Control of organic and iron colloids on arsenic partition and transport in high arsenic groundwaters in the Hetao basin, Inner Mongolia

Due to the importance of colloids in regulating element transport and mobility in aquifers, As distribution in the colloidal fraction needs to be identified in high As groundwaters. Groundwater samples were filtered in the field through a progressively decreasing pore size (0.45 μm, 100, 30, 10, 5 kDa) using a filtration technique under a N₂ atmosphere. Major and trace elements and organic C (OC) were measured in (ultra)filtrates. The studied groundwater samples have typical physio-chemical characteristics of the basin waters. Declines in concentrations of alkali (Na, K), alkaline-earth (Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) elements, Mo, Si and Se during ultrafiltration are smaller relative to other elements. Arsenic, Cu, Cr, U and V are generally about 30% lower in 5 kDa ultrafiltrates in comparison with 0.45 μm filtrates. Around 50% of Fe, OC and Al are bound to colloids with grain size between 5 kDa and 0.45 μm. Two types of colloids, including large-size Fe colloids and small-size organic colloids, have been identified. Results indicate that As would be more likely to be associated with small-size organic colloids than Fe colloids. SEM images and EDS analysis and synchrotron XRF analyses confirm the association of As with NOM with molecular weights of 5-10 kDa. The better correlation between As(V) and OC in the 5-10 kDa fraction indicates that the small-size organic colloids have a greater affinity for As(V) than As(III). Arsenic associated with organic complexes may not be immobilized by adsorption, and, therefore, easily transported in the aquifer. Thus, the presence of As-containing colloidal complexes in high As groundwaters must be considered in the modeling of As transport in the aquifers.     

Colloidal arsenic composition from abandoned gold mine tailing leachates in Nova Scotia,Canada

Asymmetric-Flow Field-Flow Fractionation (AsFlFFF) coupled to an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) was used to determine whether colloidal As exists in mine tailings from abandoned Au mine sites in Nova Scotia. Using this technique, the chemical composition and the size of the colloidal material was determined. Tailings samples were collected from the sites and leachates were analyzed. The resulting fractograms showed the presence of colloidal As. Arsenic co-elutes with Fe and Al suggesting that the As is associated with colloids containing these elements. The colloidal material present in the samples has a calculated median size of 7 nm. The leachates were also analyzed for totalAs, Fe and Al using ICP-MS. The colloidal fraction was determined to account for approximately 20% of the total dissolved As present in these samples. Dissolved As concentrations at the selected mine sites are very high and the arbitrary cutoff for dissolved still incorporates colloidal material. Therefore. it is important to distinguish between truly dissolved and colloidal As as the speciation will affect the toxicity and mobility of As at these locations.     

Natural colloids and suspended particles in the Whiteshell Research Area,Manitoba, Canada,and their potential effect on radiocolloid formation

Natural colloids (1–450 nm) and suspended particles (>450 nm) were characterized in groundwaters of the Whiteshell Research Area of southern Manitoba to evaluate their potential role in radionuclide transport through fractured granite. Data on particle concentrations, size distributions, compositions and natural radionuclide content were collected to predict radionuclide formation and to provide a database for future colloid migration studies. The concentrations of colloids between 10 and 450 nm ranged between 0.04 and 1 mg/l. The concentrations of suspended particles, which require higher groundwater velocities for transport, varied from 0.04 to 14 mg/l. Colloid (10–450 nm) concentrations as low as these observed in Whiteshell Research Area groundwater would have a minimal effect on radionuclide transport, assuming that radionuclide sorption on colloids is reversible. If radiocolloid formation is not reversible, and radionuclide-containing colloids cannot sorb onto fracture walls, the importance of natural colloids in radionuclide transport will depend upon particle migration properties.     

Stability assessment and characterization of colloids in coastal groundwater aquifer system at Kalpakkam

Natural colloids have a potential role in facilitating the transport of radionuclides in groundwater. To assess the role of mobile colloidal phases in radionuclide transport, characterization of colloids for size, size distribution, zeta potential, surface charge and elemental composition is required. Groundwater samples were collected from 12 borewells in the study area and were characterized with respect to physicochemical parameters. Water quality parameters such as pH, temperature, specific conductance, TDS and dissolved O₂ were measured in situ. Based on salinity, two groundwater types were identified in the study area: (1) freshwater type and (2) brackish type. Laboratory and field-scale turbidity measurements in addition to quantitative analysis of major ions were carried out. It was observed that the colloid concentrations are reduced at higher salinity. Zetasizer, particle size analyzer, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray diffraction techniques were used to characterize the colloidal particles in groundwater. Colloids were present in all the groundwater samples, the concentration varying between 0.05 and 6 mg/L. Colloid concentration was greater in wells with low ionic strength and the number of colloidal particles varied between 3 × 10⁹ and 4 × 10¹¹ particles/L. The average colloid size varied between 200 and 350 nm for various samples. The zeta potential of the colloidal particles varied between −25.5 and –34.0 mV. SEM analysis of colloidal particles revealed the presence of clays particularly kaolinite and that the mineral composition of colloids reflects the mineralogy of the aquifer. For proper risk assessment and remediation studies, the role of colloids in radionuclide transport assumes greater importance. This study highlights the need for, and relevance of, detailed colloid characterization to assess its role in the migration of radionuclides from near surface disposal facilities.     

The Interaction of Natural Organic Matter with Iron in a Wetland (Tennessee Park, Colorado) Receiving Acid Mine Drainage

Pore water from a wetland receiving acid mine drainage was studied for its iron and natural organic matter (NOM) geochemistry on three different sampling dates during summer 1994. Samples were obtained using a new sampling technique that is based on screened pipes of varying length (several centimeters), into which dialysis vessels can be placed and that can be screwed together to allow for vertical pore-water sampling. The iron concentration increased with time (through the summer) and had distinct peaks in the subsurface. Iron was mainly in the ferrous form; however, close to the surface, significant amounts of ferric iron (up to 40% of 2 mmol L-1 total iron concentration) were observed. In all samples studied, iron was strongly associated with NOM. Results from laboratory experiments indicate that the NOM stabilizes the ferric iron as small iron oxide colloids (able to pass a 0.45μm dialysis membrane). We hypothesize that, in the pore water of the wetland, the high NOM concentrations (>100 mg C L-1) allow formation of such colloids at the redoxcline close to the surface and at the contact zone to the adjacent oxic aquifer. Therefore, particle transport along flow paths and resultant export of ferric iron from the wetland into ground water might be possible. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of colloids on metal transport in a river receiving acid mine drainage,upper Arkansas River,Colorado, U.S.A.

Inflows of metal-rich, acidic water that drain from mine dumps and tailings piles in the Leadville, Colorado, area enter the non-acidic water in the upper Arkansas River. Hydrous iron oxides precipitate as colloids and move downstream in suspension, particularly downstream from California Gulch, which has been the major source of metal loads. The colloids influence the concentrations of metals dissolved in the water and the concentrations in bed sediments. To determine the role of colloids, samples of water, colloids, and fine-grained bed sediment were obtained at stream-gaging sites on the upper Arkansas River and at the mouths of major tributaries over a 250-km reach. Dissolved and colloidal metal concentrations in the water column were operationally defined using tangential-flow filtration through 0.001-pm membranes to separate the water and the colloids. Surface-extractable and total bed sediment metal concentrations were obtained on the <60-μm fraction of the bed sediment. The highest concentrations of metals in water, colloids, and bed sediments occurred just downstream from California Gulch. Iron dominated the colloid composition, but substantial concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn also occurred in the colloidal solids. The colloidal load decreased by one half in the first 50 km downstream from the mining inflows due to sedimentation of aggregated colloids to the streambed. Nevertheless, a substantial load of colloids was transported through the entire study reach to Pueblo Reservoir. Dissolved metals were dominated by Mn and Zn, and their concentrations remained relatively high throughout the 250-km reach. The composition of extractable and total metals in bed sediment for several kilometers downstream from California Gulch is similar to the composition of the colloids that settle to the bed. Substantial concentrations of Mn and Zn were extractable, which is consistent with sediment-water chemical reaction. Concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Zn in bed sediment clearly result from the influence of mining near Leadville. Concentrations of Fe and Cu in bed sediments are nearly equal to concentrations in colloids for about 10 km downstream from California Gulch. Farther downstream, concentrations of Fe and Cu in tributary sediments mask the signal of mining inflows. These results indicate that colloids indeed influence the occurrence and transport of metals in rivers affected by mining.     

Origin and mobility of humic colloids in the Gorleben aquifer system

The origin and mobility of humic colloids in the Gorleben aquifer system have been examined. For this purpose, the distribution of humic colloids and relevant hydrological and geochemical parameters were examined. An investigation area was selected where sediments have been disturbed by salt dome uplift and glacial events. It is shown that, on a local scale, considerable groundwater movement and intermixing takes place from the surface down to the salt dome. Consequently no effective separation of groundwater layers occurs. Two different humic colloid sources are identified: influx from the humus horizon with recharge water and continuous in situ generation via mineralization of sedimentary organic carbon (SOC). The in situ generation leads to groundwaters with humic colloid concentrations approaching 0.4 g/L, compared to concentrations of less than 0.005 g/L in recharge waters. Young groundwaters (no ¹⁴C decay detected) between approximately 50 and 200 m depth exhibit these highly elevated humic colloid concentrations. At greater depth, salt brines are found with low humic colloid concentrations. This can be attributed to precipitation of humic acid and/or hampering of the in situ generation process due to the high salt content. There is no indication of retention or decomposition of humic colloids. The fate of in situ generated humic colloids cannot be precisely evaluated due to analytical limitations and insufficient understanding of groundwater movement.     

Colloidal rare earth elements in a boreal river: Changing sources and distributions during the spring flood

Variations in the physico-chemical speciation of the rare earth elements (REE) have been investigated in a subarctic boreal river during an intense spring flood event using prefiltered (<100 μm) samples, cross-flow (ultra)filtration (CFF), flow field-flow fractionation (FlFFF), and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT). This combination of techniques has provided new information regarding the release and transport of the REE in river water. The colloidal material can be described in terms of two fractions dominated by carbon and iron, respectively. These two fractions, termed colloidal carrier phases, showed significant temporal changes in concentration and size distribution. Before the spring flood, colloidal carbon concentrations were low, the colloids being dominated by relatively large iron colloids. Colloidal concentrations increased sharply during the spring flood, with smaller carbon colloids dominating. Following the spring flood, colloidal concentrations decreased again, smaller carbon colloids still dominating. The REE are transported mainly in the particulate and colloidal phases. Before the spring flood, the REE composition of all measured fractions was similar to local till. During the spring flood, the REE concentrations in the colloidal and particulate fractions increased. The increase was most marked for the lighter REE, which therefore showed a strong enrichment when normalized to local till. Following the spring flood, the REE concentrations decreased again and reverted to a distribution similar to local till. These changes in the concentration and distributions of carbon iron and REE are interpreted in terms of changing hydrological flow paths in soil and bedrock which occur during the spring flood.     

Simulation of polychlorinated biphenyls transport in the vadose zone

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are the main constituents of clophen (the liquid of the electric transformers and capacitors) and have been characterized as potential human carcinogens. PCBs can be a hazardous contaminant of soil and groundwater. We used the mathematical model variably saturated 2D flow and transport (VS2DT model) to simulate the transport of PCBs from the soil surface to groundwater for a time period of 30 years. We also used a mathematical model to simulate the colloid-facilitated PCB transport, under saturated flow conditions. The results showed that PCBs dissolved in water cannot be transported to large depths in unsaturated soils, because of their strong sorption onto soil and low solubility in water. For soils with very low or no organic matter content, PCB transport is much faster and the probability of groundwater contamination is much higher. PCBs can partition to colloids originating from dissolved organic matter in groundwater. Colloid-facilitated PCB transport is faster compared to PCB transport in aqueous solution with no colloids present.     

Geochemistry and anthropogenic inputs of metals in a tropical lake in Venezuela

Lake Valencia is a tropical lowland lake in north-central Venezuela. Lake bottom sediments were collected from 25 locations in April, 1988. At 2 locations water pH, conductivity, dissolved O₂ and temperature were measured at successive depths. After drying, 5 sediment samples were sieved into 5 mechanical fractions. Each was extracted with 1 M HNO₃ and analysed for AI, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb and Zn. The <63 μm fraction of all samples was similarly analysed. Water temperatures declined with depth (1°C/25 m) from approximately 26°C. Conductivity varied little with depth but dissolved O₂ contents indicated anoxic conditions < 25 m. Water pH (8.8–9.4) was consistent with high dissolved carbonates. There was little consistent relationship between grain size and sediment metal contents. Approximate baseline metal contents were calculated from 21 of 25 samples. The average composition of the sediments corresponded to an ideal mixture of shales/carbonate rocks as 0.5–0.7/0.5-0.3. Five samples from alluvial fans near the mouths of rivers traversing urban-industrial zones had compositions different from the other sediments. Generally, Ph, Zn, Ni, Cd and Cu were anthropogenically enriched by factors of 2–16. The major sources of pollutants were identified as domestic and industrial activities affecting the rivers that traverse the lakeside cities of Maracay and Valencia. Sodium, Mg, Ca, Mn and CO₃⁻ showed natural enrichment arising from carbonate precipitation following a physical mixing of 2 sedimentary components (biogenic carbonate and terrigenous material). Low geochemical mobility of metallic elements in neutral-basic and reducing waters, a processes of bury and mixture of sediments and precipitation of carbonate result in only 10% of the lake area being affected by contamination. Isoline plots of elements in the bottom sediments supported a hypothesis that material mixing, physical transport and carbonate precipitation are the main controls of spatial distribution patterns.     

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.     

Yaxcopoil-1 and the Chicxulub impact

CSDP core Yaxcopoil-1 was drilled to a depth of 1,511 m within the Chicxulub crater. An organic-rich marly limestone near the base of the hole (1,495 to 1,452 m) was deposited in an open marine shelf environment during the latest Cenomanian (uppermost Rotalipora cushmani zone). The overlying sequence of limestones, dolomites and anhydrites (1,495 to 894 m) indicates deposition in various carbonate platform environments (e.g., sabkhas, lagoons). A 100-m-thick suevite breccia (894–794 m) identifies the Chicxulub impact event. Above the suevite breccia is a dolomitic limestone with planktic foraminiferal assemblages indicative of Plummerita hantkeninoides zone CF1, which spans the last 300 ky of the Maastrichtian. An erosional surface 50 cm above the breccia/dolomite contact marks the K/T boundary and a hiatus. Limestones above this contact contain the first Tertiary planktic foraminifera indicative of an upper P. eugubina zone P1a(2) age. Another hiatus 7 cm upsection separates zone P1a(2) and hemipelagic limestones of planktic foraminiferal Zone P1c. Planktic foraminiferal assemblages of Zone Plc to P3b age are present from a depth of 794.04 up to 775 m. The Cretaceous carbonate sequence appears to be autochthonous, with a stratigraphic sequence comparable to late Cretaceous sediments known from outside the Chicxulub crater in northern and southern Yucatan, including the late Cenomanian organic-rich marly limestone. There is no evidence that these sediments represent crater infill due to megablocks sliding into the crater, such as major disruption of sediments, chaotic changes in lithology, overturned or deep dipping megablocks, major mechanical fragmentation, shock or thermal alteration, or ductile deformation. Breccia units that are intercalated in the carbonate platform sequence are intraformational in origin (e.g., dissolution of evaporites) and dykes are rare. Major disturbances of strata by the impact therefore appear to have been confined to within less than 60 km from the proposed impact center. Yaxcopoil-1 may be located outside the collapsed transient crater cavity, either on the upper end of an elevated and tilted horst of the terrace zone, or even outside the annular crater cavity. The Chicxulub site thus records a large impact that predates the K/T boundary impact and mass extinction.     

Analysis of adobe wall composition at the Chaves‐Hummingbird Site,New Mexico,by diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry

This article investigates adobe wall construction materials utilized by prehistoric inhabitants of Chaves‐Hummingbird Pueblo, an ancestral Pueblo village located ˜20 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The walls were constructed with native clay‐rich soils some time between approximately 1275–1450 A.D. Samples were analyzed with a diffuse reflectance spectrophotometer from the near ultraviolet (NUV) through the visible (VIS) and into the near infrared (NIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Cluster analysis of samples from 275 adobe walls and 36 soil locations surrounding the pueblo room blocks indicates four clusters. Comparison of typical samples from the four clusters indicates that they are very similar and are distinguished by minor variations in the three primary spectrally determined components, Na‐Ca montmorillonite, bentonite, and goethite. In general, clusters correspond with room construction episodes that are discernible through patterns of wall bonding and abutment recorded during the archaeological investigation of the site. This suggests that during different phases of construction the source of the wall adobe changed. Many of the soil samples are included in wall clusters and therefore reveal a potential source of material used for adobe, adjacent soils. However, not all the soil surrounding the pueblo grouped with wall clusters indicating a preference for certain soil types and that some soils were probably unsuitable for making adobe. Therefore, diversity in spectrally identified construction materials provides insights into source locations and possible construction preferences of the site inhabitants. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Probable tsunami origin for a Shell and Sand Sheet from marine ponds on Anegada, British Virgin Islands

A distinctive Shell and Sand Sheet found beneath the marine ponds of Anegada, British Virgin Islands, was formed by a post-1650 AD overwash event, but its origin (tsunami or hurricane) was unclear. This study assesses the taphonomic characters of the shell and large clast material (>2?mm) to determine its provenance and origin. Pond-wide stratigraphic units (Shelly Mud, Shell and Sand Sheet, Mud Cap) were analyzed (12 samples) at four sites in Bumber Well and Red Pond along with eight samples from the Shell and Sand Sheet in a 2-km transect of Bumber Well. Mollusks in the pond muds include Anomalocardia spp. and cerithids with no allochthonous shells from the offshore reef-flat. Results show that the shells and clasts (>2?mm) are derived from the erosion and winnowing of the underlying Shelly Mud of the former marine pond, forming a distinctive sheet-like deposit with Homotrema sand. The Shell and Sand Sheet contains articulated Anomalocardia bivalves and moderate numbers of angular fragments (approximately 35%) that are likely from crab predation. Radiocarbon dates of articulated Anomalocardia specimens from the Shell and Sand Sheet range widely (approximately 4000?years), with shell condition (pristine to variably preserved) showing no correlation with age. The articulated condition of the bivalves with the wide-ranging dates suggests erosion and winnowing of the underlying Shelly Mud but minimal transport of the bivalves. The Shell and Sand Sheet has taphonomic characteristics indicative of a widespread tsunami overwash (sheet-like extent and articulated specimens) but lacks allochthonous reef-flat shells. Reef-flat shell material may not have penetrated the pond, as a tsunami would have to cross the reef-flat and overtop high dunes (2.2?m) hindering transport of larger shell material but allowing the Homotrema sand to penetrate. Processes including hurricane overwash, pond wave action, or tidal channel opening and closure are not favoured interpretations as they would not produce extensive sheet-like deposits. Taphonomic analysis is hampered by the limited (400?C500?years BP) depositional history from Anegada??s ponds and the lack of comparative data from other Caribbean locations.     

Studies of colloids and suspended particles,Cigar Lake uranium deposit,Saskatchewan, Canada

The Cigar Lake U deposit is located in northern Saskatchewan in the eastern part of the Athabasca Sandstone Basin, and consists of a high-grade ore body (up to 55% U) located at a depth of ∼430 m. As part of a study to evaluate the analog features of this deposit with respect to a disposal vault for waste nuclear fuel, colloids (1–450 nm) and suspended particles (450nm) in groundwater have been investigated to evaluate their effect on element transport through the U deposit. Tangential-flow ultrafiltration was used to concentrate particles from 501 groundwater samples in order to characterize the size distribution, concentration, composition and natural radionuclide content of particles in representative parts of the U deposit. Although Cigar Lake groundwaters contain particles in all sizes ranging from 10 nm to slightly larger than 20 μm, most samples contained a relatively high concentration of colloids in the 100–400 nm size range. Particle compositions are similar to the composition of minerals in the sandstones and ore body, suggesting that particles in groundwater are generated by the erosion of fracture-lining minerals. As a result, particle concentrations in groundwater are affected by the integrity of the host rock. In some piezometers the high initial concentrations of suspended particles, which may have been drilling artifacts, decreased during the collection of the first 350 1. Although colloid concentrations fluctuated during sampling, there are no indications that these concentrations will be permanently reduced by continued groundwater pumping. The observed colloid and suspended particle concentrations in the deep groundwaters are too low to have a significant impact on radionuclide migration, provided that radionuclide sorption is reversible. If radionuclides are irreversibly sorbed to particles they cannot sorb to the host rock and their migration can only be evaluated with an understanding of particle mobility. The data for dissolved and particulate U, Th and Ra were used to calculate field-derived distribution ratios (R_d) between particles and groundwater. The wide range of observed R_d values indicates that these radionuclides in particulate form are not in equilibrium with groundwater. U-series isotope data indicated that most of the U and Ra on particles was derived from groundwater. Some particles could have retained their U for as long as 8000 a. The U and Ra contents of particles in the ore and surrounding clay zones are significantly higher than in particles from sandstone, suggesting that the clay has been an effective barrier to particle migration.     

FORMULATION AND USE OF FLUORESCENT TRACER COATINGS IN SEDIMENT TRANSPORT STUDIES

Commercially available, daylight and near-ultraviolet fluorescent, colored dyes can be used in long- or short-lived surface coatings on coarse sediments. Such tracer coatings make possible day- or nighttime visual and quantitative determination of river or beach sediment transport. Testing of five commercial coatings led to formulation of two additional coatings. A wide selection of dye colors is available for use in four coating mixtures. All coatings are insoluble in fresh or saline water. Single-application coating thicknesses range between 0.0003 and 0.0024 inches. Still air drying time at room temperature for separated particles varies from 40 seconds to 14 minutes depending on coating mixture used. Volume production of marked particles in the field is possible. Extensive sediment sampling in particle transport studies possibly may be eliminated by measuring visible light emission from coated particles under nearultraviolet excitation. A battery operated, portable photometer was assembled from a light cell, linear amplifier, and metering circuit. Laboratory calibration indicates that 5% differences in areal concentration of marked particles at given sampling locations can be determined. Color coded sizes of fluorescent sand and gravel were used in a test of foreshore sediment transport pattern over a single tidal cycle. Initial trajectory (minimum transport angle) of particles moved by beach drifting is approximately equal to deep water angle of wave approach relative to the shoreline. Angular magnitude of the dispersion zone for each group of particles seems to be a function of particle size and point of introduction on the foreshore. Minimum average transport velocity of particles was 0.42 ft./min under test conditions.     

Distribution of colloidal trace metals in the San Francisco Bay estuary

The size distribution of trace metals (Al, Ag, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Sr, and Zn) was examined in surface waters of the San Francisco Bay estuary. Water samples were collected in January 1994 across the whole salinity gradient and fractionated into total dissolved (<0.2 μm colloidal (10 KDa–0.2 μm) and < 10 kDa molecular weight phases. In the low salinity region of the estuary, concentrations of colloidal A1, Ag, and Fe accounted for ≥84% of the total dissolved fraction, and colloidal Cu and Mn accounted for 16–20% of the total. At high salinities, while colloidal Fe was still relatively high (40% of the dissolved), very little colloidal Al, Mn, and Cu (<10%) and no colloidal Ag was detectable. Colloidal Zn accounted for <3% of the total dissolved along the estuary, and colloidal Ni was only detectable (<2%) at the river endmember. All of the total dissolved Cd and Sr throughout the estuary consisted of relatively low molecular weight (<10 kDa) species. The relative affinity of metals for humic substances and their reactivity with particle surfaces appear to determine the amounts of metal associated with colloids. The mixing behavior of metals along the estuary appears to be determined by the relative contribution of the colloidal phase to the total dissolved pool. Metals with a small or undetectable colloidal fraction showed a nonconservative excess (Cd, Cu, Ni, and Mn) or conservative mixing (Sr) in the total dissolved fraction, relative to ideal dilution of river water and seawater along the estuary.

The salt-induced coagulation of colloidal A1, Fe, and Cu is indicated by their highly nonconservative removal along the salinity gradient. However, colloidal metals with low affinity for humic substances (Mn and Zn) showed conservative mixing behavior, indicating that some riverine colloids are not effectively aggregated during their transport to the sea. While colloidal metal concentrations correlated with dissolved organic carbon, they also covaried with colloidal Al, suggesting that colloids are a mixture of organic and inorganic components. Furthermore, the similarity between the colloidal metal:A1 ratios with the crustal ratios indicated that colloids could be the product of weathering processes or particle resuspension. Distribution coefficients for colloidal particles (K_c) and for large, filter-retained particles (K_d) were of the same magnitude, suggesting similar binding strength for the two types of particles. Also, the dependence of the distribution coefficients on the amount of suspended particulate matter (the so-called particle concentration effect) was still evident for the colloids-corrected distribution coefficient (K_p+c) and for metals (e.g., Ni) without affinity for colloidal particles.     

Textures of orthopyroxenites from the Burgersfort bulge of the eastern Bushveld Complex, Republic of South Africa

A suite of 30 samples was collected from the Burgersfort bulge area of the eastern Bushveld Complex for a detailed quantitative textural study. The studied section represents a stratigraphic column approximately 1,000 m thick, of mainly orthopyroxenites from the lower zone (LZ) and lower critical zone. Crystal size distribution (CSD) plots and quantitative fabric analyses reveal a history of crystal aging and compaction, as evident from the loss of smaller-sized crystals and the development of foliation with little evidence of mineral lineation. Compared with the thicker section from Jagdlust (~80 km north), the LZ orthopyroxenites at Burgersfort are consistently finer grained. Foliation is equally well developed at both locations and is consistent with a relatively thin compaction zone at the top of the mush column. Grain size is largely a function of local cooling history with a grain size growth exponent estimated to be between 2.0 and 3.4.     

Some highlights on the isotope geochemistry studies within the Swedish research program on radioactive waste disposal

A total of nine sites have been sampled for groundwater, down to vertical depths of more than 800 m, in the course of the Swedish program for the investigation of potential high level radioactive waste repository locations in crystalline rock.¹⁴C and¹³C in carbonate ions, and¹⁸O, deuterium and tritium in water have been regularly measured. All groundwaters are of meteoric origin, infiltrated during the same or a cooler climate. Representative samples of deep groundwaters are characterized by both a very low, or below detection limit, content of tritium and by calculated¹⁴C ages of about 10 000 years or older. A new sampling technique is being developed. One of the investigation sites, Finnsjön, is subjected to additional groundwater sampling as part of an ongoing fracture zone project.Groundwater from granitic rocks is also being sampled and investigated within the framework of the international OECD/NEA project at the Stripa mine. Water has been sampled at depths of more than 900 m. A large number of relatively new isotope methods are being tested and evaluated.A repository for low- and medium-level radioactive waste from reactor operations is being built in Forsmark, 50–130 m under the sea bed. The groundwater in the facility has a composition different from the groundwater on land and different from the sea above: it is more saline than the seawater and has an intermediate¹⁸O content, as compared to seawater and groundwater on land.Work has been initiated to investigate the dispersion of the fallout nuclides from the Chernobyl accident at the investigation sites at Gideåand Finnsjön.     

Atmospheric pollutants transport tracks revealed from 131I, 137Cs,and 134Cs leaked from Fukushima accident and 7Be and 210Pb observed at Guiyang of China

A massive earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale that occurred on March 11, 2011, on Honshu Island, Japan, caused radioactivity leakage from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, which led to the leakage of artificial nuclides （131I, 137Cs, and 134Cs） and their global transportation by atmospheric circulation. This paper re- ports a systematic comparative observation on radioactive concentrations of natural nuclides （7Be and 210Pb） and artificial nuclides （131I, 137Cs, and 134Cs） at the surface level, measured in weekly continuous aerosol sampling at Mount Guanfeng, Guiyang, China, from March 17, 2011 to April 28, 2011. During this period, the variations in the nuclide concentrations associated with their transport paths were analyzed with 315 hour back-trajectories of air mass initialized 500 m above the surface level at Guiyang. The results show that the pollutants of nuclear leakage from the Fukushima accident were transported to the Guiyang region of China via two significant pathways. In the first pathway the first wave of nuclear pollutants were transported from west to east in air masses at higher altitudes via global atmospheric circulation. The nuclear pollutants encircled the Earth almost once and after about 10 days to two weeks, between March 24 and March 31,2011, intruded Guiyang from the northwestern region of China. In the second pathway, the nuclear pollutants from the Fukushima region arrived at Guiyang between April 7 and April 14, 201 l, via air masses at lower altitudes that moved southwards because of the squeezing of the northeast Asian weather system and then by the influence, in succession, of the northeastern and southeastern air currents in the low-latitude region. The first transport pathway for atmospheric pollutants is on a global scale and based on air masses at higher altitudes, and the second transport pathway is on an eastern Asia regional scale and based on the air masses at lower altitude.