Salinity-induced acidification in a wetland sediment through the displacement of clay-bound iron(II)
Environmental context Acidification of inland waterways is an emerging issue worldwide, mostly because it disturbs the balance of reduced sulfur species in soils, sediments and mine tailings. We describe a pathway for wetland acidification through salt displacement and oxidation of Fe2+ from clay minerals. This alternative pathway for acidification raises environmental concerns because an increasing number of inland waterways are affected by increasing salinity. Abstract A wetland near the Murray River (south-eastern Australia) was found to have significant levels of exchangeable reduced iron (Fe2+) in the sediment clay-zone, and the potential for acidification under high salinity and oxidising conditions. Cation exchange experiments using purified clay from this site show relative affinities consistent with the lyotrophic series: Fe2+>Ca2+>Mg2+>H+>K+>Na+. This relative affinity is confirmed in Fe2+ displacement experiments using natural sediment clay. Proton production during oxidation of salt-treated sediments corresponds to that expected for the oxidation and hydrolysis of Fe2+ displaced from clay interlayers, taking into account the buffering properties of the sediment matrix. This work shows that wetland acidification can occur in low sulfur-containing wetlands and is not exclusively a problem associated with sulfidic sediments.