Distribution and mobility of selenium and other trace elements in shallow ground water of the western San Joaquin Valley, California

Book · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6701431

Deverel, S J; Millard, S P

Samples of shallow groundwater that underlies much of the irrigated area in the western San Joaquin Valley of California were analyzed for various major ions and trace elements, including selenium. Concentrations of the major ions generally were similar for groundwater collected in the two primary geologic zones - the alluvial fan and basin trough. Most of the variance in concentrations of major ions, as determined by principal components analysis, was associated with groundwater salinity and the dominant ions - magnesium, sodium, sulfate, and chloride. Most of the variance in trace elements was associated with concentrations of boron, molybdenum, selenium, and vanadium, which are present as mobile oxyanions. The concentrations of oxyanions trace elements were significantly correlated with groundwater salinity, but the correlations between selenium and salinity and molybdenum and salinity were significantly difference in the alluvial fan geologic zone compared with the basin-trough geologic zone. In addition, selenium concentrations are significant higher in the groundwater of the alluvial fan zone than in the basin-trough zone. The Evidence suggests that the main factors influencing selenium concentrations in the shallow groundwater are the degree of groundwater salinity and geologic source of the alluvial soil material. 31 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6701431
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BORON
CALIFORNIA
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CONTAMINATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION IX
GROUND WATER
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MAGNESIUM
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
MOLYBDENUM
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
POLLUTION
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SODIUM
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRACE AMOUNTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
VANADIUM
WATER
WATER POLLUTION