Geochemical Processes Contributing to the Contamination of Soil and Surface Waters in the Rio Conchos Basin, Mexico
Geochemical processes contributing to the contamination of soil and surface waters in the Rio Conchos basin, Mexico Mélida Gutiérrez Geography, Geology and Planning, Missouri State University, Springfi eld, Missouri 65897, USA Carlos Martinez-Pina Department of Geosciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, USA Jun Luo Kevin Mickus Geography, Geology and Planning, Missouri State University, Springfi eld, Missouri 65897, USA ABSTRACT to predict the response of the environment to background levels. Once this characterization various human activities. is complete, the response of the environment A geochemical characterization of the to possible scenarios of human activities could middle Rio Conchos basin is presented based Keywords: arsenic, Chihuahua, Chihuahuan more easily and reliably be predicted. on two contaminants, salts (Ca and Na) and Desert, Rio Conchos, salts, metalloid, water The objective of this study was to determine toxic metalloids (As and Sb). Their content chemistry, water resource, water pollution. the main geochemical processes taking place in in surface water and sediment samples was a river in an arid environment and to fi nd a plau- determined, and their spatial distribution was INTRODUCTION sible explanation for the presence of calcium and mapped to show the relationship to each other, sodium (main components of water salinity) and to the geology and hydrology, and to other The Rio Conchos is an important river within toxic metalloids (arsenic and antimony). For this potential factors affecting their distribution the Chihuahuan Desert and the largest tributary purpose, surface-water data collected by Gutiér- (i.e., prevailing winds). Correlation analyses of the Rio Grande in spite of its relatively mod- rez were complemented with sediment geochem- between salts, toxic metalloids, and associated est discharge (Hudson et al., 2005; International ical data acquired from the Servicio Geologico elements, and their spatial distribution aided Boundary and Water Commission [IBWC], Mexicano (SGM).
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