Mineralogic Constraints on the Bioavailability of Arsenic in Smelter-Impacted Soils

Davis, Andy; Ruby, Michael V.; Bloom, Mark; Schoof, Rosalind A.; Freeman, G. B.; Bergstrom, Paul D.

doi:10.1021/es9407857

Cited by 111 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…For example, the current EPA limit for arsenic in drinking water is 50 ppb total arsenic without designation of the species of As present, which can occur as inorganic oxoanions [As(III)O 3 3Ϫ and As(V)O 4 3Ϫ ], as organic arsenicals, or in other forms; the trivalent form of As, either in inorganic or organic compounds, is generally more toxic than pentavalent compounds of As (19). In the past, cleanup efforts for contaminated soils or mine tailings were often driven by total contaminant element concentration without sufficient attention to speciation or the relative toxicities or bioavailabilities of individual species of a contaminant element (18). This practice is due in large part to the difficulty in deriving molecular speciation information for low concentration levels of a given contaminant and in applying this information to field-scale situations.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mineral surfaces and bioavailability of heavy metals: A molecular-scale perspective

Brown

Foster

Ostergren

1999

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

309

167

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There is a continual influx of heavy metal contaminants and pollutants into the biosphere from both natural and anthropogenic sources. A complex variety of abiotic and biotic processes affects their speciation and distribution, including adsorption onto and desorption from mineral surfaces, incorporation in precipitates or coprecipitates, release through the dissolution of minerals, and interactions with plants and microbes. Some of these processes can effectively isolate heavy metals from the biosphere, whereas others cause their release or transformation to different species that may be more (or less) bioavailable and/or toxic to organisms. Here we focus on abiotic adsorption and precipitation or coprecipitation processes involving the common heavy metal contaminant lead and the metalloids arsenic and selenium in mine tailings and contaminated soils. We have used extremely intense x-rays from synchrotron sources and a structure-sensitive method known as x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy to determine the molecular-level speciation of these elements at concentrations of 50 to several thousand ppm in the contaminated environmental samples as well as in synthetic sorption samples. Our XAFS studies of As and Pb in the mine tailings show that up to 50% of these contaminants in the samples studied may be present as adsorbed species on mineral surfaces, which makes them potentially more bioavailable than when present in sparingly soluble solid phases. Our XAFS studies of Se(VI) sorption on Fe 2؉ -containing sulfates show that this element undergoes redox reactions that transform it into less bioavailable and less toxic species. This type of information on molecular-level speciation of heavy metal and metalloid contaminants in various environmental settings is needed to prioritize remediation efforts and to assess their potential hazard to humans and other organisms.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mineral surfaces and bioavailability of heavy metals: A molecular-scale perspective

Brown

Foster

Ostergren

1999

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

309

167

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“…A significant fraction of the metals released by sulfide oxidation is retained in the wastes as the secondary mineral precipitates (Lin 1997;Lin and Herbert 1997;Lottermoser 2010). Mineralogical studies of AMD sites indicate that gypsum is the most common sulfate phase controlling sulfate concentrations in such environments (Davis et al 1991;Jambor and Blowes 1994). Gypsum was found in tailings in Keciagili village (Fig.…”

Section: Geochemical Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemical Characterization of Acid Mine Lakes in Northwest Turkey and Their Effect on the Environment

Yücel

Baba

2012

Arch Environ Contam Toxicol

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Mining activity generates a large quantity of mine waste. The potential hazard of mine waste depends on the host mineral. The tendency of mine waste to produce acid mine drainage (AMD) containing potentially toxic metals depends on the amounts of sulfide, carbonate minerals, and trace-element concentrations found in ore deposits. The acid mine process is one of the most significant environmental challenges and a major source of water pollution worldwide. AMD and its effects were studied in northwest Turkey where there are several sedimentary and hydrothermal mineral deposits that have been economically extracted. The study area is located in Can county of Canakkale province. Canakkale contains marine, lagoon, and lake sediments precipitated with volcanoclastics that occurred as a result of volcanism, which was active during various periods from the Upper Eocene to Plio-Quaternary. Can county is rich in coal with a total lignite reserve [100 million tons and contains numerous mines that were operated by private companies and later abandoned without any remediation. As a result, human intervention in the natural structure and topography has resulted in large open pits and deterioration in these areas. Abandoned open pit mines typically fill with water from runoff and groundwater discharge, producing artificial lakes. Acid drainage waters from these mines have resulted in the degradation of surface-water quality around Can County. The average pH and electrical conductivity of acid mine lakes (AMLs) in this study were found to be 3.03 and 3831.33 lS cm -1 , respectively. Total iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) levels were also found to be high (329.77 and 360.67 mg L -1 , respectively). The results show that the concentration of most elements, such as Fe and Al in particular, exceed national and international water-quality standards.

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“…The occurrence of As in the earth's continental crust is generally given as 1.5 to 2 ppm 1) . Although its concentration in uncontaminated soils is low, arsenic is continuously released into the soil and water from natural deposits through anthropogenic activities such as mining and manufacturing 2,3) . Arsenic co-exists with such elements as gold (Au) and silver (Ag) in metal deposits, and is a by-product of the extraction of Au and Ag from their ores in gold mines 4) .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth Response and Arsenic Uptake of White Clover (Trifolium repens) and Evening Primrose(Oenothera odorata) Colonized with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Arsenic-Contaminated Soil

Kim¹,

Lee²,

Lee³

et al. 2008

Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture

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A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the role of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, Glomus mosseae (BEG 107) in enhancing growth and arsenic (As) and phosphorus (P) uptake of white clover (Trifolium repens) and evening primrose (Oenothera odorata) in soil collected from a gold mine having concentrations of 381.6 mg total As kg -1 and 20.5 mg available As kg -1. Trifolium repens and O. odorata are widely distributed on abandoned metalliferous mines in Korea. The percent root colonization by the AM fungus was 55.9 % and 62.3 % in T. repens and O. odorata, respectively, whereas no root colonization was detected in control plants grown in a sterile medium. The shoot dry weight of T. repens and O. odorata was increased by 323 and 117 % in the AM plants compared to non-mycorrhizal (NAM) plants, respectively. The root dry weight increased up to 24 % in T. repens and 70% in O. odorata following AM colonization compared to control plants. Mycorrhizal colonization increased the accumulation of As in the root tissues of T. repens and O. odorata by 99.7 and 91.7 % compared to the NAM plants, respectively. The total uptake of P following AM colonization increased by 50% in T. repens and 70 % in O. odorata, whereas the P concentration was higher in NAM plants than in the AM plants. Colonization with AM fungi increased the As resistance of the host plants to As toxicity by augmenting the yield of dry matter and increasing the total P uptake. Hence, the application of an AM fungus can effectively improve the phytoremediation capability of T. repens and O. odorata in As-contaminated soil.

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Mineralogic Constraints on the Bioavailability of Arsenic in Smelter-Impacted Soils

Cited by 111 publications

References 14 publications

Mineral surfaces and bioavailability of heavy metals: A molecular-scale perspective

Mineral surfaces and bioavailability of heavy metals: A molecular-scale perspective

Geochemical Characterization of Acid Mine Lakes in Northwest Turkey and Their Effect on the Environment

Growth Response and Arsenic Uptake of White Clover (Trifolium repens) and Evening Primrose(Oenothera odorata) Colonized with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Arsenic-Contaminated Soil

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