Organic matter control on the distribution of arsenic in lake sediments impacted by ~ 65 years of gold ore processing in subarctic Canada
Climate change is profoundly affecting seasonality, biological productivity, and hydrology in high northern latitudes. In sensitive subarctic environments exploitation of mineral resources led to contamination and it is not known how cumulative effects of resource extraction and climate warming will...
Published in: | Science of The Total Environment |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2018
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/4468670f-834d-4f45-bc54-d7ccefdebe96 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.048 |
id |
ftqueensubelpubl:oai:pure.qub.ac.uk/portal:publications/4468670f-834d-4f45-bc54-d7ccefdebe96 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftqueensubelpubl:oai:pure.qub.ac.uk/portal:publications/4468670f-834d-4f45-bc54-d7ccefdebe96 2024-05-19T07:46:18+00:00 Organic matter control on the distribution of arsenic in lake sediments impacted by ~ 65 years of gold ore processing in subarctic Canada Galloway, Jennifer M. Swindles, Graeme T. Jamieson, Heather E. Palmer, Michael Parsons, Michael B. Sanei, Hamed Macumber, Andrew L. Timothy Patterson, R. Falck, Hendrik 2018-05-01 https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/4468670f-834d-4f45-bc54-d7ccefdebe96 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.048 eng eng https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/4468670f-834d-4f45-bc54-d7ccefdebe96 info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Galloway , J M , Swindles , G T , Jamieson , H E , Palmer , M , Parsons , M B , Sanei , H , Macumber , A L , Timothy Patterson , R & Falck , H 2018 , ' Organic matter control on the distribution of arsenic in lake sediments impacted by ~ 65 years of gold ore processing in subarctic Canada ' , Science of the Total Environment , vol. 622-623 , pp. 1668-1679 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.048 Arsenic Climate change Lake sediments Mining Organic matter Subarctic /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2305 name=Environmental Engineering /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2304 name=Environmental Chemistry /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2311 name=Waste Management and Disposal /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2310 name=Pollution /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action article 2018 ftqueensubelpubl https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.048 2024-05-02T00:36:13Z Climate change is profoundly affecting seasonality, biological productivity, and hydrology in high northern latitudes. In sensitive subarctic environments exploitation of mineral resources led to contamination and it is not known how cumulative effects of resource extraction and climate warming will impact ecosystems. Gold mines near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, subarctic Canada, operated from 1938 to 2004 and released > 20,000 t of arsenic trioxide (As 2 O 3 ) to the environment through stack emissions. This release resulted in elevated arsenic concentrations in lake surface waters and sediments relative to Canadian drinking water standards and guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. A meta-analytical approach is used to better understand controls on As distribution in lake sediments within a 30-km radius of historic mineral processing activities. Arsenic concentrations in the near-surface sediments range from 5 mg·kg − 1 to over 10,000 mg·kg − 1 (median 81 mg·kg − 1 n = 105). Distance and direction from the historic roaster stack are significantly (p < 0.05) related to sedimentary As concentration, with highest As concentrations in sediments within 11 km and lakes located downwind. Synchrotron-based μXRF and μXRD confirm the persistence of As 2 O 3 in near surface sediments of two lakes. Labile organic matter (S1) is significantly (p < 0.05) related to As and S concentrations in sediments and this relationship is greatest in lakes within 11 km from the mine. These relations are interpreted to reflect labile organic matter acting as a substrate for microbial growth and mediation of authigenic precipitation of As-sulphides in lakes close to the historic mine where As concentrations are highest. Continued climate warming is expected to lead to increased biological productivity and changes in organic geochemistry of lake sediments that are likely to play an important role in the mobility and fate of As in aquatic ecosystems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northwest Territories Subarctic Yellowknife Queen's University Belfast Research Portal Science of The Total Environment 622-623 1668 1679 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Queen's University Belfast Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftqueensubelpubl |
language |
English |
topic |
Arsenic Climate change Lake sediments Mining Organic matter Subarctic /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2305 name=Environmental Engineering /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2304 name=Environmental Chemistry /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2311 name=Waste Management and Disposal /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2310 name=Pollution /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action |
spellingShingle |
Arsenic Climate change Lake sediments Mining Organic matter Subarctic /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2305 name=Environmental Engineering /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2304 name=Environmental Chemistry /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2311 name=Waste Management and Disposal /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2310 name=Pollution /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action Galloway, Jennifer M. Swindles, Graeme T. Jamieson, Heather E. Palmer, Michael Parsons, Michael B. Sanei, Hamed Macumber, Andrew L. Timothy Patterson, R. Falck, Hendrik Organic matter control on the distribution of arsenic in lake sediments impacted by ~ 65 years of gold ore processing in subarctic Canada |
topic_facet |
Arsenic Climate change Lake sediments Mining Organic matter Subarctic /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2305 name=Environmental Engineering /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2304 name=Environmental Chemistry /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2311 name=Waste Management and Disposal /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2310 name=Pollution /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action name=SDG 13 - Climate Action |
description |
Climate change is profoundly affecting seasonality, biological productivity, and hydrology in high northern latitudes. In sensitive subarctic environments exploitation of mineral resources led to contamination and it is not known how cumulative effects of resource extraction and climate warming will impact ecosystems. Gold mines near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, subarctic Canada, operated from 1938 to 2004 and released > 20,000 t of arsenic trioxide (As 2 O 3 ) to the environment through stack emissions. This release resulted in elevated arsenic concentrations in lake surface waters and sediments relative to Canadian drinking water standards and guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. A meta-analytical approach is used to better understand controls on As distribution in lake sediments within a 30-km radius of historic mineral processing activities. Arsenic concentrations in the near-surface sediments range from 5 mg·kg − 1 to over 10,000 mg·kg − 1 (median 81 mg·kg − 1 n = 105). Distance and direction from the historic roaster stack are significantly (p < 0.05) related to sedimentary As concentration, with highest As concentrations in sediments within 11 km and lakes located downwind. Synchrotron-based μXRF and μXRD confirm the persistence of As 2 O 3 in near surface sediments of two lakes. Labile organic matter (S1) is significantly (p < 0.05) related to As and S concentrations in sediments and this relationship is greatest in lakes within 11 km from the mine. These relations are interpreted to reflect labile organic matter acting as a substrate for microbial growth and mediation of authigenic precipitation of As-sulphides in lakes close to the historic mine where As concentrations are highest. Continued climate warming is expected to lead to increased biological productivity and changes in organic geochemistry of lake sediments that are likely to play an important role in the mobility and fate of As in aquatic ecosystems. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Galloway, Jennifer M. Swindles, Graeme T. Jamieson, Heather E. Palmer, Michael Parsons, Michael B. Sanei, Hamed Macumber, Andrew L. Timothy Patterson, R. Falck, Hendrik |
author_facet |
Galloway, Jennifer M. Swindles, Graeme T. Jamieson, Heather E. Palmer, Michael Parsons, Michael B. Sanei, Hamed Macumber, Andrew L. Timothy Patterson, R. Falck, Hendrik |
author_sort |
Galloway, Jennifer M. |
title |
Organic matter control on the distribution of arsenic in lake sediments impacted by ~ 65 years of gold ore processing in subarctic Canada |
title_short |
Organic matter control on the distribution of arsenic in lake sediments impacted by ~ 65 years of gold ore processing in subarctic Canada |
title_full |
Organic matter control on the distribution of arsenic in lake sediments impacted by ~ 65 years of gold ore processing in subarctic Canada |
title_fullStr |
Organic matter control on the distribution of arsenic in lake sediments impacted by ~ 65 years of gold ore processing in subarctic Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Organic matter control on the distribution of arsenic in lake sediments impacted by ~ 65 years of gold ore processing in subarctic Canada |
title_sort |
organic matter control on the distribution of arsenic in lake sediments impacted by ~ 65 years of gold ore processing in subarctic canada |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/4468670f-834d-4f45-bc54-d7ccefdebe96 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.048 |
genre |
Northwest Territories Subarctic Yellowknife |
genre_facet |
Northwest Territories Subarctic Yellowknife |
op_source |
Galloway , J M , Swindles , G T , Jamieson , H E , Palmer , M , Parsons , M B , Sanei , H , Macumber , A L , Timothy Patterson , R & Falck , H 2018 , ' Organic matter control on the distribution of arsenic in lake sediments impacted by ~ 65 years of gold ore processing in subarctic Canada ' , Science of the Total Environment , vol. 622-623 , pp. 1668-1679 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.048 |
op_relation |
https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/4468670f-834d-4f45-bc54-d7ccefdebe96 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.048 |
container_title |
Science of The Total Environment |
container_volume |
622-623 |
container_start_page |
1668 |
op_container_end_page |
1679 |
_version_ |
1799486448220504064 |