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Seasonal Trends of Aluminum Chemistry in a Second‐Order Massachusetts Stream
Author(s) -
McAvoy Drew C.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1988.00472425001700040002x
Subject(s) - surface runoff , chemistry , acid neutralizing capacity , streams , environmental chemistry , watershed , hydrology (agriculture) , wetland , dilution , environmental science , soil water , ecology , soil science , geology , computer network , physics , geotechnical engineering , machine learning , biology , computer science , acid deposition , thermodynamics
An investigation of streamwater chemistry was conducted to evaluate seasonal and spatial variations of Al in an acid‐sensitive watershed. Monthly grab samples were collected from three stream sites along the West Wachusett Brook, MA, and analyzed for all major solutes from March 1985 to January 1986. Total monomeric Al concentrations were greatest during high runoff periods with values as high as 22 and 11 µM in upland and wetland runoff, respectively. Survey results also illustrated the importance of ionic solute concentrations to the mobility and transport of Al. The mountain stream showed that basic cation dilution was an important factor contributing to greater Al transport during high flow periods. In contrast, organic acids in the wetland stream served as a mobile anion, and thus greatly affected Al transport by complexation and charge balance effects. Solubility with an aluminum hydroxide mineral phase did not appear to be a controlling factor of streamwater Al concentrations throughout the year. Results from a chemical equilibrium model showed the mountain stream to be potentially toxic to fish during high‐flow periods, whereas the wetland stream, being dominated by organo‐Al complexes, had a minimal potential for toxicological effects.