Trace elements in groundwater

To complete the series of groundwater reference materials (see section 8.5), a separate project has been carried out, focusing on a range of trace elements and bromide in natural groundwater samples. In natural groundwaters, in addition to the relatively low concentrations of trace elements, the dissolved organic matter (DOM) is usually much 

The techniques used in the interlaboratory study were basically the same as the ones applied for certification. The results obtained are summarised in Table 8.14. Some 

Possible problems of interferences in ICP-MS were highlighted as well as the need to carry out a preconcentration step. Spectral interferences may occur for copper, leading to high results caused by spectral overlap from unidentified polyatomic species at mass 65. The existence of this species in natural samples was stressed in the certification of an estuarine water reference material by a mass spectrum obtained by high resolution ICPMS, although its exact composition could not be determined. 

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Iwata, H., Agusa, T., Inoue, S., Kubota, R., Minh, N.H., Minh, T.B., Tu, N.P.C., Kajiwara, N., Kunisue, T., Subramanian, A., Tanabe, S., Viet, P.H., Tuyen, B.C., 2004. Contamination of trace elements in groundwater and persistent organochlorines in sediment from Mekong Delta, South Vietnam. In Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Development of Water Resource Management System in Mekong Watershed, Hanoi, Vietnam, December 3 1, 2004. pp. 25-31. 

Figure 8.13 Cumulative percentages of some major and trace elements in groundwaters. Number of analyses 13,000 to 18,000 for major elements 750 to 8,000 for trace elements. Figure plotted by A. Rose using data in U.S. Geological Survey data bank. From A. W. Rose, H. E. Hawkes, and J. S. Webb. Geochemistry in mineral exploration, 2d ed. Copyright 1979. Used by permission.

Nicolli, H.B., Bundschuh, J., Blanco, M. del C., Tujehneider, O.C., Panarello, H.O., Dapena, C. Rusansky, H.E. (2012) Arsenic and associated trace-elements in groundwater from the Chaco-Pampean plain, Argentina results from 100 years of research. Science of the Total Environment, 429, 36-56. 

Ramos Ramos, O.E., Caceres, L.F., Ormachea Muniioz, M.R., Bhattacharya, R, Quino, I., Quintanilla, J., Sracek, O., Thunvik, R, Bundschuh, J. Garcia, M.E. (2012) Sources and behavior of arsenic and trace elements in groundwater and surface water in the Poopo Lake Basin, Bolivian Altiplano. Environmental Earth Sciences, 66 (3), 793-807. 

Allard B. Groundwater. In Trace Elements in Natural Waters, B. Salbu, E. Steinnes, eds. Boca Raton, FL CRC Press, 1995. 

Daniele, L. (2004) Distribution of arsenic and other minor trace elements in the groundwater of Ischia Island (southern Italy). Environmental Geology, 46(1), 96-103. 

Nicolli, H.B., Suriano, J.M., Gomez Peral, M.A. et al. (1989) Groundwater contamination with arsenic and other trace elements in an area of the Pampa, province of Cordoba, Argentina. Environmental Geology and Water Sciences, 14( 1), 3-16. 

Bundschuh, J., Bonorino, G., Viero, A.P., Albouy, R., and Fuertes, A. (2000). Arsenic and other trace elements in sedimentary aquifers in the Chaco-Pampean Plain, Argentina Origin, distribution, speciation, social and economic consequences. In Bhattacharya, P., Welch, A.H. (Eds.), Arsenic in Groundwater of Sedimentary Aquifers, Pre-Congress Workshop, 31st Internal. Geol. Cong., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, pp. 27-32. 

Edmunds W. M., Kay R. L. F., Miles D. L., and Cook J. M. (1987) The origin of saline groundwaters in the Carnmenellis granite, Cornwall (UK) further evidence from minor and trace elements. In Saline Water and Gases in Crystalline Rocks. Special Paper 33 (eds. P. Fritz and S. K. Frape). Geological Association of Canada, Memorial University, Newfoundland, pp. 127-143. 

Aiuppa, A., Dongarra, G., Capasso, G., and Allard, P., 2000, Trace elements in the thermal groundwaters of Vulcano Island (Sicily) Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 98, p. 189-207. 

Deverel SJ, Millard SP. 1988. Distribution and mobility of selenium and other trace elements in shallow groundwater of the western San Joaquin Valley, California. Environ Sci Technol 22 697-702. 

Frengstad B, Kjersti A, Skrede M, Banks D, Krog JR, Siewers U (2000) The geochemistry of Norwegian groundwaters III. The distribution of trace elements in 4766 crystalline bedrock groundwaters, as analysed by ICPMS techniques. Sci Total Environ 264 21-40... 

Gaillardet, J., Viers, J., Dupre, B., 2005. Trace elements in river water. In Drever, J.I. (Ed.), Surface and Groundwater, Weathering, and Sods. Elsevier, Amsterdam. 

The most recent development in sophisticated geochemical indicators of mineralization is Langmuir s saturation index (ST). The method yields a measure of the stability of uraniumbearing and associated minerals based on pH, Eh and major and trace elements in the groundwater. Positive SI values for uraninite or coffinite arc. . . strong indicators of the nearby presence of ore, as are positive SI values for the reduced phases of As, Mo, and Se. Regional trends in uraninite or coffinite SI values may exist, and should help locate possible ore zones even if no samples are close enough to the ore to show positive SI values for these phases. ... 

B.C.Arends, H.A.van der Sloot and W.van Duyvenboodea 1987. Influence of acidification on the concentration of less common trace elements in Dutch groundwater. In Vulnerability of soil and groundwater to pollutants.Eds. W van Duijvenbooden and H.G.van Waegeningh. Netherlands Organization for applied scientific research, Delft, 527-534. 

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