Release of anthracene from estuarine sediments by crab bioturbation effects

Abstract

To investigate bioturbation effects on anthracene (Ant) release from sediments to the overlying water, indoor microcosms were developed. Naturally contaminated estuarine sediments were exposed to the crab Helice tiensinensis over 70 days and compared with sediments with no crab. Bioturbation by crab could significantly increase the release of both particulate and dissolved Ant. The releases of particulate Ant with bioturbation treatments were 2.3–11.7 times higher than in the control treatments. However, the releases of dissolved Ant with bioturbation treatments were 1.7–3.7 times higher than in the control treatments. The ratio of particulate Ant/total Ant varied from 89 % to 98 % in the bioturbation treatments, which was significantly higher than in the control treatments. These results indicate that crab bioturbation significantly enhanced both particulate and dissolved Ant release from sediment, but the particulate Ant is the predominant process.

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