Chemical Study of the Interstitial Water Dissolved Organic Matter and Gases in Lake Erie, Cleveland Harbor, and Hamilton Harbour Bottom Sediments - Composition and Fluxes to Overlying Waters

摘要

During 14 cruises in 1979 and 1980 SCUBA-collected sediment cores were obtained from the three basins of Lake Erie, Cleveland Harbor and Hamilton Harbor for determining interstitial water dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved gases (methane, nitrogen and total carbon dioxide). Sediments were also measured for volatile solids and water content, while EPA organic priority pollutants and molecular size ranges of dissolved organic matter (DOM) were evaluated in selected interstitial water samples. Because of high sediment concentrations, calculated diffusive losses of CH4 and Epsilon CO2 approximated 2-16% of the C influx to open lake sediments while 13-44% of the N sedimentation could be lost by denitrified N2 gas production. Diffusion of CH4 could account for up to 30% of the sediment oxygen demand. N2 gas was supersaturated in numerous interstitial water samples.