Elsevier

Chemical Geology

Volume 53, Issues 1–2, 20 December 1985, Pages 155-174
Chemical Geology

Research paper
Trace elements in oil shales, their source and organic association with particular reference to Australian deposits☆

https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2541(85)90028-2Get rights and content

Abstract

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of organic concentrate, trace-element analysis and C-isotope analysis have been used in an attempt to determine the source of particular trace elements. It has been shown that Cu was occasionally concentrated in bacterial cell walls in the Toolebuc oil shales whereas V was mostly associated with the inorganic fraction. High concentrations of Mo may have their origin in N-fixing cyanobacteria which are probably major contributors to the organic matter in these oil shales.

High concentrations of Ti in the Rundle-Condor oil shales are associated with the humic acid fraction. The latter are shown to be of a terrigenous-allochthonous source. High Ti-Cr concentrations in the Green River oil shale are also associated with the humic acids. Ti in higher than average concentrations is found in oil shales of lacustrine environment whereas high V content is typical of marine-deposited oil shales.

References (57)

  • B. Kříbek et al.

    Characteristics of di- and trivalent metal-humic acid complexes on the basis of their molecular-weight distribution

    Chem. Geol.

    (1977)
  • R.W. Lahann

    Molybdenum and iron behavior in oxic and anoxic lake water

    Chem. Geol.

    (1977)
  • J.H. Martin et al.

    The elemental composition of plankton

    Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

    (1973)
  • A. Nissenbaum et al.

    Organic matter-metal interactions in recent sediments: the role of humic substances

    Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

    (1976)
  • M.A. Rashid

    Absorption of metals on sedimentary and peat humic acids

    Chem. Geol.

    (1974)
  • M.A. Rashid et al.

    Modifications in the solubility and precipitation behaviour of various metals as a result of their interaction with sedimentary humic acids

    Chem. Geol.

    (1973)
  • J.D. Saxby

    Chemical separation and characterization of kerogen from oil shale

  • D.A. Spears et al.

    Titanium in some Carboniferous sediments from Great Britain

    Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

    (1976)
  • G.H. Taylor

    Biogeochemistry of uranium minerals

  • J.J. Alberts et al.

    Consequences of anaerobiosis on metal-organic interactions in two ponds of the southeastern U.S.

  • T.J. Beveridge et al.

    Uptake and retention of metals by cell walls of Bacillus subtilis

    J. Bacteriol.

    (1976)
  • T.J. Beveridge et al.

    Sites of metal deposition in the cell wall of Bacillus subtilis

    J. Bacteriol.

    (1980)
  • I.A. Breger

    Organic Geochemistry

    Int. Ser. Monogr. Earth Sci. No. 16

    (1963)
  • C.K. Brooks

    Rifting and doming in southern East Greenland

    Nature (London)

    (1973)
  • B. Bubela et al.

    Effect of copper on the composition of bacterial cell wall peptides

    Zentralbl. Bakteriol.

    (1973)
  • J. Cardenas et al.

    Role of molybdenum in nitrogen fixation by Clostridium pasteurianum

    J. Bacteriol.

    (1975)
  • L.S. Dale et al.

    Trace element characterization of oil shales

  • E.T. Degens et al.

    In situ metalstaining of biological membranes in sediments

    Nature (London)

    (1982)

    • Cited by (0)

    ☆

    The research was carried out while one of the authors (M.G.) was a recipient of a Commonwealth Postgraduate Scholarship.

    View full text
    Copyright © 1985 Published by Elsevier B.V.