Discharge of metals from the St. Lawrence River

1982 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 982-992 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Yeats ◽  
J. M. Bewers
Keyword(s):  
Water Flow ◽  
Weak Acid ◽  
Dissolved Metals ◽  
Monthly Basis ◽  
Crustal Rocks ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
Suspended Particulate ◽  
Particulate Metal ◽  
Metal Aluminum ◽  
St Lawrence River

The concentrations of dissolved and total Al, Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cd in St. Lawrence River water have been measured on a monthly basis over a 2 year period. Riverine suspended particulate matter was also analyzed for nondetrital Mg, Ca, Si, Al, Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cd and detrital Mg, Ca, Si, Al, Fe, and Mn. Variability in the concentration of dissolved metals is unrelated to changes in water flow or suspended load. Particulate Al, Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations are related to water flow. The metal/aluminum ratios of particulate Mn, Cu, Zn, and Cd are elevated with respect to crustal rocks or coastal marine sediments, with the enrichment occurring in the nondetrital, or weak acid soluble, fraction.Annual dissolved metal discharges and nondetrital and total particulate metal discharges that take into account monthly variations in metal concentrations have been calculated for the St. Lawrence River. These discharges have been used to estimate global annual river discharges of metals to the ocean. The calculated discharges are compared with estimates based upon other rivers. The importance of nondetrital particulate metal fluxes is emphasized.

Concentrations and speciation of lead, zinc and cadmium in seawater-like smelter effluent and adjacent marine environments, Port Pirie, South Australia

1983 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 375 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
South Australia ◽  
Tidal Channel ◽  
Significant Extent ◽  
Dissolved Metals ◽  
Metal Concentrations ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Unicellular Algae ◽  
Particulate Metal ◽  
Lead Zinc ◽  
High Concentrations

High concentrations of particulate and dissolved lead, zinc and cadmium (total dissolved Pb, 750�g l-1; Zn, 4300�g 1-1; Cd, 64 �g l-1; particulate Pb, 236 �g l-1; Zn, 64 �g l-1; Cd, < 1 �g l-1) occur in seawater- like effluent from a lead-zinc smelting complex at Port Pirie. This effluent is discharged through a silled tidal channel into the offshore marine environment, where dilution by seawater eventually reduces the metal concentrations to values similar to those in near-surface seawater in Spencer Gulf, remote from centres of industrial activity (average total dissolved Pb, 0 4 �g 1-1; Zn, < 10 μg l-1; Cd, 0 3 �g l-1; average particulate Pb, <0.05 �g l-1; Zn, 0 21 �g I-1). Precipitation of dissolved metals or conversion of originally weakly complexed dissolved metals to more strongly complexed species does not occur to a significant extent. Particulate metal concentrations are influenced by resuspension of metal-rich sediments and by uptake of dissolved cadmium by unicellular algae that grow in the tidal channel.

scholarly journals Assessing the Impact of an Operating Tailings Storage Facility on Catchment Surface and Groundwater Quality in the Ellembele District of the Western Region of Ghana

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elvis Akwasi Acheampong ◽  
Daniel Nukpezah
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Weak Acid ◽  
Storage Facility ◽  
Free Cyanide ◽  
Dissolved Metals ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Illegal Mining ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Surface And Groundwater

<p>The study assessed the impact of an operating Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) of Adamus Resources Limited (Nzema Gold Mine) in the Ellembele District of the Western of Ghana on catchment surface and groundwater quality. Water samples were collected between June and December 2014 from seventeen (17) sampling sites including the TSF decant water (TSF-DW), three (3) streams, a water storage dam, a pond and eleven (11) groundwater monitoring boreholes within 500 m radius of the mine’s Tailings Storage Facility. Samples were analyzed for pH, true colour, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved metals (arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury) and cyanide (weak acid dissociable cyanide (WAD), free cyanide and total cyanide) using standard procedures. The TSF-DW reported elevated arsenic, free cyanide and TSS concentrations above GHEPA guideline for effluent discharge. Elevated TSS and arsenic concentrations above GHEPA limits were reported in PWSD which is a pond uphill of the TSF and a receptor to effluents from illegal mining sites on the mine’s concession. All other parameters recorded in surface and groundwater bodies studied were within WHO guideline limit for potable water. Results of the study suggest that the quality of surface and groundwater around the TSF has not been adversely affected even though the TSF is contaminated. Study findings suggest that well-engineered tailings dam ofARLwith its effective liner and management systems may have provided a safe structure and prevented contamination of water resources within its catchment.</p>

Geochemistry of zinc, copper and lead in the sediments of the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence

1978 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 757-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Loring
Keyword(s):  
Organic Material ◽  
Lower Estuary ◽  
Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Elemental Concentrations ◽  
Suspended Particulate ◽  
Fine Grained Material ◽  
St Lawrence Estuary ◽  
Total Sedimentation ◽  
St Lawrence River

Total elemental concentrations (Zn, 8–215 ppm; Cu, 3–76 ppm; Pb, 9–66 ppm) vary texturally and regionally in the sediments of the St. Lawrence estuary and open Gulf of St. Lawrence.Chemical and mineralogical analyses indicate that 8–39% of the total Zn, 7–20% of the total Cu and 15–26% of the total Pb are weakly held by fine-grained organic material, oxide grain coatings, ion exchange positions and carbonates in the sediments. These concentrations are potentially available to the biota. The remaining concentrations (61–93% of the total) are not readily available but are locked up in fine-grained sulphide, oxide and silicate minerals.The highest concentrations of the detrital and non-detrital contributions occur in the pelites or muds of the upper estuary. Seaward these concentrations decrease as the natural and anthropogenic supply of dissolved and suspended particulate matter from the St. Lawrence River diminishes. The upper estuary acts as a sink for these elements because most of the non-detrital Zn, Pb and Cu supplied are removed here by adsorption onto fine-grained suspended terrestrial organic material from solution or before entry (Cu) and transferred to the bottom along with other fine-grained material in response to the present depositional conditions. Decreasing concentrations of these elements are deposited seaward and the sedimentation intensities of the non-detrital elements remain constant with fluctuations in total sedimentation intensity in the lower estuary and open Gulf of St. Lawrence.Biogeochemically, Zn is a contaminant and Pb and Cu are potential contaminants of the upper estuary sediments. Zn and Pb are potential contaminants in the lower estuary but all the elements are at or near natural levels in the open gulf sediments.

Mercury transfer from watersheds to aquatic environments following the erosion of agrarian soils: A molecular biomarker approach

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 801-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Caron ◽  
M. Lucotte ◽  
R. Teisserenc
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Terrestrial Organic Matter ◽  
Molecular Biomarker ◽  
Ottawa River ◽  
Fish Resources ◽  
Lignin Biomarkers ◽  
Suspended Particulate ◽  
Key Words Mercury ◽  
Different Sources ◽  
St Lawrence River

Lake St. Pierre, an important freshwater location for sports and commercial fisheries in Canada, is composed of a 120 km2 stretch of the St. Lawrence River, located at the center of the St. Lawrence Lowlands. Receiving its waters from the St. François, Yamaska, Ottawa, and St. Lawrence Rivers, it is subjected to important inputs of mercury (Hg) and suspended particles eroded from its watershed. This study aims at tracing back the origin of terrigenous Hg loadings to Lake St. Pierre. The specific phenol signatures yielded by a mild oxidation of the terrestrial organic matter (TOM) carried in the water column was used as a tracer to identify the different sources of terrigenous Hg to the lake. Our results demonstrate that most of the Hg bound to suspended particulate matter (SPM-bound Hg) found in Lake St. Pierre is associated with TOM. We were also able to distinguish the relative influence that forested soils, mainly drained by the Ottawa River, and agrarian soils, located on nearby watersheds, exert on the lake's Hg burden. Our data strongly suggest that the erosion of vast areas of agrarian soils, drained by the Yamaska and St. François rivers to Lake St. Pierre, greatly facilitates the transfer of Hg from the watersheds to the lake. This study stresses the need to improve the management of agrarian soils and protect them from extensive erosion in order to preserve the integrity of the fish resources harvested in Lake St. Pierre. Key words: Mercury, soil erosion, Lake St. Pierre, lignin biomarkers

The Distribution of Selected Trace Metals in United Kingdom Shelf Waters and the North Atlantic

1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (S2) ◽  
pp. s111-s123 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. G. W. Jones ◽  
D. F. Jefferies
Keyword(s):  
Trace Metals ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Dissolved Metals ◽  
The North ◽  
Suspended Particulate ◽  
Shelf Seas ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
The North Atlantic

The distribution of dissolved and suspended particulate Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn was surveyed in the water of the North Atlantic and adjacent European shelf seas. The exercise was conducted by the Lowestoft Fisheries Laboratory and was part of a broad program coordinated by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Working Groups concerned with pollution baseline and monitoring studies. The distribution of dissolved metals was enriched in coastal waters up to an order of magnitude compared with the offshore shelf seas. Both anthropogenic and natural sources of metal were considered in relation to the elevated inshore values. The suspended particulate phase of trace metals present in coastal and shelf waters was often a significant proportion (between 5 and 70%) of the total metal present. Oceanic values of dissolved metal were comparable with concentrations measured in offshore shelf seas. Deep vertical profiles of trace metals resembled the distribution of nutrient salts, thus indicating biological mobilization. The validity of all data was discussed in relation to current sampling and analytical techniques. The degree of sampling and analytical sophistication employed must relate to the basic requirements of the exercise.

scholarly journals Variability of environmental factors of an eastern Mediterranean Sea river influenced coastal system

2003 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.AR. KORMAS ◽  
A. NICOLAIDOU ◽  
M. THESSALOU-LEGAKI
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Monthly Basis ◽  
Coastal System ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Discharge Rates ◽  
Suspended Particulate

Spercheios River discharge rates of nutrients, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and particulate organic carbon (POC) and seawater concentrations of these parameters as well as chlorophyll a(chl a) were measured in the Maliakos Gulf, Greece, on a monthly basis between 1992-1993. From all the nutrients measured, silicate showed the highest discharge rates followed by nitrate, phosphate and nitrite. The river introduced significant amounts of SPM (8.5 – 35.5 Kg d -1 ) with very low POC content (<3%). Most of the variables measured showed no gradient from the river to the outer gulf, which could be attributed to fast mixing of the incoming water. However, chl a had higher concentrations in the inner (0.3 – 4.9 Μg l -1 ) and lower in the outer gulf (0.05 – 2.5 Μg l -1 ). It is suggested that the nutrients introduced by the river are consumed faster in the inner gulf and that a number of temporal streams and non-point sources at the periphery of the gulf prevent the formation of a gradient.

scholarly journals Hydroclimatic control of sediment and metal export from a rural catchment in northwestern Spain

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 3663-3673 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Palleiro ◽  
M. L. Rodríguez-Blanco ◽  
M. M. Taboada-Castro ◽  
M. T. Taboada-Castro
Keyword(s):  
Temperate Climate ◽  
Dissolved Metals ◽  
Sediment Loads ◽  
Hydrological Variable ◽  
Particulate Metal ◽  
Northwestern Spain ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Annual Scale ◽  
Runoff Events ◽  
Rural Catchment

Abstract. This paper examines sediment and metal (Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn) exportation at different timescales (annual, seasonal and event) during a 3-year period (2005–2008) in the Mero River headwater, a rural catchment under humid temperate climate. Interannual differences were found both in annual loads and their distributions throughout the year. At annual scale, sediment and particulate metal loads followed the same trend as streamflow, while dissolved metals showed different patterns. Runoff events contributed to 63% of the total sediment load, whereas particulate and dissolved loads in events accounted for between 38–61 and 27–49%, respectively. Runoff events were characterized by high variability in sediment and metal loads, a few events representing a high percentage of the metal exported. Sediment loads were related to maximum and initial discharge. Particulate metal loads were highly correlated with sediment loads, runoff being the hydrological variable that best explains the load of these metals. Dissolved metal loads displayed different patterns. Dissolved Al, showed a great correlation with runoff, while dissolved Mn with maximum discharge.

scholarly journals Hydroclimatic control of sediment and metal export from a rural catchment in Northwest Spain

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 3757-3786 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Palleiro ◽  
M. L. Rodríguez-Blanco ◽  
M. M. Taboada-Castro ◽  
M. T. Taboada-Castro
Keyword(s):  
Temperate Climate ◽  
Dissolved Metals ◽  
Total Load ◽  
Sediment Loads ◽  
Hydrological Variable ◽  
Particulate Metal ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Annual Scale ◽  
Runoff Events ◽  
Rural Catchment

Abstract. This paper examines sediment and metal (Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn) exportation at different time scales (annual, seasonal and event) during a three-year period (2005–2008) in the Mero River headwater, a rural catchment under humid temperate climate. Inter-annual differences were found both in annual loads and their distributions throughout the year. At annual scale, sediment and particulate metal loads followed the same trend as streamflow, while dissolved metals showed different patterns. Runoff events contributed to 63% of the total sediment load, whereas particulate and dissolved metal loads accounted for between 38–61 and 27–49% of the total load, respectively. Runoff events were characterized by high variability in sediment and metal loads, a few events representing a high percentage of the metal exported. Sediment loads were related to maximum and initial discharge. Particulate metal loads were highly correlated with sediment loads, runoff being the hydrological variable that best explains the load of these metals. Dissolved metal loads displayed different patterns. Dissolved Al, showed a great correlation with runoff, while dissolved Mn with maximum discharge.

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