Geology topics

Z. Szabo

Publications and source records attributed to Z. Szabo.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2012

Occurrence and geochemistry of radium in water from principal drinking-water aquifer systems of the United States

A total of 1270 raw-water samples (before treatment) were collected from 15 principal and other major aquifer systems (PAs) used for drinking water in 45 states in all major physiographic provinces of the USA and analyzed for concentrations of the Ra isotopes 224Ra, 226Ra and 228Ra establishing the framework for evaluating Ra occurrence. The US Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 0.185Bq/L (5pCi/L) for combined Ra ( 226Ra plus 228Ra) for drinking water was exceeded in 4.02% (39 of 971) of samples for which both 226Ra and 228Ra were determined, or in 3.15% (40 of 1266) of the samples in which at least one isotope concentration ( 226Ra or 228Ra) was determined. The maximum concentration of combined Ra was 0.755Bq/L (20.4pCi/L) in water from the North Atlantic Coastal Plain quartzose sand aquifer system. All the exceedences of the MCL for combined Ra occurred in water samples from the following 7PAs (in order of decreasing relative frequency of occurrence): the Midcontinent and Ozark Plateau Cambro-Ordovician dolomites and sandstones, the North Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Floridan, the crystalline rocks (granitic, metamorphic) of New England, the Mesozoic basins of the Appalachian Piedmont, the Gulf Coastal Plain, and the glacial sands and gravels (highest concentrations in New England).The concentration of Ra was consistently controlled by geochemical properties of the aquifer systems, with the highest concentrations most likely to be present where, as a consequence of the geochemical environment, adsorption of the Ra was slightly decreased. The result is a slight relative increase in Ra mobility, especially notable in aquifers with poor sorptive capacity (Fe-oxide-poor quartzose sands and carbonates), even if Ra is not abundant in the aquifer solids. The most common occurrence of elevated Ra throughout the USA occurred in anoxic water (low dissolved-O 2) with high concentrations of Fe or Mn, and in places, high concentrations of the competing ions Ca, Mg, Ba and Sr, and occasionally of dissolved solids, K, SO 4 and HCO 3. The other water type to frequently contain elevated concentrations of the Ra radioisotopes was acidic (low pH), and had in places, high concentrations of NO 3 and other acid anions, and on occasion, of the competing divalent cations, Mn and Al. One or the other of these broad water types was commonly present in each of the PAs in which elevated concentrations of combined Ra occurred. Concentrations of 226Ra or 228Ra or combined Ra correlated significantly with those of the above listed water-quality constituents (on the basis of the non-parametric Spearman correlation technique) and loaded on principal components describing the above water types from the entire data set and for samples from the PAs with the highest combined Ra concentrations.Concentrations of 224Ra and 226Ra were significantly correlated to those of 228Ra (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, +0.236 and +0.326, respectively). Activity ratios of 224Ra/ 228Ra in the water samples were mostly near 1 when concentrations of both isotopes were greater than or equal to 0.037Bq/L (1pCi/L), the level above which analytical results were most reliable. Co-occurrence among these highest concentrations of the Ra radionuclides was most likely in those PAs where chemical conditions are most conducive to Ra mobility (e.g. acidic North Atlantic Coastal Plain). The concentrations of 224Ra were occasionally greater than 0.037Bq/L and the ratios of 224Ra/ 228Ra were generally highest in the PAs composed of alluvial sands and Cretaceous/Tertiary sandstones from the western USA, likely because concentrations of 224Ra are enhanced in solution relative to those of 228Ra by alpha recoil from the aquifer matrix. Rapid adsorption of the two Ra isotopes (controlled by the alkaline and oxic aquifer geochemistry) combined with preferential faster recoil of 224Ra generates a 224Ra/ 228Ra ratio much greater than

Applied Geochemistry↗

USGS2011

Effects of human-induced alteration of groundwater flow on concentrations of naturally-occurring trace elements at water-supply wells

The effects of human-induced alteration of groundwater flow patterns on concentrations of naturally-occurring trace elements were examined in five hydrologically distinct aquifer systems in the USA. Although naturally occurring, these trace elements can exceed concentrations that are considered harmful to human health. The results show that pumping-induced hydraulic gradient changes and artificial connection of aquifers by well screens can mix chemically distinct groundwater. Chemical reactions between these mixed groundwaters and solid aquifer materials can result in the mobilization of trace elements such as U, As and Ra, with subsequent transport to water-supply wells. For example, in the High Plains aquifer near York, Nebraska, mixing of shallow, oxygenated, lower-pH water from an unconfined aquifer with deeper, confined, anoxic, higher-pH water is facilitated by wells screened across both aquifers. The resulting higher-O2, lower-pH mixed groundwater facilitated the mobilization of U from solid aquifer materials, and dissolved U concentrations were observed to increase significantly in nearby supply wells. Similar instances of trace element mobilization due to human-induced mixing of groundwaters were documented in: (1) the Floridan aquifer system near Tampa, Florida (As and U), (2) Paleozoic sedimentary aquifers in eastern Wisconsin (As), (3) the basin-fill aquifer underlying the California Central Valley near Modesto (U), and (4) Coastal Plain aquifers of New Jersey (Ra). Adverse water-quality impacts attributed to human activities are commonly assumed to be related solely to the release of the various anthropogenic contaminants to the environment. The results show that human activities including various land uses, well drilling, and pumping rates and volumes can adversely impact the quality of water in supply wells, when associated with naturally-occurring trace elements in aquifer materials. This occurs by causing subtle but significant changes in geochemistry and associated trace element mobilization as well as enhancing advective transport processes.

Applied Geochemistry↗

USGS2010

Source and fate of inorganic soil contamination around the abandoned Phillips sulfide mine, hudson Highlands, New York

The abandoned Phillips sulfide mine in the critical Highlands watershed in New York has been shown to produce strongly acidic mine drainage (AMD) with anomalous metal contaminants in first-order streams that exceeded local water standards by up to several orders of magnitude (Gilchrist et al., 2009). The metal-sulfide-rich tailings also produce contaminated soils with pH < 4, organic matter < 2.5% and trace metals sequestered in soil oxides. A geochemical transect to test worst-case soil contamination showed that Cr, Co and Ni correlated positively with Mn, (r = 0.72, r= 0.89, r = 0.80, respectively), suggesting Mn-oxide sequestration and that Cu and Pb correlated with Fe (r = 0.76, r = 0.83, respectively), suggesting sequestration in goethite. Ubiquitous, yellow coating on the mine wastes, including jarosite and goethite, is a carrier of the metals. Geochemical and μ-SXRF analyses determined Cu to be the major soil contaminant. μ-SXRF also demonstrated that the heterogeneous nature of the soil chemistry at the micro-meter scale is self-similar to those in the bulk soil samples. Generally metals decreased, with some fluctuations, rapidly downslope through suspension of fines and dissolution in AMD leaving the area of substantial contamination << 0.5 km from the source.

New York↗

USGS2010

Distribution and seasonal dynamics of arsenic in a shallow lake in northwestern New Jersey, USA

Elevated concentrations of arsenic (As) occurred during warm months in water from the outlet of Lake Mohawk in northwestern New Jersey. The shallow manmade lake is surrounded by residential development and used for recreation. Eutrophic conditions are addressed by alum and copper sulfate applications and aerators operating in the summer. In September 2005, arsenite was dominant in hypoxic to anoxic bottom water. Filterable As concentrations were about 1.6–2 times higher than those in the upper water column (23–25 μg/L, mostly arsenate). Hypoxic/anoxic and near-neutral bottom conditions formed during the summer, but became more oxic and alkaline as winter approached. Acid-leachable As concentrations in lake-bed sediments ranged up to 694 mg/kg in highly organic material from the tops of sediment cores but were <15 mg/kg in geologic substrate. During warm months, reduced As from the sediment diffuses into the water column and is oxidized; mixing by aerators, wind, and boat traffic spreads arsenate and metals, some in particulate form, throughout the water column. Similar levels of As in sediments of lakes treated with arsenic pesticides indicate that most of the As in Lake Mohawk probably derives from past use of arsenical pesticides, although records of applications are lacking. The annual loss of As at the lake outlet is only about 0.01% of the As calculated to be in the sediments, indicating that elevated levels of As in the lake will persist for decades.

New Jersey↗

USGS2010

Mercury and methylmercury dynamics in a coastal plain watershed, New Jersey, USA

The upper Great Egg Harbor River watershed in New Jersey's Coastal Plain is urbanized but extensive freshwater wetlands are present downstream. In 2006-2007, studies to assess levels of total mercury (THg) found concentrations in unfiltered streamwater to range as high as 187 ng/L in urbanized areas. THg concentrations were <20 ng/L in streamwater in forested/wetlands areas where both THg and dissolved organic carbon concentrations tended to increase while pH and concentrations of dissolved oxygen and nitrate decreased with flushing of soils after rain. Most of the river's flow comes from groundwater seepage; unfiltered groundwater samples contained up to 177 ng/L of THg in urban areas where there is a history of well water with THg that exceeds the drinking water standard (2,000 ng/L). THg concentrations were lower (<25 ng/L) in unfiltered groundwater from downstream wetland areas. In addition to higher THg concentrations (mostly particulate), concentrations of chloride were higher in streamwater and groundwater from urban areas than in those from downstream wetland areas. Methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in unfiltered streamwater ranged from 0.17 ng/L at a forest/wetlands site to 2.94 ng/L at an urban site. The percentage of THg present as MeHg increased as the percentage of forest + wetlands increased, but also was high in some urban areas. MeHg was detected only in groundwater <1 m below the water/sediment interface. Atmospheric deposition is presumed to be the main source of Hg to the wetlands and also may be a source to groundwater, where wastewater inputs in urban areas are hypothesized to mobilize Hg deposited to soils. ?? 2010 US Government.

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution↗

USGS2008

Impact of AMD on water quality in critical watershed in the Hudson River drainage basin: Phillips Mine, Hudson Highlands, New York

A sulfur and trace element enriched U-Th-laced tailings pile at the abandoned Phillips Mine in Garrison, New York, releases acid mine drainage (AMD, generally pH < 3, minimum pH 1.78) into the first-order Copper Mine Brook (CMB) that drains into the Hudson River. The pyrrhotite-rich Phillips Mine is located in the Highlands region, a critical water source for the New York metro area. A conceptual model for derivation/dissolution, sequestration, transport and dilution of contaminants is proposed. The acidic water interacts with the tailings, leaching and dissolving the trace metals. AMD evaporation during dry periods concentrates solid phase trace metals and sulfate, forming melanterite (FeSO 4 .7H 2 O) on sulfide-rich tailings surfaces. Wet periods dissolve these concentrates/precipitates, releasing stored acidity and trace metals into the CMB. Sediments along CMB are enriched in iron hydroxides which act as sinks for metals, indicating progressive sequestration that correlates with dilution and sharp rise in pH when mine water mixes with tributaries. Seasonal variations in metal concentrations were partly attributable to dissolution of the efflorescent salts with their sorbed metals and additional metals from surging acidic seepage induced by precipitation.

New York↗

USGS2008

Concentrations and environmental fate of Ra in cation-exchange regeneration brine waste disposed to septic tanks and accumulation in sludge, New Jersey Coastal Plain, USA

Concentrations of Ra in liquid and solid wastes generated from 15 softeners treating domestic well waters from New Jersey Coastal Plain aquifers (where combined Ra ( 226 Ra plus 228 Ra) concentrations commonly exceed 0.185 Bq L −1 ) were determined. Softeners, when maintained, reduced combined Ra about 10-fold (<0.024 Bq L −1 ). Combined Ra exceeded 0.185 Bq L −1 at 1 non-maintained system. Combined Ra was enriched in regeneration brine waste (maximum, 81.2 Bq L −1 ), but concentrations in septic-tank effluents receiving brine waste were less than in the untreated ground waters. The maximum combined Ra concentration in aquifer sands (40.7 Bq kg −1 dry weight) was less than that in sludge from the septic tanks (range, 84–363 Bq kg −1 ), indicating Ra accumulation in sludge from effluent. The combined Ra concentration in sludge from the homeowners' septic systems falls within the range reported for sludge samples from publicly owned treatment works within the region.

New Jersey↗

USGS2007

Diurnal variations in, and influences on, concentrations of particulate and dissolved arsenic and metals in the mildly alkaline Wallkill River, New Jersey, USA

Diurnal variations in particulate and dissolved As and metal concentrations were observed in mildly alkaline water from a wetlands site on the Wallkill River in northwestern New Jersey. The site, underlain by glacial sediments over dolomite bedrock, is 10 km downstream from a mined area of the Franklin Marble, host to Zn ores, also As and Mn minerals. In mid-September 2005, maxima and minima in dissolved-oxygen-concentration and pH, typically caused by photosynthesis and respiration, occurred at 2000 and 0800 hours. Concentrations of dissolved As (1.52-1.95 ??g/L) peaked at dusk (2000 hours), whereas dissolved Mn and Zn concentrations (76.5-96.9 and 8.55-12.8 ??g/L, respectively) were lowest at dusk and peaked at 1000 hours. These opposing cycles probably reflect sorption and desorption of As (an anion), and Mn and Zn (cations) as pH varied throughout the 24-h period. Doubly-peaked cycles of B, Cl, SO4, and nutrients also were observed; these may result from upstream discharges of septic-system effluent. Both recoverable amd particulate Al, Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations peaked between 0200 and 0600 hours. The particulate metals cycle, with perturbations at 0400 hours, may be influenced by biological activity. ?? 2007 Springer-Verlag.

Environmental Geology↗

USGS2001

Changes in sample collection and analytical techniques and effects on retrospective comparability of low-level concentrations of trace elements in ground water

Ground-water sampling techniques were modified to reduce random low-level contamination during collection of filtered water samples for determination of trace-element concentrations. The modified sampling techniques were first used in New Jersey by the US Geological Survey in 1994 along with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis to determine the concentrations of 18 trace elements at the one microgram-per-liter (μg/L) level in the oxic water of the unconfined sand and gravel Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system. The revised technique tested included a combination of the following: collection of samples (1) with flow rates of about 2L per minute, (2) through acid-washed single-use disposable tubing and (3) a single-use disposable 0.45-μm pore size capsule filter, (4) contained within portable glove boxes, (5) in a dedicated clean sampling van, (6) only after turbidity stabilized at values less than 2 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), when possible. Quality-assurance data, obtained from equipment blanks and split samples, indicated that trace element concentrations, with the exception of iron, chromium, aluminum, and zinc, measured in the samples collected in 1994 were not subject to random contamination at 1μg/L.Results from samples collected in 1994 were compared to those from samples collected in 1991 from the same 12 PVC-cased observation wells using the available sampling and analytical techniques at that time. Concentrations of copper, lead, manganese and zinc were statistically significantly lower in samples collected in 1994 than in 1991. Sampling techniques used in 1994 likely provided trace-element data that represented concentrations in the aquifer with less bias than data from 1991 when samples were collected without the same degree of attention to sample handling.

Water Research↗