A global biogeochemical mass balance model for vanadium
Conference
·
OSTI ID:382715
Vanadium is a major trace metal in fossil fuels and combustion of these materials provides a significant source of vanadium in the environment. Close correlation exists between atmospheric vanadium concentration and fuel consumption, so that atmospheric vanadium pentoxide has been used as an indicator of human industrial activity. Little vanadium is retained in refined oil products, and vanadium contamination occurs as fallout from refining operations and burning of residual oils. This is the major cause for the approximate doubling of the environmental flux of vanadium as a result of human activity; other sources are products of coal combustion, leachates, and effluents from mining and milling of uranium and titanium. It was estimated in 1975 that the injection of vanadium into the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources equaled the input from natural sources. Such evidence that environmental levels of vanadium are increasing has raised concern over the injection of vanadium into the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources. A simple global mass balance model was developed to demonstrate the influence of anthropogenic vanadium on the global distribution of this trace metal. Vanadium in particulate emissions owing to man`s industrial activities were estimated to comprise {approx} 53% of total atmosphere vanadium loading and exceeded natural continental or volcanogenic dust by only a narrow margin. Oceanic deposition of vanadium adhering to anthropogenic particles was estimated to comprise {approx} 5% of total ocean vanadium loading. There is no suggestion that these inputs of anthropogenic vanadium pose a significant global environmental threat. It is entirely possible, however, that anthropogenic vanadium inputs could pose an environmental hazard given a more restricted area and a specific set of unfavorable circumstances.
- OSTI ID:
- 382715
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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