Arsenic Mobilization In Sediments Research Articles

Remobilization of legacy arsenic from sediment in a large subarctic waterbody impacted by gold mining

Arsenic contamination from mining poses an environmental challenge due to the mobility of this redox-sensitive element. This study evaluated arsenic mobility in sediments of Yellowknife Bay (Canada), a large subarctic water body impacted by gold mining during the 20th century. Short-term measurements of arsenic flux from sediment, arsenic profiling of the water column and sediment porewater, and mass balance modelling were conducted to assess the importance of sediment as an arsenic source. Sediment arsenic fluxes were highly variable throughout Yellowknife Bay and ranged from − 65–1520 µg m−2 day−1. Elevated fluxes measured near the mine site were among the highest published for well-oxygenated lakes. Redox boundaries were typically 2–3 cm below the sediment surface as indicated by porewater profiles of iron, manganese, and arsenic, with arsenic maxima of 65–3220 µg L−1 predominately as arsenite. Sediment arsenic flux was positively related to its solid-phase concentration. Modelling indicated sediment was a principal source of arsenic to the water column. Adsorption and precipitation processes in the oxidizing environment of near-surface sediments did not effectively attenuate arsenic remobilized from contaminated sediments. Internal recycling of legacy arsenic between sediment and surface water will impede a return to background conditions in Yellowknife Bay for decades.

A millimeter-scale observation of the competitive effect of phosphate on promotion of arsenic mobilization in sediments

A millimeter-scale investigation is key to the understanding of the competitive effects of phosphate(P) on arsenic(As) mobility in sediments by taking the great biogeochemical heterogeneity of the sediments into consideration. In this study, a microcosm experiment was performed in this aspect using high-resolution dialysis and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) to simultaneously measure dissolved and labile P, As, and iron (Fe) in sediments, respectively. With the increase of P content in water from 0.02 mg L−1 to 0.20 and 2.4 mg L−1, consistent release of As from sediments was observed. The concentrations of DGT-labile As increased significantly especially in the upper sediment layer (up to 12 times of the 0.02 mg P L−1 treatment) due to the competition of phosphate, which corresponded well to the increase in DGT-labile P. There was limited increase in dissolved P and As contents due to the buffering provided by sediment solids, while the concentrations of both dissolved and DGT-labile Fe in sediments decreased. A stoichiometric calculation showed that 47% and 8% of the added P were removed through Fe(II) precipitation for the 0.20 and 2.4 mg P L−1 treatments, respectively, which greatly suppressed the release of As induced by P competition for the 0.20 mg P L−1 treatment. The DGT-induced fluxes in sediments (DIFS) modeling showed an increase in solid resupply to pore water As from elevation of water P through the increases of the desorption rate constant from 5.4 to 31( × 10−7) s−1 and the sorption rate constant from 1.8 to 22( × 10−4) s−1.

Arsenic mobility in sediments from Paracatu River Basin, MG, Brazil.

Paracatu River Basin, Minas Gerais, Brazil, houses long areas of irrigated agriculture and gold-, lead-, and zinc-mining activities. This region has a prevalence of sulfide minerals and a natural occurrence of high levels of arsenopyrite. In this work, surface water, groundwater, sediments and local vegetable samples were collected in October 2010 and November 2011 and were analyzed to evaluate arsenic (As) distribution, mobility, and transport in these environmental compartments. All sediment samples (738-2,750mgkg(-1)) and 37% of the water samples [less than the limit of detection (LOD) to 110µgL(-1)] from the rivers and streams of Paracatu had As concentrations greater than the quality standards established by national and international environmental organizations (5.9mgkg(-1) for sediments and 10µgL(-1) for water). Most vegetable samples had As concentrations within the normal range for plants (lower than the LOD to 120mgkg(-1)). A correlation among As concentrations in water, sediment, and vegetable samples was verified.

Effect of carbon sources and of sulfate on microbial arsenic mobilization in sediments of West Bengal, India

Arsenic (As) dissolution from sediments into groundwater in the Bengal Delta/West India was investigated. Two experimental sites were choosen with contrasting As concentrations in shallow groundwater. Apparently patches of high-As and low-As sediments occured in close neigbourhood. A fast As mobilization with lactate or ethanol as carbon sources and sulfate as an electron acceptor and a possible influence of indigenous flora because of higher As amounts and an increasing total cell count was observed over a peroid of 110 days. Sucrose was a less suitable carbon source. Inoculation of an arsenate-reducing Pseudomonas putida WB, that was isolated from the sediments did not improve arsenic mobilization. Maximal arsenic concentrations up to 160μg/l were leached out from sediment columns with lactate or ethanol+sulfate in the water at natural groundwater flow, but the majority of the As remained in the sandy sediments. Some correlation of arsenic with Fe, but not with Mn dissolution seems to exist.

Arsenic in marine sediments from French Mediterranean ports: Geochemical partitioning, bioavailability and ecotoxicology

This work investigates arsenic mobility, bioavailability and toxicity in marine port sediments using chemical sequential extraction and laboratory toxicity tests. Sediment samples were collected from two different Mediterranean ports, one highly polluted with arsenic and other inorganic and organic pollutants (Estaque port (EST)), and the other one, less polluted, with a low arsenic content (Saint Mandrier port (SM)). Arsenic distribution in the solid phase was studied using a sequential extraction procedure specifically developed for appraising arsenic mobility in sediments. Toxicity assessment was performed on sediment elutriates, solid phases and aqueous arsenic species as single substance using the embryo-toxicity test on oyster larvae (Crassostrea gigas) and the Microtox test with Vibrio fischeri. Toxicity results showed that all sediment samples presented acute and sub-chronic toxic effects on oyster larvae and bacteria, respectively. The Microtox solid phase test allow to discriminate As-contaminated samples from the less contaminated ones, suggesting that toxicity of whole sediment samples is related to arsenic content. Toxicity of dissolved arsenic species as single substance showed that Vibrio fischeri and oyster larvae are most sensitive to As(V) than As(III). The distribution coefficient (Kd) of arsenic in sediment samples was estimated using results obtained in chemical sequential extractions. The Kd value is greater in SM (450Lkg−1) than in EST (55Lkg−1), indicating that arsenic availability is higher for the most toxic sediment sample (Estaque port). This study demonstrates that arsenic speciation play an important role on arsenic mobility and its bioavailability in marine port sediments.