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- Title
Aluminium precipitates formed downstream of springs in a mountainousenvironment
- Authors
Follestad, Bjorn Andreas; Saether, Ola Magne
- Abstract
Areas a few square metres in size, devoid of higher vegetation otherthan moss, have been mapped at 600-700 m above sea level in the mountains of the western part of central Norway. The moss is covered by agrey precipitate during dry summer periods. The precipitate has beenidentified by ICP-AES analysis of HNO3-extract, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as an aluminium(Al)-hydroxide, probably amorphous Al-hydroxide and diaspore (Al(OH)3), containing 21-25% Al by weight. In comparison, the underlying moraine deposits contain 1.5-3.5% Al by weight. A small spring, where groundwater discharges, is located uphill of each contaminated area. The Al content of the water which emerges from these springs decreases downhill away from the spring and is inversely proportional to the pH. The runoff waters originating at the springs have beenmodelled using the computer-codes MINTEQA2 and ALCHEMI and are foundto be saturated with respect to amorphous Al(OH)3. This study raises the very important question as to what extent a lower pH in the influent meltwater may leach out more aluminium and possibly lead to the formation of larger amounts of precipitate.
- Subjects
NORWAY; ACID precipitation (Meteorology); GROUNDWATER monitoring; SIMULATION methods &; models; SCANNING electron microscopy; ALUMINUM
- Publication
Water, Air & Soil Pollution, 1999, Vol 114, Issue 1-2, p121
- ISSN
0049-6979
- Publication type
Article