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 Printable version |
Geochemical baseline data for trace elements in surface water and active sediment from French rivers collected by the FOREGS Geochemical Atlas of Europe (I) |
Environnement, Risques & Santé. Volume 9, Number 2, 121-35, mars-avril 2010, Article original
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 Résumé
Article gratuit
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Author(s) : Ignace Salpeteur, Jean-Marie Angel |
Summary : This study examines a subset of the surface geochemical data gathered as part of the EuroGeoSurveys programme for the Geochemical Atlas of Europe, launched in 2005. This pan-European data collection covers for the first time a wide range (50 to 60) of elements and physical parameters in sedimentary Mesozoic and Tertiary basins as well as shield areas of France. Such data about surface water, soils and sediments in first order catchments (<\;100Km
2), and on floodplains in the second or third order catchments (>1,400 km
2) ¾ are useful for all who work in the fields of pollution, natural risk assessment, epidemiologic studies, and land-use planning.Geochemical background estimates are provided for most heavy metals, rare earths and ecotoxic elements, such as As, Se, U, NO3-, and SO4\=, in surface water and active sediments. Globally, French first-order rivers are relatively clean. Only 5% of surface waters contain one or more pollutants exceeding drinking-water quality standards. Dissolved bromine and chloride levels reflect the marine influence within a 100-km distance from the coast. The median uranium content of French water that drains calcareous sedimentary basin is nearly three times higher than that of the same river over siliclastic shield areas. This reflects the stability of the uranium hydroxyl and carbonate complexes in these surface waters despite the lower concentrations in the parent rocks. |
Keywords : France, geochemical background, geologic sediments, geology, reference values, sediments, surface geochemistry, surface waters, trace elements |
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