Estuary solid loads and solid-solution exchanges yield considerable dissolved trace metal enrichments

Based on a thorough investigation of water and suspended sediment samples collected over two years and a six seasons, Samanta and Dalai (2018, see reference below) show that the annual dissolved fluxes of metals from the Ganga (Hooghly) River are enhanced by up to 230–1770% when compared to the conservative mixing. They clearly demonstrate that this enrichment results from exchange processes between the large solid load (suspended particles) and the waters of the middle and lower estuary. Groundwater and direct anthropogenic flux are negligible in these estuary segments.

On a broader scale, their work suggests that solute-particle interaction is a globally significant process in the estuarine production of dissolved metals. The authors estimate that although South Asian Rivers account for only ~ 9% of the global riverwater flux, their high sediment loads results in contributing a far higher proportion of the global supply of the dissolved metals from the rivers: 40 ± 2% of nickel (Ni) and 15 ± 1% of copper (Cu).

18 SamantaFigure: A plot of dissolved flux of nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) vs. the sediment flux, after normalizing with the corresponding water flux, for the estuaries of some of the major rivers around the world where production of the metals is documented. The strong positive correlation is suggestive of the direct link between the solute-particle interaction and the estuarine production of the metals. The data of the river Scheldt is excluded from regression analysis. Click here to view the figure larger.

Reference:

Samanta, S., & Dalai, T. K. (2018). Massive production of heavymetals in the Ganga (Hooghly) River estuary, India: Global importance of solute-particle interaction and enhancedmetal fluxes to the oceans. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 228, 243–258. http://doi.org/10.1016/J.GCA.2018.03.002

Latest highlights

Science Highlights

Irradiance-normalized non-photochemical quenching (NPQ): a new proxy of iron stress for phytoplankton

Ryan-Keogh and his colleagues used NPQ to fingerprint the photo-physiological response of phytoplankton to their environment.

06.03.2023

Science Highlights

Exhaustive modelling study of the oceanic neodymium parameters

The conclusion of this study reinforces the important role of the solid particles in driving the neodymium oceanic cycle.

02.03.2023

Science Highlights

Dissolved manganese distribution in the Arabian Sea reveals many variable triggers

Analysis of dissolved manganese on samples collected on GEOTRACES cruises allowed Singh and colleagues to establish its basin-wide distribution in the Arabian Sea.

01.03.2023

Science Highlights

Do you want to know more about iron and its isotopes? This review is for you!

Authors present a comprehensive review of iron and iron isotope sources, internal cycling, and sinks in the ocean.

10.02.2023

Rechercher