1. Spatiotemporal variation of sterols in sediment as markers of primary production and ocean sewage dumping in the southwestern East Sea (Japan Sea).
- Author
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Kim, Minkyoung, Hwang, Jeomshik, Montluçon, Daniel B., Haghipour, Negar, Kim, Dongyoung, Kim, Ho Jung, Choi, Ki Young, Kim, Chang Joon, Kang, Chang-Keun, Kim, Young-Il, and Eglinton, Timothy I.
- Subjects
WASTE disposal in the ocean ,STEROLS ,SEDIMENTS ,CARBON isotopes ,SEWAGE ,SEDIMENTATION & deposition - Abstract
The sedimentation of organic carbon in the Ulleung Basin, in the southwestern East Sea (Japan Sea) was investigated using radiocarbon and sterols. The accumulation rates of organic carbon and the contents of brassicasterol and dinosterol were higher on the slope than in the central basin, reflecting the surface water productivity, whereas cholesterol showed similar or higher contents in the central basin. The coprostanol concentration in surface sediments reflected the dispersion of sewage dumped in this region. The vertical distribution showed that the coprostanol concentration was the highest in the top 5-cm layer near the Korea Strait, close to one of the two dumping sites. A high coprostanol concentration was also found near the coast further north, where the content peaked at ∼10 cm depth. The vertical distribution of coprostanol helped to estimate the sediment accumulation rate at sites where radiocarbon gradient was too small or the values were too variable. • Sterols in sediments reflected phyto- and zoo-plankton abundance in surface water. • Coprostanol in surface sediments provided hints on dispersion of dumped sewage. • Vertical distribution of coprostanol reflected sewage dumping history. • Coprostanol from dumping helped to determine sediment accumulation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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