1 Internat. Rev. Hydrobiol. 1 83 I 1998 I 5-6 I 370

Book Review

The Interactions between Sediments and Water. Proceedings of the 7th International Sympo- sium. Edited by R. DOUGLAS EVANS, JAN R. WISNIEWSKI and JOE WISNIEWSKI. Reprinted from Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, Volume 99, Nos. 1-4, October 1997. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 1997, 739 pp. ISBN 0-7923-4715-3. NLG 495.00.

The book contains 72 selected papers from the Seventh International Symposium on Interactions between Sediments and Water held in Baveno, Italy. 22-25 September, 1996. The papers were chosen to reflect the current attention in sedimentlwater science to six main topics of investigation: sedi- mengwater dynamics, sedimentkontaminant interactions, role of sediments in element cycles, use of sediments as historical indicators, sediment/organism interactions, studies on remote areas. In Confe- rence Summary, R. D. EVANS, A. PROVINI, J. S . MATTICE, B. T. HART and J. WISNIEWSKI summarize scientific advances and the significance of particular contributions.

The section SedimentNater Dynamics (18 papers) deals primarily with physical aspects of sedi- menvwater dynamics. Some presentations indicate that our understanding of factors affecting particle movement is improving, but not very fast. Models often under-predict sediment mass-transfer, espe- cially if the fine particles are simulated, which is also significant for contaminant transport. The section SedimenKontaminant Interactions (8 papers) concentrates mainly on kinetics of pollutant sorption and desorption. Sediments were once again determined as a significant source of in-place pollutants with ability of potential remobilization. Unclear control of contaminant cycling due to metal speciation changes and changes in redox chemistry was partly solved. The section Role of Sediments in Element Cycles (30 papers) describes the role of sediments as both a source and a sink for nutrients; the role of sulfate reduction and release of soluble iron in releasing sediment-bound phosphorus was meant. Newer evidence suggests that bacterial degradation of organic matter under anaerobic conditions may also be a significant source of phosphorus release from sediments. The section Use of Sediments as Historical Indicators (4 papers) shows a possibility to use sediments also for this purpose. A technique for dating various sedimentary horizons by linkage between atmospheric fluxes of elements and the sedimentary record was presented. Diatoms, algal and bacterial pigments, signature lipids and ostracods were point- ed out as biomarkers of paleoproductivity and human change. The section SedirnentlUrganisrn lnter- actions (9 papers) showed that, despite marked differences in the behaviour of different types of benthos, the result on chemical profiles in the sediment was minimal. Bacteria were shown to be the driving force in many chemical processes, including nutrient cycles, organic matter mineralization and sulphur cycles. The section Studies of Remote Areas (3 papers) includes presentations examining orga- nic contaminants in the Himalayas and concerning sedimentary processes in the marine environment adjacent to Antarctica. All these papers indicate clearly the importance of and need for further work in remote regions.

This book will serve for sedimentologists and water scientists interested in both fresh and salt water conditions as a source of current knowledge and inspiration for their future work.

JAKUB BOROVEC