The Applications of Chemical Analyses of Sediments and Soils in ...

Transportation of natural and man-made potential pollutants occurs in gas, liquidand suspended particulate phases. Various mechanisms exist in nature to help preventbuild-up to toxic concentration, such as by attenuation, oxidation, reduction, chelationor conversion to insoluble forms.Chemical and biological exchange inter-relationships exist between air and watermasses and terrestial and aquatic systems. Sediments,soils and large air and watermasses can be regarded as sinks permitting slow release to the environment.Natural "sinks" occur in large water masses, sediments, aquatic flora and faunaand terrestial animals, vegetation and soil, from which there is slow release back to theenvironment Pollutants introduced by man can also be diverted to man-made sinks,such as sewage sludge, inert solid wastes and mine tailings and industrial effluentsettling ponds.Care must be taken that materials immobilized in sediment sinks are notmobilized into water or air through disturbances such as by dredging, tailing damrupture, blowing dust or incineration. Particulates suspended in water or air providemajor transportation routes for pollutants.WASTE WATER DETOXIFICATIONThe detoxification of municipal waste water can be cited as an example of "sink"5