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Water Geochemistry

The document discusses several topics related to the geochemistry of water including: 1. The chemical composition of seawater is influenced by inputs from rivers, the atmosphere, and interactions with the seafloor and continents. Residence times of elements in seawater depend on their input rates and concentrations. 2. Groundwater chemistry is determined by interactions between water and surrounding minerals, soils and bedrock. Dissolved constituents include major ions, minor ions, and trace elements. Total dissolved solids and geochemical processes influence groundwater quality. 3. Water quality is assessed based on suitability for drinking, agriculture, and irrigation considering parameters like salinity, sodium percentage, and sodium adsorption ratio.

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82 views

Water Geochemistry

The document discusses several topics related to the geochemistry of water including: 1. The chemical composition of seawater is influenced by inputs from rivers, the atmosphere, and interactions with the seafloor and continents. Residence times of elements in seawater depend on their input rates and concentrations. 2. Groundwater chemistry is determined by interactions between water and surrounding minerals, soils and bedrock. Dissolved constituents include major ions, minor ions, and trace elements. Total dissolved solids and geochemical processes influence groundwater quality. 3. Water quality is assessed based on suitability for drinking, agriculture, and irrigation considering parameters like salinity, sodium percentage, and sodium adsorption ratio.

Uploaded by

geophyprofessor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Geochemistry of water

Chemical composition of Seawater

Interaction of hydrosphere with other


components of the earth
Water molecule and
behavior of ion in water

Mostly because of
hydrogen bonding

Unequal sharing of
electrons imparts
partial charges
Allows for ordering
of molecules that
causes unique
physical properties
Chemical composition of the oceans

River Ocean

Residence times = seawater conc. / input rate of element


Residence time
Residence times = seawater conc. / input rate of element
Short residence time elements are highly reactive, and not recycled

Inputs of elements: atmosphere, continental weathering,


seawater-seafloor interactions, mid-oceanic activities

Removal of elements: atmosphere, precipitation, adsorption,


reactions with seafloor

Atmosphere supplies and removes gases


Continents supply major elements
Direct precipitation is relatively unimportant
Biological removal (Si, Ca)
Adsorption onto primarily oxy-hydroxides. pH = 8.0, oxy-
hydroxides have negative charge. So cations are the adsorbed
Water cycling through seafloor basalts add some and remove
other elements.
Biological controls on seawater composition
Redfield ratio, C : N : P = 106 : 16 : 1
Expanded redfield ratio include trace elements

O2 minima, nutrient
maxima
Fate of organic matter died organisms

Only a fraction of the biogenic


elements created in the upper
ocean is buried in ocean
sediments

At seawater pH clay particles


have negative charge.
At high ionic strength,
monovalent cations preferentially
exchange for divalent cations (Na+
swaps out for Ca2+)
Redox conditions, determined
primarily by organic matter
availability
TRACE METALS IN SEAWATER
and the biological control
Sources: Hydrothermal (Mn, Fe, Ba, Li, Rb)
Rivers
Enrichment factor of Atmosphere
plankton and brown algae
Sinks: Removed by particles (either lithogenic, or
biogenic)
Open ocean, particles are biogenic
Coastal ocean, particles are biogenic + lithogenic

METALS REMOVAL BY BIOLOGY:


Uptake, Redfield :
C : N : P : Fe :Zn : Mn : Ni : Cd : Cu : Co : Pb
180:23:1:0.005:0.002:0.001:0.0005:0.0004:0.0002:0.00004

Metals enriched in shell material (Ba, Sr, Cu, Ag,


Zn, Pb, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni)

EF = Metal conc. in biogenic material / Metal conc.


in seawater
Seawater – sediment interactions
At seawater pH clay particles have neg. charge
At high ionic strength, monovalent cations preferentially exchange
for divalent cations (Na+ swaps out for Ca2+)
Redox conditions, determined primarily by organic matter availability

Greater porosity than soils, but voids are filled with water, not air
Surface layers are oxic, subsurface layers anoxic
Transition is determined by organic matter load and porosity
Sediment organic chemistry reflects contributions from other sources
just like soils do. Ex: no plants in the ocean so little chemical evidence
of plants contributing to organic composition of ocean sediments
Groundwater geochemistry

Groundwater geochemistry or hydro geochemistry is the


general chemical characteristics of groundwaters, and at some
of the geochemical processes that are important in the chemical
evolution of water that flows through the ground

All groundwater contain salts carried in solution. The kinds and


concentration of salts depend upon the environment, movement,
and source of the groundwater
Groundwater geochemistry

Groundwater composition
The dissolved inorganic constituents are classified as:
(1) major constituents with concentrations greater than 5mg/L
(2) minor constituents with concentrations in a range from 0.01 to 10
mg/L
(3) trace elements constituents with concentrations less than 0.01 mg/L

Naturally occurring dissolved organic molecules groundwater are typically


present in minor or trace quantities.

The important groundwater gases include oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen


sulfide and methane.
Groundwater geochemistry

Dissolved constituents in groundwater

• A wide range of different elements can become dissolved in groundwater as


a result of interactions with the atmosphere, the surficial environment, soil
and bedrock.
• Groundwaters tend to have much higher concentrations of most constituents
than do surface waters.
• Deep groundwaters that have been in contact with rock for a long time tend
to have higher concentrations than shallow and or young waters.
Groundwater geochemistry

Dissolved constituents in groundwater

Dissolved constituents are typically expressed in:


• mg/L for the major components
• μg/L for the trace elements.
• 1 mg is 0.001 g and 1 litre of water is very close to 1000 g,
• mg/L is equivalent to parts per million (ppm),
• μg/L is equivalent to parts per billion (ppb).
Groundwater geochemistry

Dissolved constituents in groundwater

Minor
Trace
Groundwater geochemistry

The sum of the concentrations of all of the dissolved constituents in a water


sample is known as the total dissolved solids or TDS.
Groundwater geochemistry

Groundwater geochemical processes


Water moving through the ground will react to varying degrees with the
surrounding minerals (and other components), and it is these rock-water
interactions that give the water its characteristic chemistry.

Carbonate reactions

Oxidation-reduction reactions

Ion exchange processes


Groundwater geochemistry
Piper diagram: Hydrochemical facies
Groundwater Quality
Groundwaters can be classified with regard to their suitability for human, livestock
and poultry uses, and for industrial and agricultural purposes

Evaluation of Groundwater for Drinking and Domestic Uses

GL is guide level.
MAC is maximum admissible
concentration.
MRC is minimum required
concentration.
TH is total hardness
Groundwater Quality
Water quality for irrigational purpose
Salinity hazard (EC):
Sodium percentage (%Na)
Groundwater Quality
Water quality for irrigational purpose

Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR)


Water Pollution

Water pollution refers to degradation of water quality as measured by biological, chemical, or physical
criteria.
A pollutant is any substance that, in excess, is known to be harmful to desirable living organisms.

The greatest water pollution problem in the world today is:


1. Lack of disease-free drinking water for about 20 percent of the world’s population.
2. Sanitation conditions that favor waterborne diseases that kill about 2 million people a year. Most of the
deaths are of children under age 5.
3. Chemical pollution place where people live.
Ground Water Contamination

• Contaminated ground water


can be extremely difficult
and expensive to clean up
Ground Water Contamination
Infiltrating water may bring
contaminants down to the water table,
including (but not limited to):
– Pharmaceuticals
– Pesticides/herbicides
– Fertilizers
– Feed lots
– Mercury and gold mining
– Landfill pollutants
– Heavy metals
– Bacteria, viruses and parasites from
sewage
– Industrial chemicals (PCBs, TCE)
– Acid mine drainage
– Radioactive waste
– Oil and gasoline

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