Significance of groundwater discharge along the coast of Poland as a source of dissolved metals to the southern Baltic Sea

© The Author(s), 2016. This is the author's version of the work and is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Marine Pollution Bulletin 109 (2016): 151–162, doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.008.Fluxes of dissolved trace metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) via groundwater discharge along the southern Baltic Sea have been assessed for the first time. Dissolved metal concentrations in groundwater samples were less variable than in seawater and were generally one or two orders of magnitude higher: Cd (2.1-2.8 nmolL−1), Co (8.70-8.76 nmolL−1), Cr (18.1-18.5 nmolL−1), Mn (2.4-2.8 μmolL−1), Pb (1.2-1.5 nmolL−1), Zn (33.1-34.0 nmolL−1). Concentrations of Cu (0.5-0.8 nmolL−1) and Ni (4.9-5.8 nmolL−1) were, respectively, 32 and 4 times lower, than in seawater. Groundwater-derived trace metal fluxes constitute 93% for Cd, 80% for Co, 91% for Cr, 6% for Cu, 66% for Mn, 4% for Ni, 70% for Pb and 93% for Zn of the total freshwater trace metal flux to the Bay of Puck. Groundwater-seawater mixing, redox conditions and Mn-cycling are the main processes responsible for trace metal distribution in groundwater discharge sites.The study reports the results obtained within the framework of the following projects: the statutory activities of the Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences theme 2.2, research project No. 2012/05/N/ST10/02761 sponsored by the National Science Centre, and AMBER, the BONUS+ EU FP6 Project. We would like to thank Polish-U.S. Fulbright Commission for funding Szymczycha B. post-doctoral studies at USGS.2017-06-1

Spatio-temporal patterns of PAHs, PCBs and HCB in sediments of the western Barents Sea

Source at https://doi.org/10.5697/oc.53-4.1005.We examine the composition and levels of organic contaminants (PAHs, PCB, HCB) in four sediment cores collected from the Barents Sea. We assess the influence of temporal variations in contaminant supplies and post-depositional reworking on contaminant distribution. Anthropogenic levels of ∑ 12PAH reached 95 ng g−1, higher inventories dominated by BKF were observed at southern stations, while northern stations exhibited lower inventories with PHE as the dominant compound. The PCB composition was similar at all stations dominated by CB 101, 138 and 153. ∑7PCB concentrations were higher at northern stations. The observed composition and spatio-temporal pattern of organic contaminants is in accordance with long-range transport supplies

DOC and POC in the water column of the southern Baltic. Part I. Evaluation of factors influencing sources, distribution and concentration dynamics of organic matter* This study was supported by the Baltic-C/BONUS Plus EUFP6 Project, statutory activities of Institute of Oceanology PAN, Sopot and the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, grant No. N N306 404338.

Organic substances are important components of the marine environment as they determine the properties of seawater and the key biogeochemical processes taking place in it. Organic carbon (OC) is a measure of organic matter. For practical purposes, OC is divided into dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC). Both DOC and POC play a major role in the carbon cycle, especially in shelf seas like the Baltic, where their concentrations are substantial. In a three-year study (2009–2011) seawater samples for DOC and POC measurements were collected from stations located in the Gdańsk Deep, the Gotland Deep and the Bornholm Deep. The accuracy and precision of analysis were satisfactory; the recovery was better than 95%, and the relative standard deviation was 4% (n =5). Concentrations of chlorophyll a, phaeopigment a, salinity, pH and temperature were also measured in the same samples. These parameters were selected as proxies of processes contributing to DOC and POC abundance. The aim of the study was to address questions regarding the vertical, horizontal and seasonal dynamics of both DOC and POC in the Baltic Sea and the factors influencing carbon concentrations. In general, the highest concentrations of both DOC and POC were recorded in the surface water layer (DOC~4.7 mg dm−3, POC~0.6 mg dm−3) as a consequence of intensive phytoplankton activity, and in the halocline layer (DOC~5.1 mg dm−3, POC~0.4 mg dm−3). The lowest DOC and POC concentrations were measured in the sub-halocline water layer, where the values did not exceed 3.5 mg dm−3 (DOC) and 0.1 mg dm−3 (POC). Seasonally, the highest DOC and POC concentrations were measured during the growing season: surface DOC~5.0 mg dm−3; sub-halocline DOC~4.1 mg dm−3 and surface POC~∼0.9 mg dm−3, sub-halocline POC~∼0.2 mg dm−3. The ANOVA Kruskal-Wallis test results indicate statistically significant differences among the three study sites regarding average concentrations, and concentrations in particular water layers and seasons. It shows that concentrations of DOC and POC differ in sub-basins of the Baltic Sea. The differences were attributed to the varying distances from river mouths to study sites or the different starting times and/or durations of the spring algal blooms. Statistically significant dependences were found between both DOC and POC concentrations and Chl a (phytoplankton biomass), pH (phytoplankton photosynthetic rate), pheo (zooplankton sloppy feeding), salinity (river run-off and North Sea water inflows) and water temperature (season). This was taken as proof that these factors influence DOC and POC in the study areas

DOC and POC in the southern Baltic Sea. Part II – Evaluation of factors affecting organic matter concentrations using multivariate statistical methods

This study is a continuation of the research on organic matter sources, distribution and dynamics in the southern Baltic Sea described in detail by Maciejewska and Pempkowiak (2014). In this paper, cluster analysis, principal component analysis and segment analysis were used to assess relations among factors influencing organic matter concentration in the Baltic sea-water. The following sea-water properties, salinity (Sal), temperature (Temp), pH, concentrations of chlorophyll a (Chla) and phaeopigment a (Feo), were assessed, while dissolved (DOC) and particulate (POC) organic carbon were used as organic matter measures. Water samples were collected in the course of a three-year study (2009–2011) from the Gdańsk Deep, the Gotland Deep and the Bornholm Deep (Southern Baltic). As a result, relations among both DOC and POC and the measured water properties were revealed. The cluster analysis leads to the discovery of the following structure of the analyzed water properties: DOC-pH, POC-Chla, without providing interpretation why the structure exists. Using the principal component analysis, factors influencing DOC and POC concentrations were classified as plankton activity and the inflows of saline and freshwater water masses as the study area. Segment regression analysis revealed that organic matter consists of labile and stable fractions and led to the quantification of relations between DOC and the measured sea-water properties. The following contributions to the DOC fluctuations were calculated: salinity – 11%, chlorophyll a – 26%, phaeopigment a – 26%, POC – 38% in the growing season and 31%, 33%, 21% and 22% respectively in the non-growing season

Preliminary results on low molecular weight organic substances dissolved in the waters of the Gulf of Gdańsk

The content of low molecular weight LMW (<1000 Da) dissolved organic substances was determined by ultrafiltration (concentration factor of 2) in different water samples collected in the Gulf of Gdańsk. The proportion of this fraction (based on organic carbon concentration) ranged from 24 to 57%. The lowest percentage was detected in riverine samples. The DOC concentrations in ultrafiltrates was similar in all the samples analysed. The absorbance proportion (at 250 nm) due to the low molecular fraction in the overall absorbance ranged from 14 to 45% and in all but one sample was lower than the DOC percentage. There was no relationship between DOC and absorbance in the LMW fractions (r² = 0.08), in contrast to the characteristics of the "bulk" samples (r² = 0.88)

Content and pattern of organic pollutants (PAHs, PCBs and DDT) in blue mussels Mytilus trossulus from the southern Baltic Sea

19 pages, 4 figures, 1 table.The objective of this work was to assess the contents and patterns of selected organic pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - PAHs, polychlorinated biphenyls - PCBs, and chlorinated pesticides - DDT) in the southern part of the Baltic Sea proper, using blue mussels, Mytilus trossulus, as sentinel organisms. The mussels were collected from the Baltic Sea off Poland. The sampling programme focused on the mouths of the rivers Odra and Vistula, located respectively in the Pomeranian Bay and the Gulf of Gdansk, both known to be under anthropogenic pressure.This work was carried out within the framework of bilateral co-operation between the Institute of Oceanology, Sopot, Poland and the Institute of Chemical and Environmental Investigations (IIQAB/CID), Barcelona, Spain. It was also financially supported by the Institute of Oceanology statutory research project no. 2001/3.3.Peer reviewe

The effect of humic substances isolated from a variety of marine and lacustrine environments on different microorganisms

The antimicrobial activity of twelve preparations of humic substances isolated from sea water, marine bottom sediments and lake water was examined. Humic substances from marine bottom sediment samples were fractionated into humic and/or fulvic acids. The susceptibility of 11 strains of anaerobic, 8 strains of aerobic bacteria and 2 strains of yeast-like fungi to preparations of humic substances, humic and/or fulvic acids was determined employing the plate dilution technique in Brucella agar (anaerobic bacteria), Mueller-Hinton agar (aerobic bacteria) and Sabouraud agar (yeast-like fungi). Concentrations from 150 to 600 µg ml-1 of the preparations examined inhibited the growth of numerous microorganisms (Table). The results obtained seem to indicate that humic substances are involved in the self-purification of sea and lake waters