Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Modeling the Concentration of Aluminum in Surface Waters

  • Published:
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although the increased mobilization of aluminum from soils to surface waters is widely recognized as one of the most important ecological effects of acidic deposition, lumped-parameter mathematical models of acidification response typically overestimate the change in Al concentration under changing deposition by a considerable margin. The assumption of equilibrium with gibbsite (Al(OH)3) in the MAGIC model and other models of acid-base chemistry is shown to be inconsistent with measured values for a large variety of lake and stream databases. A modified algorithm for predicting Al concentration, based on empirical relationships evident in field data, provided superior estimates of changes in Al concentration in three long-term monitoring data sets and under experimental conditions at two experimental watershed manipulation sites.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Berggren, D.: 1992, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 63, 125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christophersen, N., Neal, C., Hooper, R. P., Vogt, R. D. and Andersen, S.: 1990, J. Hydrol. 117: 307–320.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christophersen, N., Seip, H. M. and Wright, R. F.: 1982, Water Resour. Res. 18, 977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cosby, B. J., Norton, S. A. and Kahl, J. S.: 1996, Sci. Tot. Environ. 183, 49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cosby, B. J., Wright, R. F. and Gjessing, E.: 1995, J. Hydrol. 170, 101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cosby, B. J., Hornberger, G. M., Galloway, J. N. and Wright, R. F.: 1985, Water Resour. Res. 18, 51–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cronan, C. S. and Schofield, C. L.: 1979, Science 240, 304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cronan, C. S., Walker, W. J. and Bloom, P. R.: 1986, Nature 324, 140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahlgren, R. A., Driscoll, and McAvoy, C. T.: 1989, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 53, 1045.

    Google Scholar 

  • David, M. B. and Driscoll, C. T.: 1984, Geoderma 33, 297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickson, W. T.: 1978, Verh. Intern. Verein. Limnol. 20, 851–856.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T.: 1984, Inter. J. Environ. Anal. Chem. 16, 267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T, and Bisogni, J. J.: 1984, ‘Week Acid/base Systems in Dilute Acidified Lakes and Streams of the Adirondack Region of New York State’, in J. L. Schnoor, (ed.), Modeling of Total Acid Precipitation, Butterworth Publishers, Boston, pp. 53–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T. and Newton, R. M.: 1985, Environ. Sci. Technol. 19, 1018.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T. and Dreason, R.: 1993, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 67, 319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T., Lehtinen, M. D. and Sullivan, T. J.: 1994, Water Resour. Res. 30, 297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driscoll, C. T., Baker, J. P., Bisogni, J. J. and Schofield, C. L.: 1980, Nature 284, 161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gherini, S. A., Mok, L., Hudson, R. J., Davis, G. F., Chen, C. W. and Goldstein, R. A.: 1985, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 26, 425.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henriksen, A., Lien, L., Truaen, T. S., Sevaldrud, I. S. and Brakke, D. F.: 1988, Ambio 17, 259.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herlihy, A. T., Landers, D. H., Cusimano, R. F., Overton, W. S., Wigington, P. J. Jr., Pollack, A. K. and Mitchell-Hall, T. E.: 1991, Temporal Variability in Lakewater Chemistry in the Northeastern United States: Results of Phase II of the Eastern Lake Survey. EPA/600/391/012. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Corvallis, OR.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hooper, R. P. and Shoemaker, C. A.: 1985, Science 229, 463.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, N. M., Driscoll, C. T., Eaton, J. S., Likens, G. E. and McDowell, W. H.: 1981, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 45, 1421.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufmann, P. R., Herlihy, A. T., Elwood, J.W., Mitch, M. E., Overton, W. S., Sale, M. J., Messer, J. J., Cougar, K. A., Peck, D. V., Rechhow, K. H., Kinney, A. J., Christie, S. J., Brown, D. D., Hagley, C. A. and Jager, H. I.: 1988, Chemical Characteristics of Streams in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. Volume I: Population Descriptions and Physico-Chemical Relationships. EPA/600/388/021a. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lind, C. J. and Hem, J. D.: 1975, Effects of Organic Solutes on Chemical Reactions of Aluminum, U.S. Geological Survey Water Supply Paper 1827G.

  • Mason, J. and Seip, H. M.: 1985, Ambio 14, 45.

    Google Scholar 

  • May, H. M., Helmke, P. A. and Jackson, M. L.: 1979, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 43, 861.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulder, J. and Stein, A.: 1994, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 58, 85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulder, J., van Breenen, N., Rasmussen, L. and Driscoll, C.T.: 1989a, ‘Aluminum Chemistry of Acidic Sandy Soils with Various Inputs of Acidic Deposition in the Netherlands and in Denmark’, in T. E. Lewis (ed.), Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology of Aluminum, American Chemical Society. pp. 171–194.

  • Mulder, J., van Breemen, and Eijck, H. C.: 1989b, Nature 337, 247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muniz, I. P. and Leivestad, H.: 1980, ‘Acidification Effects on Freshwater Fish’, in D. Drabløs and A. Tollan, (eds.) Ecological Impact of Acid Precipitation, Proceedings International Conference Sandefjord, Norway, SNSFproject, Oslo, Norway, pp. 84–92.

  • NAPAP: 1991, National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program 1990 Integrated Assessment Report. National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, Washington, DC. 520 pp.

  • Neal, C. and Christophersen, N.: 1989, Sci. Total Environ. 80, 195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neal, C., Mulder, J., Christophersen, N., Neal, M., Waters, D., Ferrier, R. C., Harriman, R. and McMahon, R.: 1990a, J. Hydrol. 116, 11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neal, C., Reynolds, B., Stevens, P. A., Hornung, M. and Brown, S. J.: 1990b, ‘II. Dissolved Inorganic Aluminum in Acidic Stream and Soil Waters in Wales’ in Edwards, R. W. (ed.). Acid Waters in Wales, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. pp. 173–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neal, C., Musgrove, T. and Whitehead, P. G.: 1989a, Sci. Total Environ. 80, 205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neal, C., Reynolds, B., Stevens, P. and Hornung, M.: 1989b, J. Hydrol. 106, 155.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neal, C., Skeffington, R. A., Williams, R. and Roberts, D. J.: 1987, Earth and Planetary Sci. Ltrs. 86, 105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norton, S. A., Kahl, J. S., Fernandez, I. J., Schofield, J. P., Rustad, L. E., Haines, T. A. and Lee, J.: 1993, ‘The Watershed Manipulation Project: Two-Year Results at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine(BBWM)’, in L. Rasmussen, T. Brydges, and O. Mathy (eds.), Experimental Manipulations of Biota and Biogeochemical Cycling in Ecosystems, ECSC.EEC.EAEC, Brussels, pp. 55–63.

  • Norton, S. A., Henriksen, A., Wathne, B.M. and Weidal, A.: 1987, ‘Aluminum Dynamics in response to Experimental Additions of Acid to a Small Norwegian Stream’ in: Proceedings of UNESCO-IHP Symposium Acidification and Water Pathways, Vol. I, Bolkesjo, Norway, pp. 249–258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schecher, W. D. and Driscoll, C. T.: 1994, ALCHEMI: ‘A Chemical EquilibriumModel to Assess the Acid-Base Chemistry and Specition of Aluminum in Dilute Solutions’, in Loeppert, R., Schab, A. P. and Goldberg, S. (eds.), Chemical Equilibrium and Reaction Models, Soil Sci. Soc. Am., Madison, WI.

  • Schecher, W. and Driscoll, C. T.: 1987, Water Resour. Res. 23, 525.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnitzer, M. and Skinner, S. I. M.: 1963, Soil Sci. 96, 181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seip, H. M.: 1980, ‘Acidification of Freshwater — Sources and Mechanisms’, in D. Drabløs and A. Tollan, (ed.), Ecological Impact of Acid Precipitation, Proceedings of an International Conference. SNSF Project. Sandefjord, Norway, Oslo, Norway, pp. 358–365.

  • Seip, H. M., Andersen, S. and Henriksen, A.: 1990, J. Hydrol. 116, 299.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seip, H. M., Christophersen, N. and Sullivan, T. J.: 1989, ‘Episodic Variations in Streamwater Aluminum Chemistry at Birkenes, Southernmost Norway’, in T. E. Lewis (ed.), Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology of Aluminum, Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, MI, pp. 159–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, T. J., Cosby, B. J., Norton, S. A., Charles, D. F., Wright, R. F. and Gjessing, E.: 1995, in A. Jenkins, R. C. Ferrier, and C. Kirby (eds.), Ecosystem Manipulation Experiments: Scientific Approaches, Experimental Design, and Relevant Results, Ecosystems Research Report 20, Commission of European Communities, Luxembourg, pp. 360–365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, T. J., Driscoll, C. T., Gherini, S. A., Munson, R. K., Cook, R. B., Charles, D. F. and Yatsko, C. P.: 1989, Nature 338, 408.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, T. J., Christophersen, N., Muniz, I. P., Seip, H. M. and Sullivan, P. D.: 1986, Nature 323, 324.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ugolini, F. C., Minden, R., Dawson, H. and Zachara.: 1977, Soil Sci. 124, 291.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich, B., Mayer, R. and Khanna, T. K.: 1980, Soil Sci. 130, 193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wesselink, B. and Mulder, J.: 1994, ‘Aluminium Solubility Controls in Acid Forest Soils (I): Testing Hypothesis on Data from Solling, Germany’ in Time Trends & Mechanisms of Soil Acidification, Ph. D. Thesis, Wageningen.

  • Wigington, P. J., Baker, J. P., DeWalle, D. R., Kretser, W. A., Murdoch, P. S., Simonin, H. A., Van Sickle, J., McDowell, M. K., Peck, D. V. and Barchet, W. R.: 1993, Episodic Acidification of Streams in the Northeastern United States: Chemical and Biological Results of the Episodic Response Project. EPA/600/R93/190, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, R. F., Lotse, E. and Semb, A.: 1993, Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 50, 258.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. E&S Environmental Chemistry, Inc., P.O. Box 609, Corvallis, OR, 97339, U.S.A

    Timothy J. Sullivan

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, U.S.A

    B. J. Cosby

Authors
  1. Timothy J. Sullivan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B. J. Cosby
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sullivan, T.J., Cosby, B.J. Modeling the Concentration of Aluminum in Surface Waters. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 105, 643–659 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004957426629

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004957426629

Search

Navigation