Method for the speciation of aluminum in acidic streams
One of the impacts of acid rain falling on acid soils is the generation of high aluminum concentrations in the upper reaches of pristine mountain streams. The combination of high aluminum concentrations and lowered pH during times times of high flow is speculated by many fisheries biologists to be responsible for the decline of fish populations in these streams. In addition, this increased concern over the aquatic toxicity of aluminum has stimulated interest in the speciation of aluminum in the natural environmental. The toxicity of a metal depends greatly on its species or chemical state. The purpose of this research was to develop a practical method for speciating aluminum in those pristine streams impacted by acid rain. Aluminum has a complex chemistry involving interaction with both inorganic and organic constituents. Laboratory experiments using a chelating resin, Chelex-100, with synthetic solutions were used as the basis for speciating aluminum. The speciation procedure was applied to unfiltered samples collected from Linn Run Creek, a mildly acidic mountain stream in southwestern Pennsylvania. The results show that in upstream samples, where pH was low, rapidly exchangeable aluminum species dominated, while in the downstream samples, where pH was higher, the moderately fast exchangeable, slowly exchangeable, and inert aluminum species dominated. The laboratory experiments suggest the decline of the rapidly exchangeable fraction to be due to complexation of aluminum with humic substances. In addition, particulate aluminum was determined determined during all speciation assays.
- Research Organization:
- Pittsburgh Univ., PA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6793904
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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