published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

Deep Bay is located in the northwestern coast of Hong Kong (HK), where brackish water from the Pearl River Estuary meets and interacts with fresh water from Shenzhen River and Yuen Long Creek. A review of published material in this study indicates rapid economic and industrial developments can be found in Hong Kong and Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in the last 60years, which would have contaminated the sediment in Deep Bay with heavy metals. To examine the nature of metal contamination history, two 2m-long sediment cores are collected from the mud flat of Deep Bay, and the chemical and physical properties of the sediment sequence analyzed. Small disturbance of sediment profile is observed by the fluctuation of 210Pb signal, and constant rate of supply (CRS) model is applied for the calculation of sedimentation rate which is estimated to be 1.82cm/year.137Cs dating resolves two peaks for the radionuclide at 28cm and 109cm, as well as the onset of excessive 137Cs activity at 135cm, which are connected to the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and the banning and beginning of atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in 1963 and 1950 respectively. Particle size analysis shows the core sediments are predominantly silt (4-64μm) and clay(<4μm). Enrichment factor of metal concentration displays that Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn has been significantly enriched since the 1950s, and hence 3 phases of metal enrichment could be identified: 1) insignificant anthropogenic input in preindustrial period before 1950, 2) significant enrichment of metal from anthropogenic sources during industrial stage in HK from 1950 to 1980, and 3) a further increase of metal enrichment after the introduction of new town development in northwestern part of HK and Chinese economic reform since 1980. Among the metals in the sediments at depth over 70cm, Cu and Zn are found to be exceeded the Lower Chemical Exceedance Level of the sediment quality criteria given by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department; hence, the metals would impose threats to the natural environment once they are released back to water column by changes to physical conditions. To evaluate the extent of environmental threats, future studies could focus on the bioavailability of the metals and the interaction of metals in sediments and water with organisms in the ecosystem of Deep Bay. / published_or_final_version / Earth Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

This study aims at providing results for the analysis of the stratigraphy underlying contaminated sediments in Ångermanälven. The contaminated sediments, containing heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, are derived from wastewater discharged into Ångermanälven from nearby paper and pulp industries. These sediments consist of cellulose fibres deposited as fibrebanks, or as fibre-rich sediments in the case where fibres are mixed with natural sediments. The importance of the underlying geology is enhanced since the contaminated sediments are deposited in an area where submarine landslides and slope movements occur frequently. In this study two sediment cores from a fibrebank in Ångermanälven are analysed. This is done in order to assess the risk of contaminants being dispersed in the ecosystem as a result of mass movements. Stratigraphic correlation with results from previous sediment core analysis in the middle of the estuary (International Ocean Discovery Program expedition #347) is achieved through magnetic susceptibility and density measurements of the sediment. Results show that silt layers and clay units situated throughout the estuary are potentially weak and geotechnical investigations are necessary to assess the risk of slope movements over these units. With further analysis of fibrebanks and the use of a vibro-corer, the contact between the fibrebanks and underlying sediment could be captured and further correlation establishing the stratigraphy of the estuary achieved. / Denna studie syftar till att tillhandahålla resultat och tolkningar för analys av den underliggande stratigrafin i Ångermanälven, som överlagrats av förorenade antropogena sediment. De förorenade sedimenten, vilka innehåller tungmetaller samt organiska föroreningar, härrör från avfallsvatten som släppts ut i älven från pappers- och massaindustrin. Sedimenten består av cellulosafibrer och har deponerats som fiberbankar eller fiberrika sediment, varav det sistnämnda består av cellulosa uppblandat med naturliga sediment. Eftersom fiberbankarna och de fiberrika sedimenten är avsatta i ett område där jordskred är vanligt förekommande, är den underliggande geologin som de miljöfarliga sedimenten är avsatta på av avsevärd betydelse. I studien ingår analys av två sedimentborrkärnor från en fiberbank i Ångermanälven. Syftet är att ta fram underlag för att möjliggöra riskbedömning kring spridning av föroreningarna som följd av potentiella jordskred, där de förorenade sedimenten är inblandade. Stratigrafisk korrelation med resultat från tidigare studier i den djupare delen av älven (International Ocean Discovery Program expedition #347) har uppnåtts genom jämförelse av två sedimentegenskaper: sedimentens respons av magnetisk susceptibilitet och densitet. Resultaten visar att silt- och lerlager som återfinns genom hela älven är potentiellt svaga. Vidare är geotekniska undersökningar nödvändiga för att bedöma risken för skred över dessa lager. Analys av fler fiberbankar och användning av ”vibro-corer” istället för kolvbaserad borrmetod, skulle möjliggöra analys av kontakten mellan fiberavsättningarna och den underliggande geologin, samt ytterligare tydliggöra stratigrafin i Ångermanälven.

Contaminated sites are found all around the world. In order to contain these contaminants, engineers propose capping the contaminated sediments with a sand cap. When capping these contaminants, the sand causes consolidation to occur and could cause a slope failure if the contaminants were on a slope. Investigating the properties of these contaminated sediments allows for proper analysis of a slope failure. The primary objective of this research was to determine the shear strength of contaminated sediments. Since soil samples from actual contaminated sites are highly variable and difficult to explain, the soil used in this research project was mixed and controlled in the lab. A mixture of Kaolinite, water and mineral oil (NAPL, non-aqueous phase liquid) was used for the specimens. Different oil amounts were placed into the specimens to create different scenarios. The different oil combinations included: 100% water, 100% oil, 90% oil, 70% oil, and 50% oil. All of the specimens were fully saturated, and the specimens that had less than 100% oil contained water in the remaining percentage. Consolidated Undrained and Consolidated Drained triaxial tests were performed on the specimens. The constructed specimens were subjected to consolidation stages ranging from 0.6psi to 29psi in confining pressure. The main focus of the study was on low confining pressures. After consolidation the specimens were sheared either undrained or drained. Both tests were utilized in order to see the difference in the pore pressures generated. Failure envelopes were developed for the different oil contents that contained three dimensions included the shear strength, the effective stress, and the pore pressure difference between the pore oil pressures and the pore water pressures. Also, the behavior of oil-dominated versus water-dominated was determined. Results from the 100% water specimens were comparable to previous data. The shear strength for the 100% oil specimens was higher than the 100% water specimens, but lower than the 90% oil and 70% oil specimens. The 50% oil specimens resulted in a great deal of variability on whether the specimen was water-dominated or oil-dominated. The main conclusion was that the Kaolinite had an increase in strength with the introduction of mineral oil. / text

Contaminated aquatic sediments pose health risks to fish, wildlife, and humans and can limit recreational and economic uses of surface waters. Technical and cost effective in situ approaches for sediment management and remediation have been identified as a research need. Subaqueous in situ capping is a promising remedial approach; however, little is known regarding its impact on underlying sedimentary processes and the feasibility of bioaugmented caps at sites subject to contaminated groundwater seepage. This work specifically addresses (1) the impact of capping on biogeochemical processes at the sediment-water interface, (2) the ability and degree to which indigenous sediment microorganisms colonize an overlying cap, (3) the effect of advective flow direction on redox conditions within a cap, (4) natural contaminant bioattenuation processes within capped sediment, and (5) limitations toward a functional bioreactive in situ cap. Laboratory-scale experiments with capped sediment columns demonstrated that emplacement of a sand-based in situ cap induced an upward, vertical shift of terminal electron accepting processes into the overlying cap while simultaneously conserving redox stratification. Upflow conditions simulating a groundwater seep compressed anaerobic processes towards the cap-water interface. Microorganisms indigenous to the underlying sediment colonized cap material and spatial population differences generally reflected redox stratification. Downflow of oxic surface water through the cap, simulating tidally-induced recharge, created fully oxic conditions within the cap, demonstrating that flow direction strongly contributes to redox conditions. Experiments simulating capped sediment subject to contaminated groundwater seepage revealed a reduction of natural bioattenuation processes with time, stemming from the elimination of labile organic matter deposition to the sediment and a subsequent lack of electron donor. Thus, parent contaminants within groundwater seeps will be subject to minimal biotransformations within the sediment before entering a reducing cap. A bioreactive cap, inoculated with microorganisms capable of reductive dehalogenation, was established to reductively dechlorinate tetrachloroethene present in the groundwater; however electron donor amendments to sediment effluent were required to achieve complete dechlorination of tetrachloroethene to non-toxic ethene. Results from this work improve understanding of biogeochemical and bioattenuation processes within capped aquatic sediments and should aid in the development of active capping technologies.

Thesis (M.S.)--Missouri State University, 2008. / "December 2008." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-100). Also available online.

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Ph.D. (Aquatic Health) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

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