Remobilisation of 109Cd, 65Zn and 54Mn from freshwater-labelled river sediments when mixed with seawater

Abstract A major fraction of trace metals transported by rivers is associated with sediments, especially during flooding, when erosion and resuspension increase sediment loads. Upon contact with seawater in estuaries, changes in ionic strength and pH may remobilise trace metals from sediment surfaces into more bioavailable forms. The objective of the present work was to investigate time-dependent interactions between trace metals and freshwater sediments and their potential remobilisation upon contact with seawater. Two river sediments (one organic and one inorganic) were labelled with 109 Cd 2+ , 65 Zn 2+ and 54 Mn 2+ radioactive tracers for periods up to 6 months. Sorption of tracers occurred rapidly (≥80% sorption, K d(6 months) were estimated as 460, 480 and 2200 ml/g (inorganic sediment) compared to 5300, 4000 and 1200 ml/g (organic sediment) for 109 Cd, 65 Zn and 54 Mn, respectively. Remobilisation of tracers from labelled sediments was studied using sequential extractions. Artificial seawater extracts simulated an estuarine environment. Subsequent extractions provided information about more strongly sorbed tracer fractions within sediments. Remobilisation of 109 Cd by seawater was significant (>65%) and least affected by sediment type or freshwater labelling time. Redistribution of Cd to strongly bound phases was minimal (4% and 1% of 109 Cd in strongly oxidisable fractions). Seawater remobilisation of 65 Zn was significantly greater from the organic sediment (54%) compared to the inorganic sediment (8%), where a large fraction of 65 Zn (14%) became irreversibly bound. Similarly, more 54 Mn was remobilised by seawater from the organic sediment than the inorganic sediment (66% and 3% remobilised, respectively), i.e., 54 Mn became more strongly bound in the inorganic sediment. A simple three-box model, based on first-order differential equations, was used to describe the interaction between tracers in spiked freshwater and two operationally defined sediment fractions (“seawater exchangeable” and “seawater unexchangeable”) up to 6 months of freshwater labelling. Model simulations were fitted to experiment data and apparent rate constants were calculated using numerical optimisation methods. Sorption ratios from modelling data (i.e., k 1 / k 2 ) were greater for organic compared to inorganic sediments, while fixation ratios were higher in inorganic sediments. In conclusion, trace metals can be remobilised from sediments on contact with seawater in estuaries. High organic content in sediments increased initial sorption of tracers but inhibited redistribution to more strongly bound fractions over time, resulting in greater remobilisation of tracers when in contact with seawater.