Selenium dynamics in boreal streams: the role of wetlands and changing groundwater tables

Atmospheric iodine, selenium and caesium depositions in France: I. Spatial and seasonal variations

The spatial distribution and seasonal variations of atmospheric iodine (I), selenium (Se) and caesium (Cs) depositions remain unclear and this precludes adequate inputs for biogeochemical models. We quantified total concentrations and fluxes of these elements in rainfalls from 27 monitoring sites in France with contrasted climatic conditions; monthly measurements were taken over one year (starting in 2016/09). Since speciation of I and Se can impact their behaviour in the environment, analysis of their inorganic compounds was also conducted. Our results showed that annual I concentrations in rainfall were much higher than those of Se and Cs (annual means = 1.56, 0.044 and 0.005 μg L^-1, respectively). The annual iodine concentrations were highly positively correlated with those of marine elements (i.e. Na, Cl and Mg), involving higher I concentrations under oceanic climate than for transition, continental and mountainous ones. Furthermore, common patterns were found between Se concentrations and both marine and terrestrial components consistent with the various sources of Se in atmosphere. The association of Cs with two anthropogenic components (i.e. NH₄⁺ and NO₃^-) used in agriculture supports the hypothesis of its terrestrial origin (i.e. from atmospheric dusts) in rainfall. We found higher rainfall concentrations of I during the warmest months for all climates. However, no specific seasonal trend occurred for Se and Cs. On annual average, rainfall contained mostly unidentified selenium compounds (inorganic Se proportions = 25-54%) and equal proportions of inorganic and unidentified I compounds. Concentrations of iodate were higher under oceanic climate consistent with an iodine marine-origin.

Microbial selenium metabolism: a brief history, biogeochemistry and ecophysiology

Selenium is an essential trace element for organisms from all three domains of life. Microorganisms, in particular, mediate reductive transformations of selenium that govern the element's mobility and bioavailability in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Selenium metabolism is not just ubiquitous but an ancient feature of life likely extending back to the universal common ancestor of all cellular lineages. As with the sulfur biogeochemical cycle, reductive transformations of selenium serve two metabolic functions: assimilation into macromolecules and dissimilatory reduction during anaerobic respiration. This review begins with a historical overview of how research in both aspects of selenium metabolism has developed. We then provide an overview of the global selenium biogeochemical cycle, emphasizing the central role of microorganisms in the cycle. This serves as a basis for a robust discussion of current models for the evolution of the selenium biogeochemical cycle over geologic time, and how knowledge of the evolution and ecophysiology of selenium metabolism can enrich and refine these models. We conclude with a discussion of the ecophysiological function of selenium-respiring prokaryotes within the cycle, and the tantalizing possibility of oxidative selenium transformations during chemolithoautotrophic growth.

Dissolved Organic Matter Controls Seasonal and Spatial Selenium Concentration Variability in Thaw Lakes across a Permafrost Gradient

Little is known about the sources and processing of selenium, an important toxicant and essential micronutrient, within boreal and sub-arctic environments. Upon climate warming and permafrost thaw, the behavior of Se in northern peatlands becomes an issue of major concern, because a sizable amount of Se can be emitted to the atmosphere from thawing soils and inland water surfaces and exported to downstream waters, thus impacting the Arctic biota. Working toward providing a first-order assessment of spatial and temporal variation of Se concentration in thermokarst waters of the largest frozen peatland in the world, we sampled thaw lakes and rivers across a 750-km latitudinal profile. This profile covered sporadic, discontinuous, and continuous permafrost regions of western Siberia Lowland (WSL), where we measured dissolved (<0.45 μm) Se concentration during spring (June), summer (August), and autumn (September). We found maximum Se concentration in the discontinuous permafrost zone. Considering all sampled lakes, Se exhibited linear relationship ( R² = 0.7 to 0.9, p < 0.05, n ≈ 70) with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration during summer and autumn. Across the permafrost gradient, the lakes in discontinuous permafrost regions demonstrated stronger relationship with DOC and UV-absorbance compared to lakes in sporadic/isolated and continuous permafrost zones. Both seasonal and spatial features of Se distribution in thermokarst lakes and ponds suggest that Se is mainly released during thawing of frozen peat. Mobilization and immobilization of Se within peat-lake-river watersheds likely occurs as organic and organo-Fe, Al colloids, probably associated with reduced and elemental Se forms. The increase of active layer thickness may enhance leaching of Se in the form of organic complexes with aromatic carbon from the deep horizons of the peat profile. Further, the northward shift of permafrost boundaries in WSL may sizably increase Se concentration in lakes of continuous permafrost zone.

Boreal forest riparian zones regulate stream sulfate and dissolved organic carbon

In boreal forest catchments, solute transfer to streams is controlled by hydrological and biogeochemical processes occurring in the riparian zone (RZ). However, RZs are spatially heterogeneous and information about solute chemistry is typically limited. This is problematic when making inferences about stream chemistry. Hypothetically, the strength of links between riparian and stream chemistry is time-scale dependent. Using a ten-year (2003-2012) dataset from a northern Swedish catchment, we evaluated the suitability of RZ data to infer stream dynamics at different time scales. We focus on the role of the RZ versus upslope soils in controlling sulfate (SO4(2)(-)) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). A priori, declines in acid deposition and redox-mediated SO4(2)(-) pulses control sulfur (S) fluxes and pool dynamics, which in turn affect dissolved organic carbon (DOC). We found that the catchment is currently a net source of S, presumably due to release of the S pool accumulated during the acidification period. In both, RZ and stream, SO4(2-) concentrations are declining over time, whereas DOC is increasing. No temporal trends in SO4(2-) and DOC were observed in upslope mineral soils. SO4(2-) explained the variation of DOC in stream and RZ, but not in upslope mineral soil. Moreover, as SO4(2-) decreased with time, temporal variability of DOC increased. These observations indicate that: (1) SO4(2-) is still an important driver of DOC trends in boreal catchments and (2) RZ processes control stream SO4(2-) and subsequently DOC independently of upslope soils. These phenomena are likely occurring in many regions recovering from acidification. Because water flows through a heterogeneous mosaic of RZs before entering the stream, upscaling information from limited RZ data to the catchment level is problematic at short-time scales. However, for long-term trends and annual dynamics, the same data can provide reasonable representations of riparian processes and support meaningful inferences about stream chemistry.

Metal transport in the boreal landscape-the role of wetlands and the affinity for organic matter

Stream water concentrations of 13 major and trace elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, La, Mg, Na, Ni, Si, Sr, U, Y) were used to estimate fluxes from 15 boreal catchments. All elements displayed a significant negative correlation to the wetland coverage, but the influence of wetlands was stronger for organophilic metals; 73% of the spatial differences in the normalized element fluxes could be explained based only on the wetland coverage and the affinity for organic matter, which was quantified using thermodynamic modeling. When the analysis was restrained to the smaller streams (<10 km(2)) the explanatory power increased to 88%. The results suggest that wetlands may decrease the fluxes of metals from boreal forests to downstream recipients by up to 40% at otherwise similar runoff. We suggest that the decrease in element fluxes is caused by a combination of low weathering in peat soils and accumulation of organophilic metals in peat. The model could not explain the spatial patterns for some metals with low affinity for organic matter, some redox-sensitive metals, and some metals with exceptionally high atmospheric deposition, but the results still demonstrate that wetlands play an important role for the biogeochemical cycling of many metals in the boreal landscape.

Distribution and transport of radionuclides in a boreal mire--assessing past, present and future accumulation of uranium, thorium and radium

The spatial distribution of (238)U, (226)Ra, (40)K and the daughters of (232)Th, (228)Ra and (228)Th, were measured in a small mire in northern Sweden. High activity concentrations of (238)U and (232)Th (up to 41 Bq (238)U kg(-1)) were observed in parts of the mire with a historical or current inflow of groundwater from the surrounding till soils, but the activities declined rapidly further out in the mire. Near the outlet and in the central parts of the mire the activity concentrations were low, indicating that uranium and thorium are immobilized rapidly upon their entering the peat. The (226)Ra was found to be more mobile with high activity concentrations further out into the mire (up to 24 Bq kg(-1)), although the central parts and the area near the outlet of the mire still had low activity concentrations. Based on the fluxes to and from the mire, it was estimated that approximately 60-70% of the uranium and thorium entering the mire currently is retained within it. The current accumulation rates were found to be consistent with the historical accumulation, but possibly lower. Since much of the accumulation still is concentrated to the edges of the mire and the activities are low compared to other measurements of these radionuclides in peat, there are no indications that the mire will be saturated with respect to radionuclides like uranium, thorium and radium in the foreseen future. On the contrary, normal peat growth rates for the region suggest that the average activity concentrations of the peat currently may be decreasing, since peat growth may be faster than the accumulation of radionuclides. In order to assess the total potential for accumulation of radionuclides more thoroughly it would, however, be necessary to also investigate the behaviour of other organophilic elements like aluminium, which are likely to compete for binding sites on the organic material. Measurements of the redox potential and other redox indicators demonstrate that uranium possibly could be reduced in parts of the mire. The results of the study suggest that this mire currently is, and historically has been, an important sink for radionuclides and that it most likely will continue to be so for a long time to come.