The release and leaching of metal pollutants into coastal and estuarine environments has been greatly curtailed, but capped deposits can still reenter the ecosystem by natural perturbation or human activity. The potential use of Mercenaria mercenaria exterior shells as a heavy metal biosorbent that contain the polymorphs of CaCO3 (aragonite and calcite) was investigated in conjunction with the development of an in-field X-ray fluorescence (XRF) as a bio indicator analysis protocol. XRF assessed the shell surface adsorption sensitivity to metal ions (Zn2+, Cd2+, Cu2+ and Pb2+) in various saline ocean waters and at differing pHs. Shells were washed with spiked sediment and non-treated sediment slurries from the harvest location to assess the potential rerelease of metal to its surroundings and metal ion exchange capacities. The cation exchange capacity of the metal ions between sediment, pore water, and shell at varying substrate habitats from high carbon and sandy sediment reflect the sedentary borrowing of the quahog through sediment strata (1 meter depth). Further application of waste shells is the remediation within contaminated aqueous waste settling ponds. The ponds are designed remediation through two mechanisms, precipitation and absorption. With application of this technology, precipitation is enhanced by raising the pH to 8 on addition of the carbonate based shells forming insoluble metal hydroxides. The metal ions remaining in the water column were removed by the CEC of the shell substrate. The conditions allowing flocculation clarification of the water column is the solid deposit removed by dredging reducing volume of contamination greatly.<br/>

In field XRF of <i>Mercenaria mercenaria</i>: Bioindicator of heavy metal legacy pollution

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

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In field XRF of Mercenaria mercenaria: Bioindicator of heavy metal legacy pollution