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Integrated Field Lysimetry and Porewater Sampling for Evaluation of Chemical Mobility in Soils and Established Vegetation
Published on: July 4, 2014
Arsenic abundance and variation in golf course lakes
Thomas Pichler1, Robert Brinkmann, Giulio I Scarzella
1Department of Geology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Fl 33620, USA. pichler@shell.cas.usf.edu
The Science of the Total Environment
|March 4, 2008
Summary
Golf course herbicide Monosodium methanearsonate (MSMA) significantly increases arsenic (As) in lake water and sediments. Arsenic accumulation in sediments poses a risk to groundwater, like the Floridan aquifer, if conditions change.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geochemistry
- Ecotoxicology
Background:
- Monosodium methanearsonate (MSMA) is a widely used herbicide in golf course management.
- Arsenic (As) contamination in aquatic ecosystems is a growing environmental concern.
- Golf course lakes can act as sinks for applied chemicals, potentially impacting water quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal and spatial variation of arsenic (As) concentrations in golf course lakes following MSMA application.
- To compare As levels in golf course lakes with non-golf course lakes.
- To assess the role of lake sediments in sequestering As and the potential risk to groundwater.
Main Methods:
- Monthly monitoring of As concentrations in 28 golf course lakes over one year.
- Analysis of As concentrations in lake sediments and comparison with regional expectations.
- Correlation analysis of As with iron (Fe) in sediments to understand sequestration mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Arsenic concentrations in golf course lakes were substantially higher (up to 100-fold) than in comparable non-golf course lakes.
- Peak As levels in lakes coincided with the intensity of MSMA applications, typically in late spring/early summer.
- Golf course lake sediments showed significantly elevated As concentrations (up to 302 mg/kg) compared to typical Florida sediments (0.1-3 mg/kg).
- Arsenic strongly correlated with iron in the top 15 cm of sediments, indicating sorption by hydrous ferric oxides (HFO).
Conclusions:
- MSMA application leads to significant arsenic accumulation in golf course lake water and sediments.
- Sediment acts as a buffer, sequestering arsenic via HFO, but poses a risk of future release.
- Instability of HFO or sediment saturation could lead to arsenic mobilization and contamination of the Floridan aquifer system.
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