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The effects of dissolved organic carbon, acidity and seasonality on metal geochemistry within a forested catchment on the Precambrian Shield, central Ontario, Canada

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Abstract

Metal pollution, in combination with other environmental stressors such as acid deposition and climate change, may disturb metal biogeochemical cycles. To investigate the influence of dissolved organic carbon, acidity and seasonality on metal geochemistry, this study has described concentrations of 19 metals as they pass through an acidified forested catchment on the Precambrian Shield in south-central Ontario, Canada. Metal, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and sulphate (SO4 2−) concentrations fluctuate throughout the catchment compartments as the water passes through and interacts with vegetation, soils and bedrock. Relationships among metals, DOC and SO4 2− are most pronounced in compartments where DOC and SO4 2− exhibit high variability, namely in the throughfall, organic horizon soil water, and wetland-draining stream. Metal, DOC and SO4 2− concentrations varied seasonally in the streams, and temporal coherence occurred among metal, DOC and SO4 2− concentrations in the organic horizon soil water and the wetland-draining stream (PC1). In the wetland-draining stream, the highest DOC, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, and V concentrations occur in the summer, whereas concentrations of SO4 2− and most other metals peak in the fall after a period of drought. Despite the rural location, provincial water quality objectives for surface water were exceeded for many metals when the peak fall values occurred.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by grants from MITE (Metals in the Environment), the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada). The invaluable assistance of Joe Findeis, Heather Broadbent, Katrina Epova, Sunday Abiria, Dolly Kothawala, Brad Mills and numerous other students and staff from the Ontario Ministry of Environment is especially noted. This manuscript was greatly improved thanks to the thorough suggestions of three anonymous reviewers.

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Correspondence to Amanda L. Landre.

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See Table 7.

Table 7 Forward stepwise multiple regression equations for metal concentrations using DOC and SO4 as predictor variables

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Landre, A.L., Watmough, S.A. & Dillon, P.J. The effects of dissolved organic carbon, acidity and seasonality on metal geochemistry within a forested catchment on the Precambrian Shield, central Ontario, Canada. Biogeochemistry 93, 271–289 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-009-9305-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-009-9305-0

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