Lab methods

Since we have 8 samples, we have choosen to use the sedigraph and wet sieve analysis  to provide the grain sizes of each sample. Using the sedigraph is more time efficient than doing the pipett analysis. The entire work flow for wet sieving and sedigraph analysis is found under Sieve analysis and sedigraph.

Loss on ignition (LOI) has been used to estimate teh humus content of the samples. Small portions of each sediment sample are put in a cruicable and dried in 550 °C to obtain a mass loss of organics.The for flow for LOI analysis is found under Loss on ignition. 

Acid leching test and ICP-MS, this test is done to leach heavy metals from the sediment to provide information of how hard the metals are attracted to the sediemnt particles and how this contaminations would be affected by environmantal changes. If they bind hard, the contamination has lower mobility and lower spreading risk (Tessier et. al. 1979).

XRF (hand held) was used to determine the geochemistry of the samples.