Evaluation of elemental enrichments in surface sediments off southwestern Taiwan

Surface slices of 20 sediment cores, off southwestern Taiwan, and bed sediment of River Kaoping were measured for major and trace elements (Al, As, Ca, Cd, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Si, Ti, V, and Zn) to evaluate the geochemical processes responsible for their distribution, including elemental contamination. Major element/Al ratio and mean grain size indicate quartz-dominated, coarse grained sediments that likely derived from sedimentary rocks of Taiwan and upper crust of Yangtze Craton. Bi-plot of SiO₂ versus Fe₂O₃^T suggests the possible iron enrichment in sediments of slag dumping sites. Highest concentrations of Cr, Mn, P, S, and Zn found in sediments of dumping sites support this. Correlation analysis shows dual associations, detrital and organic carbon, for Cr, P, S, and V with the latter association typical for sediments in dumping sites. Normalization of trace elements to Al indicates high enrichment factors (>2) for As, Cd, Pb, and Zn, revealing contamination. Factor analysis extracted four geochemical associations with the principal factor accounted for 25.1% of the total variance and identifies the combined effects of dumped iron and steel slag-induced C–S–Fe relationship owing to authigenic precipitation of Fe–Mn oxyhydroxides and/or metal sulfides, and organic matter complexation of Fe, Mn, Ca, Cr, P, and V. Factors 2, 3, and 4 reveal detrital association (Ti, Al, Ni, Pb, Cu, and V), effect of sea salt (Cl, Mg, Na, and K) and anthropogenic component (As and Zn)-carbonate link, respectively, in the investigated sediments.     

Distribution of major and trace elements in La Luna Formation, Southwestern Venezuelan Basin

The La Luna Formation (Maraca section), Maracaibo Basin, was studied by means of V and Ni analysis of the bitumen, total organic carbon (TOC), total sulfur (St), major elements (Si, Al, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ca, Ti, Na, K, P), trace elements (V, Ni, Co, Cr, Cu, and Zn), and electron microprobe analysis (EPMA) of the whole rock, and St, major elements (Si, Al, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ca, Ti, Na, K, P), trace elements (V, Ni, Co, Cr, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ba, U, Th) and rare earth elements (La, Ce, Nd, Sn, Eu, Th, Yb, Lu) of the carbonate-free fraction. The results are discussed based on the organic and inorganic association of trace elements and their use as paleoenvironmental indicators of sedimentation. An association between V and organic matter is suggested by means of correlation between V and Ni vs. TOC, the use of EPMA (whole rock) and V and Ni concentrations (carbonate-free fraction), whereas Ni is found in the organic matter and the sulfide phase. Fe is present as massive and framboidal pyrite, whereas Zn precipitates into a separate phase (sphalerite), and Ni, Cu and, in some cases, Zn, can be found as sulfides associated with pyrite. Concentrations of V and Ni (bitumen), TOC, St, V, Ni, Cr, Cu and Zn (whole rock), U, Th, Mo (carbonate-free fraction) are indicative of changes in the dysoxic sedimentation conditions in the chert layers (TOC, St, V, Ni, Cu and low Zn and V/Cr <4) to euxinic anoxic conditions in the argillaceous limestone (TOC, St, V, Ni, Cu and high Zn and V/Cr >4). In the sequence corresponding to the argillaceous limestone, variations in the concentrations of TOC, St, V, Ni, Zn, Cu and Cr (whole rock) can be observed, also suggesting variable sedimentation conditions. The following is proposed: (i) sedimentation intervals under euxinic conditions associated with high contribution and/or preservation of organic matter, allowing a high concentration level of V and Ni in the organic phase and the accumulation of Cu, Zn and Ni (in a smaller proportion) in the sulfide phase; (ii) sedimentation intervals under anoxic conditions and in the presence of relatively lower H₂S, which allowed lower concentrations of V and Ni in the organic phase and higher concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Ni in the sulfide phase. Rare earth elements (REE) concentrations exhibit a marked increase in Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Y and Lu for the QM-3 interval, relative to Post-Archean Average Shale (PAAS). REE enrichment in shales has been related to the presence of phosphate minerals such as monazite or apatite. However, these minerals were not detected through XRD or EPMA in the whole rock or in the carbonate-free fraction. The association of REE with organic matter is suggested due to the absence of phosphate minerals, although assessment of these elements require further analysis.     

A preliminary study on the enrichment mechanism and occurrence of hazardous trace elements in the Tertiary lignite from the Shenbei coalfield, China

The Cr and Ni contents are high in the Eocene lignite of the Shenbei coalfield, which is a small intracontinental basin located in Liaoning Province, China. In this paper, we studied the distribution, origin and occurrence of Cr, Ni and other hazardous trace elements in the Shenbei lignite on the basis of coal petrology, and geochemistry of the lignite and combustion products. The following conclusions on the Shenbei lignite can be drawn: (1) The dominant maceral group in the Shenbei coal is huminite (humodetrinite), accounting for 96%–99% of the total maceral. Inertinite content is less than 1%. Liptinite content (sporinite and cutinite) is 0.2–1.6%. Common minerals in the Shenbei lignite include clay minerals (kaolinite), pyrite and quartz, and calcite and siderite. Chromite is not present in the lignite. (2) Potentially hazardous trace elements such as Co (22 μg/g), Cr (79 μg/g), Cu (63 μg/g), Zn (93 μg/g), V (88 μg/g) and Ni (75 μg/g) are strongly enriched in the Shenbei lignite compared with average concentration of trace elements in the Chinese coal and worldwide lignite. These elements are mainly associated with fulvic acid (FA) and/or coal organic macromolecular compounds in most of the studied lignite samples, indicating an organic association and enrichment of these elements in the Shenbei lignite. (3) Unusually high trace elements contents in the Shenbei lignite are derived mainly from the olivine basalt (country rock of coal basin) that consists of 52.7% plagioclase, 17.8% pyroxene, 14% olivine and 15.5% Ti–Fe oxide minerals. These olivine basalts have higher Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn contents than other types of rock and worldwide basalts do. (4) Fly ash of the Shenbei lignite, with 90% 1–50 μm amorphous particles and 8% 1–10 μm cenosphere, has high contents of Zn (23,707 μg/g), Be (12 μg/g), Sr (1574 μg/g), Pb (486 μg/g) and Cr (349 μg/g). In particular, the ferruginous micro-cenoshperes contain 1–12.79% Zn. Fine bottom ash (<0.031mm) of the Shenbei lignite has higher contents for most of the elements with the exception of Mo, Sn and Zn. Therefore, the potentially environmental and health impact of the fly ash and fine bottom ash should constitute a major concern.     

Iron colloids/organic matter associated transport of major and trace elements in small boreal rivers and their estuaries (NW Russia)

The chemical status of major and trace elements (TE) in various boreal small rivers and watershed has been investigated along a 1500-km transect of NW Russia. Samples were filtered in the field through a progressively decreasing pore size (5, 0.8 and 0.22 μm; 100, 10, and 1 kD) using a frontal filtration technique. All major and trace elements and organic carbon (OC) were measured in filtrates and ultrafiltrates. Most rivers exhibit high concentration of dissolved iron (0.2–4 mg/l), OC (10–30 mg/l) and significant amounts of trace elements usually considered as immobile in weathering processes (Ti, Zr, Th, Al, Ga, Y, REE, V, Pb). In (ultra)filtrates, Fe and OC are poorly correlated: iron concentration gradually decreases upon filtration from 5 μm to 1 kD whereas the major part of OC is concentrated in the <1–10 kD fraction. This reveals the presence of two pools of colloids composed of organic-rich and Fe-rich particles. According to their behavior during filtration and association with these two types of colloids, three groups of elements can be distinguished: (i) species that are not affected by ultrafiltration and are present in the form of true dissolved inorganic species (Ca, Mg, Li, Na, K, Sr, Ba, Rb, Cs, Si, B, As, Sb, Mo) or weak organic complexes (Ca, Mg, Sr, Ba), (ii) elements present in the fraction smaller than 1–10 kD prone to form inorganic or organic complexes (Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, Cu, Cd, and, for some rivers, Pb, Cr, Y, HREE, U), and (iii) elements strongly associated with colloidal iron in all ultrafiltrates (P, Al, Ga, REE, Pb, V, Cr, W, Ti, Ge, Zr, Th, U). Based on size fractionation results and taking into account the nominal pore size for membranes, an estimation of the effective surface area of Fe colloids was performed. Although the total amount of available surface sites on iron colloids (i.e., 1–10 μM) is enough to accommodate the nanomolar concentrations of dissolved trace elements, very poor correlation between TE and surface sites concentrations was observed in filtrates and ultrafiltrates. This strongly suggests a preferential transport of TE as coprecipitates with iron oxy(hydr)oxides. These colloids can be formed on redox boundaries by precipitation of Fe(III) from inflowing Fe(II)/TE-rich anoxic ground waters when they meet well-oxygenated surface waters. Dissolved organic matter stabilizes these colloids and prevents their aggregation and coagulation. Estuarine behavior of several trace elements was studied for two small iron- and organic-rich rivers. While Si, Sr, Ba, Rb, and Cs show a clear conservative behavior during mixing of freshwaters with the White sea, Al, Pb and REE are scavenged with iron during coagulation of Fe hydroxide colloids.     

太平洋北部铁锰结核富集区沉积物的元素地球化学特征

本文对太平洋北部铁锰结核富集区沉积物的元素地球化学作了较为详细的研究。因子分析提供的信息表明,元素的分布主要受三个因子控制:（1）粘土及Fe、Mn氧化物水化物胶体的吸附作用;（2）生物化学作用过程有关的自生沉积作用;（3）海底页岩风化及附近海区的火山喷发作用。元素的来源:（1）Fe、Mn、Cu、Co、Ni、Zn、Cr、Cr、Mg、Al、Ti、K共生,主要来自粘土吸附;（2）C_有机、N、Sr、Na及Si、Ca、Sr主要来自生物化学过程沉积;（3）Pb主要来源于岩石碎屑（火山喷发碎屑）。     

Specifics of the elemental composition of waters in environments with operating mining and ore-processing plants in the Kola North

The paper presents data on the specifics of the distributions of chemical elements in natural waters of the Kola North depending on the landscape–geochemical characteristics of the water catchment areas and aerotechnogenic pollution. The territory is subdivided into seven zones with different dominant rock types and typical landscapes. Lakes in the Kola region generally contain elevated concentrations of Cu, Ni, Co, Cr, V, Mo, U, Sb, Bi, Al, Fe, Mn, Sr, Li, Rb, Pb, Zn, Cd, La, and Ce. The waters of lakes in the influence zones of Cu–Ni mines are enriched in La, Ce, Sm, Gd, Pr, and Nd. In waterlogged landscapes, waters are enriched in certain trace elements because of their migration with humic acids. Technogenic acidic precipitation is proved to result in leaching of several elements, first of all Cd, Zn, and As (as well as other elements contained in rocks composing the water catchment areas) and their transfer into the waters.     

Abundance, Sources and Speciation of Trace Elements in Humus-Rich Streams Affected by Acid Sulphate Soils

The behaviour of trace elements (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr,Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, V, Zn) was studied in five humus-richstreams (dissolved organic carbon = 14–40 mg/L)impacted by acid sulphate soils developed in marinesulphide-bearing fine-grained sediments. During heavyrainfalls in autumn, on which the study focusses, themetals Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn are extensivelyleached from these acidic soils (pH = 2.5–4.5), whileAs, Cr, Fe and V are not leached more strongly fromthis soil type than from areas of till and peat. Aspeciation experiment, based on anion and cationexchange of the stream waters in the field, showedthat (1) the metals Al, Cd, Co, Mn, Ni and Zn aretransported in the streams mainly as inorganiccations, (2) Cu exists mainly in cationic form but isalso to a significant extent associated with dissolvedhumic substances, (3) Fe occurs mainly in the anionicfraction explained by organic coating on colloidal Feoxyhydoxides and (4) the hydrochemistry of As, Cr andV is complex as these elements may exist in severalunquantified anionic fractions and to a minor extentin cationic species/forms. Whereas the proportion ofacid sulphate soils in the catchments had a largeimpact on concentrations levels of several elements inthe stream waters, these soils did not have a largeaffect on the speciation of elements in water.     

Transport of trace elements under different seasonal conditions: Effects on the quality of river water in a Mediterranean area

Concentrations of total and dissolved elements were determined in 35 water samples collected from rivers in Sardinia, a Mediterranean island in Italy. The overall composition did not change for waters sampled in both winter and summer (i.e., January at high-flow condition and June at low-flow condition), but the salinity and concentrations of the major ions increased in summer. Concentrations of elements such as Li, B, Mn, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ba and U were higher in summer with only small differences between total and dissolved (i.e., in the fraction <0.4 μm) concentrations. The fact that these elements are mostly dissolved during low flow periods appears to be related to the intensity of water–rock interaction processes that are enhanced when the contribution of rainwater to the rivers is low, that is during low-flow conditions. In contrast, the concentrations of Al and Fe were higher in winter during high flow with total concentrations significantly higher than dissolved concentrations, indicating that the total amount depends on the amount of suspended matter. In waters filtered through 0.015 μm pore-size filters, the concentrations of Al and Fe were much lower than in waters filtered through 0.4 μm pore-size filters, indicating that the dissolved fraction comprises very fine particles or colloids. Also, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were generally higher in waters collected during the high-flow condition, with much lower concentrations in 0.015 μm pore-size filtered waters; this suggests aqueous transport via adsorption onto very fine particles. The rare earth elements (REE) and Th dissolved in the river waters display a wide range in concentrations (∑REE: 0.1–23 μg/L; Th: <0.005–0.58 μg/L). Higher REE and Th concentrations occurred at high flow. The positive correlation between ∑REE and Fe suggests that the REE are associated with very fine particles (>0.015 and <0.4 μm); the abundance of these particles in the river controls the partitioning of REE between solution and solid phases.Twenty percent of the water samples had dissolved Pb and total Hg concentrations that exceeded the Italian guidelines for drinking water (>10 μg/L Pb and >1 μg/L Hg). The highest concentrations of these heavy metals were observed at high-flow conditions and they were likely due to the weathering of mine wastes and to uncontrolled urban wastes discharged into the rivers.     

Monitoring and modelling of the solid-solution partitioning of metals and As in a river floodplain redox sequence

For a period of 2 a, pore water composition in a heavily contaminated river floodplain soil was monitored in situ. Pore water samples were collected 12 times over all seasons in a profile ranging from aerobic to sulphidic redox conditions, and As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Fe, Ca, Cl, SO₄, DOC, IOC and pH were determined. The variability of pH, IOC, DOC and Ca was found to be rather small during the year and within the profile (rsd < 0.04, 0.16, 0.24 and 0.22, respectively). The temporal variability of the metal and As concentrations was small, too, whereas changes with depth were distinct. Under sulphidic conditions, concentrations were below 1 μg L⁻¹ (Cd, Cu, Pb) or 10 μg L⁻¹ (Zn, As). The data set was compared with results from a geochemical model that was fully parameterised from literature data and included equilibrium speciation, sorption and mineral dissolution. The general pattern of the solid–solution partitioning of Cd, Cu, Zn and As in the profile was predicted well by mechanistic geochemical modelling on the basis of solid phase composition. Metals strongly bound to organic matter such as Cd and Cu were predicted better than metals mainly present within a mineral. Detailed information regarding the presence of colloidal Fe and Mn in pore water might improve the prediction of the solid–solution partitioning of a number of metals. The study also indicates that the chemical behaviour of Pb is still not understood sufficiently.     

Stream water geochemistry from selected catchments on the Kola Peninsula (NW Russia) and in neighbouring areas of Finland and Norway: 2. Time-series

Stream water composition, measured weekly for 8–9 months in 1994 in three arctic catchments on and around the Kola Peninsula (Russia, Finland and Norway), is presented in the form of time-series. In all three catchments, snowmelt causes a major dilution of the stream water, as reflected by marked dips in electrical conductance. In the most polluted catchment (C2), the snowmelt flood (the major hydrological event at these latitudes) is reflected in the stream water by a pH dip and a pulse in technogenic heavy metals (Cu, Ni, etc.), Al and S. This results from melting of the snow laden with heavy metals and sulphate, and from leaching of the topsoil layer. In the most pristine catchment (C8), snowmelt causes no heavy metal pulse (remote location) but yields an increase in stream water Al (acidic lithology/overburden). In the intermediate catchment (C5), very subdued heavy metal and S increases are noticeable in the stream water, whilst its pH increases steadily until summer (basic lithology). Some elements (Cl, S) may be mobilised out of the snowpack before its complete thawing and reach the stream 1–2 weeks ahead of the heavy metals. The substrate (soil, overburden and bedrock) of a catchment controls to a large extent its ability to buffer acid inputs.     

Geochemistry of core sediments from Mullipallam creek,South East coast of India

The Mullipallam creek in Muthupet mangroves region is the only E-W trending coastal strip in the SE coast of India and is very important, as the mangrove acts as a barrier to natural diasters. Natural, anthropogenic signals and accumulation of elements were made by collecting sediment samples at various depths in a core. All sediments were analyzed for carbonates (CaCO₃), organic carbon (OC), major (Si, Al, Fe, Na, K, Ca, Mg, P), and trace (Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Co, Pb, Zn). Normalization with Al values has been done for all the major and trace elements and enrichment factors have been calculated. The calculated enrichment factors and comparison indicate that the trace metals (especially Pb) are enriched mainly due to the external (anthropogenic) activities in the land as well as in the coastal zone (Palk Strait).     

Geochemistry of surface sediments in the southwestern East/Japan Sea

We analyzed 77 surface sediment samples collected in the southwestern East/Japan Sea from the Korea Strait through the Ulleung Basin and the Korea Plateau for grain size, calcium carbonate, organic carbon, and major (Na, Mg, Al, Fe, K, Ca, and Ti) and trace elements (P, Mn, Sr, Li, Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, Cu, and Pb).The chemical composition of the surface sediments was found to be highly variable spatially. Cluster analysis of surface sediment chemical compositions indicated five major geochemical sedimentary environments: basin, lower slope, coast and upper slope, inner shelf, and outer shelf. Continental-shelf sediments were rich in shell fragments and had relict and coarse-grained characteristics. Recent fine-grained sediments were only distributed in coastal, slope, and basin areas. Concentrations of Al, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, and Sc were highest in the coastal and upper slope areas and decreased with water depth. Elemental ratios using major and trace elements indicated that coastal and upper slope detrital sediments were mixtures of sediments derived from the Changjiang (Yangtze) and Nakdong Rivers. Although the concentrations of organic carbon, P, Mn, V, Co, Ni, Cu, and Pb increased with water depth, their distribution patterns indicated authigenic (V, Cu, and Pb) and diagenetic (Fe, P, Mn, Co, and Ni) origins. The distribution pattern with water depth suggested that the chemical composition of surface sediment was determined by sedimentologic and geochemical processes, such as the supply of detrital and biogenic materials, and authigenic and post-depositional diagenetic processes in sediments.     

Characteristic elemental compositions of the Yangtze River and Yellow River surface sediments and their geological background

Significant differences are noticed in major and trace element compositions between the Yangtze River and the Yellow River surface sediments.The former sediments are rich in some major elements such as K,Fe,Mg,Al,and most of the trace elements which show wide variations in element concentrations,whereas the Yellow River sediments only have higher Ca,Na,Sr,Ba,Th,Ga,Zr,Hf contents and show slight variations in element contents.In the Yangtze River Basin are widely distributed intermediate-acid igneous rocks and complicated source rocks together with strong chemical weathering which determine the elemental compositions of the Yangtze River sediments,while the elemental compositions of the Yellow River sediments are decided by the chemical composition of loess from the Loess Plateau and intense physical weatering.Cu,Zn,Sc,Ti,Fe,V,Ni,Cr,Co,Li and Be can be used to distinguish the Yangtze River sediments from te Yellow River sediments and be treated as tracers for both the sediments to study the processes of their mixing and diffusion in the coastal zones of China.     

Geochemical factors controlling accumulation of major and trace elements in Greenland coastal and fjord sediments

 The major (Al, Ti, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Si) and trace element (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Li, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) concentrations in surficial (<20 cm) sediments from fjords and open coastal waters around Greenland have been determined. Regionally, high concentrations of Fe, Ti, Mg, Cr, Cu, Ni, and V occur in some west and east coast sediments, but they appear to be natural in origin, as there is no indication of anthropogenic influence. Chemical partition indicates that most of the heavy metals are structurally bound in various silicate, oxide, and sulfide minerals. These host minerals occur more or less equally in the coarse and fine sediment fractions (material >63 μm and <63 μm) and have accumulated at the same rate as other detrital clastic material. Provenance and glaciomarine deposition are the main factors controlling the abundance and distribution of the major and trace elements. The chemical composition reflects the mineralogical differences in the provenance of glacial marine material deposited by water and ice adjacent to Greenland. The main source of the sediments enriched in Ti, Fe, Mg, Cr, Cu, Ni, and V appears to be material derived from the volcanic rocks of the Mesozoic-Tertiary Provinces of Greenland by glacial erosion. Received: 26 June 1995 · Accepted: 11 August 1995     

新疆莫托萨拉铁锰矿硅质岩特征及其成因探讨

莫托萨拉铁锰矿硅质岩呈层状产于铁矿中,含热水沉积矿物。岩石的Ｆｅ２Ｏ３,Ａｕ,Ａｇ,Ｃｕ,ｐｂ,Ｚｎ,Ａｓ,Ｓｂ,Ｈｇ质量分数高,Ｃｒ,Ｎｉ,Ｃｏ,ＦｅＯ,Ａｌ２Ｏ３质量分数低,ｅ（Ａｌ）／ｗ（Ａｌ＋Ｍｎ＋Ｆｅ）比值低,这些元素组合指示出其热水 成因,在判别硅质岩形成作用的主元素和微量元素关系图上,硅质岩主要位于热水沉积作用的范围内或接近于热水沉积作用。岩石的稀土元素和Ｏ,Ｓｉ同位且成表明硅质岩是     

Elemental hydrochemistry assessment on its variation and quality status in Langat River, Western Peninsular Malaysia

This paper discusses the hydrochemistry variation and its quality status in Langat River, based on the chemistry of major ions, metal concentrations and suitability for drinking purposes. Water samples were collected from 30 different stations to assess their hydrochemical characteristics. The physico-chemical parameters selected were temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, dissolved oxygen , pH, redox potential, HCO₃, Cl, SO₄, NO₃, Ca, Na, K, Mg, ²⁷Al, ¹³⁸Ba, ⁹Be, ¹¹¹Cd, ⁵⁹Co, ⁶³Cu, ⁵²Cr, ⁵⁷Fe, ⁵⁵Mn, ⁶⁰Ni, ²⁰⁸Pb, ⁸⁰Se and ⁶⁶Zn to investigate the variation of the constituents in the river water. Most of the parameters comply with the Drinking Water Quality Standard of the World Health Organization and the Malaysian National Standard for Drinking Water Quality by the Malaysia Ministry of Health except for EC, TDS, Cl, HCO₃, SO₄, Na, Mg, Al, Fe and Se. The results show that the Langat River is unsuitable for drinking purposes directly without treatment.     

Chemical weathering in the drainage basin of a tropical watershed (Nsimi-Zoetele site, Cameroon) : comparison between organic-poor and organic-rich waters

This study deals with the weathering processes operating at the scale of a small catchment (Nsimi-Zoetele, Cameroon) and is focused on the role of organic colloids on mineral weathering and transport of elements in natural waters. Samples of river, spring and groundwaters from Nsimi-Zoetele were filtered through membranes of decreasing pore size (0.22 μm, 0.025 μm, or: 300,000 Da, 5000 Da) to separate colloidal fractions from the truly dissolved one. Major and trace elements and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were analysed in each fraction. Two kinds of waters can be distinguished in the catchment: clear and coloured waters. Clear waters exhibit low concentrations of major and trace elements and DOC. Elements are carried in these solutions in a true dissolved form except Al and rare earth elements (REEs). By contrast, the higher abundances of Al, Fe and trace elements in coloured waters are controlled by the colloidal fraction. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations show that clear waters are in equilibrium with kaolinite and iron oxi-hydroxide which are major minerals in the weathered soil. For coloured waters, the aqueous speciation of Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Al, La and Th was calculated taking into account the complexes with humic acids. Speciation calculations for Cu, Fe, Al, La, Th show a strong complexation with humic acids, in good agreement with the results of the filtration experiments. By contrast, although filtration experiments show a strong control of major cations by organic matter (for example 75% for Ca), speciation calculations reveal that their complexes with humic ligands do not exceed a few percent of total dissolved elements. This discrepancy is explained as an artefact induced by the organic colloids and occurring during the filtration procedure. Finally, both filtration experiments and speciation calculations show that organic matter plays an important role in natural DOC-rich waters. Organic acids increase significantly the dissolution rates of silicates and oxi-hydroxides and thus the amounts of solutes and of complexed elements leaving the catchment.     

Geochemical variations of major and trace elements in recent sediments,off the Gulf of Mannar,the southeast coast of India

The Gulf of Mannar along the Tuticorin coast is a coral base of the southeast coast of India. To obtain a preliminary view of its environmental conditions, geochemical distribution of major elements (Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, Na, K, P), trace elements (Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Co, Pb, Zn, Cd) and acid leachable elements (Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Co, Pb, Zn, Cd) were analyzed in surface sediment samples from two seasons. Geochemical fractionation confirmed the lithogenic origin of metals, which were mainly associated with the detrital phase. The sediments in the gulf are sandy with abundant calcareous debris, which controls the distribution of total and acid leachable elements. Enrichment factors relative to crust vary by a magnitude of two to three and the presence of trace metals indicates the input of Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn in both forms through industrial activities. Factor analysis supports the above observation with higher loadings on acid leachable elements and its association with CaCO₃. The increase in concentration of trace metals (Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, Co, Ni, Zn) along the Gulf of Mannar indicates that the area has been contaminated by the input from riverine sources and the industries nearby. The present study indicates that other sources should be evaluated in the long-term monitoring program.     

Weathering of the Ganga alluvial plain,northern India: implications from fluvial geochemistry of the Gomati River

In the northern part of the Indian sub-continent, the Ganga alluvial plain (GAP) feeds its weathering products to the Ganga–Brahmaputra River system, one of the world’s largest fluvial systems. The authors present a geochemical study of the GAP weathering products transported by the Gomati River (the Ganga River tributary) to understand weathering processes of an alluvial plain in a humid sub-tropical climate. A total of 28 sediment samples were collected during the monsoon season and were analysed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for 25 major and trace elements. Bulk chemistry of the channel, flood and suspended sediments mostly consists (>90%, >80% and >75%, respectively) of three elements; Al, Si and Fe. Major element concentrations normalised with respect to upper continental crust (UCC) show strong depletion of highly mobile elements (Na, Ca) and enrichment of immobile elements (Ti, Si). Silica enrichment in the sand fraction is probably caused by chemical weathering of feldspar. Mineral sorting during fluvial transportation acts as the single important factor that controls the geochemistry of these weathering products and also strongly influences major and trace element distribution in the individual sediment samples. Trace element (Ba, Cr, Cu, Nb, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) concentrations were strongly correlated with major element (Si, Al, Fe, Mn and K) concentrations indicating that the abundance of trace elements is controlled by the same processes that control the major element distribution in these sediments.The GAP weathering products were geochemically distinguished as arkose to litharenite in rock classification. Chemical mobility, normalised with respect to TiO₂ in UCC, indicates that Si, Na, Zr, Ba and Sr, mainly derived from feldspar, muscovite and biotite, are lost during weathering. Iron and Zn remained immobile during weathering and were strongly adsorbed by phyllosilicates and concentrated in fine-grained sediment fractions. The chemical index of alteration indicates that the GAP has experienced chemical weathering of incipient to moderate intensity. The GAP weathering products also demonstrated a progressive incomplete alteration in the alluvial sequence made-up of the Himalayan-derived sediments. A model has been proposed to better understand weathering processes and products of the GAP in temporary storage of ∼50 ka in a humid sub-tropical climate.     

Migration and contamination of major and trace elements in groundwater of Madras city,India

Groundwater samples collected from both open and bore wells in an area of about 270 km² from Madras City, India, have been analyzed for major ions (HCO₃, Cl, Si, Na, Ca, and Mg) and trace elements (As, Se, B, V, Cr, Fe, Co, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Mn, Ni, Mo, and Ba). The study reveals that the quality of potable water has deteriorated to a large extent. Seawater intrusion into the aquifer has been observed in nearly 50 percent of the study area. The toxic elements (As and Se) have already exceeded the maximum permissible limits of drinking water in almost the entire city. A positive correlation of As and Se with other toxic metals such as V, Cr, Fe, B, etc., indicates that all these elements are anthropogenic in origin. Applying multivariate analysis, the source for trace elements in groundwater has been grouped into two major factors: pollution and mobilization factors. The groundwater in the study area is largely contaminated by organic effluents and reflects the intensity of pollution caused by the overlying soil sediment and rapid infiltration of the pollutants.