Zinc, copper, nickel, and arsenic monitoring in natural streams using in-situ iron–manganese oxide coated stream pebbles

摘要: Abstract Elements such as zinc, copper, nickel, and arsenic pose a concern for drinking water quality ecosystem health tracking these often nonpoint source contaminants in groundwater presents significant challenge due to the heterogeneous spatial distribution of sources. Developing an approach help locate sources ground surface could potentially provide rapid, repeatable, inexpensive technique environmental assessment. Iron–manganese oxide coated streambed pebbles have affinity metals serve in-situ monitors. The analysis pebble coatings sampled from Pennypack Creek its tributaries, southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, tests ability reflect in-stream concentrations track higher upstream tributary branches. Quartz pebbles, 5–7 cm diameter, with brown-red were along main stem tributaries followed by leaching 4 M nitric acid 0.03 M hydrochloric 24 h. selected minimize elemental contamination metal bearing minerals sample. All leachate are significantly correlated (p