Rare earth elements in the Amazon basin

The rare earth element (REE) concentrations of the dissolved and particulate fractions and bed sediment between Manaus and Santarem in the Amazon River, and in some major tributaries, were evaluated. A very important zone in the Amazon basin, the 'encontro das aguas' area where the Rio Solimoes and the Rio Negro meet, was especially sampled. Different size fractions were isolated by ultrafiltration. Water samples were collected at different stages of the mixing. Three groups of waters are distinguished: group I has a low pH (<5.5) and is represented by the Negro basin rivers; group 11 has alkalinity less than 0.2 meq l(-1) and is represented by the Rios Tapajos and Trombetas; group III has high alkalinity (>0.2 meq l(-1)) and higher pH (>6.5) and is represented by the Madeira basin rivers, the Solimoes and the Amazon. The highest dissolved REE concentration is in the Rio Negro and the lowest in the Rio Tapajos (dissolved REEs vary by more than a factor of ten). The solubility of REEs is pH dependent: in river waters with a pH < 6 the Cc concentration is twice that of La, whereas in rivers with a higher pH the concentrations of Ce and La are similar. Dissolved REE concentrations are positively correlated with the dissolved organic carbon. Correlations between Fe, Al, and La suggest that La is associated with Al (Fe)-rich organic matter and/or related to dissolved Fe-rich inorganic material. Dissolved REES normalized to North American shale composite show an enrichment in intermediate/heavy REEs (from Eu to Er), except for the shields rivers (such as Rio Negro and Rio Trombetas). Both of them are depleted in heavy REEs and show a relative Cc enrichment. In contrast, for the Andeans rivers (such as Rio Solimoes), light REEs are slightly depleted and a negative Cc relative anomaly occurs. The pattern of the Amazon River at Obidos confirms the major influence of the Rios Negro and Solimoes with REE fractionation. For the Rio Negro, 60 to 70% of REEs are concentrated in the particulate fraction (>0.2 mum), 20 to 30% are in the colloidal fraction (0.2 mum to 5000 Da) and less than 10% are in solution (<5000 Da). For the Solimoes the distribution is different. More than 95% of REEs are in the particulate fraction. In the mixing area, the colloidal fraction is enriched in heavy REEs. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.