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Trace Total Mercury Analysis
Mercury Speciation of River Water
Mercury Speciation of Lake Water
Mercury Speciation of Soil
Mercury Speciation of Tissue
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Fate and transport of contaminants are dictated by the substrate and the chemical structure of the contaminant. While soil and water studies can clarify the substrate characteristics the general total metals concentrations are meaningless when identifying chemical interactions. Historically, fate and transport modeling has not facilitated trace metals speciation due to its unavailability; however, Applied Speciation and Consulting provides the tools necessary to make informed decisions to protect our community and environment.
Trace metals can be associated with different molecular structures which dictate the interaction with compounds within the substrate. For example, elevated site concentrations of iron would indicate a greater propensity for arsenic loading; however, if the arsenic was in the form of arsenite, and depending on the redox conditions of the soil, the arsenic has a high probability of penetrating to the water table. In this instance, arsenic speciation analysis of the source material would provide vital information regarding the impact for the release of arsenic tainted materials on the local water system.
The release of a contaminant into the environment often induces speciation change due to an equilibrium shift. If a contaminant is generated in a highly reducive environment following discharge into a local estuary, which is typically oxidative, one would anticipate that the metal species would undergo conversion into a more oxidized form (selenite to selenate, arsenite to arsenate, etc.). A helpful tool for predicting the oxidative state of trace metals are Pourbaix Diagrams.
Pourbaix Diagrams (Arsenic, Chromium, Selenium) present the relation of redox potential, pH, and the projected trace metals speciation. Without robust trace metals speciation techniques, scientists relied heavily on these diagrams. Unfortunately, Pourbaix diagrams are generated for ideal conditions which may be appropriate for drinking water samples but lose meaning for highly complex groundwater matrices or process waste streams. For this reason, assumptions based on ideal conditions should always be confirmed by analytical evidence.
Speciation may also elucidate that the target analyte resides in an intermediate substrate between surface contact and the water table (orpiment) and does not necessitate remediation. With this last example, hundreds of thousands of dollars would be wasted for a zero risk site.
Prior to instigating costly bench scale or pilot studies, a more detailed investigation should be pursued to maximize the efficiency of any further actions. Trace metals speciation analysis is a powerful tool to identify the exact molecular structure and the chemical equilibrium within the substrate.
Once the target analytes are speciated, bench
scale and process chemists can apply the information to identify
treatment efficiencies and appropriate
remediation methods prior to expending any unnecessary
time or materials.
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