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http://hdl.handle.net/10125/67739Abundance and distribution of Arsenic in Hawaiian soils and sediments
| File | Size | Format | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeGelleke, Laura.pdf | 1.98 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
Item Summary
| Title: | Abundance and distribution of Arsenic in Hawaiian soils and sediments |
| Authors: | deGelleke, Laura |
| Contributors: | De Carlo, Eric (advisor) Oceanography (department) Global Environmental Science (department) |
| Keywords: | arsenic soil chemistry |
| Date Issued: | 2007 |
| Publisher: | University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa |
| Place of Publication: | Honolulu |
| Abstract: | Arsenic is an element notoriously known for its toxicity even at low concentrations and has been linked to considerable health problems when groundwater supplies are contaminated. The purpose of this research was to determine total arsenic abundance and distribution in the soils and sediments of O'ahu, Hawai'i. Soils and sediments samples were collected from a variety of environments with varying degrees of human impact. Samples were classified as originating from locations of forested (conservation), agricultural, urban, or mixed land use and then dried, ground, and digested in a strong acid solution. Concentrations of Co, Cu, As, Cd, Pb, and U were measured using quadrupole ICPMS. Concentrations of As in all soils and sediments were found to range from 0.3 to 59.6 μg/g with a mean concentration of 11.1 μg/g. Soils from areas of mixed land use displayed the widest range and highest median As concentration of 19.6 μg/g while soils from areas of agricultural land use displayed the next highest median As concentration of 13.0 μg/g. Strong correlation between measured concentrations of As, Cd, and U suggest the origin of As enriched in the soils and sediments analyzed to be derived from agricultural activity as proposed by previous research. Concentrations of As measured in this research are generally higher than As concentrations previously measured in streambed sediments from O'ahu, Hawai'i, regardless of land use. However, mean As concentrations from areas of agricultural land use are lower than those previously reported in streambed sediments and likely a result of a different experiment design. The median As concentration in the soils and sediments collected from forested areas (7.2 μg/g) corresponds well with the mean As concentration reported for uncontaminated US soils of 7 μg/g although it is higher than the reported world mean As concentration of 5 μg/g in soils. A total of 42.9% of all soil samples exceed the CCME EQG for As in soils and 7.1% of all beach sands exceed the CCME EQG marine ISQG for As. |
| Pages/Duration: | 78 pages |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10125/67739 |
| Rights: | All UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner. |
| Rights Holder: | deGelleke, Laura |
| Appears in Collections: |
Global Environmental Science Theses |
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