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Significance of Estuaries
Estuaries are major habitats for wildlife.
Rivers vs Seawater
Concentration in Average River (mmol/ kg) Seawater Concentration (mmol/kg) (M/Cl)sw (M/Cl)riv
8.3 54.6 48.0 5.4 2.9 1.0 1.0 0.211 0.087 0.10 0.002 1 0.62 0.11 0.12 0.009 0.09 0.0007
Ca+2
Colloids
Colloids are very small particles that remain suspended in aqueous solutions. Much of the chemical flux in rivers in in the colloidal form. Primary colloidal phases in Rivers are: Clay minerals (kaolinite, montmorillonite) Iron (hydr)oxides (goethite, hematite, ferrihydrite). Humic/Fulvic acids associated with FeOOH.
Surface charge is a function of pH, reflecting the variable protonation of surface oxygens. At the pHpzc, the surface charge is zero.
Recall that sorption onto FeOOH minerals is a major control on the dissolved concentrations of metals.
Colloid Flocculation
Colloids will flocculate when their surface charge = 0. This will occur at the pHpzc and with increasing ionic strength.
Flocculation of colloids in estuaries will incorporate them (and their sorbed metals) into estuarine sediments.
Estuarine Sediments
Restricted circulation and evaporation leads to increased salinity. Evaporite mineral sequence reflects relative solubility of CaCO3 (calcite), Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) and Halite (NaCl) Thermodynamic modelling of evaporite sequences is complicated by the highly non-ideal activities of ions at high ionic strength.
Pollution of Estuaries
In 1993 a major spill of mine waste released serious amounts of acid mine waste and heavy metals into Falmouth Bay.
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Depth (cm)
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Depth (cm)
30 50 70 90 0 20 40 60 Porewater Zn (ppm)
Tot. Zn (ppm)
Summary
Much of the chemistry of estuaries is controlled by the flocculation of colloids which may remove some dissolved ions from solution. Some sorbed species (anions) should be released by increase in pH. Sorption at increased pH may incorporate trace heavy metals into estuarine sediments.
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