Vertical Distribution Of Heavy Metals Research Articles

Judging Fitness for Purpose of a X-ray Fluorescence Based Method Investigating the Vertical Distribution of Metals and Metalloids in Soil Profiles

A column of soil, excavated from a contaminated landscape was evaluated by means of X-ray fluorescence analysis. The measurements were intended to assess the vertical distribution of heavy metals and toxic elements in the depth profile. To judge fitness for purpose of the analytical method used the element specific power functions were derived yielding the minimum detectable variations of analyte concentrations refer to the investigated soil profile. The required measurement uncertainty components caused by both the sampling procedure and chemical analysis were empirically estimated using a nested sampling design (duplicate method). For this purpose the full length of the soil core was divided into horizontal layers. From each selected layer (sampling target) two composite samples were taken by simple random sampling to represent the typical composition of the sampling target. The pool of measurement results, obtained for the nested sampling design finally was subjected to variance analysis. The evaluation of the estimated variance components in terms of the percentage of total variance confirmed fitness for purpose for the method used.

Heavy metals in wetland plants and soil of Lake Taihu, China

Properties of vertical distribution of soil near water bodies are vary considerably from those of land and may greatly affect the transportation of heavy metals in wetlands. Vertical distributions of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in the soil of aquatic-terrestrial ecotone (ATE) of Lake Taihu, China, and in wetland plant tissues were studied. Generally, concentrations of heavy metals decreased with increasing depth in the top 40-cm cores and then increased slightly with increasing depth. This investigation indicated that concentrations of Cd, Cr, Pb, and Zn exceeded the geochemical background values in the Taihu Lake area. Concentrations of Cd at all depth soil columns exceeded the Environment Quality Standard for Soils of China. Correlation analysis showed that concentrations of Zn, Cr, Cd, and Pb correlated significantly with one another, suggesting that they had the same origin. The concentration of Cu was negatively correlated with root biomass, which may explain the lower concentration of copper in the soil cores. The dominant plants of the wetland were Phragmites australis and Ludwigia prostrata, and heavy metal accumulated primarily in the root tissue. The general order was root > rhizome > stem > leaf, whereas in L. prostrata, leaf was the main tissue for Cr accumulation. Both P. australis and L. prostrata had the highest concentration factor (CF) to Cu, and CF was 20.3 and 15.8, respectively. Aquatic-terrestrial ecotone plants are more effective in controlling Cu pollution than other heavy metals. This will be very significant for ATE reestablishment near Cu-polluted sites.

Reconstructing historical trends in metal input in heavily-disturbed, contaminated estuaries: studies from Bilbao, Southampton Water and Sicily

Estuaries may be important reservoirs for contaminants as they tend to act as sinks for fine, contaminant-reactive sediments, and, historically, they have acted as centres for industrial and urban development. Analysis of dated sediment cores from these areas may allow historical trends in heavy metal input to be reconstructed, and recent and historical inputs of metal contaminants to be compared. Undisturbed saltmarsh settings have been used widely in the reconstruction of historical trends in metal input as saltmarshes provide a stable, vegetated substrate of dominantly fine sediments, and are less prone to erosion and reworking than adjacent mudflat areas. In comparison, much less research on historical pollution trends has been undertaken at estuarine sites which are prone to severe local disturbance, such as intertidal areas which are routinely dredged or where sedimentary processes have been modified by human activities such as shipping, salt working, port activities, land claim etc. This paper assesses the usefulness of 210Pb and 137Cs dating, combined with geochemical studies, in reconstructing historical trends in heavy metal input and sediment accretion in 3 heavily-modified, industrialised estuarine areas in Europe: the Bilbao estuary (Spain), Southampton Water (UK), and the Mulinello estuary (Sicily). Of these sites, only a salt marsh core from the Mulinello estuary provides a high-resolution record of recent heavy metal inputs. In Southampton Water only a partial record of changing metal inputs over time is retained due to land-claim and possible early-diagenetic remobilisation, while at Bilbao the vertical distribution of heavy metals in intertidal flats is mainly controlled by input on reworked sediment particles and variations in sediment composition. Where 137Cs and 210Pb distributions with depth allow a chronology of sediment deposition to be established, and early-diagenetic remobilisation has been minimal, mudflat and saltmarsh cores from even the most heavily-disturbed estuarine sites can provide useful information on variations in historical contaminant input. When the sediments have been vigorously mixed or reworked, large-scale compositional variations are present, or significant early-diagenetic remobilisation has occurred, however, only general information on the scale of contamination can be obtained.

Influence of the Aznalcóllar mining spill on the vertical distribution of heavy metals in sediments from the Guadalquivir estuary (SW Spain)

The Natural Park of Doñana and the Guadalquivir estuary were impacted by the release of 6 million cubic meters of acid waste after the mine-tailing spill in Aznalcóllar (Andalusia, SW, Spain). Here is presented the monitoring of the accidental spill on vertical distribution of heavy metals in the estuarine sediments. The total concentration of six metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu), their chemical speciation and the organic carbon concentration were analyzed in sediment vertical profiles. The results obtained determine background levels similar to previously reported in the area. The analysis catalogues the impact of the accident on the estuary as acute and mainly associated with high concentrations of Zn and Cd. The recent enrichment in Zn and Cd and their geochemical association with the more mobile fractions of the sediment determine an environmental risk associated with the acute impact and detected in some of the areas of the estuary.

Distribution and Transition of Heavy Metals in Mine Tailing Dumps

The vertical distributions of heavy metals and other elements in sediment core samples in a landfill of abandoned mine tailings were examined. Core samples were analyzed by XRF and XRD, and further examined by ICP-AES measurements after acid-sequential extraction with HCl, HF, and HNO3. According to XRD, the sediments contained α-quartz as the main component, and sericite, chlorite, rhodochrosite, pyrite, jarosite, sphalerite, and galena as minor components. A complete decomposition method using sequential extraction for the mine tailings sediments was established at ambient temperatures. Acid sequential extraction was useful for the analysis of minerals in mine tailings which are difficult to detect by XRD. Rhodochrosite and chlorite were dissolved by HCl-extraction, quartz and sericite by HF-extraction, and sulfides by HNO3-extraction. Rhodochrosite was the main source of high concentrations of Mn in mine drainage, highly distributed below the −100 cm zone in the mine tailings, combined with pyrite but not with sericite and quartz. The distributions of most heavy metals were related to those of pyrite.

Heavy Metal Contamination and Mixing Processes in Sediments from the Humber Estuary, Eastern England

The geochemical properties of cores collected from mud flat and salt marsh environments in the Humber Estuary were investigated. A total of 10 cores were collected along a shore-normal transect on the northern bank of the estuary, near Skeffling. Major and trace element concentrations were determined for each core. The vertical distributions of210Pb and137Cs were also examined to provide a measure of the rate of sediment accumulation. Surface intertidal sediments show elevated concentrations of a range of trace and major elements, including Pb, Zn, Cu, Al, Mn and Fe. Concentrations were higher in the upper mud flats and salt marsh where sediment grain size is finer. Dating of salt marsh sediments indicated a local sediment accretion rate of 0·4cmyr−1. The early-diagenetic remobilization of heavy metals has apparently been limited, and the salt marsh sediments provide a (time-integrated) record of historical pollutant inputs. Heavy metal fluxes have been calculated from the salt marsh sediments and are broadly comparable with other industrialized and semi-industrialized estuaries. Cu, Pb and Zn inputs to the Skeffling area peaked in the mid-20th century, while Ti, Al and Fe, which are discharged into the Humber from two Tioxide-processing facilities, are only slightly enriched in these sediments. On the mud flats, local mixing, resuspension and erosion has resulted in correlatable sedimentary horizons interspersed with mixed sediment layers. Consequently, the vertical distribution of heavy metals in these mud flats is relatively erratic, and the mud flat sediments are unsuitable for studying historical pollution trends.

Heavy metal pollution in sediments of the Pasvik River drainage

The purpose of this paper is to study the regional impacts of heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg) on the watershed of the Pasvik River. On the basis of sediment investigations at 27 stations of the watershed, background concentrations of the heavy metals, vertical distribution of heavy metals in sediments, heavy metal concentrations in surface sediments, contamination degree, and risk index were determined. The atmospheric emissions of Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, Cd and Hg from the smelters and waste waters from tailing dams and mines of the Pechenganickel Company are likely to be the main sources of increasing concentrations observed in recent sediments of the lower river reaches. Lead showed a different pattern from the other heavy metals—increasing Pb concentrations in the upper sediment layers towards the Norwegian side.

休廃止鉱山の鉱さい堆積場におけるコア中の鉱物の鉛直分布

Vertical distributions of heavy metals of core sample sediments under 150 cm in abandoned mine tailings were examined. Core samples were analyzed by XRD and further examined by ICP-AES measurements after sequential extraction with 1 mol dm-3 HC1, 10% HF, and conc. HNO3. The XRD results showed that a-quartz was a main component in the core samples. Further, based on the sequential extraction results, the distributions of trace amounts of minerals, such as chlorite, sericite, rhodochrosite, pyrite and galena in core samples which were undistinguishable by XRD analysis, were estimated. Chlorite and rhodochrosite were relatively reactive and dissolved in HCl-extraction, a-quartz and sericite were dissolved in HF-extraction, and sulfides were dissolved in HNO3-extraction. Under 40 cm-zone was relatively rich in clay minerals and carbonate where sulfate-reducing bacteria were active. Under 120 cm-zone contained pyrite-rich sediments. At present the function of sulfate-reducing bacteria is not so large to affect to the mineralogy in the sediment.

Heavy metal accumulations in a semi-enclosed hypereutrophic system: Lake Teganuma, Japan

Heavy metal concentrations and other physical and chemical properties were studied so as to assess the heavy metal accumulation process in the sediments ofa hypereutrophic lake, Lake Teganuma, Japan. The accumulations were most evident near the inflow inlets of two main inflow rivers in Kaminuma (the west part of Lake Teganuma) with the significant Zn accumulation. Except for Fe, the vertical distributions of heavy metals showed the highest concentrations in the surface 10 cm and decreased gradually with the sediment depth. The high concentrations in the upper layer was caused by an increase in the non-residual fractions. The large influx of heavy metal to Lake Teganuma seems to be due to the domestic effluents via the two rivers in last decades

Heavy metal accumultations in a semi-enclosed hypereutrophic system: Lake Tefanuma, Japan

Heavy metal concentrations and other physical and chemical properties were studied so as to assess the heavy metal accumulation process in the sediments of a hypereutrophic lake, Lake Teganuma, Japan. The accumulations were most evident near the inflow inlets of two main inflow rivers in Kaminuma (the west part of Lake Teganuma) with the significant Zn accumulation. Except for Fe, the vertical distributions of heavy metals showed the highest concentrations in the surface 10 cm and decreased gradually with the sediment depth. The high concentrations in the upper layer was caused by an increase in the non-residual fractions. The large influx of heavy metal to Lake Teganuma seems to be due to the domestic effluents via the two rivers in last decades.

Vertical distribution of heavy metals in sediments from rivers in northern Greece

The vertical distribution of Copper, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Manganese, Iron and Zinc was studied in sediments of two rivers (Axios and Aliakmon) in Northern Greece. Except for Cadmium all other examined metal ions showed an enrichment at depth of ten to twenty cm. For all other metals, a negative correlation of concentration with depth in the cores was observed.

Partitioning of heavy metals into mineral and organic fractions in sediments from a reservoir.

A sediment core was collected from S Reservoir, which is located in the western part of Okayama Prefecture. The vertical distribution of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cu and Cd) and fine particles (<37μm) was measured. The heavy metal contents of the sediment core are relatively high in small grain layers. Partitioning of heavy metals into NH2OH HCl soluble, H2O2 soluble and HF soluble fractions has been determined with a selective chemical leaching technique on the sediment samples. The greatest parts of Mn and Cd are contained in the NHOH HCl soluble fraction (mostly iron and manganese oxide and hydroxide coatings on silicate minerals), whereas more than 50% of Fe, Zn, Ni and Cu is present in the HF soluble fraction (silicate lattice). The variations of heavy metal contents in the sediment core are chiefly due to those in NH2OH HCl soluble and HF soluble fractions. Only manganese is significantly enriched in the NH2OH HCl soluble fraction of the settling material collected by the sediment trap near the bottom, probably due to the release of manganese from bottom sediment into overlying water. Manganese oxide and hydroxide reprecipitated under oxic conditions of the bottom water after the release might have been effectively collected by the sediment trap.

Vertical distribution of heavy metals and its seasonal variations in Beppu Bay

From July to November, the thermocline which has strong temperature gradient (0.7‡C m−1) is formed in the bottom water of Beppu Bay, and it prevents the downward mixing of surface water. This has caused the bottom water of the basin to become depleted in oxygen, and in November the bottom water below about 60 m depth becomes anoxic. Accordingly manganese and iron are reduced and more soluble under the anoxic condition, those concentrations are high relative to surface water, and the maximums are 1,240Μg l−1 and 80Μg l−1. Under the anoxic condition, the flux of dissolved manganese from the sediment is about 10Μg cm−2 day−1.