Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 6801-6813 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Geochimica et cosmochimica acta |
| Volume | 74 |
| Issue number | 23 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
Copper and Zn metals are produced in large quantities for different applications. During Cu production, large amounts of Cu and Zn can be released to the environment. Therefore, the surroundings of Cu smelters are frequently metal-polluted. We determined Cu and Zn concentrations and Cu and Zn stable isotope ratios (δ65Cu, δ66Zn) in three soils at distances of 1.1, 3.8, and 5.3km from a Slovak Cu smelter and in smelter wastes (slag, sludge, ash) to trace sources and transport of Cu and Zn in soils. Stable isotope ratios were measured by multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) in total digests. Soils were heavily contaminated with concentrations up to 8087μgg-1 Cu and 2084μgg-1 Zn in the organic horizons. The δ65Cu values varied little (-0.12‰ to 0.36‰) in soils and most wastes and therefore no source identification was possible. In soils, Cu became isotopically lighter with increasing depth down to 0.4m, likely because of equilibrium reactions between dissolved and adsorbed Cu species during transport of smelter-derived Cu through the soil. The δ66ZnIRMM values were isotopically lighter in ash (-0.41‰) and organic horizons (-0.85‰ to -0.47‰) than in bedrock (-0.28‰) and slag (0.18‰) likely mainly because of kinetic fractionation during evaporation and thus allowed for separation of smelter-Zn from native Zn in soil. In particular in the organic horizons large variations in δ66Zn values occur, probably caused by biogeochemical fractionation in the soil-plant system. In the mineral horizons, Zn isotopes showed only minor shifts to heavier δ66Zn values with depth mainly because of the mixing of smelter-derived Zn and native Zn in the soils. In contrast to Cu, Zn isotope fractionation between dissolved and adsorbed species was probably only a minor driver in producing the observed variations in δ66Zn values. Our results demonstrate that metal stable isotope ratios may serve as tracer of sources, vertical dislocation, and biogeochemical behavior in contaminated soil.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
- Geochemistry and Petrology
Cite this
- Standard
- Harvard
- Apa
- Vancouver
- BibTeX
- RIS
In: Geochimica et cosmochimica acta, Vol. 74, No. 23, 01.12.2010, p. 6801-6813.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Stable Cu and Zn isotope ratios as tracers of sources and transport of Cu and Zn in contaminated soil
AU - Bigalke, Moritz
AU - Weyer, Stefan
AU - Kobza, Jozef
AU - Wilcke, Wolfgang
N1 - Funding information: We thank the Earth System Science Research Center (“Geocycles”) of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz for funding, Christian Guschker for soil sampling and determination of standard soil properties and Sylvia Bondzio, Michael Kersten, and Dieter Mertz for various support. We particularly thank Katarina Orságová for her support in reconstructing the history of Cu production in Krompachy and in obtaining the waste samples. We thank the staff of the Cu smelter at Krompachy for their cooperation. We also thank the associate editor Dr. Derek Vance and three anonymous reviewers for helpful and constructive comments and questions.
PY - 2010/12/1
Y1 - 2010/12/1
N2 - Copper and Zn metals are produced in large quantities for different applications. During Cu production, large amounts of Cu and Zn can be released to the environment. Therefore, the surroundings of Cu smelters are frequently metal-polluted. We determined Cu and Zn concentrations and Cu and Zn stable isotope ratios (δ65Cu, δ66Zn) in three soils at distances of 1.1, 3.8, and 5.3km from a Slovak Cu smelter and in smelter wastes (slag, sludge, ash) to trace sources and transport of Cu and Zn in soils. Stable isotope ratios were measured by multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) in total digests. Soils were heavily contaminated with concentrations up to 8087μgg-1 Cu and 2084μgg-1 Zn in the organic horizons. The δ65Cu values varied little (-0.12‰ to 0.36‰) in soils and most wastes and therefore no source identification was possible. In soils, Cu became isotopically lighter with increasing depth down to 0.4m, likely because of equilibrium reactions between dissolved and adsorbed Cu species during transport of smelter-derived Cu through the soil. The δ66ZnIRMM values were isotopically lighter in ash (-0.41‰) and organic horizons (-0.85‰ to -0.47‰) than in bedrock (-0.28‰) and slag (0.18‰) likely mainly because of kinetic fractionation during evaporation and thus allowed for separation of smelter-Zn from native Zn in soil. In particular in the organic horizons large variations in δ66Zn values occur, probably caused by biogeochemical fractionation in the soil-plant system. In the mineral horizons, Zn isotopes showed only minor shifts to heavier δ66Zn values with depth mainly because of the mixing of smelter-derived Zn and native Zn in the soils. In contrast to Cu, Zn isotope fractionation between dissolved and adsorbed species was probably only a minor driver in producing the observed variations in δ66Zn values. Our results demonstrate that metal stable isotope ratios may serve as tracer of sources, vertical dislocation, and biogeochemical behavior in contaminated soil.
AB - Copper and Zn metals are produced in large quantities for different applications. During Cu production, large amounts of Cu and Zn can be released to the environment. Therefore, the surroundings of Cu smelters are frequently metal-polluted. We determined Cu and Zn concentrations and Cu and Zn stable isotope ratios (δ65Cu, δ66Zn) in three soils at distances of 1.1, 3.8, and 5.3km from a Slovak Cu smelter and in smelter wastes (slag, sludge, ash) to trace sources and transport of Cu and Zn in soils. Stable isotope ratios were measured by multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) in total digests. Soils were heavily contaminated with concentrations up to 8087μgg-1 Cu and 2084μgg-1 Zn in the organic horizons. The δ65Cu values varied little (-0.12‰ to 0.36‰) in soils and most wastes and therefore no source identification was possible. In soils, Cu became isotopically lighter with increasing depth down to 0.4m, likely because of equilibrium reactions between dissolved and adsorbed Cu species during transport of smelter-derived Cu through the soil. The δ66ZnIRMM values were isotopically lighter in ash (-0.41‰) and organic horizons (-0.85‰ to -0.47‰) than in bedrock (-0.28‰) and slag (0.18‰) likely mainly because of kinetic fractionation during evaporation and thus allowed for separation of smelter-Zn from native Zn in soil. In particular in the organic horizons large variations in δ66Zn values occur, probably caused by biogeochemical fractionation in the soil-plant system. In the mineral horizons, Zn isotopes showed only minor shifts to heavier δ66Zn values with depth mainly because of the mixing of smelter-derived Zn and native Zn in the soils. In contrast to Cu, Zn isotope fractionation between dissolved and adsorbed species was probably only a minor driver in producing the observed variations in δ66Zn values. Our results demonstrate that metal stable isotope ratios may serve as tracer of sources, vertical dislocation, and biogeochemical behavior in contaminated soil.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78049404475&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.gca.2010.08.044
DO - 10.1016/j.gca.2010.08.044
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:78049404475
VL - 74
SP - 6801
EP - 6813
JO - Geochimica et cosmochimica acta
JF - Geochimica et cosmochimica acta
SN - 0016-7037
IS - 23
ER -