Methods and Advances in the Forensic Analysis of Contaminated Rivers
Trace metals and metalloids are a common and persistent form of riverine (river) contamination and are derived from a wide variety of sources, including mining and milling operations, industrial activities, urban runoff, agricultural chemicals, and atmospheric pollution, among a host of others. Docu...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
EDP Sciences
2019-01-01
|
| Series: | E3S Web of Conferences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2019/51/e3sconf_icenis2019_01001.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818641299592445952 |
|---|---|
| author | Miller Jerry |
| author_facet | Miller Jerry |
| author_sort | Miller Jerry |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Trace metals and metalloids are a common and persistent form of riverine (river) contamination and are derived from a wide variety of sources, including mining and milling operations, industrial activities, urban runoff, agricultural chemicals, and atmospheric pollution, among a host of others. Documentation of trace metal sources and dispersal pathways in riverine ecosystems is essential to mitigate their potentially harmful effects to human and ecosystem health and is often required from a legal (environmental forensic) perspective to assess liability for the costs of remediation. Unfortunately, documenting the sources and source contributions of trace metals in rivers has proven difficult, time-intensive, and costly. Herein, a four-component, interdisciplinary framework is proposed to efficiently identify the sources and source contributions of trace metals in alluvial sediments where multiple natural and/or anthropogenic sources exist. The components include (1) the analysis of the river’s alluvial stratigraphic architecture and geomorphic history, (2) the temporal correlation of geochemically characterized alluvial deposits to potential anthropogenic trace metal sources, (3) the analysis of the spatial variations in selected geochemical parameters, and (4) the use of geochemical and/or isotopic tracers to quantitatively estimate the contributions of trace metals from the defined natural and anthropogenic sources. The four components are not intended to be exhaustive; the framework may require modification following multiple lines of evidence approach, in which additional methods and data are added to the investigation until there is confidence that all trace metal sources and their contributions have been effectively defined. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:24:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d4eb31ac70694503bc9258266989ce98 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2267-1242 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:24:58Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | EDP Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | E3S Web of Conferences |
| spelling | doaj.art-d4eb31ac70694503bc9258266989ce982022-12-21T22:12:03ZengEDP SciencesE3S Web of Conferences2267-12422019-01-011250100110.1051/e3sconf/201912501001e3sconf_icenis2019_01001Methods and Advances in the Forensic Analysis of Contaminated RiversMiller Jerry0Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources, Western Carolina UniversityTrace metals and metalloids are a common and persistent form of riverine (river) contamination and are derived from a wide variety of sources, including mining and milling operations, industrial activities, urban runoff, agricultural chemicals, and atmospheric pollution, among a host of others. Documentation of trace metal sources and dispersal pathways in riverine ecosystems is essential to mitigate their potentially harmful effects to human and ecosystem health and is often required from a legal (environmental forensic) perspective to assess liability for the costs of remediation. Unfortunately, documenting the sources and source contributions of trace metals in rivers has proven difficult, time-intensive, and costly. Herein, a four-component, interdisciplinary framework is proposed to efficiently identify the sources and source contributions of trace metals in alluvial sediments where multiple natural and/or anthropogenic sources exist. The components include (1) the analysis of the river’s alluvial stratigraphic architecture and geomorphic history, (2) the temporal correlation of geochemically characterized alluvial deposits to potential anthropogenic trace metal sources, (3) the analysis of the spatial variations in selected geochemical parameters, and (4) the use of geochemical and/or isotopic tracers to quantitatively estimate the contributions of trace metals from the defined natural and anthropogenic sources. The four components are not intended to be exhaustive; the framework may require modification following multiple lines of evidence approach, in which additional methods and data are added to the investigation until there is confidence that all trace metal sources and their contributions have been effectively defined.https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2019/51/e3sconf_icenis2019_01001.pdfenvironmental forensicstrace metalscontaminated rivers |
| spellingShingle | Miller Jerry Methods and Advances in the Forensic Analysis of Contaminated Rivers E3S Web of Conferences environmental forensics trace metals contaminated rivers |
| title | Methods and Advances in the Forensic Analysis of Contaminated Rivers |
| title_full | Methods and Advances in the Forensic Analysis of Contaminated Rivers |
| title_fullStr | Methods and Advances in the Forensic Analysis of Contaminated Rivers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Methods and Advances in the Forensic Analysis of Contaminated Rivers |
| title_short | Methods and Advances in the Forensic Analysis of Contaminated Rivers |
| title_sort | methods and advances in the forensic analysis of contaminated rivers |
| topic | environmental forensics trace metals contaminated rivers |
| url | https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2019/51/e3sconf_icenis2019_01001.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT millerjerry methodsandadvancesintheforensicanalysisofcontaminatedrivers |