The geochemical behavior of aluminum in acidified surface waters
Nordstrom DK and Ball JW. 1986. The geochemical behavior of aluminum in acidified surface waters. Science. 232(4746):54-56
Speciation calculation for aluminum, in water samples taken from a drainage basin containing acid mine waters, demonstrate a distinct transition from conservative behavior for pH below 4.6 to nonconservative behavior for pH above 4.9. This transition corresponds to the pK for the first hydrolysis constant of the aqueous aluminum ion and appears to be a consistent phenomenon independent of field location, ionic strength, and sulfate concentration. Nonconservative behavior is closely correlated with the equilibrium solubility of a microcrystalline gibbsite or amorphous aluminum hydroxide.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Nordstrom, Darrell; Ball, James
- Units
- YOSE
- Keywords
- Acid Mine Drainage, Acid Rain, Acidification, Alpine County, Aluminum, California, Geochemistry, Geology, Hydrochemistry, Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Leviathan Mine, Pacific Coast, pH, properties, Speciation, Surface Water, Western U.S.