Background geochemistry of some rocks, soils, plants, and vegetables in the conterminous United States, with sections on field studies

Abstract

Geochemical summary statistics for 18 elements in natural mateiials horn 117 landscape units have been compiled based on field and laboratory studies since 1958. Each landscape unit is brie f ly identified as to kind and location, and the expected concentration for one or more elements is gi\en together with factors indicating the degree of observed \ariation in the stuch and the degree of laboratory or "analytical" variation. Also listed are the observed lange and the total number of element analyses made in each study. The data on which these summaries are based have three attributes in common: They represent "large-scale" 01 legional geochemical studies; they represent background or "oidinary" natural geochemical \ariation; and they were collected according to objective sampling designs. The summaries clearly demonstrate the wide diveisity to be expected in elemental properties of landscape units and suggest that published element abundances for bioacl categoiies like1 "soil" or "carbonate rock" may be misleading. Fl F2 STATISTICAL STUDIES IN FIELD GEOCHEMISTRY One such study merits special mention. The U.S. Geological Survey has recently completed a geochemical survey of the State of Missouri, many aspects of which are unique to environmental geochemistry. It not only is a survey of a broad, geologically diverse area, but it was undertaken partly in support of active, trace-element related epidemiologic studies sponsored by the University of Missouri. Moreover, we think it is the first study of its kind in which an attempt has been made to characterize rocks, waters, soils, and plants chemically by a unified team approach using (and in part testing) efficient and objective sampling designs. Connor and others (1972) described this work in a preliminary way. Details of the study are available in a series of limited-distribution progress reports (U.S. Geological Survey, 1972a-f, 1973). The data tabulated in the present report represent the work of many people. Principal investigators are listed with a short description of each study, and authorship is cited for all published data. All unpublished data are preliminary. The reader is cautioned that some of the data summaries given here may be subject to minor revision. The sampling designs, data analyses, and geochemical summaries on which this report is based are statistical in nature; extended discussions of these subjects can be found in Miesch (1967a, b, 1972), Connor and others (1972), and Connor and Myers (1973). A proper list of acknowledgments for this report would comprise more than 100 people including computer programmers, specialists in data handling, and assistants in the field, laboratory, and office. Unquestionably, the most important contributors are the chemists, spectrographers, and other laboratory personnel who catalogued, prepared, and measured the concentrations of up to 69 elements in more than 8,000 samples of rocks, soils, and plant material over a period of more than 10 years.

Modeling Studies on the Transport of Benzene and H2S in CO2-Water Systems

“…Average crustal abundance of arsenic and lead is about 2 and 14 ppm, respectively, as summarized in Birkholzer et al (2008) based on an extensive literature review. Typical concentrations in rock from various areas of the United States were reviewed by Connor and Shacklette (1975), who list 1.1-4.3 ppm As and 5-17 ppm Pb in sandstones, and 6.4-9.0 ppm As and 11-24 ppm Pb in shales. Therefore, in the present study, the assumed abundance of arsenic in sediments is rather high, which would tend to exacerbate the overestimation of As concentrations upon mobilization by H 2 S-and CO 2 -laden waters.…”

Ecological effects of contaminants in McCoy Branch, 1991--1993

“…Under natural conditions, Cd concentrations in plants are low (Shacklette 1972), and concentrations exceeding 3 pg Cd/g in plant tissues are associated with reduced growth (Gough et al 1979). Cadmium concentrations at the FCAP were not outside of the range expected for vegetation from natural environments (Connor and Shacklette 1975).…”

Toxicological Profile for Zinc

“…Zinc concentrations measured across the United Stated ranged from <5 to 400 mg/kg and from <10 to 2,000 mg/kg, with corresponding means of 36 and 51 mg/kg in cultivated and uncultivated subsurface soils, respectively (Connor and Shacklette 1975); however, these differences in zinc concentration may be attributed to differences in the soils prior to use (and not to cultivation). The sampling survey was designed to determine zinc concentrations of surficial materials unaltered from their natural condition.…”