Abstract
Reclaiming of Holocene sulphide-bearing sediments, widespread in the coastal areas of Finland, has enabled oxidation of sulphides to a depth of 13 m and the subsequent development of acid sulphate soils (pH < 4). This work is concerned with spatial hydrogeochemical patterns, remediation measures and the juridical obligation to improve water quality in one such area, i.e. the Rintala plain (23 km2) in mid-western Finland. Streams draining acid sulphate soils in Rintala are more acid (pH ~ 4 and acidity ~ 4 mmol l-1) and carry significantly higher concentrations of SO4 2-, Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, F, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr and Zn than those draining forest and rural areas in the vicinity of the Rintala plain and organic-rich soils located on the plain. The juridical obligation to improve the water quality is inappropriate as it does not consider the main reason for the poor water quality, i.e. drainage by subsurface drainage pipes, and because of the equality principle (other acid sulphate soil areas have just as poor water quality but do not have such an obligation). Groundwater management, i.e. keeping the groundwater level as high as possible, is recommended as the best management practice.;
Highlights
MethodsStream-water samples were collected in October (autumn) and May 1998 (spring) at eight sites along Sotaoja stream, ten sites along old-Seinäjoki stream and 15 sites (in spring only) in low-order streams (small ditches), which includes 6, 4 and 5 streams draining AS soils, organic rich soils and forest & rural areas (in the vicinity of Rintala) respectively
Reclaiming of Holocene sulphide-bearing sediments, widespread in the coastal areas of Finland, has enabled oxidation of sulphides to a depth of 1–3 m and the subsequent development of acid sulphate soils
Streams draining acid sulphate soils in Rintala are more acid and carry significantly higher concentrations of SO42, Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, F, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr and Zn than those draining forest and rural areas in the vicinity of the Rintala plain and organic-rich soils located on the plain
Summary
Stream-water samples were collected in October (autumn) and May 1998 (spring) at eight sites along Sotaoja stream, ten sites along old-Seinäjoki stream and 15 sites (in spring only) in low-order streams (small ditches), which includes 6, 4 and 5 streams draining AS soils, organic rich soils and forest & rural areas (in the vicinity of Rintala) respectively. 3030), NH4+-N (concentrations as ammonium-nitrogen; SFS 3032), P (SFS 3026), Cl (SFS 3006), SO42- (concentrations as sulphate; SFS 5738), F (SFS-EN ISO 10304-1) and total organic carbon (TOC; SFS-EN 1484) were determined in the laboratories of the West Finland Regional Environment. MS m-1) and carried significantly higher concentrations of SO42-, Al, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, F, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr and Zn than those draining forest and rural areas in the vicinity of the Rintala plain and organic-rich soils located on the plain (Table 1).
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