TY - JOUR
T1 - Distribution of trace elements in particle size fractions for contaminated soils by a copper smelting from different zones of the Puchuncaví Valley (Chile)
AU - Parra, Sonnia
AU - Bravo, Manuel A.
AU - Quiroz, Waldo
AU - Moreno, Teresa
AU - Karanasiou, Angeliki
AU - Font, Oriol
AU - Vidal, Víctor
AU - Cereceda, Francisco
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge the National Scientific Research Committee (Conicyt) for the grant awarded for doctoral studies in Chile and the MECESUP grant program for the grant awarded for research sabbaticals at the Institute of Environmental Diagnostics and Water Studies, Barcelona, Spain (CSIC-IDAEA) in which collaboration and chemical analyses were conducted. The authors thank the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso for the postdoctoral research fellowship in 2013.
PY - 2014/9
Y1 - 2014/9
N2 - Metal contents in soil samples are commonly used to evaluate contamination levels. However, the distribution of metals is dependent on particle size. We investigated the distribution of metals in various particle size fractions of the soil from four sites of the Puchuncaví Valley (Central Chile). The soil samples were segregated into size fractions ranging from 0.3 to 20μm and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results of the statistical analysis of the total metal concentrations indicated that the soil samples from Greda and Maitenes, the sites nearest the industrial sources, are the most contaminated. For these sites, the size-fractionated samples containing higher concentrations of Cu, Zn, As, and Pb were found in the finer fractions, suggesting anthropogenic depositions from smelter facilities. In addition, a high Ca concentration was observed in the finer fractions, which could be attributed to the technological approaches used to reduce the SO2 emissions from the roasting process of copper sulfide. The mineral composition of fine particles permitted the identification of Tenorite and Calcium oxide, which are most likely associated with smelting activities, confirming emission of enriched particulate matter from the copper smelter.
AB - Metal contents in soil samples are commonly used to evaluate contamination levels. However, the distribution of metals is dependent on particle size. We investigated the distribution of metals in various particle size fractions of the soil from four sites of the Puchuncaví Valley (Central Chile). The soil samples were segregated into size fractions ranging from 0.3 to 20μm and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results of the statistical analysis of the total metal concentrations indicated that the soil samples from Greda and Maitenes, the sites nearest the industrial sources, are the most contaminated. For these sites, the size-fractionated samples containing higher concentrations of Cu, Zn, As, and Pb were found in the finer fractions, suggesting anthropogenic depositions from smelter facilities. In addition, a high Ca concentration was observed in the finer fractions, which could be attributed to the technological approaches used to reduce the SO2 emissions from the roasting process of copper sulfide. The mineral composition of fine particles permitted the identification of Tenorite and Calcium oxide, which are most likely associated with smelting activities, confirming emission of enriched particulate matter from the copper smelter.
KW - Principal component analysis
KW - Size fractionation
KW - Soil characterization
KW - Trace element
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84903631477&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.03.127
DO - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.03.127
M3 - Article
C2 - 24997960
AN - SCOPUS:84903631477
SN - 0045-6535
VL - 111
SP - 513
EP - 521
JO - Chemosphere
JF - Chemosphere
ER -
