Effects of tubificid bioturbation on pore structures in sediment and the migration of sediment particles

In this study, the effects of tubificid bioturbation near the water-sediment interface on pore structures and the migration of sediment particles were evaluated using a series of simulations. In these experiments, the distribution and variation of the tubificid burrows and the macropores in the sediment were investigated by X-ray computed tomography (CT) and digital image collecting, without sampling or disturbing the sediment. The migration of the sediment particles was also determined using CT by adding BaSO₄ microspheres to the sediment as a tracer. The effects of tubificid bioturbation on the distribution and migration of contaminants in the sediment were verified by adding Pb-containing sediment layers to the sediment. The results indicate that after the addition of the tubificids, both the burrows and the macropores in the sediments increased with time, and the rate of increase slowed gradually. With the increased worm density, the burrows and the pore structures also increased. The in-depth distribution of the burrows and macropores was determined by the settlement time of the worms: with the settlement time increasing from 3 to 19 days, the depth of the zone with the highest density of burrows and macropores increased from 0–30 to 30–50 mm and from 0–10 to 30–60 mm, respectively. The distribution of the burrows and macropores was closely related to the distribution of the tubificids. Thickening of the oxidized zones in the superficial sediments in the presence of tubificid bioturbation was also observed. The main action of tubificids on the sediment particles was the transport of particles from the inner sediment (especially in the range of 30–50 mm in depth) to the water-sediment interface. The migration of Pb in the contaminated sediment with tubificid bioturbation could be interpreted by the variation in the burrows and macropores and the migration of sediment particles. Both the formation and the variation in the burrows and macropores, as well as the transport of particles from the inner sediment to the interface, would affect the behaviors of contaminants in the sediment and overlaying water near the water-sediment interface.