Field resuspension of sediments in the Venice lagoon

Abstract

A portable device for measuring particle resuspension from undisturbed sediment cores has been used in different polluted areas of the Venice lagoon. By applying shear stresses reproducing the water turbulence generated by normal windy storm events in the lagoon, average resuspended matter (RM) amounts of 4.22 +/- 2.83 and 7.34 +/- 4.53 mg cm-2, respectively, were measured. As an average, the concentrations of C(org), N(tot) and P(tot) determined in the RM were 2-5 times higher than in the 5-cm surface sediments. Only minor nutrient increases were observed in the overlying waters after the shear stress applications