Louisiana metals

In America, the sulphur deposits (mostly in Louisiana and Texas) are dome-shaped layers about 30 cm thick, between limestone above and anhydrite below. From these, the sulphur is extracted by the Frasch process. A metal tube, about 15 cm diameter and containing two concentric inner tubes (Figure 10.1) is sunk into the top of the deposit. Water, superheated to 450 K, is forced... 

Ex situ or off-site, regeneration of base metal catalysts is a service offered by several vendors worldwide, including Catalyst Recovery, Inc., of Lafayette, Louisiana, and Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada Catalyst Recovery, Europe of Rodange, Luxembourg Nippon CRI of Miyako, Japan Englehard (formerly Edtrol) of Salt Lake City, Utah Eurecat, U.S., of Pasadena, Texas and Eurecat, SA of La Voulte, Erance (22—28). 

Sulfur is a reactive, nonmetallic element naturally found in nature in a free or combined state. Large deposits of elemental sulfur are found in various parts of the world, with some of the largest being along the coastal plains of Louisiana. In its combined form, sulfur is naturally present in sulfide ores of metals such as iron, zinc, copper, and lead. It is also a constituent of natural gas and refinery gas streams in the form of hydrogen sulfide. Different processes have been developed for obtaining sulfur and sulfuric acid from these three sources. 

Figure 3-14. Catalyst metals content versus catalyst addition rate for 22°API Gravity Feed. (Source Katalystics Regional Technology Seminar, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 15, 1998.)...

Feijtel T.C., Delaune R.D., Patrick Jr. W.H. Biogeochemical control on metal distribution and accumulation in Louisiana sediments. J Environ Qual 1988 17 88-94. 

Finerty MW, Madden JD, Feagley SE, Grodner RM (1990) Effect of environs and seasonality on metal residues in tissues of wild and pond-raised crayfish in southern Louisiana. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 19 94—100... 

Ramelow, G.J., C.L. Webre, C.S. Mueller, J.N. Beck, J.C.Young, and M.P. Langley. 1989. Variations of heavy metals and arsenic in fish and other organisms from the Calcasieu River and Lake, Louisiana. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 18 804-818. 

Sulfur is found in large quantities but in various forms throughout the world. It is found in metal ores such as copper pyrites or chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) and zinc blende (ZnS) and in volcanic regions of the world. Natural gas and oil contain sulfur and its compounds, but the majority of this sulfur is removed as it would cause environmental problems. Sulfur obtained from these sources is known as recovered sulfur and it is an important source of the element. It is also found as elemental sulfur in sulfur beds in Poland, Russia and the US (Louisiana). These sulfur beds are typically 200 m below the ground. Sulfur from these beds is extracted using the Frasch process, named after its inventor Hermann Frasch. 

In a summary of 1975-1979 data on fish tissue from EPA s STORET database, the mean concentration of silver in 221 samples was 0.225 mg/kg (wet weight total fish), with a range of 0.004-1.900 mg/kg (Scowetal. 1981). In Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana (which is likely to receive substantial inputs of metals from municipal and agricultural activities) silver concentrations in clams and American oyster tissues were 0.4-2.4 mg/kg and 5.5 mg/kg (all dry weight), respectively (Byrne and DeLeon 1986). 

Byrne CJ, DeLeon JR. 1986. Trace metal residues in biota and sediments from Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 37 151-158. 

Landrum, K.E. (1994) Accumulation and trace-metal variability of estuarine sediments, Barataria Basin, Louisiana. Transactions of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, XLIV, 365-72. 

The occurrence of sulfur in the form of simple and complex sulfides of the heavy metals has already been discussed. Of greater consequence, however, are the vast underground deposits of nearly pure elemental sulfur found in the Gulf Coast areas of Louisiana and Texas. Less extensive and less pure deposits of elemental sulfur are also found in a number of other countries, principally Sicily, Spain, Chile, Mexico, and Japan. 

Delaune, M.L., Reddy, C.N., and Patrick, W.H. (1981) Accumulation of plant nutrients and heavy metals through sedimentation processes and accretion in a Louisiana salt marsh. Estuaries 4, 328-334. 

Sulphur occurs in native state. It is widely distributed in native constituting about 0.1 per cent of earth s crust. It occurs in combined state worstly as sulphides and sulphates of metals. The biggest sulphur deposits of the world are in Louisiana and Texas (USA). 

USE OF SPECTROCHEMICAL METHODS FOR THE DETERMINATION OF METALS IN FISH AND OTHER SEAFOOD IN LOUISIANA... 

This chapter presents the results of a number of selected studies of elements in various fish and seafood in the Louisiana coastal region. Some results from nearby areas, particularly in the Gulf region and Mississippi delta region, are presented for completeness and comparison. In some cases the studies were performed for toxicological purposes and the prediction of metal concentrations. Some studies also involved organic chemicals and these are included for completeness. 

Trace metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) were determined in fish and sediment samples from Lake Boeuf, Southeastern Louisiana [14]. Lake Boeuf is a popular... 

Field and laboratory studies were conducted to determine the levels of Cd, Pb, and HCBD in various samples collected from a swamp environment in Louisiana and to assess the toxicities of As, Cd, and Hg to two species of aquatic organisms (bluegills and crawfish) indigenous to this swamp [18]. Cadmium and Pb were present in almost all collected samples. Their concentrations in fish were below the action levels set by EPA for the protection of human health. However, hazardous levels of these two elements were found in samples of crawfish, vegetation, soil, sediment, and water to some extent. Low levels of HCBD were recorded in water and sediment samples. In bioassay studies, Hg was found to be the most toxic metal, while As was the least toxic. Between the two test organisms, blue-gills appeared to be more sensitive than crawfish. Mixtures of Cd with As or Hg resulted in a combined toxic effect which was simply additive. However, a synergistic effect was recorded with the mixtures of As and Hg. 

Two commercially important species of Louisiana crayfish, Procambarus clarkii and P. acutus, from the Atchafalaya River Basin, from open ponds, and from the sediment and water of these environments, were sampled three times during two consecutive fishing (production) seasons [19]. The abdominal muscle and hepatopancreatic tissue were analyzed separately. Lead, Hg, and Cd, if present, were in concentrations below the limit of detection (LoD). The heptato-pancreatic tissue contained (in p,gkg 1) Ba<8, Cu 11-15, and Fe < 640. Abdominal muscle samples had <3 p,gkg 1 of most metals. Locations with the highest levels of metal residues in sediment were not necessarily locations where crayfish had the highest levels in their tissues. 

The edible parts of several species of fish and other marine organisms inhabiting the Calcasieu River/Lake, in Southwest Louisiana, were determined for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ag, and Zn [20], Concentrations of all elements measured in both intra and interspecies showed no significant variation with sample location. Differences in metal concentrations were related to organism mobility and not to site-specific variations in metal loadings. Different species of finfish contained only trace amounts (in p,g kg-1) of Ag (<0.01-0.3), As (<0.1-0.3), Cd (0.02-0.08), and Pb (<0.2-0.5). 

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