ISSN:
1432-0703
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Energy, Environment Protection, Nuclear Power Engineering
,
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Transmission electron microscope (TEM) analyses of surface water samples from the northern New Jersey (USA) area indicate that rutile (TiO2) is a consistent contaminant, with fiber concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 million fibers per liter (MFL), and averaging 0.7 MFL. Concentrations of rutile fiber were comparable to or somewhat higher than asbestos concentrations in ambient surface water samples. Rutile is a component of bedrock in the drainage areas studied, and is also widely used commercially. The data favors a bedrock origin for most of the rutile observed. Analysis of hydraulic parameters indicates that rutile in the surface water samples is entirely in the Wentworth clay range, with Stokes' diameter of less than 2 microns, and suggests a high degree of sorting control over suspended particles. Since the samples were all from actual or potential sources of drinking water, the results suggest that a substantial amount of rutile is ingested via surface water supplies by the general population. The health effects of such ingestion are unknown.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01055365
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