Elemental Pollutants

A few of the heavy metals are among the most harmful of the elemental pollutants and are of particular concern because of their toxicities to humans. These elements are, in general, the transition metals and some of the representative elements, such as lead and tin, in the lower right-hand corner of the periodic table. Heavy metals include essential elements like iron and toxic metals like cadmium and mercury. Most of them have a tremendous affinity for sulfur and disrupt enzyme function by forming bonds with sulfur groups in enzymes. Protein carboxylic acid (-CO2H) and 

Trace elements Health, aquatic biota, toxicity 

Acidity, alkalinity, salinity (in excess) Water quality, aquatic life 

Sewage, human and animal wastes Water quality, oxygen levels 

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TRACE ELEMENT POLLUTION IN ARID ZONE SOILS... 

Andrews, S.M., M.S. Johnson, and J.A. Cooke. 1989. Distribution of trace element pollutants in a contaminated grassland ecosystem established on metalliferous fluorspar tailings. 2 zinc. Environ. Pollut. 59A 241-252. 

Landsberger S, Jervis RE, Kajrys G, et al. 1983. Characterization of trace elemental pollutants in urban snow using proton induced x-ray emission and instrumental neutron activation analysis. Int J Environ Anal Chem 16 95-130. 

The value of INAA for monitoring trace element pollutants resides in several demonstrated facts the method adapts to a large variety of sample matrices with only small changes in techniques it provides reasonably accurate data on a large number of elements and work properly planned and executed need not absorb a large amount of highly skilled manpower. 

There are several factors which make neutron activation analysis (NAA) an appropriate technique for investigating potential pollutants in coal and the combustion process. First, the multi-element nature of NAA is useful because of the large number of potential elemental pollutants, such as Se, Hg, As, Zn, Ni, Sb, and Cd. Also, the use of elemental ratios made possible by the multi-element capability facilitates the understanding of chemical behavior during the combustion process. Elemental ratios have been used previously in urban (15) and upper atmospheric (26) studies. Secondly, the sensitivity and selectivity of NAA allows determination of many elements present at very low concentrations (ppm or lower), and the results are unaffected by matrix interferences. This sensitivity also allows analysis of very small samples. Finally, the cost of NAA when conducted as a multi-element analytical tool is competitive with more conventional and less sensitive techniques on the cost-per-element-per-sample basis. 

The hazard of coal-related trace element pollution must be considered in conjunction with similar pollution from other sources. There is nothing toxicologically unique about the trace element composition of coal. It is geochemically similar to the makeup of the earths crust... 

Identifying the physical and chemical form of a trace element pollutant at the time of body penetration is probably the single most important prerequisite for meaningful biological testing. It is known, for example, that elemental arsenic (13) and beryllium (46) are nontoxic... 

Stable aerosols of fine particulates as well as vapors constitute the greatest health risk because of the likelihood of pulmonary absorption. Correlations between trace element pollution and their concentrations in biological fluids or tissue are not uncommon and have been documented for arsenic (62) and lead (63). Man can absorb 75-85% of inhaled mercury vapor at concentrations of 50-350 pg/M3 (64) and even more at lower concentrations (65). Certain aerosols like vanadium, iron, manganese, and lead may contribute to the formation of secondary atmospheric pollutants (52, 66). 

Aucamp, P. (2003) Trace-element pollution of soils by abandoned goldmine tailings near Potchefstroom, South Africa. Bulletin -Council for Geoscience of South Africa, 130, 69. 

Sampling methodologies for very low level elemental pollutants such as tin continue to pose problems, including nonrepresentative samples, insufficient sample volumes, contamination, and labor- intensive, tedious extraction, and purification procedures (Green and LePape 1987). 

McGrath, D., 1995. Organic micropollutant and trace element pollution of Irish soils. Sci. Total Environ. 164, 125-133. 

Meagher, R.B. and Heaton, A.C.P. 2005. Strategies for the engineered phytoremediation of toxic element pollution Mercury and arsenic. Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, 32(11-12) 502-13. 

Wetterhahn was studying the effects that heavy metals (mercury, chromium, lead, and arsenic) have on living things. She was concerned about how these elements pollute the environment and cause disease in people. 

P. Ostapczuk, M. Burow, K. May, C. Mohl, M. Froning, B. Sussenback, E. Waidmann, H. Emons, Mussels and algae as bioindicators for long-term tendencies of element pollution in marine ecosystems, Chemosphere, 34 (1997), 2049-2058. 

Environmental transfer of fluoride and other elemental pollutants. 

Figure 9.8. Biological and chemical transformations of arsenic in the soil. Broken arrows denote the loss of volatile forms of As to the atmosphere or the air-filled pores of the soi. (Modified from B. E. Davies. 1980. Trace element pollution. In B. E. Davies (ed.). Applied Soil Trace Elements. New York Wiley.)...

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