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Calcium Carbonate and Temperature as Tools for Manipulation of Coastal Sediment Acidification: A Laboratory Study

Received: 20 October 2019    Accepted: 11 November 2019    Published: 2 December 2019
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Abstract

The spread of low-pH sediments (also known as dead muds) has brought about the need for laboratory studies involving acidified sediment. CO2 bubbling is traditionally used to acidify the sediment; however, allowing the native sediment bacteria to do the acidification is a more natural approach. The objective of the current study was to test if the surface sediment could be acidified using the sediment bacteria and determine how long the sediment chemistry stayed stable for. The pH of sediment taken from near Dobbins Island in Beals, ME, was monitored in sediment containers distributed evenly among 20-gallon aquaria containing artificial seawater for 74 days. Half of these aquaria were kept at 6.5°C while the other half were kept at 24°C. Each sediment bed had a depth of 15 cm and had pore water samples taken via syringe at the top, middle and bottom of the sediment column every 2-3 days. Crushed razor clam (Ensis leei) shell was applied to half of these sediment beds on day 33. The results show surface sediment pore water chemistry can be kept at acidified conditions (~6.0 pH/ ~500 µmol kg-1 total alkalinity/ less than 0.04 aragonite saturation state) or ambient collection site conditions (~6.8 pH/ ~4000 µmol kg-1 total alkalinity/ 0.10-0.25 aragonite saturation state) for month-long periods by incubating the sediment in recirculating aquaria or applying crushed E. leei shell respectively. Higher temperatures reduce the incubation time needed to acidify the sediment but shorten the period the surface sediment remains at 6.0 pH for. Before using the method, researchers should run a preliminary experiment with a batch of the sediment they intend to use to insure the sediment acidification intensity and duration meets their needs.

Published in International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (Volume 7, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijema.20190706.12
Page(s) 118-127
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Sediment Acidification, Laboratory Method, pH, Aragonite Saturation State

References
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    Brian Matthew Prezoisi, Timothy James Bowden, Aria Amirbahman. (2019). Calcium Carbonate and Temperature as Tools for Manipulation of Coastal Sediment Acidification: A Laboratory Study. International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, 7(6), 118-127. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20190706.12

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    ACS Style

    Brian Matthew Prezoisi; Timothy James Bowden; Aria Amirbahman. Calcium Carbonate and Temperature as Tools for Manipulation of Coastal Sediment Acidification: A Laboratory Study. Int. J. Environ. Monit. Anal. 2019, 7(6), 118-127. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20190706.12

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    AMA Style

    Brian Matthew Prezoisi, Timothy James Bowden, Aria Amirbahman. Calcium Carbonate and Temperature as Tools for Manipulation of Coastal Sediment Acidification: A Laboratory Study. Int J Environ Monit Anal. 2019;7(6):118-127. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20190706.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijema.20190706.12,
      author = {Brian Matthew Prezoisi and Timothy James Bowden and Aria Amirbahman},
      title = {Calcium Carbonate and Temperature as Tools for Manipulation of Coastal Sediment Acidification: A Laboratory Study},
      journal = {International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis},
      volume = {7},
      number = {6},
      pages = {118-127},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijema.20190706.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20190706.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijema.20190706.12},
      abstract = {The spread of low-pH sediments (also known as dead muds) has brought about the need for laboratory studies involving acidified sediment. CO2 bubbling is traditionally used to acidify the sediment; however, allowing the native sediment bacteria to do the acidification is a more natural approach. The objective of the current study was to test if the surface sediment could be acidified using the sediment bacteria and determine how long the sediment chemistry stayed stable for. The pH of sediment taken from near Dobbins Island in Beals, ME, was monitored in sediment containers distributed evenly among 20-gallon aquaria containing artificial seawater for 74 days. Half of these aquaria were kept at 6.5°C while the other half were kept at 24°C. Each sediment bed had a depth of 15 cm and had pore water samples taken via syringe at the top, middle and bottom of the sediment column every 2-3 days. Crushed razor clam (Ensis leei) shell was applied to half of these sediment beds on day 33. The results show surface sediment pore water chemistry can be kept at acidified conditions (~6.0 pH/ ~500 µmol kg-1 total alkalinity/ less than 0.04 aragonite saturation state) or ambient collection site conditions (~6.8 pH/ ~4000 µmol kg-1 total alkalinity/ 0.10-0.25 aragonite saturation state) for month-long periods by incubating the sediment in recirculating aquaria or applying crushed E. leei shell respectively. Higher temperatures reduce the incubation time needed to acidify the sediment but shorten the period the surface sediment remains at 6.0 pH for. Before using the method, researchers should run a preliminary experiment with a batch of the sediment they intend to use to insure the sediment acidification intensity and duration meets their needs.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Calcium Carbonate and Temperature as Tools for Manipulation of Coastal Sediment Acidification: A Laboratory Study
    AU  - Brian Matthew Prezoisi
    AU  - Timothy James Bowden
    AU  - Aria Amirbahman
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20190706.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijema.20190706.12
    T2  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JF  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JO  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7667
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20190706.12
    AB  - The spread of low-pH sediments (also known as dead muds) has brought about the need for laboratory studies involving acidified sediment. CO2 bubbling is traditionally used to acidify the sediment; however, allowing the native sediment bacteria to do the acidification is a more natural approach. The objective of the current study was to test if the surface sediment could be acidified using the sediment bacteria and determine how long the sediment chemistry stayed stable for. The pH of sediment taken from near Dobbins Island in Beals, ME, was monitored in sediment containers distributed evenly among 20-gallon aquaria containing artificial seawater for 74 days. Half of these aquaria were kept at 6.5°C while the other half were kept at 24°C. Each sediment bed had a depth of 15 cm and had pore water samples taken via syringe at the top, middle and bottom of the sediment column every 2-3 days. Crushed razor clam (Ensis leei) shell was applied to half of these sediment beds on day 33. The results show surface sediment pore water chemistry can be kept at acidified conditions (~6.0 pH/ ~500 µmol kg-1 total alkalinity/ less than 0.04 aragonite saturation state) or ambient collection site conditions (~6.8 pH/ ~4000 µmol kg-1 total alkalinity/ 0.10-0.25 aragonite saturation state) for month-long periods by incubating the sediment in recirculating aquaria or applying crushed E. leei shell respectively. Higher temperatures reduce the incubation time needed to acidify the sediment but shorten the period the surface sediment remains at 6.0 pH for. Before using the method, researchers should run a preliminary experiment with a batch of the sediment they intend to use to insure the sediment acidification intensity and duration meets their needs.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, the United States

  • School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, the United States

  • Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, the United States

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