Aquatic chemistry is becoming both a rewarding and substantial area of inquiry and is drawing many prominent scientists to its fold. Its literature has changed from a compilation of compositional tables to studies of the chemical reactions occurring within the aquatic environments. But more than this is the recognition that human society in part is determining the nature of aquatic systems. Since rivers deliver to the world ocean most of its dissolved and particulate components, the interactions of these two sets of waters determine the vitality of our coastal waters. This significant vol ume provides not only an introduction to the dynamics of aquatic chem istries but also identifies those materials that jeopardize the resources of both the marine and fluvial domains. Its very title provides its emphasis but clearly not its breadth in considering natural processes. The book will be of great value to those environmental scientists who are dedicated to keeping the resources of the hydrosphere renewable. As the size of the world population becomes larger in the near future and as the uses of materials and energy show parallel increases, the rivers and oceans must be considered as a resource to accept some of the wastes of society. The ability of these waters and the sediments below them to accommodate wastes must be assessed continually. The key questions relate to the capacities of aqueous systems to carry one or more pollutants."

Metal pollution in the aquatic environment

Biogeochemistry of landfill leachate plumes

Determination of recent sedimentation rates in lake michigan using pb – 210 and cs – 137

Fireside slagging, fouling, and high-temperature corrosion of heat-transfer surface due to impurities in steam-raising fuels

Mining and mineral processing generates large volumes of waste, including waste rock, mill tailings, and mineral refinery wastes. The oxidation of sulfide minerals in the materials can result in the release of acidic water containing high concentrations of dissolved metals. Recent studies have determined the mechanisms of abiotic sulfide-mineral oxidation. Within mine wastes, the oxidation of sulfide minerals is catalyzed by microorganisms. Molecular tools have been developed and applied to determine the activity and role of these organisms in sulfide-mineral-bearing systems. Novel tools have been developed for assessing the toxicity of mine-waste effluent. Dissolved constituents released by sulfide oxidation may be attenuated through the precipitation of secondary minerals, including metal sulfate, oxyhydroxide, and basic sulfate minerals. Geochemical models have been developed to provide improved predictions of the magnitude and duration of environmental concerns. Novel techniques have been developed to prevent and remediate environmental problems associated with these materials.

The geochemistry of acid mine drainage

Occurrence and Distribution of Potentially Volatile Trace Elements in Coal: A Final Report

To evaluate the potential of clay minerals for attenuating the various chemical constituents of landfill leachate, leachate was passed through laboratory columns that contained various mixtures of calcium-saturated clays and washed quartz sand. Leachates were run through the columns for periods of up to 10 months, during which time effluents were periodically collected and analyzed for 16 chemical constituents. Chloride, Na, and water-soluble organic compounds (COD) were poorly attenuated by passage through the clay columns; K, \"4, Mg, Si, and Fe were moderately attenuated; and heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, Hg, and Zn were strongly attenuated by even small amounts of clay. Concentrations of Ca, B, and Mn in the column effluents increased markedly over the original leachate concentrations. Of the three clays used in the study, montmorillonite had the highest attenuation capability, followed by illite and then kaolinite. Attenuation was a function of the CEC of the clay mineral, the initial exchangeable cations on the clay, the chemical composition of the leachate, and the pH of the leachate.

Rodney R. Ruch

Papers

Occurrence and Distribution of Potentially Volatile Trace Elements in Coal: A Final Report

Attenuation of pollutants in municipal landfill leachate by passage through clay.

Trace Element and Organic Carbon Accumulation in the Most Recent Sediments of Southern Lake Michigan

Environmentally critical elements in channel and cleaned samples of Illinois coals

Mineral Matter in Illinois and Other U.S. Coals