Inorganic arsenic has been widely used during the production cycle of fertilizers and pesticides and leakage into sub-soils and shallow groundwater has been reported in the recent literature (Root et al. 2009; Cancés et al. 2005). Despite of this, most of the scientific papers has been focused on natural arsenic mobilization and geochemical cycling in the subsurface (Hering J. G. and Kneebone 2002; Lin and Puls 2003). Thus, more studies are still needed to understand the mobilization/immobilization mechanisms of arsenic in highly contaminated sites. Since the arsenic mobilization is usually driven by redox processes, pH changes and ionic strength of the solutions (Smedley and Kinniburgh 2002), it is foremost important to study its behavior in coastal aquifers where all of these factors essentially coincide. In fact, like for the surface waters, the groundwater mixing zone can affect the biogeochemical cycling of metals and nutrients, which are sensitive to changes in salinity and redox potential (Slomp et al. 2004). The study site is a former fertilizer plant located near the shore line, in Italy. The overall groundwater geochemistry at the study site has been documented in a previous paper (Mastrocicco et al. 2011). Within this framework, a detailed characterization of arsenic in groundwater was performed to elucidate the mobilization/immobilization mechanisms actually occurring at the site.
Arsenic speciation in a contaminated coastal aquifer below a former fertilizer production plant
MASTROCICCO, Micol;COLOMBANI, Nicolo';
2012
Abstract
Inorganic arsenic has been widely used during the production cycle of fertilizers and pesticides and leakage into sub-soils and shallow groundwater has been reported in the recent literature (Root et al. 2009; Cancés et al. 2005). Despite of this, most of the scientific papers has been focused on natural arsenic mobilization and geochemical cycling in the subsurface (Hering J. G. and Kneebone 2002; Lin and Puls 2003). Thus, more studies are still needed to understand the mobilization/immobilization mechanisms of arsenic in highly contaminated sites. Since the arsenic mobilization is usually driven by redox processes, pH changes and ionic strength of the solutions (Smedley and Kinniburgh 2002), it is foremost important to study its behavior in coastal aquifers where all of these factors essentially coincide. In fact, like for the surface waters, the groundwater mixing zone can affect the biogeochemical cycling of metals and nutrients, which are sensitive to changes in salinity and redox potential (Slomp et al. 2004). The study site is a former fertilizer plant located near the shore line, in Italy. The overall groundwater geochemistry at the study site has been documented in a previous paper (Mastrocicco et al. 2011). Within this framework, a detailed characterization of arsenic in groundwater was performed to elucidate the mobilization/immobilization mechanisms actually occurring at the site.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
