). The bioavailability of copper from marine sediments, as judged by increased copper in sediment interstitial waters, is altered by increased acid volatile sulfide (AYS)... 

Casas, A.M. and E.A. Crecelius. 1994. Relationship between acid volatile sulfide and toxicity of zinc, lead and copper in marine sediments. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 13 529-536. 

Malins, D.C., M.M. Krahn, D.W. Brown, L.D. Rhodes, M.S. Myers, B.B. McCain, and S.L. Chan. 1985a. Toxic chemicals in marine sediment and biota from Mukilteo, Washington relationships with hepatic neoplasms and other hepatic lesions in English sole (Parophrys vetulus). Jour. Natl. Cancer Inst. 74 487-494. 

US Environmental Protection Agency (1994). Methods for assessing the toxicity of sediment-associated contaminants with estuarine and marine amphipods. EPA 600/ R-94/025. Office of Research and Development, Narragansett, RI. 

There may be a cycling of S compounds of different oxidation state between anaerobic and aerobic zones in the soil, such as at the soil—floodwater interface. In reduced lake and marine sediments this leads to accumulation of insoluble sulfides as S04 carried into the sediment from the water above is immobilized. Such deposits function as sinks for heavy metals. Plants absorb S through their roots as S04 H2S is toxic to them. Therefore HS must be oxidized to S04 in the rhizosphere before it is absorbed. 

Acid sulfate soils are an especially difficult class of acid soil formed in former marine sediments that have been drained. The acidity is generated from the oxidation of pyrite in the soil resulting in acute aluminium toxicity, iron toxicity, and deficiencies of most nutrients, especially phosphate which becomes immobilized in ferric oxide. The development and management of acid sulfate soils are discussed in detail in Dost and van Breemen (1983) and Dent (1986). 

Limnofix In situ Sediment Treatment (LIST) technology is offered by Limnofix, Inc., a Colder Associates Company. The technology allows for the in situ treatment of contaminated sediment in surface waters. LIST enhances bioremediation of organic contaminants oxidizes sediments to control odor, nutrient release, or sulfide toxicity and produces stable marine sediment surfaces via consolidation and flocculation. 

Ferretti, J.A., Calesso, D.F. and Hermon, T.R. (2000). Evaluation of methods to remove ammonia interference in marine sediment toxicity tests. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 19, pp. 1935-1941. 

Long, R.E., MacDonald, D.D., Severn, C.G. and Hong, C.B. (2000). Classifying probabilities of acute toxicity in marine sediments with empirically derived sediment quality guidelines. ET C, vol 19, no 10, 2598-2601. 

Stronkhorst, J., van Hattum, B., Bowmers, T. (1999). Bioaccrrmrrlation and toxicity of tributyltin to a burrowing heart mchin and an amphipod in spiked, silt marine sediments. Environmental Toxicology and Cherrristry, 18,2343-2351. 

Schipper, C.A., Strorrkhorst, J. and Ciarelli S. Quality assurance of marine sediment toxicity tests. SETAC North America annual meeting 1999, Philadelphia, USA. 

Contamination of local marine sediment by toxic chemical pollutants has been relatively well documented. The marine sediment POPs inventory was compiled based primarily on data generated from a major consultancy study on local toxic substances pollution (EPD, 2003a), EPD routine and ad hoc marine monitoring programmes of 2003/2004 and study reports published by local academia (Zheng et al., 2000 Muller et al., 2002 Tam and Yao, 2002 Wong et al., 2001, 2005). With the exception of mirex and toxaphene, all other POPs pesticides were detected in the... 

In the first publication (Bombardier and Bermingham, 1999), the SED-TOX index was applied to toxicity data obtained from marine sediments collected at two sites in the Gulf of St. Lawrence Anse-a-Beaufils (Gaspe, Quebec, Canada) and Cap-aux-Meules (Magdalen Islands, Quebec, Canada). Three areas (harbour, disposal, and reference) were evaluated for each site. The following questions were addressed in this particular study ... 

Burgess, R.M., Cantwell, M.G., Pelletier, M.C., Ho, K.T., Serbst, J.R., Cook, H.F. and Kuhn, A. (2000) Development of a toxicity identification evaluation procedure for characterizing metal toxicity in marine sediments, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 19, 982-991. 

Bihari, N., M. Fafandel, B. Hamer, and B. Kralj-Bilen. 2006. PAH content, toxicity and genotoxicity of coastal marine sediments from the Rovinj area, Northern Adriatic, Croatia. Sci. Total Environ. 366 602-611. 

Among the alkaloids, the most unusual example is an acaricidal (lethal to arachnids) monot-erpene derivative, altemicidin (Structure 18.3). This novel alkaloid was purified from amarine strain of Streptomyces sioyaensis SA-1758 isolated from marine sediments collected from the northern part of Japan. It yielded potent antitumor activity in vitro against L1210 murine leukemia and IMC carcinoma cell lines, but was toxic in vivo in mice. Altemicidin is a novel sulfur- and nitrogen-containing microbial metabolite with a monoterpene carbon skeleton.12... 

Ferretti JA, Calesso DF, Lazorchak JM, Dolce TJ, Arnold J, Goodfellow WL, Smith ME, Serbst J. 2004. Interlaboratory comparison of a reduced volume marine sediment toxicity test method using the amphipod Ampelisca abdita. Environ Toxicol Chem 23 632-637. 

Monomers, plastics adhesives and resins are consequences of the production and use of polymers. They have a strong environmental impact in waters and soils due to their low biodegradability. It is very common to find plastic residues in marine sediments, soils, seashores, lakes, and rivers. Furthermore, some of the monomers used in their production are volatile and toxic (e.g., acrylamide, isocyanates, and vinyl chloride). 

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) (2000e) Water Quality - Determination of Acute Toxicity of Marine Sediment to Amphipods, ISO 16712. ISO, Paris. 

USEPA (1994b) Methods for Assessing the Toxicity of Sediment-associated Contaminants with Estuarine and Marine Amphipods, EPA 600-R-94-025. US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC. 

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