Export of arsenic from forested catchments under easing atmospheric pollution

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Environmental Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es800467j· OSTI ID:21107747

Erbanova, Lucie; Novak, Martin; Fottova, Daniela; Dousova, Barbora ^[1]

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1. Czech Geological Survey, Prague (Czech Republic)

Massive lignite burning in Central European power plants peaked in the 1980s. Dissolved arsenic in runoff from upland forest ecosystems is one of the ecotoxicological risks resulting from power plant emissions. Maxima in As concentrations in runoff from four forest catchments have increased 2-5 times between 1995 and 2006, and approach the drinking water limit (10 {mu}g L{sup -1}). To assess the fate of anthropogenic As, we constructed input/output mass balances for three polluted and one relatively unpolluted forest catchment in the Czech Republic, and evaluated the pool size of soil As. The observation period was 11 years, and the sites spanned a 6-fold As pollution gradient. Two of the polluted sites exhibit large net As export via runoff solutes (mean of 4-5 g As ha{sup -1} yr{sup -1} for the 11-year period; up to 28 g As ha{sup -1} yr{sup -1} in 2005). This contrasts with previous studies which concluded that forest catchments are a net sink for atmogenic arsenic both at times of increasing and decreasing pollution. The amount of exported As is not correlated with the total As soil pool size, which is over 78% geogenic in origin, but correlates closely with water fluxes via runoff. Net arsenic release is caused by an interplay of hydrological conditions and retreating acidification which may mobilize arsenic by competitive ligand exchange. The effects of droughts and other aspects of climate change on subsequent As release from soil were not investigated. Between-site comparisons indicate that most pollutant As may be released from humus. 24 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 21107747
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 42, Issue 19; Other Information: [e-mail]; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ARSENIC
FORESTS
CZECH REPUBLIC
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
RUNOFF
MASS BALANCE
ANNUAL VARIATIONS
HYDROLOGY
ACIDIFICATION
WATER POLLUTION
SPRUCES
COAL
LIGNITE
PUBLIC LANDS
NATURE RESERVES
SOILS
WATERSHEDS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION