sup 210 Po and sup 210 Pb remobilization from lake sediments in relation to iron and manganese cycling

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Environmental Science and Technology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00078a010· OSTI ID:5394715

Benoit, G; Hemond, H F ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge (USA)

The behavior of {sup 210}Po and {sup 210}Pb was studied in the water column of an oligotrophic, dimictic lake. Direct uptake of the radionuclides by sediments was negligible compared to removal on particles, and {sup 210}Pb scavenging was 4 times that of {sup 210}Po. Both nuclides were found to be significantly remobilized from sediments into the stratified, anoxic water column. Releases seem to be linked to the cycling of the transition metals, iron and possibly manganese. The distribution of both iron and {sup 210}Pb in stratified, anoxic waters can be modeled as constant release and rapid horizontal mixing/dilution; vertical turbulent transport had a negligible effect on element distributions. Upon contact with oxygen, iron rapidly reprecipitates, forming a particulate maximum and rescavenging {sup 210}Pb. Unlike {sup 210}Pb, much {sup 210}Po is released from sediments before overlying water becomes completely anoxic, leading to unsupported {sup 210}Po. {sup 210}Po cycling in the stratified water column is more complex than that of {sup 210}Pb, and additional removal mechanism(s) may be active, including perhaps oxidation of soluble Po(II) to insoluble Po(IV).

• OSTI ID: 5394715
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology; (United States), Vol. 24:8; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
LEAD 210
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
POLONIUM 210
GEOCHEMISTRY
IRON
LAKES
MANGANESE
METALS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SEDIMENTS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMISTRY
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LEAD ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
NANOSEC LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540330 - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)