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Title: Quantifying Cr(VI) Production and Export from Serpentine Soil of the California Coast Range

Journal Article · · Environmental Science and Technology

Here, hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is generated in serpentine soils and exported to surface and groundwaters at levels above health-based drinking water standards. Although Cr(VI) concentrations are elevated in serpentine soil pore water, few studies have reported field evidence documenting Cr(VI) production rates and fluxes that govern Cr(VI) transport from soil to water sources. We report Cr speciation (i) in four serpentine soil depth profiles derived from the California Coast Range serpentinite belt and (ii) in local surface waters. Within soils, we detected Cr(VI) in the same horizons where Cr(III)-minerals are colocated with biogenic Mn(III/IV)-oxides, suggesting Cr(VI) generation through oxidation by Mn-oxides. Water-extractable Cr(VI) concentrations increase with depth constituting a 7.8 to 12 kg/km2 reservoir of Cr(VI) in soil. Here, Cr(VI) is produced at a rate of 0.3 to 4.8 kg Cr(VI)/km2/yr and subsequently flushed from soil during water infiltration, exporting 0.01 to 3.9 kg Cr(VI)/km2/yr at concentrations ranging from 25 to 172 μg/L. Although soil-derived Cr(VI) is leached from soil at concentrations exceeding 10 μg/L, due to reduction and dilution during transport to streams, Cr(VI) levels measured in local surface waters largely remain below California’s drinking water limit.

Research Organization:
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
EAR-1254156; DGE-114747; AC02-76SF00515
OSTI ID:
1361123
Journal Information:
Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 51, Issue 1; ISSN 0013-936X
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 49 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (3)

Governing Constraints of Chromium(VI) Formation from Chromium(III)-Bearing Minerals in Soils and Sediments journal November 2019
Distribution, Ecological Risk Assessment, and Source Identification of Heavy Metals in River Sediments from Hai River and Its Tributaries, Tianjin, China journal January 2020
Preparation of Hollow Polyaniline Micro/Nanospheres and Their Removal Capacity of Cr (VI) from Wastewater journal December 2018

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