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Dissolved and particulate trace metal geochemistry during mixing of Karganrud River with Caspian Sea water

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Abstract

Estuaries are both chemically and physically dynamic ecosystems that, due to their location at the river-sea interface, act as buffer zones between the continent and sea. Metals may be partly dissolved in the water column or partly adsorbed on suspended matters during estuarine mixing. The metal concentration in the surface waters can significantly be reduced by adsorption through suspended matters and flocculation process during estuarine mixing. In the present study, the flocculation and adsorption of Cu, Ni, Mn, Zn, and Pb through estuarine mixing of Karganrud River with Caspian Sea water at eight different salinity regimes are studied. The flocculation trend of Mn (94.8 %) > Zn (60.04 %) > Pb (36.63 %) > Cu (30.32 %) > Ni (14.84 %) is indicated as the nonconservative behavior for Mn, Zn, Pb, and Cu, while Ni had relatively shown a conservative behavior during estuarine mixing. The maximum adsorption capacity of heavy metals (in terms of milligram of metals per kilogram of suspended matters) by suspended matters is as follows: Cu (13.68 mg/kg) > Zn (10.41 mg/kg) > Ni (6.58 mg/kg) > Mn (5.96 mg/kg) > Pb (0.146 mg/kg). Also, it is found that the percentage of desorption of metals from suspended matters during estuarine mixing occurs in the order of Pb (22.6 %) > Zn (7.6 %) > Ni (3.62 %) > Mn (3.6 %) > Cu (2.8 %). Cluster analysis (CA) indicates that adsorption of Zn, Cu, and Mn is governed by NO3. Flocculation process of Ni, Zn, and, to a lower extent, Cu is mainly controlled by NO3. In addition, NaClO played an effective role in removal of Mn through a flocculation process. According to the chemical sequential extraction, high concentrations of Cu, Ni, Mn, and Zn are found in carbonate and sulfide fractions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, #23, Azin Avenue, Ghods Street, Enghelab Square, P.O.Box 14155-6135, 1417853111, Tehran, Iran

    A. R. Karbassi, M. Fakhraee, M. Heidari, A. R. Vaezi & A. R. Valikhani Samani

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  1. A. R. Karbassi
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  2. M. Fakhraee
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  3. M. Heidari
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  4. A. R. Vaezi
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  5. A. R. Valikhani Samani
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Correspondence to M. Fakhraee.

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Karbassi, A.R., Fakhraee, M., Heidari, M. et al. Dissolved and particulate trace metal geochemistry during mixing of Karganrud River with Caspian Sea water. Arab J Geosci 8, 2143–2151 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-014-1267-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-014-1267-4

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