Impact of hydrological drought occurrence, duration, and severity on Murray-Darling basin water quality.

The severity and frequency of droughts are projected to increase globally due to climate change, but the effects of this on water quality are uncertain. The Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) is the largest river system in Australia and has been impacted by droughts of varying severity within recent decades. In this study, we assessed the influence of hydrological droughts and their characteristics (severity and duration) on water quality, utilising a long-term (1980-2017) dataset from two monitoring sites. The main drought periods, and their duration and severity, were identified using the calculated Standardised Drought Index values (SDI) from averaged monthly streamflow data. While several hydrological drought periods were identified, the longest duration and greatest severity were during the Millennium Drought (1998-2010). Nutrient loads and concentrations of Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus of drought and post-drought periods were significantly different. The drought period showed the lowest median and interquartile range of nutrient (total nitrogen, TN; oxidised nitrogen, NOX; total phosphorus, TP; and soluble reactive phosphorus, SRP) concentrations and loads for both sites, whereas the highest nutrient loads and concentrations were reported during the post-drought period (approx. 1 × 103 to 1 × 105 kg day-1 increase in nutrient loads). Our analysis found significant relationships between nutrient loads and SDI during droughts. The load of N and P in the initial flush post-drought increased with drought at both sites. This suggests that nutrients were retained in the landscape during the drought and released in higher loads post-drought when the catchment became wetter, the hydrology was activated, and nutrients were mobilised. Hydrology is a key driver controlling the water quality within the inter-drought period and the peak nutrient loads post-drought. The duration and the severity of droughts had a significant (p = 0.01) influence on peak TN and TP monthly loads but not cumulative loads over a 12-month period. Hydrological droughts are important factors in controlling the water quality of the MDB. Therefore, management efforts should be focused on reducing the occurrence and duration of these events, along with the implementation of catchment nutrient control measures.

Novel insight into ammonium, phosphate, and iron(II) dynamics in the sediment porewater of a constructed wetland under artificial aeration through the diffusive equilibrium in thin films technique.

The analysis of porewater concentrations in constructed wetland sediments could help to understand biogeochemical processes, the sources and sinks of nutrients, and their effect on overlying water quality. In this study, we measured high-resolution porewater concentration profiles of ammonium (NH4+-N), nitrate (NO3N), phosphate (PO43--P), and ferrous iron (Fe(II)) in-situ in the Laratinga constructed wetland in Mount Barker (South Australia) using diffusive equilibration in thin films (DET) techniques. Measurements were taken under light and dark conditions, and non-aerated and aerated conditions to determine the effect on sediment porewater nutrient concentrations. Baseline surface water nutrient concentrations (NH4+-N > 36 mg L-1, PO43--P > 0.43 mg L-1) greatly exceeded water quality guideline criteria. Aeration of the water column alleviated night-time hypoxic conditions (i.e. dissolved oxygen increased from a minimum of 0.7 mg L-1 to a minimum of 4 mg L-1), and increased the redox potential in the sediment. Significant differences were present for NH4+-N, PO43--P, and Fe(II) concentrations with depth in the sediment. Ammonium concentrations in the sediment reduced under aerated conditions, presumably due to enhanced nitrification. However it was observed that PO43--P and Fe(II) concentrations increased significantly with aeration, especially under dark conditions, and were strongly correlated (R2>0.8). This was not what was hypothesised and points to complex interactions between Fe and P in the sediment. Nitrate concentrations in the sediment were below the detection limit (<0.9 mg L-1) which suggests limited nitrification-denitrification is occurring. Overall the results suggest that DET techniques are useful tools for quantifying porewater concentrations of nutrients in constructed wetlands under various environmental conditions.

Polysymptomatology and Polypharmacy at End of Life in Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize symptom frequency and symptom-directed treatment approaches in patients who died with advanced Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients in a multidisciplinary DMD program who died between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2021. Inclusion criteria were patients who died with advanced DMD in the time period studied; exclusion criteria were low exposure to palliative care (<2 encounters). Demographic, symptom, and end-of-life data, as well as medications used for symptom management, were abstracted from the electronic medical record. RESULTS: In total, 15 patients were eligible for analysis. The median age of death was 23 years (range 15-30 years). One (6.7%) experienced a full code at death, 8 (53.3%) had do-not-resuscitate orders, and 4 (26.7%) had limited do-not-resuscitate orders. Mean palliative care exposure was 1280 days. All 15 (100%) had pain and dyspnea; 14 (93.3%) anorexia, constipation, and sleep difficulty; 13 (86.7%) wounds; and 12 (80%) anxiety and nausea/vomiting. Multiple medications and drug classes were used to target symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: We found significant polysymptomatology and polypharmacy in patients who died with advanced DMD. Clinicians who care for patients with advanced DMD should clarify goals of care and document advance care planning. Given the complexity of multisystem disease progression, palliative care should provide subspecialty pain management and assist with psychosocial burdens.

Artificial aeration of an overloaded constructed wetland improves hypoxia but does not ameliorate high nitrogen loads.

High organic loadings to constructed wetlands can result in water quality issues such as low dissolved oxygen and high ammonium concentrations, with artificial aeration a potential mitigation option. This study compared baseline (no aeration - NA), continuous aeration (CA), and intermittent aeration (IA) conditions to improve water quality in a tertiary treatment free water surface constructed wetland (FWS CW) with night time hypoxia/anoxia, and high nutrient concentrations. The response variables included dissolved oxygen (DO), total nitrogen (TN), ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N), total phosphorus (TP), phosphate (PO43--P), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). In situ aeration and monitoring was performed from April to June 2021 in a large, field-scale FWS CW, the Laratinga wetlands Mount Barker, South Australia. The results demonstrated that DO increased by an average 2.11 mg L-1 from NA to CA during the night and 1.26 mg L-1 and 1.84 mg L-1 from NA to IA during the night and day respectively when averaging over the basins. The C/N ratio was very low and there was no significant influence of DO on DOC concentrations. There was no significant difference in TN concentrations with the application of aeration aside from a decrease in the channel at night from NA to IA, and an increase in NH4+-N resulted under IA compared with NA in Basin 1 and 2 during the day. This implies that the N loadings exceeded the wetland's ability to complete nutrient conversions at a rate that aligns with input rate. The concentrations of NO3--N increased at night under CA and IA treatments suggesting that some nitrification was promoted, or there was inhibition of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. The concentrations of TP and PO43--P significantly increased with the aeration compared with no aeration, however there was no difference between the aeration treatments. This suggested that increased sediment resuspension during aeration increased P in the water. There was no change in DOC with the application of aeration. Overall, the DO increased with aeration application and may be able to better support the wetland ecology; however, the Laratinga wetland is overloaded and the capacity of the wetland to effectively transform and remove nutrients is inhibited, even with the application of artificial aeration.

Restoration of benthic macrofauna promotes biogeochemical remediation of hostile sediments; An in situ transplantation experiment in a eutrophic estuarine-hypersaline lagoon system.

Estuarine ecosystems have very high ecological and economic value, and also act as a buffer for coastal oceans by processing nutrient inputs from terrestrial sources. However, ongoing pressures from increased urbanisation and agriculture, overlaid by climate change, has reduced inflows and increased nutrient loads that challenge the health and buffering capacity of these ecosystems. This study aimed to investigate whether restoring the bioturbating activity of Simplisetia aequisetis (Polychaeta: Nereididae) and other macrofauna could improve biogeochemical conditions in 'hostile' (i.e. hypersaline, sulfide-rich) sediments. To achieve this aim, we conducted an in situ experiment in the Coorong estuarine-lagoon ecosystem, translocating hostile hypersaline sediments, devoid of bioturbating macrofauna, to a 'healthy' (lower salinity) location where macrobenthic fauna naturally occur, and manipulating the S. aequisetis density in the sediments. Porewater, solid-phase, and diffusive equilibrium and diffusive gradient in thin-films (DET/DGT) measurements showed that bioturbation by macrobenthic fauna significantly influenced sediment biogeochemistry and remediated hostile conditions in sediment within a short time (four weeks) irrespective of S. aequisetis density. Bioturbation promoted sediment oxygenation, while salinity and the concentrations of total organic carbon and porewater sulfide, ammonium, and phosphate all decreased over time at all sediment depths. This research highlights the importance of macrobenthic communities and their functional traits for improving sediment conditions, promoting resilience to eutrophication, providing a nature-based remediation option, and in general ensuring healthy functioning of estuarine ecosystems.

Short-term seawater inundation induces metal mobilisation in freshwater and acid sulfate soil environments.

Climate change is leading to global sea level rise. Storm surges and higher tides will generate short-term 'pulses' of seawater into freshwater systems, often for the first time in over 3000 years. The effect of increased seawater inundation upon soil geochemistry is poorly understood. We identified 12 sites in South Australia which are predicted to be inundated by seawater storm surges in the next 20 years. Within these 12 sites are three distinct environments; fresh water streams and lakes, hypersaline saltmarsh and mangroves, and acid sulfate soils. Soils were inundated with seawater under laboratory conditions to replicate a short-term (two weeks) inundation by a storm surge. Lowering of redox potential and dissolution of high concentrations of reactive Mn and Fe in freshwater environments lead to the release of dissolved Fe and Mn in the soils from freshwater environments. Soils also released As, Cu, Ni, Cd and Co, while Zn and Pb were less mobilised. Concentrations of metals released exceeded water quality guidelines to protect freshwater aquatic ecosystems in most cases. By comparison, hypersaline soils only released minor amounts of Mn, Fe, Cd and Ni, and only in some of the soils. The moderately acidic acid sulfate soil (pH 5.41) reductively dissolved Mn and Fe releasing significant amount of Fe and Mn as well as As, Cu, Ni, Cd and Co, whereas almost all metal species decreased in the porewaters of the strongly acidic acid sulfate soil (pH 2.77). The response to short-term seawater inundation in acid sulfate soils was dependent upon the baseline soil acidification status. This study highlights the need for further research on seawater inundation of coastal soils as sea levels rise and storm surges penetrate further inland.

Long-term water quality response to increased hydraulic loadings in a field-scale free water surface constructed wetland treating domestic effluent.

There is limited understanding of how constructed wetland (CW) water quality may change over time in response to increased wastewater nutrient and hydraulic loadings. We evaluated long-term water quality trends and drivers for a full-scale (8.19 ha) free water surface CW that was developed in 2001 for the treatment of increasing amounts of pre-treated domestic wastewater from the township of Mount Barker, South Australia. Water quality parameter concentrations and loads, hydraulic loadings rates, trend direction assessments (TDAs), and water quality parameter removal efficiencies were analysed over the study period. The wetland received an annual average loading rate of 947, 19644, 31039, 18140, 2985, and 807 kg year-1 for BOD5, TN, NH4-N, TKN-N, NOx-N, and TP respectively and removed on average 8%, 72%, 73%, 78%, 12% and -246% of these loadings respectively. The average influent concentrations for the study period were 2.6, 42.3, 40.6, 35.9, 9.0, and 1.9 mg L-1 for BOD5, TN, NH4-N, TKN-N, NOx-N, and TP respectively. Average concentration removal rates over the study period were 50%, 39%, 40%, 15%, -216% and -600.5% for TN, NH4-N, TKN-N, NOx-N, BOD5 and TP respectively, suggesting that nitrogen was only partly assimilated by the wetland and it was a source of organic material and phosphorus. Using seasonally and inflow rate adjusted data, TDAs predicted virtually certain increases in TN, NH4-N, and TKN-N influent concentrations over time, a decline in NOx-N, no trend in BOD5, and a possible decreasing trend in TP. The inflow explained variance accounted for approximately 50% of the variation in TN, NH4-N and TKN-N effluent concentrations. Annual removal efficiencies of N declined with increasing hydraulic loads, and hydraulic loading rates varied with management practices. Seasonal analysis showed that N removal was greater during summer and lower in winter. Due to local population growth and various management practices, hydraulic loading is variable and has often exceeded design targets. Our findings indicate the long-term performance of CWs need to be closely monitored, as water quality can deteriorate due to increased hydraulic loadings.

Loss of benthic macrofauna functional traits correlates with changes in sediment biogeochemistry along an extreme salinity gradient in the Coorong lagoon, Australia.

Estuarine ecosystems are considered hotspots for productivity, biogeochemical cycling and biodiversity, however, their functions and services are threatened by several anthropogenic pressures. We investigated how abundance and diversity of benthic macrofauna, and their functional traits, correlate to sediment biogeochemistry and nutrient concentrations throughout an estuarine-to-hypersaline lagoon. Benthic communities and functional traits were significantly different across the sites analysed, with higher abundance and more traits expressed in the estuarine region. The results revealed that the benthic trait differences correlated with sediment biogeochemistry and nutrient concentrations in the system. The estuarine regions were dominated by high abundance of large burrowing and bioturbating macrofauna, promoting nutrient cycling and organic matter mineralisation, while these organisms were absent in the hypersaline lagoon, favouring accumulation of organic matter and nutrients in the sediment. The results highlight the importance of preserving healthy benthic communities to maintain ecosystem functioning and mitigate the potential impacts of eutrophication in estuarine ecosystems.

A simple and rapid ICP-MS/MS determination of sulfur isotope ratios (34S/32S) in complex natural waters: A new tool for tracing seawater intrusion in coastal systems.

Conventional sulfur isotope measurements in complex natural liquid or solid samples via GS-IRMS are complicated, time consuming and relatively expensive. Here we assessed a novel 'collision cell' based ICP-MS/MS approach which can determine the sulfur isotope abundances (i.e., 34S/32S ratios, expressed as δ34S) in complex coastal waters rapidly, accurately and with minimal sample preparation. The approach was validated via repeated ICP-MS/MS measurement of S isotope certified reference materials (CRM) providing accurate and reproducible results, with a typical uncertainty on δ34S of around 1.1-1.5‰ (1SD). This novel approach is suitable for water samples with sulfur concentrations at or above 2 µg/mL (ppm). Matrix matching between samples and the CRM was necessary when seawater-like solutions were analysed addressing common matrix related errors. The ICP-MS/MS approach was used to investigate δ34S signature of porewaters from a variety of coastal systems in South Australia (including acid sulfate soils), and how they responded to progressive seawater inundation. Importantly, inundation induced a shift in S isotope ratio in affected porewaters in which δ34S approached that of seawater. The simple sample preparation, with rapid and accurate δ34S determination of complex natural waters using the ICP MS/MS approach, greatly increases the applicability of sulfur isotope tracing studies to identify and monitor sources and bio-geochemical pathways of S in coastal and near-surface environments.

Transformation of jarosite during simulated remediation of a sandy sulfuric soil.

Aeration of wetland soils containing iron (Fe) sulfides can cause strong acidification due to the generation of large amounts of sulfuric acid and formation of Fe oxyhydroxy sulfate phases such as jarosite. Remediation by re-establishment of anoxic conditions promotes jarosite transformation to Fe oxyhydroxides and/or Fe sulfides, but the driving conditions and mechanisms are largely unresolved. We investigated a sandy, jarosite-containing soil (initial pH = 3.0, Eh ~600 mV) in a laboratory incubation experiment under submerged conditions, either with or without wheat straw addition. Additionally, a model soil composed of synthesized jarosite mixed with quartz sand was used. Eh and pH values were monitored weekly. Solution concentrations of total dissolved organic carbon, Fe, S, and K as well as proportions of Fe2+ and SO42- were analysed at the end of the experiment. Sequential Fe extraction, X-ray diffraction, and Mössbauer spectroscopy were used to characterize the mineral composition of the soils. Only when straw was added to natural and artificial sulfuric soils, the pH increased up to 6.5, and Eh decreased to approx. 0 mV. The release of Fe (mainly Fe2+), K, and S (mainly SO42-) into the soil solution indicated redox- and pH-induced dissolution of jarosite. Mineralogical analyses confirmed jarosite losses in both soils. While lepidocrocite formed in the natural sulfuric soil, goethite was formed in the artificial sulfuric soil. Both soils showed also increases in non-sulfidized, probably organically associated Fe2+/Fe3+, but no (re-)formation of Fe sulfides. Unlike Fe sulfides, the formed Fe oxyhydroxides are not prone to support re-acidification in the case of future aeration. Thus, inducing moderately reductive conditions by controlled supply of organic matter could be a promising way for remediation of soils and sediments acidified by oxidation of sulfuric materials.

Assessing Visitor Policy Exemption Requests During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many hospitals have added COVID-19-specific visitor restrictions to their routine visitor restrictions. These additional visitor restrictions are designed to reduce viral transmission, protect patients and staff, and conserve personal protective equipment. They typically exempt patients with disabilities and those who are dying. Consistent application of these policies may, however, be inequitable. We present the case of a single mother seeking an individual exemption to both a routine and a COVID-19 specific visitor restriction. One commentator focuses on the importance of clear and transparent processes for considering requests for exceptions. The other argues that disproportionate burdens may be mitigated in other ways and the policy maintained.

An integrated model to predict and prevent hypoxia in floodplain-river systems.

Hypoxia can occur following rewetting of floodplains and cause severe impacts on aquatic biota and biogeochemical processes. The likelihood of such events is influenced by a number of factors including temperature, the mass of plant litter on the floodplain (which is influenced by the duration between inundation events), the volume of water available for dilution of oxygen-demanding dissolved organic matter, and the exchange of water to dilute and disperse that material. Using constructed infrastructure to generate managed inundations on floodplains increases the likelihood of hypoxic "blackwater" events relative to unregulated floods, as larger areas of floodplain are inundated at lower flow rates. A model (the "DODOC plugin") was developed for the Source hydrological modelling software to inform risk mitigation strategies for these managed inundation events. This development enables the interaction between complex hydrology and floodplain inundation on the resulting release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and subsequent consumption of dissolved oxygen (DO), to be represented. Key functionality of the plugin includes the ability to represent (i) spatial variability in organic litter build up and degradation, (ii) DOC leaching from litter when inundated, (iii) DO consumption arising from microbial decomposition of the DOC, and (iv) reaeration processes from autotrophic productivity and turbulence as water passes over water level regulating structures. The model is configurable on both river channels (links) and floodplains (storages) to represent changes in DO from both natural and managed inundation events at the scale of an individual floodplain up to multiple floodplains and river reaches. The plugin was parameterised to successfully simulate DOC (R2 = 0.84-0.93) and DO (R2 = 0.74-0.92) along an approx. 100 km study reach of the River Murray in South Australia, once the different behaviour of the labile and refractory components of the DOC was represented in the model. A number of hypothetical operational scenarios were tested using the model to demonstrate parameter sensitivity and to inform planning of managed inundations. The development of the DODOC plugin demonstrates that complex water quality processes can be integrated into the Source (or other) hydrological software, to represent cumulative implications of floodplain inundation events and to minimise the risk of hypoxia.

Correction to: Constraining the carbonate system in soils via testing the internal consistency of pH, pCO2 and alkalinity measurements.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The presentation of Fig. 4 was incorrect. That is, in Fig. 4, the bottom graph in the figure should be removed.

Constraining the carbonate system in soils via testing the internal consistency of pH, pCO2 and alkalinity measurements.

Inorganic carbon exists in various dissolved, gaseous and solid phase forms in natural waters and soils. It is important to accurately measure and model these forms to understand system responses to global climate change. The carbonate system can, in theory, be fully constrained and modelled by measuring at least two of out of the following four parameters: partial pressure (pCO2), total alkalinity (TA), pH and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) but this has not been demonstrated in soils. In this study, this "internal consistency" of the soil carbonate system was examined by predicting pH of soil extracts from laboratory measurement of TA through alkalinity titration for solutions in which pCO2 was fixed through equilibrating the soil solution with air with a known pCO2. This predicted pH (pHCO2) was compared with pH measured on the same soil extracts using spectrophotometric and glass electrode methods (pHspec and pHelec). Discrepancy between measured and calculated pH was within 0.00-0.1 pH unit for most samples. However, more deviation was observed for those sample with low alkalinity (≤ 0.5 meq L-1). This is likely attributable to an effect of dissolved organic matter, which can contribute alkalinity not considered in the thermodynamic carbonate model calculations; further research is required to resolve this problem. The effects of increasing soil pCO2 was modelled to illustrate how internally consistent models can be used to predict risks of pH declines and carbonate mineral dissolution in some soils.

Wheat straw decomposition stage has little effect on the removal of inorganic N and P from wastewater leached through sand-straw mixes.

Wheat straw amendment to sandy soil can remove nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from wastewater but it is unclear whether prior decomposition affects removal. Sand mixed with finely ground wheat straw at 12.5 g straw kg-1 was placed in leaching columns. Wastewater was added either immediately after mixing with straw (fresh straw) or after the sand-straw mix had been incubated moist for 7 or 14 days (7D or 14D straw). Sand alone was considered as control. Leaching was carried out 4, 8 or 16 days after addition of wastewater and inorganic N and P were analysed after leaching in both leachate and sand. In the amended treatments, nitrate and available P in the sand-straw mix were not detectable throughout the experiment. On day 16, inorganic N in the sand-straw mix was highest in fresh straw where it was three-fold higher than in 14D straw and 30% higher than in sand alone and 7D straw on day 16. Straw decomposition stage had no consistent effect on microbial biomass N and P. Released CO2 was lower in 14D straw than in fresh straw and 7D straw. With straw amendment, > 95% of inorganic N added with wastewater was removed compared to 40-50% with sand alone. Inorganic P leaching was reduced by about 30% compared to sand alone on day 16. In conclusion, wheat straw addition reduced leaching of N compared to sand alone, but the decomposition stage of the straw had little effect on the removal of N and P from wastewater.

Photochemical consequences of prolonged hydrological drought: A model assessment of the Lower Lakes of the Murray-Darling Basin (Southern Australia).

The prolonged "Millennium" drought affecting Australia in the 2000s had important consequences on surface-water bodies, including the Lower Lakes (Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert) located at the terminal end of the River Murray system. Shallower water depths, limited solute dilution and altered geochemical processes ensured that the concentration values of several water constituents increased considerably during drought, including the water parameters of photochemical significance (nitrate, bicarbonate, carbonate and the dissolved organic carbon, DOC). The aim of this study was to model the photochemical processes in the Lower Lakes during the drought and post-drought periods, to provide insight into the changes that photoinduced reactions can undergo in periods of water scarcity. Among the photochemical processes involved in the light-assisted transformation of dissolved compounds, an important role is played by indirect photochemistry where degradation is triggered by photogenerated transient species such as hydroxyl (OH) and carbonate (CO3-) radicals, and the triplet states of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (3CDOM*). Results of photochemical modelling suggest that the reactions induced by 3CDOM* would be enhanced during drought, while the processes triggered by OH and CO3- would be less modified. For compounds undergoing efficient degradation with 3CDOM*, enhanced photochemistry during drought could offset the higher concentration values resulting from lower dilution. In contrast, for compounds mainly degraded by OH or CO3- the drought period could produce a concentration increase not balanced by an increment in the photochemical reactivity of the water body.

Nitrogen and phosphorus removal from wastewater by sand with wheat straw.

Wheat straw amendment to sandy soil has the potential to remove nutrients from wastewater. This study investigated the ability of wheat straw to remove inorganic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from wastewater when mixed into sand at different rates. Wastewater from a sewage treatment plant was added to sand alone and amended with different wheat straw rates 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, and 12.5 g wheat straw kg-1 so that the sand was covered with about 15 cm of wastewater. Leaching was carried out after 4, 8, and 16 days and inorganic N and P were analysed after leaching in both the leachate and sand, as well as N2O and CO2 release. In the amended sand, nitrate was about fourfold lower throughout the experiment compared to sand alone. Ammonium was twofold higher than sand alone at 12.5 g straw kg-1 throughout the experiment and on day 16 also at ≥ 5 g straw kg-1. Leachate inorganic N concentration was up to 70-fold higher in sand alone than in amended soils irrespective of straw rate. On day 16, P leaching was about threefold lower and P retention was 40% higher in all amended treatments than sand alone. The redox potential in sand alone was higher than with straw amendments. With straw amendment, the release of CO2 per day was six times higher than with sand alone and increased with straw rates, but very little N2O and CH4 was released throughout the experiment. It can be concluded that amendment of sand with wheat straw can remove large proportions of inorganic N and P from wastewater, even at low straw rates. Likely mechanisms for retention are dissimilatory nitrate reduction and subsequent binding of ammonium to straw for N, and binding to the straw and microbial uptake for P.

Fate and dynamics of metal precipitates arising from acid drainage discharges to a river system.

Neutralisation of acid drainage creates metal-rich precipitates that may impact receiving water bodies. This study assessed the fate of over seven years of acid drainage discharges on the sediments of the lower River Murray (Australia), including the potential for periodic water anoxia to enhance risk via reductive dissolution of amorphous (Fe, Mn and co-precipitated and bound metal) oxide phases. With the exception of one site with restricted water exchange, elevated reducible/reactive metal(oid) (Fe, Ni, As, Co, Zn) concentrations were only observed in the localised wetland-riparian area within approximately 100 m of the discharges. Only a minor exceedance of national sediment quality guideline values occurred for Ni. In the main river channel, elevated reactive metal (Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn) concentrations were also only observed less than approximately 100 m from the drainage discharge point. This appears due to (a) rapid neutralisation of pH leading to metal precipitation and deposition in the localised discharge area, and/or (b) dilution of any metal precipitates entering the main channel with natural river sediments, and/or (c) flushing of precipitates downstream during higher flow conditions. The influence of deoxygenation on metal release was profound with large increases in the concentration of dissolved Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, and As in the overlying water during laboratory experimental simulations. However, given in situ sediment metal contamination is very localised, it appears on a river reach scale that the acid drainage precipitates will not significantly contribute, over and above, the background release of these metals during these conditions.

Assisted natural recovery of hypersaline sediments: salinity thresholds for the establishment of a community of bioturbating organisms.

Hypersaline sediments derived from poor land management or the decommissioning of large-scale salt production contribute to the long-term degradation of aquatic environments. Obstacles impeding remediation of these environments include salt crusts restricting benthic recolonisation, hypersalinity-induced toxicity to organisms, and disruption of biogeochemical cycles. Remediation often focuses on engineered solutions, despite sediment-biota interactions often playing a crucial role in improving long-term remediation and restoration of contaminated areas. The presence of extensive bioturbating communities can assist with flushing of excess salt ions, and the reduction of excess nutrients. Here we investigated the tolerance limits that may impede benthic organism recolonisation of hypersaline sediments. Bioassays on dilutions of a hypersaline sediment (∼400 psu (practical salinity units)) and extracted porewaters were used to assess the acute and chronic tolerances of a range of benthic species. Amphipod, copepod and shrimp species were the least tolerant to hypersalinity; bivalve and gastropod species displayed intermediate tolerance; and crab and polychaete species were the most tolerant, i.e. able to endure prolonged exposure in waters at ≥60 psu. Avoidance tests found many species avoid salinities >50 psu. Short-term endurance tests (time to death) indicated thresholds in the 52-70 psu range through tidal cycle exposures of 6 h (semi-diurnal), 12 h (diurnal), 24 h and 48 h (prolonged). Amphipod reproduction and shrimp larvae development bioassays had EC30's of 46 psu and EC50's in the 54-65 psu range, indicating potential to maintain populations at salinities up to 65 psu. These results will assist in designing successful monitored natural recovery strategies for salt ponds that may supplement the initial engineered approaches.