Arsenic in the ecosystem

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1970 · Int. Air Pollut. Conf; (United States)

OSTI ID:6452594

Wullstein, L H; Snyder, K

This study was conducted to determine the apparent effects of arsenic on rates of mineralization in soil. Soil samples were taken from Black Rock Canyon which has been subjected to pollution from Kennecott Copper Corporation smelter. These samples contained up to 245 ppM arsenic. Control soil samples were taken from the Stansbury Mountains which contained 10 ppM arsenic. Mineralization studies were conducted by adding a constant amount of peptone to soil samples from each site and comparing the rates of ammonification, nitrosofication, and nitrification. Then, concentrations of 50 ppM, 150 ppM and 250 ppM arsenic were added to the Standbury samples and similar mineralization rates were determined. These rates then were compared to the Black Rock Canyon soil samples. Ammonification rates of the Black Rock Canyon and Stansbury samples amended with both peoptone and arsenic were similar. The Black Rock Canyon samples amended with peptone retained about twice the concentration of ammonium as the peptone amended Stansbury samples. The observed effect was attributed to the inhibition of ammonium oxidation in the presence of the added arsenic. Nitrosofication rates in the Black Rock Canyon samples were reduced compared to those of the Stansbury samples. The Stansbury samples treated with arsenic did not show a reduction in the rate of nitrosofication. Generally little nitrite oxidation occurred in the presence of arsenic. Nitrification rates of the Black Rock Canyon samples were much reduced compared to the Stansbury samples. Nitrate accumulation in the Stansbury samples amended with arsenic was 33% to 84% less than that accumulated in the absence of arsenic. 24 references, 13 figures, 3 tables.

• OSTI ID: 6452594
• Journal Information: Int. Air Pollut. Conf; (United States), Journal Name: Int. Air Pollut. Conf; (United States)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
ARSENIC
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
LAND POLLUTION
MINERALIZATION
NITRATES
NITRIFICATION
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PEPTONE
POLLUTION
PROTEINS
SEMIMETALS
SMELTERS
SOILS