The use of 210Pb as a heavy metal tracer in the Susquehanna River system

doi:10.1016/0016-7037(77)90167-3

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

Volume 41, Issue 11, November 1977, Pages 1557-1564

https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(77)90167-3 Get rights and content

Abstract

Analysis of soil profiles and shallow ground water in the Susquehanna River basin, northeastern U.S.A., indicates that the atmospheric flux of ²¹⁰Pb is efficiently scavenged by the organic-rich horizons of the soils. This atmospherically supplied ²¹⁰Pb in soil profiles can only be lost from the system by soil erosion. Based on the annual sediment yield of the Susquehanna River and the excess ²¹⁰Pb concentration in particulate matter, a mean residence time of 2000 yr is calculated for metals similar to Pb in soil profiles.

The West Branch of the Susquehanna River (WBSR) is strongly affected by acid mine drainage and is low in pH and high in dissolved ( <0.4 μm) ²¹⁰Pb, Fe and Mn. Along its course iron hydroxide is precipitating at a pH of between 4 and 4.5 and the ²¹⁰Pb supplied by the acid mine water is diminished by about 25% as a result of dilution. As the WBSR enters the Valley and Ridge Province of the Appalachians it has a ²¹⁰Pb concentration of ~ 0.2 dpm/l. At this juncture it receives a considerable influx of alkalinity from tributaries draining carbonate terranes, resulting in neutralization of the sulfuric acid and increase of the river pH to around 6.5–7. This pH adjustment is accompanied by the precipitation of Fe and Mn. Due to the slow rate of Mn removal from solution, the Mn precipitation extends a considerable distance down river from the point of acid neutralization. Analyses for ²¹⁰Pb in the river at points in or below the region of Mn precipitation show that ²¹⁰Pb is rapidly scavenged from solution onto suspended particles. From the data it is possible to calculate the removal rate of Pb from water in the presence of Fe and Mn hydroxides and other particles. At a pH of 4–4.5 Pb removal is nonexistent relative to the river flow rate, but at a pH of 6.5–7 the ²¹⁰Pb data indicate a residence time of <0.7 day for dissolved Pb.

References (21)

D.P Kharkar et al.
Stream supply of dissolved silver, molybdenum, antimony, selenium, chromium, cobalt, rubidium and cesium to the oceans
Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta
(1968)
C.S Martens et al.
Lead and bromine particle size distributions in the San Francisco Bay area
Atmospheric Environment
(1973)
L.K Benninger
The uranium-series radionuclides as tracers of geochemical processes in Long Island Sound
L.K Benninger et al.
The use of natural Pb-210 as a heavy metal tracer in the river-estuarine system
S.E Calvert et al.
Minor metal contents of recent organic-rich sediments off South West Africa
Nature
(1970)
I.M Fisenne
Distribution of ²¹⁰Pb and ²²⁶Ra in soil
U.S. Atomic Energy Report No. UCRL-18140
(1968)
R.R Gadde et al.
Studies of heavy metal adsorption by hydrous iron and manganese oxides
Anal. Chem.
(1974)
R.B Holtzman
Lead-210 and polonium-210 in potable waters in Illinois
L.B Leopold et al.
The hydraulic geometry of stream channels and some physiographic implications
U.S. Geol. Survey, Prof. Paper 252
(1953)
D.M Lewis
The geochemistry of manganese, iron, uranium, lead-210 and major ions in the Susquehanna River

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (58)

Removal of Cu, Pb and Zn by foam fractionation and a soil washing process from contaminated industrial soils using soapberry-derived saponin: A comparative effectiveness assessment
2013, Chemosphere
The feasibility of using the eco-friendly biodegradable surfactant saponin (a plant-based surfactant) from soapberry and surfactin from Bacillus subtilis (BBK006) for the removal of heavy metals from contaminated industrial soil (6511 mg kg⁻¹ copper, 4955 mg kg⁻¹ lead, and 15 090 mg kg⁻¹ zinc) by foam fractionation and a soil flushing process was evaluated under variation of fundamental factors (surfactant concentration, pH, temperature and time). The results of latter process showed that 1–2% Pb, 16–17% Cu and 21–24% Zn was removed by surfactin after 48 h, whereas the removal of Pb, Cu and Zn was increased from 40% to 47%, 30% to 36% and 16% to 18% in presence of saponin with an increase from 24 to 72 h at room temperature by the soil washing process at pH 4. In the foam fractionation process, the metal removal efficiencies were increased with increases in the saponin concentration (0.075–0.15 g L⁻¹) and time (24–72 h), whereas the efficiency was decreased with increasing pH (4–10) and temperature (>40 °C). The removal efficiencies of Pb, Cu and Zn were increased significantly from 57% to 98%, 85% to 95% and 55% to 56% with an increase in the flow rate from 0.2 to 1.0 L min⁻¹ at 0.15 g L⁻¹ saponin (pH 4 and 30 °C). The present investigation indicated that the foam fractionation process is more efficient for the removal of heavy metal from contaminated industrial soil in comparison to the soil washing process. The plant-based eco-friendly biodegradable biosurfactant saponin can be used for environmental cleanup and pollution management.
Role of manganese oxides in the exposure of mute swans (Cygnus olor) to Pb and other elements in the Chesapeake Bay, USA
2004, Environmental Pollution
Citation Excerpt :
Freshly precipitated hydroxides of Fe and Mn scavenge other elements, such as Pb (Olsen et al., 1982, Kämpf et al., 1999). Lewis (1977) showed that the precipitation of Mn oxides in the Susquehanna River scavenged Pb from solution onto suspended particles. Spearman correlation coefficients of all combinations of elements in feces and digesta from the two study sites are shown in Table 2.
The aims of this study are to estimate exposure of waterfowl to elements in contaminated sediments in the Chesapeake Bay and to consider the potential role of Mn in influencing bioavailability and exposure. Metal concentrations were measured in livers and digesta taken from mute swans living on the Aberdeen Proving Ground, whose sediment had elevated concentrations of Cu, S, Se, Zn, As, Co, Cr, Hg and Pb. Concentrations of only the first four of these elements were elevated in swan digesta. None of the concentrations detected in the digesta or livers of the swans was considered toxic, although the concentrations of Cu and Se were high compared to concentrations of these elements reported in other waterfowl. Lead was found to be scavenged by Mn and Fe oxides from the water and deposited on the surface of vegetation at a reference site. Under some environmental chemical conditions, this is an important route of exposure to Pb in waterfowl, not previously recognized.
Implications of natural organic matter binding heterogeneity on understanding lead(II) complexation in aquatic systems
2002, Science of the Total Environment
A critical analysis of data published for complexation (conditional stability constants and complexation capacities) of lead(II) by natural organic matter (NOM) is presented. The same patterns are observed for the different types of NOM, i.e. isolated humic-type substances, isolated algae- and bacteria derived ligands and cell walls, and filtered whole water systems: apparent stronger binding sites are utilised at lower metal ion loadings, progressively weaker sites contribute to metal complexation at higher loadings. Continuous binding functions should thus be used to adequately describe lead-NOM complexation in natural waters. Two important observations arising from our analysis are that: (i) the binding curves (binding affinity as a function of metal ion loading) for whole natural water samples lie between those for compounds representative of the two main NOM types, viz., isolated humic compounds and biota, and (ii) binding constants commonly used in speciation codes probably underestimate the actual extent of lead(II) binding by NOM at natural concentration levels.
210Pb, 137Cs and 239,240Pu in East china Sea sediments: Sources, pathways and budgets of sediments and radionuclides
2002, Marine Geology
Profiles of ²¹⁰Pb, ¹³⁷Cs and ^239,240Pu measured in 83 sediment cores collected from various sedimentary regimes in the East China Sea were analyzed to elucidate the sources, routes and budgets of sediments as well as these radionuclides. Distributions of sedimentation rates and nuclide inventories reveal alongshore transport of sediments, ¹³⁷Cs and ^239,240Pu from the mouth of the Yangtze River toward the south, largely confined to the inner-shelf area (water depth <70 m). Mass balance calculations suggest that the East China Sea is a sink for the particle-reactive ²¹⁰Pb and ^239,240Pu, with about one-sixth of their sedimentary budgets supplied via boundary scavenging. In contrast, due to lower affinity of ¹³⁷Cs for particles and rapid turnover of the shelf water, the East China Sea serves as a source for ¹³⁷Cs. About two-thirds of the cumulative input of ¹³⁷Cs have been transported out of the East China Sea, leaving the remaining one-third stored in the bottom sediments and the overlying water column. As for the sediment budget, mass balance cannot be established due to a shortfall in sediment supply of more than 30% based on a comparison between input terms documented thus far and the sedimentation flux derived from this study. It is very likely that we have overestimated the sediment burial flux or that long-distance transport from the Yellow River’s dispersal system to the East China Sea is underestimated. Alternatively, the imbalance could be explained by the discrepancy between sediment input and output on decadal to centennial timescales.
Reconstructing the rise of recent coastal anoxia; molybdenum in Chesapeake Bay sediments
2001, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Sporadic, direct observations over a 50 yr period inadequately characterize the history of seasonal hypoxia and anoxia in Chesapeake Bay, a large estuary threatened by eutrophication. Here, we undertake a reconstruction of 20th century oxygen depletion in this estuary using Mo concentrations in ²¹⁰Pb-dated sediments; Cu concentrations are used to control for anthropogenic influences. Cores from the central channel display mild Mo enrichments above crustal backgrounds (up to 5 μg/g) and strong Cu enrichments (up to 35 μg/g). Temporally, Cu enrichment (mostly anthropogenic) began earlier and stabilized in the last two thirds of the 20th century. In contrast, Mo enrichment has grown during the last two thirds of the century. Molybdenum enrichment is mostly hydrogenic, except in a section of the channel that receives additional Mo from erosion of Early Miocene shore deposits. Two geochemical mechanisms promote Mo enrichment: manganese refluxing concentrates dissolved MoO₄²⁻ at the sediment-water interface and sulfide substitution into MoO₄²⁻ produces thiomolybdates, which can be fixed by particles. The Mo enrichment mechanisms operate primarily during periods when bottom waters are anoxic and thiomolybdate formation can occur near the sediment-water interface. This implies a temporal coupling between water-column anoxia and Mo fixation even though fixation occurs only within sediments. The Mo enrichment profiles suggest that Chesapeake Bay has experienced growing O₂ depletion since the first half of the 20th century, but especially after 1960.
Chapter 23 The fate of several radionuclides derived from atmospheric fallout in a river watershed
2000, Trace Metals in the Environment
The redistribution of atmospherically derived radionuclides by two Japanese rivers has been carried out. This work concerns their potential health impact related to the redistribution and the geochemical cycle of radionuclides in river watersheds, including connected water bodies. The chapter focuses on cesium-137, a radionuclide originating mainly from nuclear weapon tests fallout and partly from the Chernobyl accident. Lead-210 and beryllium-7 of natural origins are also considered in some analyses. A load of fluvial discharge of these radionuclides in particulate form exhibited a log-log relationship with the river water flow rate. A budget analysis for ¹³⁷Cs in the Kuji River watershed showed that approx. 0.05% of the accumulated ¹³⁷Cs in the watershed was discharged annually during the period 1987–1988. In the Kuji River watershed, the particulate form was dominant (90% or more) in the annual load of fluvial discharge of ¹³⁷Cs, ²¹⁰Pb, and ⁷Be. This finding, along with results from previous studies by others in other watersheds, suggests that this dominance is coupled with the concentration of suspended solids, which is derived from the geohydrological features of a watershed. A budget analysis for ¹³⁷Cs in the Hi-i river watershed of Shimane in Japan, where the contribution of the Chernobyl fallout is minor, revealed a temporal decrease in the rate of fluvial discharge of ¹³⁷Cs from ∼1% in the 1950s and 1960s, when the fallout of ¹³⁷Cs was greatest, to ∼0.15% in the 1990s, when the fallout has become much less. This decrease may be due to progressive infiltration and fixation of ¹³⁷Cs in the soil layers within the watershed.

View all citing articles on Scopus

^∗: Present address: RD No. 1 Box 380, Emporium, PA 15834 U.S.A.

View full text

Article preview

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

Abstract

References (21)

Stream supply of dissolved silver, molybdenum, antimony, selenium, chromium, cobalt, rubidium and cesium to the oceans

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Lead and bromine particle size distributions in the San Francisco Bay area

Atmospheric Environment

The uranium-series radionuclides as tracers of geochemical processes in Long Island Sound

The use of natural Pb-210 as a heavy metal tracer in the river-estuarine system

Minor metal contents of recent organic-rich sediments off South West Africa

Nature

Distribution of ²¹⁰Pb and ²²⁶Ra in soil

U.S. Atomic Energy Report No. UCRL-18140

Studies of heavy metal adsorption by hydrous iron and manganese oxides

Anal. Chem.

Lead-210 and polonium-210 in potable waters in Illinois

The hydraulic geometry of stream channels and some physiographic implications

U.S. Geol. Survey, Prof. Paper 252

The geochemistry of manganese, iron, uranium, lead-210 and major ions in the Susquehanna River

Cited by (58)

Removal of Cu, Pb and Zn by foam fractionation and a soil washing process from contaminated industrial soils using soapberry-derived saponin: A comparative effectiveness assessment

Role of manganese oxides in the exposure of mute swans (Cygnus olor) to Pb and other elements in the Chesapeake Bay, USA

Implications of natural organic matter binding heterogeneity on understanding lead(II) complexation in aquatic systems

<sup>210</sup>Pb, <sup>137</sup>Cs and <sup>239,240</sup>Pu in East china Sea sediments: Sources, pathways and budgets of sediments and radionuclides

Reconstructing the rise of recent coastal anoxia; molybdenum in Chesapeake Bay sediments

Chapter 23 The fate of several radionuclides derived from atmospheric fallout in a river watershed

The use of 210Pb as a heavy metal tracer in the Susquehanna River system

Abstract

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Atmospheric Environment

The uranium-series radionuclides as tracers of geochemical processes in Long Island Sound

The use of natural Pb-210 as a heavy metal tracer in the river-estuarine system

Minor metal contents of recent organic-rich sediments off South West Africa

Nature

Distribution of 210Pb and 226Ra in soil

U.S. Atomic Energy Report No. UCRL-18140

Studies of heavy metal adsorption by hydrous iron and manganese oxides

Anal. Chem.

Lead-210 and polonium-210 in potable waters in Illinois

The hydraulic geometry of stream channels and some physiographic implications

U.S. Geol. Survey, Prof. Paper 252

The geochemistry of manganese, iron, uranium, lead-210 and major ions in the Susquehanna River

The use of ²¹⁰Pb as a heavy metal tracer in the Susquehanna River system

Distribution of ²¹⁰Pb and ²²⁶Ra in soil