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Aquatic Geochemistry (v.7, #2)
An Overview of Dissolved and Suspended Matter Fluxes in the Loire River Basin: Natural and Anthropogenic Inputs by Cécile Grosbois; Philippe Négrel; Daniel Grimaud; Christian Fouillac (pp. 81-105).
The spatial and temporal distributions of major elements were investigated in the surface waters and in associated suspended matter at two sites of the upper Loire basin (Orleans and Brehemont) between 1995 and 1998.According to geochemical and isotopic patterns, the dissolved load appears to result from a process of mixing rainwater inputs, weathering processes of carbonate and silicate bedrock, and agricultural and urban inputs. Natural inputs influence 60% of water chemical composition at both sites. Annual dissolved fluxes were estimated to be 1300 103 t/y at Orleans and 1620 103 t/y at Brehemont. Major elements are transported mainly in the dissolved fraction. After correcting for atmospheric and anthropogenic inputs, the silicate specific export rate was calculated to be 11 t/y/km2 throughout the basin and the carbonate specific export rate to be from 47 t/y/km2 at Orleans to 23 t/y/km2 at Brehemont.The suspended load appears to result from at least two particle reservoirs: a silicate reservoir and a carbonate reservoir. The silicate reservoir has a detrital origin, mainly during periods of high flow, while the carbonate reservoir has a detrital origin during periods of high flow and an authigenic origin during periods of low flow. Of the total annual flow of suspended matter, this authigenic material represents 16% at Orleans, 25% at Brehemont and 37% in the fluvial part of the estuary. After correcting authigenic inputs, the specific export rate due to mechanical weathering was estimated to be 8 t/y/km2 throughout the Loire basin.
Keywords: anthropogenic inputs; authigenic calcite; dissolved load; flux calculation; Loire River; natural inputs; suspended matter
Similar Adsorption Parameters for Trace Metals with Different Aquatic Particles by Beat Müller; Anja Duffek (pp. 107-126).
Conditional surface binding constants and complexation capacities for Zn, Pb, Cd, and Cu were determined from surface titration experiments of heterogeneous natural aquatic particulate matter of different origin and composition. Metals and particles were evaluated in naturally occurring concentration ranges in river water.The adsorption of trace metals can be adequately described with a single conditional binding constant over a wide range of metal : particle ratios. Binding constants for aquatic particles at pH 8.0 are remarkably independent from particle composition and are specific for each metal: log Kads Zn = 8.39, log Kads Pb = 9.67, log Kads Cd = 8.61, log ads Cu = 9.84. From competition experiments with Ca and Pb we extracted a sorption coefficient for Ca of log Kads Ca = 2.5 (pH 8.0). Maximum surface binding capacities for all metal ions were found for particles containing high fractions of Mn-oxides which are associated with large specific surface areas. Generally, we found sorption capacities to decrease in the sequence Cu ≫ Pb, Zn > Cd.The experiments suggest that the conditional surface binding constants and complexation capacities are applicable to model trace metal adsorption in the concentration ranges of natural waters under conditions similar to the experiments. Results also imply that the chemical nature of particle surface sites is rather uniform in the intermediate concentration range or that the array of binding sites averages out differences in sorption strength over the prevailing concentration range of metal ions, respectively.
Keywords: adsorption; trace metals; natural particles; surface ligands; surface binding constants; complexation capacity; competitive sorption
Evidence for Non-Conservative Behaviour of Chlorine in Humid Tropical Environments by Jerome Viers; Bernard Dupre; Jean-Jacques Braun; Remi Freydier; Sacha Greenberg; Jules Ndam Ngoupayou; Lus Sigha Nkamdjou (pp. 127-154).
The knowledge of the biogeochemical cycle of chlorine (Cl)is important since this element is used as a tracer of geochemical and hydrological processes in oceanic or continental environments. More specifically, Cl can be used to correct surface water composition from atmospheric contribution in order to calculate precise chemical weathering rates in watersheds. Beyond the problem of potential Cl sources in a given watershed, which is directly related to the lithology, vegetation, and industrial activities, the Cl normalization is based on the assumption that this element behaves conservatively during surface processes (e.g., chemical weathering, adsorption/desorption processes).The purpose of the present study is to forecast the geochemical behavior of Cl in a forested ecosystem located under humid tropical environment.For this reason, we have analyzed the Cl (and also Ca and Na) concentrations ofsurface waters (rainwater, groundwater, river water) over a two-year period in the Nsimi–Zoetele watershed (Cameroon).The Cl mass balance for the watershed appears to be equilibrated over the studied period (1995–1996) but Cl behavior in Mengong River draining the watershed suggests a non-conservative behavior. Indeed, Cl concentrationsin the Mengong River are low during dry seasons and high during wet seasons, which is the reverse tendency to what is usually observed taking into account dilution and evaporation processes. As Cl concentrations in the Mengong River are lower than those measured in all the feeding reservoirs, Cl should be adsorbed onto the soils of the watershed. However, as the Cl mass balance is equilibrated over the whole-year, Cl should be adsorbed and releasedat a seasonal scale. The results we obtained for this small watershed were not generalized for a larger studied basin (i.e., Nyong River basin). Even if these results should be followed by further investigations, this study suggests that Cl normalization should be used with caution to avoid under- or over-estimation of chemical weathering rates.
Keywords: watershed; solution; chlorine; adsorption; soil; organic matter; vegetation
Particle Size Distributions of Clay-rich Sediments and Pure Clay Minerals: A Comparison of Grain Size Analysis with Sedimentation Field-Flow Fractionation by Martin Hassellöv; Benny Lyvén; Henrik Bengtsson; Ragna Jansen; David R Turner; Ronald Beckett (pp. 155-171).
Two clay-rich coastal sediment samples have been characterised together with three pure clays identified as major components of the sediment samples. The mineralogy of the sediments was determined by X-ray diffraction, and their bulk properties measured (organic carbon content, leachable iron and manganese, surface area and cation exchange capacity). A simple approach is used to model the properties of the sediments from those of their pure clay components. Good agreement is found for cation exchange capacity and specific surface area indicating that the clay minerals are the most important constituents influencing the sediments' surface properties. Particle size distributions were assessed by conventional grain size analysis, and also by Sedimentation Field-Flow Fractionation (SedFFF). These two approaches yield sharply differing size distributions; in particular, conventional grainsize analysis indicates a much greater proportion of submicron particles. Similar results are obtained from analysis of pure clays. The most likely reason for this is artifacts introduced in the unavoidable 1 μm prefractionation used for SedFFF.
Keywords: Sediment; size distribution; field-flow fractionation; XRD; clay mineralogy; specific surface area; cation exchange capacity