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A.S. Maest

Publications and source records attributed to A.S. Maest.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2004

Preservation of water samples for arsenic(III/V) determinations: An evaluation of the literature and new analytical results

Published literature on preservation procedures for stabilizing aqueous inorganic As(III/V) redox species contains discrepancies. This study critically evaluates published reports on As redox preservation and explains discrepancies in the literature. Synthetic laboratory preservation experiments and time stability experiments were conducted for natural water samples from several field sites. Any field collection procedure that filters out microorganisms, adds a reagent that prevents dissolved Fe and Mn oxidation and precipitation, and isolates the sample from solar radiation will preserve the As(III/V) ratio. Reagents that prevent Fe and Mn oxidation and precipitation include HCl, H 2SO4, and EDTA, although extremely high concentrations of EDTA are necessary for some water samples high in Fe. Photo-catalyzed Fe(III) reduction causes As(III) oxidation; however, storing the sample in the dark prevents photochemical reactions. Furthermore, the presence of Fe(II) or SO 4 inhibits the oxidation of As(III) by Fe(III) because of complexation reactions and competing reactions with free radicals. Consequently, fast abiotic As(III) oxidation reactions observed in the laboratory are not observed in natural water samples for one or more of the following reasons: (1) the As redox species have already stabilized, (2) most natural waters contain very low dissolved Fe(III) concentrations, (3) the As(III) oxidation caused by Fe(III) photoreduction is inhibited by Fe(II) or SO4.

Applied Geochemistry↗
USGS1990

Metal and nutrient behavior in the Raritan estuary, New Jersey, U.S.A.: The effect of multiple freshwater and industrial waste inputs

A geochemical analysis of the Raritan estuary during high and low river flow is presented. Several statistical and graphical approaches, in addition to a hydrodynamic model of the Raritan estuary, are used to demonstrate the effects of lateral inputs on trace-element distribution in a complicated fluvial-marine system. Results from factor and cluster analysis show that nutrient-salinity distributions on both sampling dates are controlled primarily by freshwater-saltwater mixing. Industrial and municipal waste sources within the estuary are important in controlling dissolved organic carbon (at low flow) and dissolved and bottom sediment trace metals. Biological and physico-chemical reactions have a significant, but secondary effect on nutrient and trace-metal distributions with salinity. Apparent flux calculations and property-property plots show that for dissolved phosphate, nitrate and inorganic carbon, the Raritan estuary can be divided into two mixing zones, with the Raritan River controlling nutrient concentrations in the lower-salinity stretches and the South River controlling their distributions at intermediate and higher salinities. High enrichment factors of most metals in estuary bottom sediment reveal that this is an important and semi-permanent sink for trace metals in the Raritan system. Previous work on suspended sediment in the estuary and river substantiates that this load is also an important sink for trace metals; however, many of these metals are in leachable modes which are more susceptible to release and incorporation into the food chain. ?? 1990.

Chemical Geology↗
USGS1987

Geochemistry of metal-rich brines from central Mississippi Salt Dome basin, U.S.A.

Oil-field brines are the most favored ore-forming solutions for the sediment-hosted Mississippi Valley-type ore deposits. Detailed inorganic and organic chemical and isotope analyses of water and gas samples from six oil fields in central Mississippi, one of the very few areas with high metal brines, were conducted to study the inorganic and organic complexes responsible for the high concentrations of these metals. The samples were obtained from production zones consisting of sandstone and limestone that range in depth from 1900 to 4000 m (70–120°C) and in age from Late Cretaceous to Late Jurassic. Results show that the waters are dominantly bittern brines related to the Louann Salt. The brines have extremely high salinities that range from 160,000 to 320,000 mg/l total dissolved solids and are Na Ca Cl-type waters with very high concentrations of Ca (up to 48,000 mg/l) and other alkaline-earth metals, but with low concentrations of aliphatic acid anions. The concentrations of metals in many water samples are very high, reaching values of 70 mg/l for Pb, 245 mg/l for Zn, 465 mg/l for Fe and 210 mg/l for Mn. The samples with high metal contents have extremely low concentrations (<0.02 mg/l) of H 2 S. Samples obtained from the Smackover Formation (limestone) have low metal contents that are more typical of oil-field waters, but have very high concentrations (up to 85 mg/l) of H 2 S. Computations with the geochemical code SOLMINEQ.87 give the following results: (1) both Pb and Zn are present predominantly as aqueous chloride complexes (mainly as PbCl 4 2− and ZnCl 4 2− , respectively); (2) the concentrations of metals complexed with short-chained aliphatic acid anions and reduced S species are minor; (3) organic acid anions are important in controlling the concentrations of metals because they affect the pH and buffer capacity of the waters at subsurface conditions; and (4) galena and sphalerite solubilities control the concentrations of Pb and Zn in these waters.

Applied Geochemistry↗