Temporal and spatial variation of perchlorate in streambed sediments: results from in-situ dialysis samplers

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) 2005-07, Vol.136 (2), p.283-291
• Main Authors: Tan, Kui, Anderson, Todd A., Jackson, W. Andrew
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biodegradation; Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil; Dialysis; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Monitoring - instrumentation; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Fate; Freshwater; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Passive sampling; Peeper; Perchlorate; perchlorates; Perchlorates - analysis; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Rivers; Sediment; sediment contamination; Soil and sediments pollution; spatial variation; Specimen Handling; streams; temporal variation; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; water pollution
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2004.12.037

The fate of perchlorate (ClO 4 −) in streambed sediments is becoming a concern due to the increasing number of groundwater and surface water contamination sites in the United States. Dialysis samplers were deployed at three sites over a period of 1 year to determine the vertical distribution of ClO 4 − in sediment pore water. Results indicated that the spatial and temporal ClO 4 − penetration into sediments could be affected by numerous factors, such as temperature, microbial degradation, ClO 4 − surface water concentration, and sediment physico-geological properties. In general, maximum ClO 4 − penetration into sediments at the studied sites was 30 cm below the sediment-water surface. The vertical sequential depletion of electron acceptors in sediments suggested that microbial reduction was responsible for ClO 4 − depletion in stream sediments. Biodegradation of ClO 4 − occurred over a seasonally variable active depth zone of 1–10 cm. Results implied that there was a rapid natural attenuation potential of perchlorate in saturated near-surface sediments. Perchlorate may be rapidly attenuated in saturated near-surface sediments.