Surface and Airborne Arsenic Concentrations in a Recreational Site near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

ABSTRACT: Elevated concentrations of arsenic, up to 7058 μg g(-1) in topsoil and bedrock, and more than 0.03 μg m(-3) in air on a 2-week basis, were measured in the Nellis Dunes Recreation Area (NDRA), a very popular off-road area near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The elevated arsenic concentrations in the topsoil and bedrock are correlated to outcrops of yellow sandstone belonging to the Muddy Creek Formation (≈ 10 to 4 Ma) and to faults crossing the area. Mineralized fluids moved to the surface through the faults and deposited the arsenic. A technique was developed to calculate airborne arsenic concentrations from the arsenic content in the topsoil. The technique was tested by comparing calculated with measured concentrations at 34 locations in the NDRA, for 3 periods of 2 weeks each. We then applied i

SUBMITTER: Goossens D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4405587 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature