Demonstrating the appropriateness of developing sediment quality guidelines based on sediment geochemical properties

The pool of bioavailable metals in sediments is typically much smaller than the total metal concentration and is strongly influenced by metal-binding with acid-volatile sulfide (AVS), particulate organic carbon (OC), and iron and manganese oxide solid phases. We have investigated how the properties of relatively oxidized sediments influence the exposure and effects of copper on the survival and growth rate of the deposit-feeding benthic bivalve Tellina deltoidalis. Growth rate was a much more sensitive end point than survival. Toxic effects to growth were consistently observed in sediment where both pore water and overlying water copper concentrations were below the effect threshold for dissolved copper. Decreases in growth of the bivalve were largely attributable to dietary exposure to sediment-bound copper, as the organism was observed to actively feed on fine materials from the sediment surface. For sediments with the same total copper concentrations, effects were less for sediments with greater concentrations of fine particles (<63 μm sediment) or particulate organic carbon (OC). Based on the concentration-response relationship, a no-effect value of 5.5 mg <63 μm Cu g(-1) OC for growth of T. deltoidalis was calculated. The results confirm the appropriateness of using OC-normalized copper concentration in the <63 μm sediment fraction to develop sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) that vary with sediment properties. For sediments where the amount of AVS is not sufficient to bind metals in non bioavailable forms, the metal-binding capacity provided by OC and iron and manganese oxyhydroxides associated with the fine sediments considerably reduced metal bioavailability. These sediment properties should be considered when assessing the risks posed by metal-contaminated sediments.