Sources, transport and sinks of beryllium in a coastal landscape affected by acidic soils

Erosion rates and sediment flux within the Potomac River basin quantified over millennial timescales using beryllium isotopes

“…2) are between 7.0-8.1 (average measurement period: 30 yrs; average number of pH measurements per station: 270; no pH data were available for the tenth gauging station, 01650500). In contrast, pH < 4 is typically required to strip all Be from grain coatings (Åström et al, 2018;Graly et al, 2010;Willenbring et al, 2010). Data for these nine USGS gauging stations were accessed through the USGS National Water Information System (https://maps.waterdata.usgs.gov/mapper).…”

Desorption and Migration Behavior of Beryllium from Contaminated Soils: Insights for Risk-Based Management

“…In addition, excess hydrogen ions (H + ) in the acid rain compete with the target metal ions (i.e., Be) present in the binding sites of clay materials, oxyhydroxides of metals [aluminum (Al)/iron (Fe)/ manganese (Mn)], and the lattice of secondary minerals such as carbonates, sulfates, oxides, and silicates, which influence metal mobility. 9,21,28 Relatively lower K d was found (indicating lower retardation or higher migration behavior) under SARS (mean 848 L/kg for spiked and 7990 L/kg for natural soils) than the SPLP (1834 and 11088 L/kg) and MWEP (3448 and 139250 L/kg). These data (Table 1) indicate the limited mobility or transport of Be from the natural soils (K d = 7990−139,250 L/kg) but also the potential for mobilization of Be in soils when subjected to acid rain (pH < 4.5).…”

“…Chloride ions form less stable complexes with Be (only ion-pair formation) than the other anions, including fluoride, phosphate, and carbonate, , resulting in enhancing the mobility of Be, and Naidu et al also reported a similar effect for cadmium (Cd) (both are divalent cations). In addition, excess hydrogen ions (H + ) in the acid rain compete with the target metal ions (i.e., Be) present in the binding sites of clay materials, oxyhydroxides of metals [aluminum (Al)/iron (Fe)/manganese (Mn)], and the lattice of secondary minerals such as carbonates, sulfates, oxides, and silicates, which influence metal mobility. ,, …”

“…A specific concern is the widespread use of Be for many scientific and technological applications, including defence, aerospace, automotive, nuclear energy, medical, electronic industries, and so forth. , Subsequently, it may be released to the environment during manufacturing, handling, and waste disposal. Furthermore, 20 tons of Be/year were emitted to the atmosphere from Europe and ∼4.5 tons/year from Australia, which represents a potential risk after wet and dry deposition for mobilization from soil and arising from surface or groundwater acidification. − However, some researchers have suggested that Be has low mobility under oxidizing and acidic conditions. , Other researchers , have reported that the mobility of Be primarily depends on pH, but the presence of different soluble metals, nonmetals, and minerals is also influential on the Be chemistry. Therefore, the desorption and migration behavior of Be in the environment are not yet well understood.…”

Magnetically Modified Biosorbent for Rapid Beryllium Elimination from the Aqueous Environment

“…However, due to global industry and the persistence of metals that cannot be degraded, heavy metals are accumulated through the food chain in surface water, groundwater, or soils [ 1 , 2 ]. Beryllium occurs naturally in soils at a concentration range less than 15 mg/kg, in low concentration in natural surface waters [ 3 ], and it is generally found in plant samples at low concentrations (<1 mg/kg dry weight), as well as in various fish and other marine organisms (<0.1 mg/kg fresh weight) [ 4 ].…”