Contamination of sediments with trace metals and historical organic substances in backwaters of t... more Contamination of sediments with trace metals and historical organic substances in backwaters of the Elbe river In der deutschen Elbtalaue liegen mehr als 1.000 Seitenstrukturen (Altarme und Altwasser), die insgesamt eine Fläche von ca. 50 km 2 einnehmen (1). Im Rahmen der Entwicklung des Sedimentmanagementkonzepts der Internationalen Kommission zum Schutz der Elbe (IKSE) wurde diese Studie initiiert, um Informationen über die chemische Belastung der Seitenstrukturen und ihren Austausch mit der Elbe zu erarbeiten, worüber es bis dahin wenige Untersuchungen gab. Entsprechend wurden im Jahr 2014 Sedimente aus 14 Seitenstrukturen hinsichtlich der chemischen Konzentration von Schadstoffen und der Mächtigkeit der Sedimentauflage untersucht. Je nach Größe der Seitenstruktur wurden ein bis zwei Stationen beprobt. Sedimentproben wurden aus den Tiefen 0 bis 10, 10 bis 20 und tiefer als 50 cm genommen und auf anorganische und historische organische Schadstoffe analysiert. Die national definierten Umweltqualitätsnormen, die von der IKSE (2014) für Sedimente abgeleitet worden sind, wurden dabei in allen Proben in mindestens einem Kriterium überschritten, manchmal sogar um mehr als eine Größenordnung. Somit kann man von teilweise hochkontaminierten Bereichen in den Altarmen der Elbe sprechen. Einige dieser Altarme waren in einem Ausmaß belastet, dass ein Eintrag lokaler Quellen vermutet wurde, wie z.B. in den Seitenstrukturen bei Ferchland und Alt-Garge. Mit Hilfe einer K-means-Clusteranalyse wurden für die anderen Altarme Gruppierungen identifiziert, die auf folgendes Muster hindeuten könnten: Probenahmestationen im inneren, hinteren Bereich der Altarme sind häufig in allen beprobten Tiefen vergleichsweise gering belastet. Das Ausmaß der Belastung der Altarme nahe der Einmündung in die Elbe ist unterschiedlich und scheint von der Morphologie und dem hydrodynamischen Anschluss abzuhängen: Seitenstrukturen mit einer schmalen Öffnung zum Fluss zeigten häufig eine mittlere Schicht, die im Vergleich zum darüber und darunter liegenden Material höher kontaminiert war. Seitenstrukturen mit einer weiten Öffnung zur Elbe und einer Mündung am Gleithang oder an einem geraden Bereich der Elbe (nicht jedoch am Prallhang) dagegen zeigten Elb-nah in allen drei Schichten (0-10, 10-20, mehr als 50 cm) eine hohe Belastung. Hier könnten partikelgebundene Schadstoffe, die mit der Elbe transportiert werden, verstärkt abgelagert worden sein oder es zu einer Freilegung älterer Schichten gekommen sein.
1 Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, Hamburg, Germany 2 SEA Environmental Decisions, Little Ha... more 1 Technical University Hamburg-Harburg, Hamburg, Germany 2 SEA Environmental Decisions, Little Hadham, United Kingdom 3 CEMAGREF, Lyon, France 4 Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde, Koblenz, Germany 5 RIZA, Aquatic Sediment Expert Centre, Lelystad, The Netherlands 6 TNO, Delft, The Netherlands 7 TNO, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands 8 University of Athens, Athens, Greece 9 Amt für Stromund Hafenbau, Hamburg, Germany 10 NGI, Oslo, Norway 11 TNO, Delft, The Netherlands 12 Cranfield University, Silsoe, United Kingdom
A bacterium isolated from the Baltic Sea was used to determine the influence of growth-li miting ... more A bacterium isolated from the Baltic Sea was used to determine the influence of growth-li miting factors like carbon and/or oxygen starvation on the production of exopolymeric substances (EP). The isolate "FL2" was classified to be a "Vibrio anguillarunrf which was suitable be taken as a model organism because of the abundance and significant role Vibrios play in the marine environment. Of high interest in this study was the importance of exopolymers, that were produced under various conditions, for adhesion and detoxification of heavy metals.
Introduction: The environmental fate of nanomaterials in sediment systems is the focus of a numbe... more Introduction: The environmental fate of nanomaterials in sediment systems is the focus of a number of studies. Related to the rising number of nanoparticles in consumer products and different industrial sectors, the concentration of nanoparticles in water and soil systems is rising. Concentrations of nano-TiO2 are predicted for the Rhine River to be in the ng/L range for water and mg/kg for sediments [1]. Due to sedimentation of nanoparticles in industrially impacted rivers the environmental risk from sediments is likely to increase. Here, cocontamination with other environmental pollutants and altered physic-chemical conditions could influence the toxicity of and accumulation of nanoTiO2. It has been shown, that nano-TiO2 enhances the toxicity of heavy metals significantly [2]. A strong increase in the toxic effects of nano-TiO2 on nematodes has been shown when exposed to solar radiation [3]. Thus the toxicity of nano-TiO2 in the complex sediment matrix (both artificial and natural...
Introduction: In many Northern European river basins an intensive industrial history combined wit... more Introduction: In many Northern European river basins an intensive industrial history combined with little environmental concern have left their marks. Remains from mining and chemical production activities extensively contaminated sediments. The continued stress to the environment may be partially locally, if sediment surfaces are stable and not likely to be interfered with by management activities. Often, however, contaminated sediment is transported from one area in the watershed to another, undergoing a sequence of resuspension and deposition cycles and potentially exposing also planktonic organisms, pelagic fish and finally humans to the contaminants. Watershed-based solutions, aiming at measures to control these secondary sources in the main river and the sub-catchments, need to determine those regions which contribute most to the risks for different ecosystem services. In a bench-study on behalf of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and Elbe River Community (FGG), a conceptual a...
Introduction: Sediment management under the EU Water Framework Directive will need a wider scope ... more Introduction: Sediment management under the EU Water Framework Directive will need a wider scope with in situ technologies embedded in a modern system of risk assessment and communication on the river basin scale. A new initiative for Europe-wide activities in the field of sediment management technology could start in the course of the forthcoming strategies against chemical pollution of surface waters (WFD article 16), i.e. establishment of a program of measures until 2009 for sources of priority substances including the specific source/pathway “historical pollution from sediment”. In the view of the size of the problems in Europe, the guidance to innovative remedial measures and the experience from successful problem solutions in the United States cannot be ignored. Our presentation refers to chapter. 6 “Risk reduction of contaminated sediments in the Elbe river basin” in a study on behalf of the Hamburg Port Authority and River Basin Community of the Elbe.
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2021
Lycopodium clavatum sporopollenin exine capsules (SpECs) are known to both adsorb and absorb chem... more Lycopodium clavatum sporopollenin exine capsules (SpECs) are known to both adsorb and absorb chemicals. The aim of the present work was to determine whether oestradiol (E2) is ‘bioavailable’ to bioindicator species, either pre-adsorbed to, or in the presence of, SpECs. SpEC uptake was confirmed for Daphnia magna and Dreissena bugensis. E2 levels varied among treatments for Caenorhabditis elegans though there was no relationship to SpEC load. E2 was not detected in D. bugensis tissues. Expression changes of general stress and E2-specific genes were measured. For C. elegans, NHR-14 expression suggested that SpECs modulate E2 impacts, but not general health responses. For D. magna, SpECs alone and with E2 changed Vtg1 and general stress responses. For D. bugensis, SpECS were taken up but no E2 or change in gene expression was detected after exposure to E2 and/or SpECs. The present study is the first to investigate SpECs and bound chemical dynamics.
Purpose Basing decisions for the management of contaminated sediments on ecotoxicological data is... more Purpose Basing decisions for the management of contaminated sediments on ecotoxicological data is still often met with skepticism by European stakeholders. These concerns are discussed as they pertain to bioassays to show how ecotoxicological data may provide added value for the sustainable management of sediment in aquatic systems. Materials and methods Five “concerns” are selected that are often raised by stakeholders. The ecotoxicological practice is discussed in light of the knowledge gained in recent decades and compared with chemical sediment analysis and chemical data. Results and discussion Common assumptions such as a higher uncertainty of biotest results for sediments compared to chemical analyses are not supported by interlaboratory comparisons. Some confusion also arises, because the meaning of biotest data is often misunderstood, questioning their significance in light of a limited number of organisms and altered test conditions in the lab. Because biotest results descr...
Introduction : The benefit of wetlands for reducing poverty depends on the effectiveness of gover... more Introduction : The benefit of wetlands for reducing poverty depends on the effectiveness of governance systems that influence peoples’ behaviour in the wise use of wetlands. Objectives : This article critically analyses the current poverty reduction strategies, agrarian policies and economic investments governing wetland usage, especially in Tanzania, with regard to their impact on sustainable Ramsar wetlands management. Methodology : It analyses the management structure, domestic policies and legal framework relating to the protection of wetlands in Tanzania in accordance to the wise use concept of the Ramsar Convention. Outco mes : Tanzanian legal provisions for wetland protection are uncoordinated and too limited in their coverage and scope to sufficiently address the destruction of wetland ecosystems. There is no comprehensive national legal framework to guide sustainable management of Ramsar wetlands in Tanzania as laid out by the Ramsar Convention, which the country ratified i...
Management of environmental risks in river basins needs to address quality aspects of sediment-bo... more Management of environmental risks in river basins needs to address quality aspects of sediment-both because of its storage capacity for contaminants and due to its potential function as a secondary source of pollution. Assessment of sediment quality, however, is still prone to a number of uncertainties and insufficient information with regard to regulation, analytical methods, risk assessment and risk management. The European Water Framework Directive (WFD), e.g., has not come up with environmental quality standards for sediments. Lack of harmonization, representativeness and traceability of sediment data, not fully understood processes governing bioavailability of sediment-bound contaminants, all add up to the uncertainty that needs to be quantified. This paper details uncertainties ranging from the molecular to the basin scale level with regard to sediment quality assessment and its integration into management approaches, and it suggests ways of how to cope with a lack of data and insecure data while still developing an overview of basin wide risks. Keywords contaminated sediment environmental quality standards monitoring risk assessment river catchment traceability uncertainty * Dedicated to the memory of the late Professor Marko Branica.
Ecotoxicology and environmental safety, Jan 30, 2015
Rare earth elements (REE) used to be taken as tracers of geological origin for fluvial transport.... more Rare earth elements (REE) used to be taken as tracers of geological origin for fluvial transport. Nowadays their increased applications in innovative environmental-friendly technology (e.g. in catalysts, superconductors, lasers, batteries) and medical applications (e.g. MRI contrast agent) lead to man-made, elevated levels in the environment. So far, no regulatory thresholds for REE concentrations and emissions to the environment have been set because information on risks from REE is scarce. However, evidence gathers that REE have to be acknowledged as new, emerging contaminants with manifold ways of entry into the environment, e.g. through waste water from hospitals or through industrial effluents. This paper reviews existing information on bioaccumulation and ecotoxicity of lanthanum in the aquatic environment. Lanthanum is of specific interest as one of the major lanthanides in industrial effluents. This review focuses on the freshwater and the marine environment, and tackles the...
Thanking PD Dr. Wolfgang Ahlf on the occasion of his retirement for his outstanding experimental ... more Thanking PD Dr. Wolfgang Ahlf on the occasion of his retirement for his outstanding experimental and conceptual merits in the field of sediment ecotoxicology and his personal 65th anniversary this article will present a laudation. This Editorial furthermore introduces a series of papers on 'Progress in sediment research and decision making' which is dedicated to Wolfgang Ahlf, one of the longstanding and leading experts in the field of sediment research. We cordially invite all colleagues who feel they can contribute to the topic to submit a manuscript to ESEU with reference to this series.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s of the past century, industrial waste material highly enric... more During the late 1950s and early 1960s of the past century, industrial waste material highly enriched in various contaminants (heavy metals, PAHs) was dumped in the inner Mecklenburg Bay, western Baltic Sea. Large-scale shifts in the spatial distribution of heavy metals in surface sediments were mapped by geochemical monitoring in the mid-1980s and 12 years later in 1997. A further study in 2001 was designed to investigate the small-scale spatial distribution of contaminants inside, on top of, and around the historical dumping ground and to examine possible effects to benthic organisms (Arctica islandica, microbiological toxicity tests). The site is located within an area characterized by a discontinuous deposition of fine sediments, but net sedimentation rate of about 3 mm/y led ultimately to a gradual coverage of the dumped material. During the first decades after the dumping, about half of the originally dumped material was already spread over the surrounding area as a result of sediment dynamics and re-suspension processes. Recent sediments of the historical dump site are still significantly enriched in heavy metals and PAHs. Microbiological toxicity test results were positive, though uptake of contaminants in mussels was found to deviate only slightly from that of a noncontaminated reference station due to a gradual dilution and decrease in bioavailability of the contaminants.
Starving and grown cultures of the heterotrophic, manne isolate FL2 were exposed to a defined flo... more Starving and grown cultures of the heterotrophic, manne isolate FL2 were exposed to a defined flow at a hydrodynamically smooth, sandy sediment-water interface with a partially hornogeneous bottom shear Stress pattern but localized high advective inflow. Since transport-determining properties like cell size, hydrophobicity, motility and exopolymer production aii change dunng starvation, we compared the distribution of differently nounshed ceils and microspheres at the surface and in the sediment after 3 d of exposure. We found different sorting processes between particles and bactena, and between starving and grown cells, calling into question the transfer of laboratory results from exponentially grown cultures to in situ conditions and generally the Substitution of bacteria by particles in transport experiments. While rnicrospheres were distributed according to the advective flow and only weakly retained by interactions with sediment particles, grown bacteria showed a spatially homogeneous distnbution over the sediment surface Orie suggestion is that active movement renders them independent of advective inflow once they have contact with the sediment Starved cells, however, accumulated at the surface area of highest advective flow. They excreted exopolymers different from those in exponential phase. and, consequently, formed aggregates of up to 7 prn in diameter, which were then retained at the surface d u e to straining. If this accumulation turns out to b e a widespread behaviour of copiotrophic bacteria, possible consequences-both ecological and also regarding pathogenic bacteria in coastal zones-have to be considered. KEY WORDS: Transport into sediment. Starving bactena. Microspheres. Esopolymers. Straining
Europe joined forces. On May 24 th , a European Advisory Group on Sediments was formed at the SET... more Europe joined forces. On May 24 th , a European Advisory Group on Sediments was formed at the SETAC Europe annual meeting 2005 in Lille, France. The group intends to concentrate, discuss and communicate sediment related issues, challenges and concepts. As a first task, a list containing suggestions of sediment-related topics has been prepared for the next SETAC Europe annual meeting 2006 in The Hague.
Uploads
Papers by Susanne Heise