It is possible to estimate the moisture content of sediment based on information about the average grain size and total organic carbon content, but it requires additional information about the specific properties of the sediment and the methods used to measure the grain size and organic carbon content.

One way to estimate the moisture content is to use the loss-on-ignition (LOI) method. This method involves heating a sample of the sediment to a high temperature (typically 550-600°C) to drive off any water and organic matter. The difference in weight before and after heating is used to estimate the moisture content. The LOI method can provide an estimate of the moisture content, but it does not account for any variations in the grain size or organic carbon content of the sediment.

Another way to estimate the moisture content is to use the water retention curve (WRC) of the sediment. A WRC is a graph that shows the relationship between the water content and the suction of the sediment. The WRC can be measured by applying a range of suctions to the sediment and measuring the water content. A WRC can be used to estimate the moisture content of the sediment based on the average grain size and the total organic carbon content.

It's important to mention that, the best way to determine the moisture content of the sediment is through direct measurement. This can be done by drying the sediment at a specific temperature and measuring the weight loss.

It's also worth noting that, In order to convert chemical concentrations in the sediment from wet weight to dry weight, it is necessary to know the moisture content of the sample. If the moisture content is not known, it can be estimated using one of the methods mentioned above.

Ahmad Al Khraisat Thank you very much. Do you think with just the data of Organic Carbon content, and clay content of the sediment can we make any reasonable assumption what the moisture content would be? We retrieved these data from literature and the study does not have the moisture content in the study. However, to run our model we need the chemical concentration in the sediment on a dry weight basis. The study has only the chemical concentration in the sediment on a wet weight basis. If we could make any reasonable assumption of moisture content that would be great with this limited data. Thanks again

These are sediments in south African estuaries

Site- uMvoti Estuary mouth

Average grain size(micrometers): 1129 ± 27.8

Very coarse sand

Clay content 0 %

TOC(%): 0.15 ± 0.02

Site: uMvoti Gledhow

Average grain size(micrometers): 496 ± 123

Medium sand

Clay content in % 5.24

TOC(%): 3.65 ± 1.19

Katherine Sp It may be possible to make some assumptions about moisture content based on the data you've provided, but it would likely be a rough estimate and should be considered with caution. Organic carbon content (TOC) and clay content are both related to the composition of the sediment, but they are not directly indicative of moisture content.

One way to estimate moisture content would be to use the TOC percentage and assume that a certain percentage of that TOC is composed of water. But this would be a rough estimate and it's not clear how accurate it would be. Additionally, it's difficult to make assumptions about moisture content based on grain size, clay content and TOC % alone.

Another approach would be to use the bulk density of the wet sediment and dry bulk density data of a similar sediment, to estimate the moisture content. However, bulk density and moisture content have a non-linear relationship, which means that it's difficult to estimate the moisture content from bulk density alone.

Given the limited data that you have, it's difficult to estimate moisture content with a high degree of accuracy. It would be best to consult other sources, such as similar studies or expert opinions, to estimate the moisture content. Alternatively, you may have to collect additional data to accurately estimate the moisture content.

Thank you very much. I think I might just reach out to the author of the study to check if the author has additional data on the sediment

Ahmad Al Khraisat I was thinking of trying to get a rough estimate of the moisture content. If I have an equation for the relationship between OC% and porosity % and an equation for porosity % and moisture content % I think I can make a rough estimate of the moisture content in the sediment. I think OC% and porosity% should be positively correlated. And % porosity and % moisture content in sediment should be positively correlated. I found such a relationship reported in a paper, however it is based on compost. If you know of any studies that report such relationships with equations could you please share with me? Please find link study that I found

Article CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF COMPOST