Bacterial benthic community composition in the Baltic Sea in selected chemical and conventional weapons dump sites affected by munition corrosion.

Microflora of marine waters and sediments play a significant role not only in the course of natural changes and circulation of elements in this environment, but can also be a decisive factor during erosion processes of various submerged objects or structures such as wrecks, sunken objects, pipelines, etc. The bacteria which have a significant influence on corrosion processes include aerobic and anaerobic sulfur bacteria as well as iron bacteria. Particular importance is attributed to sulfide reducing bacteria (SRB) which occur in waters, bottom sediments, creating biofilms on metal surface, and may start a process known as microbial induced corrosion (MIC). The occurrence of these bacteria and their populations indicates potential and intensification of corrosion processes. The aim of the study was to determine the number of microorganisms from various groups in the Baltic Sea sediments, especially those that are active in biological corrosion processes. This data can be used for a study comprehensive of corrosive processes in the marine environment, and as a result, to carry out a real assessment of the risks arising from the release of toxic substances into the environment from conventional and chemical weapons lying on the bottom caused by progressing corrosive processes, including biological corrosion. The article presents the results of research on the presence and accounts of microorganisms in bottom sediment samples taken from the dump sites of chemical and conventional ammunition in the Baltic Sea. Particular attention was paid to halophilic and halotolerant bacteria due to their significant contribution to both corrosion and decomposition processes of CWA and explosives, particularly in the saltwater environment. There were high and quite similar numbers of mesophilic, psychrophilic and halophilic bacteria in the studied samples, while significantly smaller numbers of anaerobic bacteria. The amount of mesophilic bacteria ranges from 6.42*103 to 2.85*107, on average 4.5*106 in 1 g DM, psychrophilic from 5.73*103 in1g DM to 4.11*107 in 1 g DM, on average 6.44*106 in 1 g DM, whereas for halophylic from 4.09*102 to 5.60*107, on average 5.83*106 in1g DM. The numbers of fungi were at a much lower level and ranged from 4.65*101 to 8.08*102, on average 2.63*102 in 1 g DM. mesophilic fungi and from 0 to 1.60*103, on average 3.58*102 in 1 g DM for psychrophilic fungi. The presence of sulfide reducing bacteria (SRB) was also detected in large populations, especially when they were isolated by means of the medium prepared with seawater (from 9.72 to 5.36*102, on average 2.52*102 in 1 g DM), which indicates their adaptation to the saline environment and promotes of biological anaerobic processes, including corrosive processes. No significant amounts of iron bacteria were found, probably due to the small amount of oxygen in the sampling area. The small number of iron bacteria indicates that primarily anaerobic sulfide reducing bacteria (SRB) have the major part in the microbial corrosion phenomena.

Sea-dumped ammunition as a possible source of mercury to the Baltic Sea sediments.

After World War II, as a move toward Germany demilitarization, up to 385,000 t of munitions were sunk in the Baltic Sea. Munition containing various harmful substances, including chemical warfare agents (CWA) and explosives, that can affect marine biota were dumped on the seafloor. Some of those objects contained mercury, either as elemental mercury or mercury compounds (e.g., mercury fulminate, a common explosive primer), and thus could act as a specific local source of mercury in the dumping areas. Unfortunately, there is a lack of information on how dumped munitions impact the mercury concentrations in the Baltic Sea sediments. This report aims to answer the question how much sedimentary mercury in the dumping areas originates from munitions and to determine to what extent the mercury present in those areas originates from mercury fulminate. Concentrations of total sedimentary mercury- HgTOT in samples collected from conventional (Kolberger Heide) and chemical (Bornholm Deep) munitions dumping sites are characterized by high variability. However, an increase in HgTOT concentrations was observed with a decreasing distance to particular munition objects at both study sites. Moreover, mercury speciation in sediments from Kolberger Heide proves that the mercury there can be traced back directly to mercury fulminate. Results of our study confirm that munitions dumpsites are a local point sources of mercury. Due to the ecosystem constrains, varying transport modes and pathways, and both unknown and varying decomposition rates, these sea-bed mercury concentrations are hard to evaluate quantitatively. Therefore we recommend that further detailed studies should be conducted to assess sedimentary mercury provenience in munitions dumpsites more accurately.