| Title | The chemical and physical characteristics of heavy metals in humus and till in the vicinity of the base metal smelter at Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada |
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| Author | Henderson, P J; McMartin, I ; Hall, G E; Percival, J B; Walker, D
A |
| Source | Environmental Geology vol. 34, no. 1, 1998 p. 39-58, https://doi.org/10.1007/s002540050255 |
| Image |  |
| Year | 1998 |
| Alt Series | Geological Survey of Canada, Contribution Series 1996356 |
| Publisher | Springer Nature |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Manitoba; Saskatchewan |
| NTS | 63J/03; 63J/04; 63K/01; 63K/02; 63K/03; 63K/04; 63K/05; 63K/06; 63K/11; 63K/12; 63K/13; 63K/14; 63L/07; 63L/08; 63L/09; 63L/10; 63L/15; 63L/16; 63M/01; 63M/02; 63N/01; 63N/02; 63N/03; 63N/04 |
| Area | Flin Flon; Snow Lake |
| Lat/Long WENS | -103.0000 -99.0000 55.2500 54.0000 |
| Subjects | environmental geology; soils science; surficial geology/geomorphology; geochemistry; Nature and Environment; Science and Technology; Economics and Industry; mineral industry; mineral processing;
smelters; heavy metals contamination; heavy mineral analyses; base metals; soils; tills; base metal geochemistry; till geochemistry; trace element geochemistry; scanning electron microscope analyses; bedrock geology; lithology; Environmental impact;
cumulative effects |
| Illustrations | location maps; geoscientific sketch maps; tables; flow diagrams; plots; profiles; bar graphs; photomicrographs |
| Released | 1998 04 14 |
| Abstract | Trace element geochemistry of humus (<0.425 mm) and till (<0.002 mm) collected in the Flin Flon-Snow Lake area, northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, provides a regional context for assessing smelter
contamination in the environment. The area includes a Cu-Zn smelter known to discharge As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Hg, Pb, and Zn. In this study, sequential extraction analyses, scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analyses were used on a suite of
samples to determine: (1) the chemical and physical characteristics of heavy metals in surficial sediments related to distance from the smelter, (2) criteria for assessing the relative contribution of these metals from natural and anthropogenic
sources, and (3) the potential of these metals for remobilization in the environment.
Humus geochemistry reflects the anthropogenic and natural component of heavy metal concentrations. Smelter-related elements show anomalously high values adjacent
to the smelter, decreasing with distance until background values are reached at 70-104 km, depending on the element. In humus, Zn is associated primarily with labile phases; Hg with non-labile phases. Adjacent to the smelter, high proportions and
concentrations of Zn and Hg in non-labile phases, indicative of smelter-derived particulates, are confirmed by SEM examination. The particles occur as spheres, irregular grains, and with organics. With increasing distance from the smelter, the
geochemical response to bedrock composition is more obvious than the anthropogenic input.
Till geochemistry reflects the natural variation imposed by bedrock composition. At highly contaminated sites (<3?km from the smelter), increased percentages
of smelter-related elements in labile phases suggests heavy metals are leached from humus to the underlying sediment. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 208218 |
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