Major- and trace-element concentrations in soils from two continental-scale transects of the United States and Canada

Smith, Bruce; Cannon, William F.; Woodruff, Laurel G.; Garrett, Robert G.; Klassen, R. A.; Kilburn, J.E.; Horton, John D.; King, H.D.; Goldhaber, Martin B.; Morrison, Jean M.

doi:10.3133/ofr20051253

Cited by 65 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…As noted earlier, USGS data on soils (Smith et al 2005) suggests good correlation between Be and other metals such as Al, Cs, Ga, K, La, Rb, Th and Y; and the Mullins and Kamerzell data (2007) for LLNL soil showed that Be correlated best with Al. More recent and thorough multi-element data has been collected on archived LLNL S200 soils from 2009.…”

Section: Beryllium In Local Soilmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…Here it can be seen that LLNL soils are typical of those found in the US based on the Be:Al ratio. The UTL 95%95% Be:Al ratio for LLNL soil collected in 2009 (this study) is calculated as 2.04 x10 -5 , compared to the recalculated value from Mullins and Kamerzell of 4.73 x10 -5 and the national value of 5.90 x10 -5 calculated here from USGS data (Smith et al, 2005). This suggests that LLNL S200 soil is typical of other national US soils.…”

Section: Beryllium In Local Soilmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…Beryllium minerals typically contain Si and Al (Hormann, 1969), and conversely, aluminum minerals contain beryllium. Additionally, the highest beryllium correlations were also observed using USGS soil data for cesium, gallium, lanthanum, potassium, rubidium, thorium and yttrium (Smith et al, 2005). All other metals in the USGS study had a correlation coefficient below 0.75 when compared on a national level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…Analysis of dissolved and acid available particulate beryllium in UK surface waters showed linear correlation with aluminum, cobalt, chromium, iron, manganese, nickel, yttrium and the lanthanides (Neal, 2003). USGS data on soils (Smith et al, 2005) allowed comparison of the elemental composition in the top 5 cm of soil across the US, which is the preferred sample medium of the public health community. Not surprisingly, the USGS data showed a correlation between Be and Al, with a national ratio of 2.81 x10 -5 (n = 275, r = 0.77).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given that the composition of airborne particulates is typically driven by soil resuspension and industrial processes, it is reasonable to assume that soil, air and surfaces that are contaminated with man-made beryllium would have elevated beryllium concentrations in relation to these analogous elements. Ogurek (2004) and Gran and Word (2011) have recently identified beryllium contamination at Nevada offices associated with the Nevada Test Site using Be/Y ratios, despite Nevada having some of the highest background Be content in soil (Smith et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of historical beryllium abundance in soils, airborne particulates and facilities at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Sutton

Bibby

Eppich

et al. 2012

Science of The Total Environment

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Beryllium has been historically machined, handled and stored in facilities at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) since the 1950s. Additionally, outdoor testing of beryllium-containing components has been performed at LLNL's Site 300 facility. Beryllium levels in local soils and atmospheric particulates have been measured over three decades and are comparable to those found elsewhere in the natural environment. While localized areas of beryllium contamination have been identified, laboratory operations do not appear to have increased the concentration of beryllium in local air or water. Variation in airborne beryllium correlates to local weather patterns, PM10 levels, normal sources (such as resuspension of soil and emissions from coal power stations) and not to LLNL activities. Regional and national atmospheric beryllium levels have decreased since the implementation of the EPA's 1990 Clean-Air-Act. Multi-element analysis of local soil and air samples allowed for the determination of comparative ratios for beryllium with over 50 other metals to distinguish between natural beryllium and process-induced contamination. Ten comparative elemental markers (Al, Cs, Eu, Gd, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, Th and Tl) were selected to ensure background variations in other metals did not collectively interfere with the determination of beryllium sources in work-place samples at LLNL. Multi-element analysis and comparative evaluation is recommended for all workplace and environmental samples suspected of beryllium contamination. The multi-element analyses of soils and surface dusts were helpful in differentiating between beryllium of environmental origin and beryllium from laboratory operations. Some surfaces can act as "sinks" for particulate matter, including carpet, which retains entrained insoluble material even after liquid based cleaning. At LLNL, most facility carpets had beryllium concentrations at or below the upper tolerance limit determined by sampling facilities with no history of beryllium work. Some facility carpets had beryllium concentrations above the upper tolerance limits but can be attributed to tracking of local soils, while other facilities showed process-induced contamination from adjacent operations. In selected cases, distinctions were made as to the source of beryllium in carpets. Guidance on the determination of facility beryllium sources is given.

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Section: Beryllium In Local Soilmentioning

confidence: 63%

Section: Beryllium In Local Soilmentioning

confidence: 68%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Evaluation of historical beryllium abundance in soils, airborne particulates and facilities at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Sutton

Bibby

Eppich

et al. 2012

Science of The Total Environment

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Permafrost Stores a Globally Significant Amount of Mercury

Schuster

Schaefer

Aiken

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

288

196

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Changing climate in northern regions is causing permafrost to thaw with major implications for the global mercury (Hg) cycle. We estimated Hg in permafrost regions based on in situ measurements of sediment total mercury (STHg), soil organic carbon (SOC), and the Hg to carbon ratio (RHgC) combined with maps of soil carbon. We measured a median STHg of 43 ± 30 ng Hg g soil−1 and a median RHgC of 1.6 ± 0.9 μg Hg g C−1, consistent with published results of STHg for tundra soils and 11,000 measurements from 4,926 temperate, nonpermafrost sites in North America and Eurasia. We estimate that the Northern Hemisphere permafrost regions contain 1,656 ± 962 Gg Hg, of which 793 ± 461 Gg Hg is frozen in permafrost. Permafrost soils store nearly twice as much Hg as all other soils, the ocean, and the atmosphere combined, and this Hg is vulnerable to release as permafrost thaws over the next century. Existing estimates greatly underestimate Hg in permafrost soils, indicating a need to reevaluate the role of the Arctic regions in the global Hg cycle.

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Geochemical Mapping of the Denver, Colorado (USA) Urban Area: A Comparison of Studies in 1972 and 2005

Smith

Garrett

Closs

et al. 2011

Mapping the Chemical Environment of Urban Areas

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Major- and trace-element concentrations in soils from two continental-scale transects of the United States and Canada

Cited by 65 publications

References 11 publications

Evaluation of historical beryllium abundance in soils, airborne particulates and facilities at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Evaluation of historical beryllium abundance in soils, airborne particulates and facilities at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Permafrost Stores a Globally Significant Amount of Mercury

Geochemical Mapping of the Denver, Colorado (USA) Urban Area: A Comparison of Studies in 1972 and 2005

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