A preliminary geochemical map for arsenic in surficial materials of Canada and the United States

Abstract

Over the past 30 a, regional and national solid-phase geochemical surveys have been conducted by the United States Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Canada. In the present paper the authors have examined the distribution of As in stream-sediment and soil samples of the US and Canada in terms of geologic and anthropogenic components. The results of the compilations indicate that the distribution of As in stream sediments, lake sediments, and soils in Canada and the US shows that most of the variability is controlled by the bed rock characteristics.