Seasonal and interannual mobility of arsenic in a lake impacted by metal mining

Detailed examination of the water column, sediments, and interstitial waters was conducted in Balmer Lake, Ontario, Canada, in 1993-1994 and 1999 in order to assess the seasonal and interannual controls governing the behavior of As. High-resolution profiles of dissolved (<0.45 microm) Fe, Mn, SO4(2-), and sigmaH2S across the sediment-water interface indicate the presence of reducing conditions in close proximity to the benthic boundary during ice-free periods, which are characterized by fully oxygenated bottom waters. Dissolved As is remobilized as As(III) in suboxic sediment horizons via the redox-controlled dissolution of Fe (and perhaps Mn) oxide phases. During 1993-1994, As fluxes to the water column were relatively low (2-15 microg cm(-2) year(-1)) and contributed between 2 and 18% of the water column inventory. Dissolved As in the lake waters was derived primarily from external mining-related loadings during this period. Between 1993 and 1999, external loadings of As to Balmer Lake decreased while [As]aq within the lake increased, suggesting an increase in the proportion of sediment-derived As. Indeed, benthic dissolved As fluxes in 1999 ranged from 179 to 380 microg cm(-2) year(-1), representing approximately 33-60% of the water column burden. The relatively recent importance of sedimentary arsenic sources is suggested to reflect changes to sediment redox conditions associated with a postulated increase in lake primary productivity. Ironically, the increased contribution of dissolved arsenic to the water column appears to have resulted from an otherwise improvement in water quality. Reduced loadings of Cu, Zn, and Ni to the lake since 1994 appear to have allowed increased phytoplankton production that has stimulated arsenic release.     

Biogeochemical cycling of methylmercury in lakes and tundra watersheds of Arctic Alaska

The fate of atmospherically deposited and environmentally active Hg is uncertain in the Arctic, and of greatest toxicological concern is the transformation to monometh-ylmercury (MMHg). Lake/watershed mass balances were developed to examine MMHg cycling in four northern Alaska lakes near the ecological research station at Toolik Lake (68 degrees 38' N, 149 degrees 36' W). Primary features of the cycle are watershed runoff, sedimentary production and mobilization, burial, and photodecomposition in the water column. The principal source of MMHg is in situ benthic production with 80-91% of total inputs provided by diffusion from sediments. The production and contribution of MMHg from tundra watersheds is modest. Photodecomposition, though confined to a short ice-free season, provides the primary control for MMHg (66-88% of total inputs) and greatly attenuates bioaccumulation. Solid-phase MMHg and gross potential rates of Hg methylation, assayed with an isotopic tracer, vary positively with the level of inorganic Hg in filtered pore water, indicating that MMHg production is Hg-limited in these lakes. Moreover, sediment-waterfluxes of MMHg (i.e., net production at steady state) are related to sediment Hg loadings from the atmosphere. These results suggest that loadings of Hg derived from atmospheric deposition are a major factor affecting MMHg cycling in arctic ecosystems. However, environmental changes associated with warming of the Arctic (e.g., increased weathering, temperature, productivity, and organic loadings) may enhance MMHg bioaccumulation by stimulating Hg methylation and inhibiting photodecomposition.     

Long-term fate of a pulse arsenic input to a eutrophic lake

The long-term fate of a 30-year-old pulse arsenic input to a eutrophic lake was studied to determine if As has become effectively trapped in sediments or remains in active exchange with the water column. Legacy As was readily mobilized from sediments of Spy Pond (Arlington, MA), a eutrophic kettle-hole lake that was treated with 1000s kg As in the 1960s to manage excessive aquatic macrophyte growth. Arsenic was mobilized from hypolimnetic sediments during bottom-water anoxia in spring, summer, and fall, and As accumulated to maximum concentrations of 2100 nM. Mobilization of As from epilimnetic sediments was the largest source of As to the water column on a mass basis (145 mol), despite the fact that the epilimnion remains oxic year-round. Sediment cores revealed that surficial sediments contained As at 30-50 times background levels and suggested that there is contemporary As loading to hypolimnetic sediments (590 mol y(-1)). Mass balance estimates indicate that <5% of the contemporary As load comes from external inputs and that the remainder can be explained by mobilization and redistribution of legacy As, both through the water column and by vertical migration of dissolved As within sediments. These findings demonstrate that, decades after As inputs cease, As in contaminated sediments may remain labile and be mobilized to both anoxic and oxic water columns and accumulate to levels near the sediment surface and in the water column that may pose ongoing risks to ecological health.     

Arsenic redistribution between sediments and water near a highly contaminated source

Mechanisms controlling arsenic partitioning between sediment, groundwater, porewaters, and surface waters were investigated at the Vineland Chemical Company Superfund site in southern New Jersey. Extensive inorganic and organic arsenic contamination at this site (historical total arsenic > 10 000 microg L(-1) or > 130 microM in groundwater) has spread downstream to the Blackwater Branch, Maurice River, and Union Lake. Stream discharge was measured in the Blackwater Branch, and water samples and sediment cores were obtained from both the stream and the lake. Porewaters and sediments were analyzed for arsenic speciation as well as total arsenic, iron, manganese, and sulfur, and they indicate that geochemical processes controlling mobility of arsenic were different in these two locations. Arsenic partitioning in the Blackwater Branch was consistent with arsenic primarily being controlled by sulfur, whereas in Union Lake, the data were consistent with arsenic being controlled largely by iron. Stream discharge and arsenic concentrations indicate that despite large-scale groundwater extraction and treatment, > 99% of arsenic transport away from the site results from continued discharge of high arsenic groundwater to the stream, rather than remobilization of arsenic in stream sediments. Changing redox conditions would be expected to change arsenic retention on sediments. In sulfur-controlled stream sediments, more oxic conditions could oxidize arsenic-bearing sulfide minerals, thereby releasing arsenic to porewaters and streamwaters; in iron-controlled lake sediments, more reducing conditions could release arsenic from sediments via reductive dissolution of arsenic-bearing iron oxides.     

Modeling diffuse phosphorus loads from land to freshwater using the sedimentary record

Diffuse phosphorus (P) loads to a small lake, Friary Lough, in a 1 km2 agricultural subcatchment were quantified over 90 years using a palaeolimnological model. The model assumes that lake total phosphorus (TP) is lost to the sediments and to the lake outflow during periods of steady-state or is also stored within the water column during periods of non-steady-state behavior. Reconstructed TP loads during the 1991-1995 time interval of 2.05-2.53 g m-2 yr-1 are verified by hydrochemical monitoring results from the lake inflow during 1997-1998. This provides evidence for the accuracy of the palaeolomnological model and also that TP loads to the lake can be accounted for from external catchment runoff. An analysis of the TP load data in terms of catchment exports shows that there was a linear rate of increase from ca. 1946 to 1995 of 1.20-1.56 kg km-2 yr-1. The rate of increase is similar to river P load data in the larger 1480 km2 catchment taken over 17 years. The rate of TP increase to the lake is interpreted with regard to current soil P models that propose increasing and threshold soil P concentrations as the cause for increasing diffuse P loss in runoff.     

Mass balance for mercury in the San Francisco Bay area

We have developed and illustrated a general regional multi-species model that describes the fate and transport of mercury in three forms, elemental, divalent, and methylated, in a generic regional environment including air, soil, vegetation, water, and sediment. The objectives of the model are to describe the fate of the three forms of mercury in the environment and to determine the dominant physical sinks that remove mercury from the system. Chemical transformations between the three groups of mercury species are modeled by assuming constant ratios of species concentrations in individual environmental media. We illustrate and evaluate the model with an application to describe the fate and transport of mercury in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The model successfully rationalizes the identified sources with observed concentrations of total mercury and methyl mercury in the San Francisco Bay Estuary. The mass balance provided by the model indicates that continental and global background sources control mercury concentrations in the atmosphere but that loadings to water in the San Francisco Bay Estuary are dominated by runoff from the Central Valley catchment and remobilization of contaminated sediments deposited during past mining activities. The model suggests that the response time of mercury concentrations in the San Francisco Bay Estuary to changes in loadings is long, on the order of 50 years.     

Input dynamics and fate in surface water of the herbicide metolachlor and of its highly mobile transformation product metolachlor

A large number of herbicide transformation products has been detected in surface waters and groundwaters of agricultural areas, often even in higher concentrations and more frequently than their parent compounds. However, their input dynamics and fate in surface waters are still rather poorly understood. This study compares the aquatic fate, concentration levels, and dynamics of the transformation product metolachlor ethanesulfonic acid (metolachlor ESA) and its parent compound metolachlor, an often-used corn herbicide. To this end, laboratory photolysis studies were combined with highly temporally resolved concentration measurements and lake mass balance modeling in the study area of Lake Greifensee (Switzerland). It is found that the two compounds show distinctly different concentration dynamics in the lake tributaries. Concentration-discharge relationships for metolachlor ESA in the main tributary showed a high baseflow concentration and increasing discharge dependence during harvest season, whereas baseflow concentrations of metolachlor were negligible and the discharge dependence was restricted to the period immediately following application. From this it was estimated that 70% of the yearly load of metolachlor ESA to the lake was due to groundwater recharge, whereas, for metolachlor, the bigger part of the load, 50-80%, stemmed from event-driven runoff. Lake mass balance modeling showed that the input dynamics of metolachlor and metolachlor ESA are reflected in their concentration dynamics in the lake's epilimnion and that both compounds show a similar fate in the epilimnion of Lake Greifensee during the summer months with half-lives on the order of 100-200 days, attributable to photolysis and another loss process of similar magnitude, potentially biodegradation. The behavior of metolachlor ESA can likely be generalized to other persistent and highly mobile transformation products. In the future, this distinctly different behavior of mobile pesticide transformation products should find a more appropriate reflection in exposure models used in chemical risk assessment and in pesticide risk management.     

Triclosan: occurrence and fate of a widely used biocide in the aquatic environment: field measurements in wastewater treatment plants,surface waters,and lake sediments

Triclosan is used as an antimicrobial agent in a wide range of medical and consumer care products. To investigate the occurrence and fate of triclosan in the aquatic environment, analytical methods for the quantification of triclosan in surface water and wastewater, sludge, and sediment were developed. Furthermore, the fate of triclosan in a wastewater treatment plant (biological degradation, 79%; sorption to sludge, 15%; input into the receiving surface water, 6%) was measured during a field study. Despite the high overall removal rate, the concentration in the wastewater effluents were in the range of 42-213 ng/L leading to concentrations of 11-98 ng/L in the receiving rivers. Moreover, a high removal rate of 0.03 d(-1) for triclosan in the epilimnion of the lake Greifensee was observed. This is due to photochemical degradation. The measured vertical concentration profile of triclosan in a lake sediment core of lake Greifensee reflects its increased use over 30 years. As the measured concentrations in surface waters are in the range of the predicted no effect concentration of 50 ng/L, more measurements and a detailed investigation of the degradation processes are needed.     

Phototransfomation of ticlosan in surface waters: a relevant elimination process for this widely used biocide--laboratory studies,field measurements,and modeling

The phototransformation of the widely used biocide triclosan (5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol) was quantified for surface waters using artificial UV light and sunlight irradiation. The pH of surface waters, commonly ranging from 7 to 9, determines the speciation of triclosan (pKa = 8.1) and therefore its absorption of sunlight. Direct phototransformation of the anionic form with a quantum yield of 0.31 (laboratory conditions at 313 nm) was identified as the dominant photochemical degradation pathway of triclosan. Combining the photochemical parameters with actual meteorological data and field measurements allowed us to validate a model describing the behavior of triclosan in the water column of a Swiss lake (Lake Greifensee). From August to October 1999, direct phototransformation accounted for 80% of the observed total elimination of triclosan from the lake. The remaining major sink for triclosan was the loss in the outflow. Thus, during the summer season, direct phototransformation appears to be a major elimination pathway of triclosan in this lake. Based on absorption spectra and quantum yield data, the phototransformation half-lives of triclosan were calculated under various environmental conditions typical for surface waters. Daily averaged half-lives were found to vary from about 2 to 2000 days, depending on latitude and time of year.     

Temporal trends of organochlorine pesticides in the Canadian Arctic atmosphere

Temperature normalization (TN), multiple linear regression (MLR), and digital filtration (DF) were used to analyze the temporal trends of an atmospheric dataset on organochlorine pesticides (OCs) collected at the Canadian high arctic site of Alert, Nunavut. Details of these techniques have been presented before (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2001, 35, 1303-1311). Both the TN and DF methods revealed that the majority of OC pesticides declined over the 5 years of study, except endosulfan I and several of the pesticide metabolites, including dieldrin and p,p'-DDE. In comparison to studies conducted in the Great Lakes, atmospheric levels in the Arctic were less dependent on temperature, although seasonal variations were apparent. Generally, levels in the winter were lower than during the rest of the year. A notable exception was p,p'-DDE. Many compounds also showed a second minimum in concentrations during June/July and possible explanations are presented to account for this. The estimated first order half-lives for the decline in OC concentrations were generally found to be comparable or slightly longer than those obtained at temperate locations, with the exception of alpha-HCH, which displayed a much longer half-life in the Arctic (approximately 17 yrs). Sporadic increases in heptachlor as well as increases in the ratio of trans- to cis-chlordane suggest episodic input of chlordanes between 1995 and 1997, especially during the winter.     

Fate and effects of enrofloxacin in aquatic systems under different light conditions

The fate and effects of fluoroquinolone antibacterials (FQ) in the environment is of significance because of apparent increased FQ resistance in environmental and clinical organisms. Here we simultaneously assessed the fate and effects of enrofloxacin (enro), an FQ often used in agriculture, on the chemistry and in situ microbial communities in receiving waters. We added enro to 25 microg/L in nine outdoor mesocosms maintained under three light conditions (in triplicate): full sunlight typical of the upper epilimnion (100% full-light exposure, FLE), partial shading typical of the lower epilimnion (28% FLE), and near-complete shading typical of the hypolimnion (0.5% FLE). Enro disappearance and ciprofloxacin (cipro) formation were monitored over time using LC/MS, and water chemistry and ambient microbial communities (using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; DGGE) were characterized. Enro half-lives were 0.8, 3.7, and 72 days for the 100%, 28%, and 0.5% FLE treatments, respectively, creating three distinct FQ exposure scenarios. Although FQ exposures ranged from approximately 6 microg/L for 24 h to approximately 21 microg/L for 30 days, no statistically significant exposure effects were noted in water quality or microbial communities (as indicated by whole-community 16S rDNA DGGE analysis and specific amplification of the QRDR region of gyrase A). Small changes in water chemistry were noted over time; however, changes could not be specifically attributed to FQs. In general, enro addition had minimal effect on water column conditions at the levels and durations used here; however, further investigation is needed to assess effects in aquatic sediments.     

Influence of autochthonous dissolved organic carbon and nutrient limitation on alachlor biotransformation in aerobic aquatic systems

Much work has suggested that the rate of attenuation of water-soluble organic contaminants in aerobic aquatic systems is dependent on the level of secondary nutrients in the water column. For example, the decay rate of alachlor, a common herbicide, was over 10 times higher under hypereutrophic compared with oligotrophic water conditions. It has been presumed that higher water column nutrient levels produce larger microbial communities, resulting in higher rates of alachlor cometabolism. However, most earlier field studies only assessed alachlor fate in systems with full light exposure (FLE). Therefore, new experiments were performed to assess how variations in light level affect alachlor cometabolism in such systems. Twelve tank mesocosms were maintained using identical nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) supply conditions: four units with full light exposure (100% FLE), four with partial shading (19.3% FLE), and four with near complete shading (0.5% FLE). Alachlor half-lives were found to vary broadly, from 50 to 60 days in higher light units to > 180 days in the 0.5% FLE units. Nutrient analysis indicated that the low light units were severely carbon (C)-limited for microbial decomposition, whereas the other units had excess C relative to N and P. Apparently, reduced light levels cause decreased production of bioavailable C for decomposition, which significantly reduces alachlor cometabolism. The data suggest that water column nutrient levels only correlate with the alachlor decay rate when light levels are high, and that the biodegradable carbon supply must be considered when the fate of water-soluble contaminants in aerobic aquatic systems is assessed.     

Long-term transformation and fate of manufactured ag nanoparticles in a simulated large scale freshwater emergent wetland

Transformations and long-term fate of engineered nanomaterials must be measured in realistic complex natural systems to accurately assess the risks that they may pose. Here, we determine the long-term behavior of poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in freshwater mesocosms simulating an emergent wetland environment. AgNPs were either applied to the water column or to the terrestrial soils. The distribution of silver among water, solids, and biota, and Ag speciation in soils and sediment was determined 18 months after dosing. Most (70 wt %) of the added Ag resided in the soils and sediments, and largely remained in the compartment in which they were dosed. However, some movement between soil and sediment was observed. Movement of AgNPs from terrestrial soils to sediments was more facile than from sediments to soils, suggesting that erosion and runoff is a potential pathway for AgNPs to enter waterways. The AgNPs in terrestrial soils were transformed to Ag(2)S (~52%), whereas AgNPs in the subaquatic sediment were present as Ag(2)S (55%) and Ag-sulfhydryl compounds (27%). Despite significant sulfidation of the AgNPs, a fraction of the added Ag resided in the terrestrial plant biomass (~3 wt % for the terrestrially dosed mesocosm), and relatively high body burdens of Ag (0.5-3.3 μg Ag/g wet weight) were found in mosquito fish and chironomids in both mesocosms. Thus, Ag from the NPs remained bioavailable even after partial sulfidation and when water column total Ag concentrations are low (<0.002 mg/L).     

Global trends and diversity in pentachlorophenol levels in the environment and in humans: a meta-analysis

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) was banned or restricted in many countries worldwide because of its adverse effects on the ecological environment and humans. However, the endocrine disrupting effects caused by low environmental PCP exposure levels has warranted more analysis. We reviewed 80 studies conducted in 21 countries and published between 1967 and 2010, using meta-regression analysis to examine the time trends and regional differences in PCP levels. The results suggested that in indoor air, bodies of water, freshwater sediments in western countries, invertebrates and freshwater vertebrates, PCP levels had declined over time, with half-lives ranging from 2.0 years to 11.1 years. However, in marine sediments/vertebrates and Chinese surface water/sediments, PCP levels increased over time. PCP levels in human blood and urine had decreased since the 1970s, with population half-lives of 3.6 years and 5.7 years, respectively. The intervals for global population blood and urine reference values decreased to 1.1-6.3 μg/L (2002-2008) and 2.5-7 μg/L (1995-2003), respectively. The possible thyroid disrupting effects and other health risks correlated with low environmental PCP exposure should be concerning. This study can help to ascertain the effects of the banning/restriction policy, providing data for cost-benefit analysis in policy-making and further control of health risks caused by low environmental exposure to PCP.     

Fate of 4-nonylphenol and 17β-estradiol in the Redwood River of Minnesota

The majority of previous research investigating the fate of endocrine-disrupting compounds has focused on single processes generally in controlled laboratory experiments, and limited studies have directly evaluated their fate and transport in rivers. This study evaluated the fate and transport of 4-nonylphenol, 17β-estradiol, and estrone in a 10-km reach of the Redwood River in southwestern Minnesota. The same parcel of water was sampled as it moved downstream, integrating chemical transformation and hydrologic processes. The conservative tracer bromide was used to track the parcel of water being sampled, and the change in mass of the target compounds relative to bromide was determined at two locations downstream from a wastewater treatment plant effluent outfall. In-stream attenuation coefficients (k(stream)) were calculated by assuming first-order kinetics (negative values correspond to attenuation, whereas positive values indicate production). Attenuation of 17β-estradiol (k(stream) = -3.2 ± 1.0 day(-1)) was attributed primarily due to sorption and biodegradation by the stream biofilm and bed sediments. Estrone (k(stream) = 0.6 ± 0.8 day(-1)) and 4-nonylphenol (k(stream) = 1.4 ± 1.9 day(-1)) were produced in the evaluated 10-km reach, likely due to biochemical transformation from parent compounds (17β-estradiol, 4-nonylphenolpolyethoxylates, and 4-nonyphenolpolyethoxycarboxylates). Despite attenuation, these compounds were transported kilometers downstream, and thus additive concentrations from multiple sources and transformation of parent compounds into degradates having estrogenic activity can explain their environmental persistence and widespread observations of biological disruption in surface waters.     

Anthropogenic sources of arsenic and copper to sediments in a suburban lake,Northern Virginia

Mass balances of total arsenic and copper for a suburban lake in densely populated northern Virginia were calculated using date collected during 1998. Mass-balance terms were precipitation; stream inflow, including road runoff; stream outflow; and contributions from leaching of pressure-treated lumber. More mass of arsenic and copper was input to the lake than was output the 1998 lake-retention rates were 70% for arsenic and 20% for copper. The arsenic mass balance compared well with a calculated annual mass accumulation in the top 1 cm of the lake sediments; however, the calculated contribution of copper to the lake was insufficient to account for the amount of copper in this zone. Leaching experiments were conducted on lumber treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) to quantify approximate amounts of arsenic and copper contributed by this source. Sources to lake sediments included leaching of CCA-treated lumber (arsenic, 50%; copper, 4%), streamwater (arsenic, 50%; copper, 90%), and atmospheric deposition (arsenic, 1%; copper, 3%). Results of this study suggest that CCA-treated lumber and road runoff could be significant nonpoint sources of arsenic and copper, respectively, in suburban catchments.     

Hydrologic modeling of pathogen fate and transport

A watershed-scale fate and transport model has been developed for Escherichia coli and several waterborne pathogens: Cryptosporidiumspp., Giardiaspp., Campylobacter spp, and E. coli O157:H7. The objectives were to determine the primary sources of pathogenic contamination in a watershed used for drinking water supply and to gain a greater understanding of the factors that most influence their survival and transport. To predict the levels of indicator bacteria and pathogens in surface water, an existing hydrologic model, WATFLOOD, was augmented for pathogen transport and tested on a watershed in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The pathogen model considered transport as a result of overland flow, subsurface flow to tile drainage systems, and in-stream routing. The model predicted that most microorganisms entering the stream from land-based sources enter the stream from tile drainage systems rather than overland transport. Although the model predicted overland transport to be rare, when it occurred, it corresponded to the highest observed and modeled microbial concentrations. Furthermore, rapid increases in measured E. coli concentrations during storm events suggested that the resuspension of microorganisms from stream sediments may be of equal or greater importance than land-based sources of pathogens.     

Development of a multichemical food web model: application to PBDEs in Lake Ellasjoen, Bear Island, Norway

A multichemical food web model has been developed to estimate the biomagnification of interconverting chemicals in aquatic food webs. We extended a fugacity-based food web model for single chemicals to account for reversible and irreversible biotransformation among a parent chemical and transformation products, by simultaneously solving mass balance equations of the chemicals using a matrix solution. The model can be applied to any number of chemicals and organisms or taxonomic groups in a food web. The model was illustratively applied to four PBDE congeners, BDE-47, -99, -100, and -153, in the food web of Lake Ellasj?en, Bear Island, Norway. In Ellasj?en arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), the multichemical model estimated PBDE biotransformation from higher to lower brominated congeners and improved the correspondence between estimated and measured concentrations in comparison to estimates from the single-chemical food web model. The underestimation of BDE-47, even after considering bioformation due to biotransformation of the otherthree congeners, suggests its formation from additional biotransformation pathways not considered in this application. The model estimates approximate values for congener-specific biotransformation half-lives of 5.7,0.8,1.14, and 0.45 years for BDE-47, -99, -100, and -153, respectively, in large arctic char (S. alpinus) of Lake Ellasj?en.     

Fate of tetracycline resistance genes in aquatic systems: migration from the water column to peripheral biofilms

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging contaminants that are being found at elevated levels in sediments and other aquatic compartments in areas of intensive agricultural and urban activity. However, little quantitative data exist on the migration and attenuation of ARGs in natural ecosystems, which is central to predicting their fate after release into receiving waters. Here we examined the fate of tetracycline-resistance genes in bacterial hosts released in cattle feedlot wastewater using field-scale mesocosms to quantify ARG attenuation rate in the water column and also the migration of ARGs into peripheral biofilms. Feedlot wastewater was added to fifteen cylindrical 11.3-m3 mesocosms (some of which had artificial substrates) simulating five different receiving water conditions (in triplicate), and the abundance of six resistance genes (tet(O), tet(W), tet(M), tet(Q), tet(B), and tet(L)) and 16S-rRNA genes was monitored for 14 days. Mesocosm treatments were varied according to light supply, microbial supplements (via river water additions), and oxytetracycline (OTC) level. First-order water column disappearance coefficients (kd) for the sum of the six genes (tetR) were always higher in sunlight than in the dark (-0.72 d(-1) and -0.51 d(-1), respectively). However, water column kd varied among genes (tet(O) < tet(W) < tet(M) < tet(Q); tet(B) and tet(L) were below detection) and some genes, particularly tet(W), readily migrated into biofilms, suggesting that different genes be considered separately and peripheral compartments be included in future fate models. This work provides the first quantitative field data for modeling ARG fate in aquatic systems.     

Post-depositional behavior of Cu in a metal-mining polishing pond (East Lake, Canada)

The post-depositional behavior of Cu in a gold-mining polishing pond (East Lake, Canada) was assessed after mine closure by examination of porewater chemistry and mineralogy. The near-surface (upper 1.5 cm) sediments are enriched in Cu, with values ranging from 0.4 to 2 wt %. Mineralogical examination revealed that the bulk of the Cu inventory is present as authigenic copper sulfides. Optical microscopy, energy-dispersion spectra, and X-ray data indicate that the main Cu sulfide is covellite (CuS). The formation of authigenic Cu-S phases is supported by the porewater data, which demonstrate that the sediments are serving as a sink for dissolved Cu below sub-bottom depths of 1-2 cm. The zone of Cu removal is consistent with the occurrence of detectable sulfide and the consumption of sulfate. The sediments can be viewed as a passive bioreactorthat permanently removes Cu as insoluble copper sulfides. This process is not unlike that which occurs in other forms of bioremediation, such as wetlands and permeable reactive barriers. Above the zone of Cu removal, dissolved Cu maxima in the interfacial porewaters range from 150 to 450 microg L(-1) and reflect the dissolution of a Cu-bearing phase in the surface sediments. The reactive phase is thought to be a component of treatment sludges delivered to the lake as part of cyanide treatment. Flux calculations indicate that the efflux of dissolved Cu from the sediments to the water column (14-51 microg cm(-2) yr(-1)) can account for the elevated levels of dissolved Cu in lake waters (approximately 50 microg L(-1)). Implications for lake recovery are discussed.