『Abstract
The present study deals with the direct determination of colloidal
forms of iron in river-borne solids from main rivers of the Amazon
Basin. The contribution of different forms of colloidal iron have
been assessed using ultrafiltration associated with various techniques
including electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR),
high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and
micro proton-induced X ray emission analysis (μPIXE). EPR shows
the presence of Fe3+ bound to organic matter (Fe3+-OM)
and colloidal iron oxides. Quantitative estimate of Fe3+-OM
content in colloidal matter ranges from 0.1 to 1.6 weight % of
dried solids and decreases as the pH of the river increases in
the range 4 to 6.8. The modeling of the field data with the Equilibrium
Calculation of Speciation and Transport (ECOSAT) code demonstrates
that this trend is indicative of a geochemical control resulting
from the solubility equilibrium of Fe oxyhydroxide phase and Fe
binding to organic matter. Combining EPR and μPIXE data quantitatively
confirms the presence of colloidal iron phase (min. 35 to 65%
of iron content), assuming no divalent Fe is present. In the Rio
Negro, HRTEM specifies the nature of colloidal iron phase mainly
as ferrihydrite particles of circa 20 to 50Å associated
with organic matter. The geochemical forms of colloidal iron differentiate
the pedoclimatic regions drained by the different rivers, corresponding
to different major weathering/erosion processes. Modeling allows
the calculation of the speciation of iron as mineral, organic
and dissolved phases in the studied rivers.』
1. Introduction
2. Geochemical background
3. Samples
4. Material and methods
5. Results
5.1. Composition of suspended solids
5.2. EPR of suspended solids: Forms of trivalent iron
5.2.1. Identified species
5.2.2. Trivalent iron bound to organic matter
5.3. Quantitative evidence of nano Fe-oxyhydroxides
5.4. TEM analysis of nano Fe-oxyhydroxides
5.5. Geochemical modeling of Fe partition
6. Discussion
6.1. Geochemical significance of colloidal iron in rivers
from the Amazon Basin
6.2. Implications for the stability of ferrihydrite in rivers
7. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
References