Biochar effects on metal bioaccumulation and arsenic speciation in alfalfa (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago sativa L</Emphasis>.) grown in contaminated soil

Mining and geogenic activities can lead to elevated concentrations of potentially toxic elements in soil. Biochar amendment to soil is a cost-effective technology and environmentally friendly approach to control soil pollution, improve phytoremediation and mitigate health risks due to agricultural products. Greenhouse pot experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of rice husk biochar on alfalfa biomass, metal bioaccumulation and arsenic speciation. Results indicated that rice husk biochar amendments to contaminated soil increased plants biomass by improving soil fertility and available nutrients. Biochar also increased soil cation change capacity, dissolved organic carbon, while decreased available concentrations of potentially toxic elements (except for arsenic). The accumulation of nickel, lead, cadmium and zinc (except for chromium and arsenic) significantly (P ≤ 0.05) decreased as compared with unamended control plants. In addition, increases were observed for inorganic arsenite and arsenate. Current findings demonstrate that rice husk biochar can be used as a beneficial amendment for contaminated soil. However, further field experiments are needed to validate its long-term effectiveness where environmental factors are diverse and complex.     

A geochemistry study of arsenic speciation in overburden from Mae Moh Lignite Mine, Lampang, Thailand

The aim of this study was to investigate the geochemical characteristics of arsenic in the solid material samples of the Mae Moh Mine and also the Mae Moh power plants fly ash samples were systematically studied. Arsenic concentration in overburden, coal lignite and fly ash are variable (depending on source of solid samples). The results show that the strata of overburden, J seam of coal and fly ash are rich in arsenic and also relatively soluble from fly ash; it occurs as a surface precipitate on the ash particle. The experimental study on speciation in the strata also indicates that the arsenic speciation of Mae Moh solid samples are mainly arsenate, As (V), which are approaching exceed 80%. Arsenic content in the main of overburden is in the range of 14.3–888.8 mg/kg, which is larger than the arsenic background soil values. Solid materials polluted wastewater; the arsenic speciation was present predominantly as arsenate in the surface water of a series of Mae Moh solid materials basins.     

Effects of iron on arsenic speciation and redox chemistry in acid mine water

Concern about arsenic is increasing throughout the world, including areas of the United States. Elevated levels of arsenic above current drinking-water regulations in ground and surface water can be the result of purely natural phenomena, but often are due to anthropogenic activities, such as mining and agriculture. The current study correlates arsenic speciation in acid mine drainage and mining-influenced water with the important water-chemistry properties Eh, pH, and iron(III) concentration. The results show that arsenic speciation is generally in equilibrium with iron chemistry in low pH AMD, which is often not the case in other natural-water matrices. High pH mine waters and groundwater do not always hold to the redox predictions as well as low pH AMD samples. The oxidation and precipitation of oxyhydroxides deplete iron from some systems, and also affect arsenite and arsenate concentrations through sorption processes.     

Inorganic arsenic sorption by drinking-water treatment residual-amended sandy soil: effect of soil solution chemistry

Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that drinking-water treatment residuals are effective sorbents of arsenic V. However, the effect of soil solution chemistry on arsenic V sorption by drinking-water treatment residuals-amended soils remains to be explored. The current study uses a batch incubation experimental set up to evaluate the effect of soil solution pH, competing ligands, and complexing metal on arsenic V sorption by a sandy soil (Immokalee series) amended with two rates (25 and 50 g kg^?1) of aluminum and iron-based drinking-water treatment residuals. Experiments were conducted at three initial arsenic loads (125, 1,875, 3,750 mg kg^?1) and a constant solid: solution ratio of 200 g L^?1. An optimum equilibration time of 8 days, obtained from kinetic studies, was utilized for sorption experiments with both aluminum and iron drinking-water treatment residual-amended soil. Presence of phosphate decreased arsenic V sorption by both aluminum and iron drinking-water treatment residual amended soils, with a strong dependence on pH, drinking-water treatment residual types, drinking-water treatment residual application rates, and phosphate concentrations. Addition of sulfate had no effect on arsenic V sorption by aluminum or iron drinking-water treatment residual-amended soil. A complementing effect of calcium on arsenic V sorption was observed at higher pH. Results elucidating the effect of soil solution chemistry on the arsenic V sorption will be helpful in calibrating drinking-water treatment residual as a sorbent for remediation of arsenic-contaminated soils.     

Geochemical behavior of arsenic in reducing sulfidic sediments of reservoir contaminated by acid mine drainage

The sediment from an acid mine drainage affected reservoir of Guizhou province of China has the iron and arsenic concentration of about 400 and 2.6 g/kg, respectively. Sediment cores were collected, and were used to study the arsenic behavior in the seriously acidified reservoir from the viewpoint of chemical thermodynamics. The limestone neutralization and ferric iron hydrolysis regulated the porewater pH from about 2.9–5.8. The reductive dissolution of As–Fe-rich (hydr)oxides under the mild acidic conditions was the main mechanism for the release of absorbed arsenic into porewater. The maximum concentrations of iron, sulfate and arsenic reached to about 2,800, 9,000 and 1 mg/l, respectively. Arsenic speciation transformation and hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) crystallization enhanced the arsenic mobility in sediment. In addition, the iron sulfide minerals diagenesis could play a role in removing the dissolved arsenic from porewater. The actual distribution of arsenic concentration in porewater was well simulated using the model of surface complexation of arsenic to HFO. Although arsenic concentration in porewater could be above 100 times higher than that of reservoir water, it was not easy to release into the reservoir water through diffusion, because the shallow sediment had relatively strong arsenic adsorption capacity, and new HFO could be generated continuously at the sediment water interface.     

Thermodynamic Modeling of Thioarsenic Species Distribution in High As Groundwater in Hetao Plain*

Thioarsenic has gained increasing attention as a newly identified arsenic species. This paper selected Hetao Plain as the study area. Based on the field survey data and the thermodynamic reaction equation, the distribution characteristics of thioarsenic speciation in high-arsenic groundwater were simulated and analyzed. The results show that the major of arsenic speciation is arsenite, followed by thioarsenate and arsenate, and thethioarsenite concentrations are extremely low. Among them, monothioarsenate and trithioarsenate are the predominant thioarsnate species, with monothioarsenite being the dominant thioarsenite. In the buried depth of the range of 5~40 m, the content of various arsenic species does not change significantly with increasing depth. In the range of 40~80 m buried depth, the content of arsenite decreases with the increase of depth, and the content of thioarsenite increases with depth. Sulfide concentration has a significant effect on the distribution of arsenic species. When the concentration of sulfide is less than 5 μg/L, the various arsenic species do not change regularly with the increase of sulfide concentration. When the sulfide concentration is more than 5 μg/L, the content of arsenite and arsenate decreases with the increase of sulfide concentration, and the content of thioarsenate and thioarsenite tends to increase, and mutual transformation happens between different thioarsenite and thioarsenate species.     

高温富硫化物热泉中硫代砷化物存在形态的地球化学模拟:以云南腾冲热海水热区为例

天然水环境中地质成因砷的存在是世界范围内对人类威胁极大的环境问题之一.在高温富硫化物地热水中,硫代砷化物是砷的主要存在形态之一.在国内尚无硫代砷化物定量检测方法的背景下,以云南腾冲地热带的热海水热区为典型研究区,基于不同类型硫代砷化物的最新化学热力学数据wateq4f.dat,利用水文地球化学模拟软件PHREEQC开展了不同类型热泉中砷的存在形态的地球化学模拟.结果表明,热海热泉中砷的主要形态是硫代砷酸盐,砷酸盐和亚砷酸盐次之,硫代亚砷酸盐则含量极低;在各类硫代砷酸盐中,按平均百分含量降序依次为:一硫代砷酸盐→三硫代砷酸盐→四硫代砷酸盐→二硫代砷酸盐.pH、Eh和总硫化物含量是热泉中砷的形态分布的控制性因素.在酸性条件下,砷以硫代砷酸盐和亚砷酸盐为主要存在形式;而在中性/偏碱性条件下,砷的形态则以硫代砷酸盐为主,砷酸盐次之.偏还原环境和高硫化物含量是硫代砷化物、特别是三硫代砷酸盐和四硫代砷酸盐稳定存在的有利条件.      

煤中砷的赋存状态

砷是煤中常见的有害微量元素,由于其丰度较低,定量研究其赋存状态一直很困难。近年来,采用逐级化学提取实验方法对煤中不同赋存状态的砷进行了定量研究,综合分析这些研究可得出以下结论：①煤中砷的赋存状态包括硫化物态砷、有机态砷、砷酸盐态砷、硅酸盐态砷、水溶态和可交换态砷。总体上,硫化物态砷＞有机态砷＞砷酸盐态砷＞硅酸盐态砷＞水溶态和可交换态砷,但在不同的煤样品中,也表现出较大的差异性。②一般而言,煤中大部分砷存在于含砷黄铁矿中,含砷黄铁矿中的砷含量与黄铁矿的成因或类型有关。煤中的砷酸盐态砷主要与铁氧化物和氢氧化物共生;硅酸盐态砷主要进入粘土矿物晶格。③在砷含量较低的煤样品中,有机态砷含量较高,其中在褐煤和低煤级烟煤中,可提取出与腐殖酸和富里酸结合的砷。当前还难以确认有机态砷的化学结构。④贵州特高砷煤中砷的赋存状态较为复杂,在某些样品中与氧结合的有机态砷为主要的赋存状态。     

Concentrations and speciation of arsenic along a groundwater flow-path in the Upper Floridan aquifer, Florida, USA

Arsenic (As) concentrations and speciation were determined in groundwaters along a flow-path in the Upper Floridan aquifer (UFA) to investigate the biogeochemical “evolution“ of As in this relatively pristine aquifer. Dissolved inorganic As species were separated in the field using anion-exchange chromatography and subsequently analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Total As concentrations are higher in the recharge area groundwaters compared to down-gradient portions of UFA. Redox conditions vary from relatively oxic to anoxic along the flow-path. Mobilization of As species in UFA groundwaters is influenced by ferric iron reduction and subsequent dissolution, sulfate reduction, and probable pyrite precipitation that are inferred from the data to occur along distinct regions of the flow-path. In general, the distribution of As species are consistent with equilibrium thermodynamics, such that arsenate dominates in more oxidizing waters near the recharge area, and arsenite predominates in the progressively reducing groundwaters beyond the recharge area.     

江汉平原浅层含水层中土著硫酸盐还原菌对砷迁移释放的影响

硫酸盐还原菌是厌氧环境中参与砷形态转化的重要微生物种群,其介导的生物地球化学循环过程对铁氧化物表面吸附态砷迁移转化的影响亟待深入研究.选取江汉平原典型高砷含水层原位沉积物分离纯化出一株严格厌氧硫酸盐还原菌Desulfovibrio JH-S1,对其进行砷和铁还原能力鉴定,并通过模拟培养实验探究硫酸盐还原菌参与下的铁矿物相转化对吸附态砷迁移的影响.Desulfovibrio JH-S1具有Fe(III)还原能力,无硫和有硫体系中Fe(III)均能被还原,但在硫酸盐充足条件下铁还原量显著增加;该菌株不具备As(V)还原能力,但添加硫酸盐的培养体系中As(V)去除率可达96%以上.Desulfovibrio JH-S1能够还原硫酸盐从而促进载砷的水铁矿还原转化为纤铁矿,并导致吸附的砷释放.江汉平原高砷含水层土著硫酸盐还原菌兼具硫酸盐/铁还原功能,参与了高砷含水层系统中砷-铁-硫耦合循环,对高砷地下水的形成具有重要作用.      

西藏搭格架高温热泉中砷的地球化学异常及其存在形态

西藏搭格架高温热泉是我国大陆少有的大型间歇性喷泉,砷元素作为对人类威胁极大的环境问题普遍存在于热泉之中,搭格架高温热泉中砷元素质量浓度最高已达到了9.75 mg/L,其对地表水和浅层地下水的污染不容忽视。硫代砷是富含硫化物热泉中砷的存在形态之一,鉴于国内相关研究较少,本文对西藏搭格架地热区的热泉样品进行了水化学分析,并利用水文地球化学模拟软件PHREEQC开展了对热泉中砷元素存在形态的地球化学模拟。结果表明：西藏搭格架热泉中砷元素的存在形态有亚砷酸盐、砷酸盐和硫代砷,其中亚砷酸盐与砷酸盐是砷的主要存在形态,且在pH影响下两者之间存在相互转化关系;各种硫代砷按质量浓度由高至低依次为一硫代砷酸盐、三硫代砷酸盐、二硫代砷酸盐、一硫代亚砷酸盐、四硫代砷酸盐;硫代砷形态占总砷浓度比例主要受热泉中硫化物质量浓度、Eh（氧化还原电位）和pH等因素的控制,在硫化物质量浓度总体偏低的情况下,硫化物质量浓度的上升可促进其他形态的砷向硫代砷形态转化,强还原性环境有利于硫代砷形态的存在;此外,在中性环境下,硫代砷占总砷浓度比例随pH上升亦有上升趋势。     

Effect of arsenic concentration on microbial iron reduction and arsenic speciation in an iron-rich freshwater sediment

Depth profiles in the sediment porewaters of the Chattahoochee River (Georgia, USA) show that iron oxides scavenge arsenate in the water column and settle to the sediment-water interface (SWI) where they are reduced by iron-reducing bacteria. During their reduction, these particles seem to release arsenic to the porewaters in the form of arsenate only. Sediment slurry incubations were conducted to determine the effect of low concentrations of arsenic (?10 μM) on biogeochemical processes in these sediments. Experiments confirm that any arsenate (As(V)) added to these sediments is immediately adsorbed in oxic conditions and released in anoxic conditions during the microbial reduction of authigenic iron oxides. Incubations in the presence of ?1 μM As(V) reveal that arsenate is released but not concomitantly reduced during this process. Simultaneously, microbial iron reduction is enhanced significantly, spurring the simultaneous release of arsenate into porewaters and secondary formation of crystalline iron oxides. Above 1 μM As(V), however, the microbial reductive dissolution of iron oxides appears inhibited by arsenate, and arsenite is produced in excess in the porewaters. These incubations show that even low inputs of arsenic to riverine sediments may affect microbial processes, the stability of iron oxides and, indirectly, the cycling of arsenic. Possible mechanisms for such effects on iron reduction are proposed.     

Arsenic Speciation in a Contaminated Gold Processing Tailings Dam

Gold recovery in ores containing arsenopyrite releases significant amounts of arsenic into the environment due to mineral processing and oxidation during storage. The extent of arsenic weathering in a tailings dam has been investigated. Speciation of As in surface and pore waters and pond sediments showed that for gold tailings in the dam, As enrichment took place in the pore water relative to the surface water. In pond sediments As was predominantly present as residual arsenopyrite and partly as a substance co-precipitated with iron hydroxide. The arsenic release from the sediment results from a reductive dissolution of the arsenopyrite and Fe oxides. In the surface water, arsenate and arsenite are the main arsenic species (arsenate is dominant), but in the pore waters methylation processes play a significant role. Arsenic transport is accompanied by the transformation of As into the less toxic compounds (methylated species) co-existing with the most toxic species (arsenite).     

Arsenic mobilization in alluvial soils of Punjab, North–West India under flood irrigation practices

A laboratory investigation was carried out to examine the mechanism of arsenic (As) mobilization under flooded conditions (24 and 240 h) in 18 alluvial soils of Punjab, North–West India. Total dissolved As increased from a range of 3–16 μg L^?1 (mean 9 μg L^?1) to a range of 33–1,761 μg L^?1 (mean 392 μg L^?1) with the increase in flooding period from 24 to 240 h. The amount of As mobilization varied depending upon redox potential (pe) created by flooding conditions. After 24 h of flooded conditions, pe of soil water suspension ranged from ?1.75 to 0.77 (mean ?0.24). Increasing the flooding period to 240 h, pe of soil water suspension decreased in the range of ?4.49 to ?2.74 (mean ?3.29). Pourbaix diagram identified arsenate (HAsO₄ ^2?) as predominant species in most of the alluvial soil–water suspensions under oxidized conditions, after 24 h of equilibration period, which ultimately transformed to arsenite (H₃AsO₃ ⁰) after 240 h of anaerobic condition due to more reduced status. The solid phase identified was orpiment (As₂S₃). Identification of iron and manganese species in alluvial soil water suspension by Pourbaix diagram indicated decline in both soluble Fe²⁺ and SO₄ ^2? concentration due to the formation of iron sulfide mineral phase after 240 h under anaerobic conditions. In these soils, decline in soluble Fe was also due to the precipitation of vivianite [Fe₃(PO₄)₂·8H₂O]. Elevated arsenic content and low pe value were measured in aquifers located in paddy growing fields comparative to aquifers of other sites. Large degree of variability in As concentrations was recorded in aquifers located at same sites. Thus, it is better to analyze each aquifer for their As content rather than to depends on the prediction on As content of neighbouring wells. The present investigation elucidates that flood irrigation practices in Punjab for growing paddy crop could induce the geochemical conditions favorable to mobilize arsenic from surface soils which could eventually elevate its content in the underlying shallow aquifers. Water abstracted from these aquifers by hand pumps or tube wells for drinking purposes could create hazards for local population due to loading with arsenic concentration above the safe limits. Thus, to avoid further contamination of shallow aquifers with arsenic, it is advisable to shift the flooded rice cultivation to other upland crops having lesser water requirement.     

Speciation and behavior of arsenic in evaporation basins,California, USA

Disposal of saline subsurface drainage waters from croplands into evaporation basins (or ponds) in the San Joaquin Valley of California causes excessive accumulation of salts and elevated concentrations of arsenic (As), a potentially high risk element with little information about its fate, in the agricultural evaporation ponds. We examined dissolved As concentration, speciation, and distribution in waters as well as As fractionation in sediments in the 10-cell South Evaporation Basin for better understanding of processes and conditions affecting As transformations and fate in a specific drainage disposal facility. The increase of total dissolved As concentrations were observed with higher Cl⁻ and electric conductivity along flow path indicating that evaporation was an important factor regulating total dissolved As concentration. The increases of reduced As species such as arsenite [As(III)] and organic As (monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid) were found towards the terminal flow pathway. However, arsenate [As(V)], the oxidized species remained greater than 67% of total dissolved As in all cell waters. Sequential extractions of sediments indicated that reducing conditions may influence As behavior in sediments to be more soluble and exchangeable. Arsenic association with oxides was appreciable only under oxidizing condition. Carbonate minerals played an important role in immobilizing As into the sediments under alkaline condition and a broad range of redox conditions. However, these sink mechanisms did not significantly reduce As concentrations in the cell waters. The reducing condition facilitated by high concentration of organic matter might be a major factor for the increase in As mobility.     

Arsenic speciation in Mono Lake, California: Response to seasonal stratification and anoxia

Mono Lake is a closed-basin, alkaline, hypersaline lake located at the western edge of the Great Basin in eastern California. We studied the distribution of arsenic (As) species in the water column of Mono Lake between February and November, 2002. This period captured the seasonal progression from winter mixing, through summer thermal stratification, to autumn overturn. Arsenic speciation was determined by ion chromatography-inductively coupled-plasma-mass spectrometry of samples preserved in the field by flash-freezing in liquid nitrogen. We found that arsenic speciation was dominated (>90%) by arsenate when oxygen was detectable. Once levels fell below 6 μmol/L O₂, arsenic speciation shifted to dominance by reduced species. Arsenate and arsenite co-occurred in a transition zone immediately below the base of the oxycline and low but significant concentrations of arsenate were occasionally detected in sulfidic hypolimnion samples. Thio-arsenic species were the dominant form of As found in sulfidic waters. Maxima of thio-arsenic species with stoichiometries consistent with mono-, di- and trithio-arsenic occurred in succession as sulfide concentration increased. A compound with a stoichiometry consistent with trithio-arsenic was the dominant As species (∼50% of total As) in high sulfide (2 mmol/L) bottom water. Lower concentrations of total As in bottom water relative to surface water suggest precipitation of As/S mineral phases in response to sulfide accumulation during prolonged anoxia.     

Infrared spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction characterization of the nature of adsorbed arsenate on ferrihydrite

Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to characterize arsenate-ferrihydrite sorption solids synthesized at pH 3-8. The speciation of sorbed arsenate was determined based on the As-O stretching vibration bands located at 650-950 cm⁻¹ and O-H stretching vibration bands at 3000-3500 cm⁻¹. The positions of the As-O and O-H stretching vibration bands changed with pH indicating that the nature of surface arsenate species on ferrihydrite was strongly pH dependent. Sorption density and synthesis media (sulfate vs. nitrate) had no appreciable effect. At acidic pH (3, 4), ferric arsenate surface precipitate formed on ferrihydrite and constituted the predominant surface arsenate species. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of he sorption solids synthesized at elevated temperature (75 °C), pH 3 clearly showed the development of crystalline ferric arsenate (i.e. scorodite). In neutral and alkaline media (pH 7, 8), arsenate sorbed as a bidentate surface complex (in both protonated FeO₂As(O)(OH)⁻ and unprotonated forms). For the sorption systems in slightly acidic media (pH 5, 6), both ferric arsenate and surface complex were probably present on ferrihydrite. It was further determined that the incorporated sulfate in ferrihydrite during synthesis was substituted by arsenate and was more easily exchangeable with increasing pH.     

土壤中不同形态砷的分析方法

选取磷酸作为提取剂,比较了超声和水浴两种方法辅助提取土壤中不同形态的砷,离子色谱一氢化物发生原子荧光光谱联用法(IC-HGAFS)测定砷的4种形态,即As(Ⅲ)、As(Ⅴ)、MMA (甲基胂酸)和DMA(二甲基胂酸)。从测定结果可以看出,水浴的提取效果明显高于超声的提取效果。土壤中砷以无机态为主,而无机态砷又以As(Ⅴ)为主,没有检测到有机砷。测定土壤中各种形态砷的加标回收率为72.0%～105.4%,相对标准偏差(RSD,n=5)为2.61%～8.19%。     

Identification of potential soil adsorbent for the removal of hazardous metals from aqueous phase

The present study attempted to identify the efficient hazardous metal-removing sorbent from specific types of soil, upper and middle layer shirasu, shell fossil, tuff, akadama and kanuma soils of Japan by physico-chemical and metal (arsenic, cadmium and lead) removal characterizations. The physico-chemical characteristics of soil were evaluated using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy techniques, whereas metal removal properties of soil were characterized by analyzing removal capacity and sorption kinetics of potential metal-removing soils. The chemical characteristics revealed that all soils are prevalently constituted of silicon dioxide (21.83–78.58 %), aluminum oxide (4.13–38 %) and ferrous oxide (0.835–7.7 %), whereas calcium oxide showed the highest percentage (65.36 %) followed by silicon dioxide (21.83 %) in tuff soil. The results demonstrated that arsenic removal efficiency was higher in elevated aluminum oxide-containing akadama (0.00452 mg/L/g/h) and kanuma (0.00225 mg/L/g/h) soils, whereas cadmium (0.00634 mg/L/g/h) and lead (0.00693 mg/L/g/h) removal efficiencies were maximum in elevated calcium oxide-containing tuff soil. Physico-chemical sorption and ion exchange processes are the metal removal mechanisms. The critical appraisal of three metal removal data also clearly revealed cadmium > lead > arsenic order of removal efficiency in different soils, except in tuff and akadama soils followed by lead > cadmium > arsenic. It clearly signified that each type of soil had a specific metal adsorption affinity which was regulated by the specific chemical composition. It may be concluded that akadama would be potential arsenic-removing and tuff would be efficient cadmium and lead-removing soil sorbents.     

The Differential Geochemical Behavior of Arsenic and Phosphorus in the Water Column and Sediments of the Saguenay Fjord Estuary, Canada

The distribution and partitioning of dissolved andparticulate arsenic and phosphorus in the water columnand sediments of the Saguenay Fjord in Quebec, Canada,are compared. In addition, selective and/or sequentialextractions were carried out on the suspendedparticulate matter (SPM) and solid sediments tocontrast their geochemical behaviors in this naturalaquatic system.Results of our analyses show that both arsenic andsoluble reactive phosphate are actively scavenged fromthe water column by settling particles. Upon theiraccumulation at the sediment-water interface some Asand P may be released to porewaters following thedegradation of organic matter to which they areassociated. The porewater concentrations are, however,limited by their strong affinity for authigenic,amorphous iron oxyhydroxides which accumulate in theoxic sediments near the sediment-water interface.The geochemical behavior of arsenic and phosphorusdiverge most strikingly upon the development of anoxicconditions in the sediments. Following their burial inthe anoxic zone, amorphous iron oxyhydroxides arereduced and dissolved, releasing phosphate and arsenicto the porewaters. We observed, however, thatporewater arsenic concentrations increase at shallowerdepths than phosphate in the sediments. The reductionof arsenate, As(V), to arsenite, As(III), and itsdesorption prior to the reductive dissolution of thecarrier phase(s) may explain this observation.Driven by the strong concentration gradientestablished in the suboxic zone, phosphate diffuses uptowards the oxic layer where it is readsorbed byauthigenic iron oxyhydroxides. In the organic-rich andrapidly accumulating sediments at the head of theFjord, porewater sulfate depletion and the resultingabsence of a sulfide sink for Fe(II), may lead to theformation of vivianite in the fermentation zone, apotential sink for phosphate. Arsenite released to theporewaters in the suboxic and anoxic zones of thesediments diffuses either down, where it is adsorbedto or incorporated with authigenic iron sulfides, orup towards the oxic boundary. Arsenite appears tomigrate well into the oxic zone where it may beoxidized by authigenic manganese oxides before beingadsorbed by iron oxyhydroxides present at the samedepth. Whereas, in the absence of authigenic carbonatefluorapatite precipitation, the ability of oxicsediments to retain mineralized phosphate is afunction of their amorphous iron oxyhydroxide content,arsenic retention may depend on the availability ofmanganese oxides, the thickness of the oxic layer and,its co-precipitation with iron sulfides at depth.