Methylated arsenic and antimony species in suspended matter of the river Ruhr, Germany

Abstract. The methylated antimony and arsenic species content of sediments derived from a sedimentation bowl of the river Ruhr were monitored over a 12 month period. The most prevalent species detected were monomethylarsenic (MMAs) and monomethylantimony (MMSb). The methylantimony and methylarsenic species concentration was found to be directly correlated to the winter spate. As the biological activity in the water body is generally low at this time of the year, it may be concluded that the concentration maxima in winter originated from the translocation of soil- and sediment particles to the river by heavy rains and the melting of snow. A second maximum in Spring/early Summer was observed for the methylarsenic species, and specifically the dimethylarsenic species (DMAs); this occurred in parallel to the algal bloom. A change in the methylarsenic speciation pattern was observed between April, May and June, with DMAs replacing MMAs as the dominant methylarsenic species. For methylated antimony species no seasonal variation in the species pattern was detected. Taken together these data strongly indicate a higher degree of transformation of arsenic compared to antimony in the Ruhr river system in spring and can be taken as a record for a biogeochemical different behaviour of these two elements which are often treated as equivalent in environmental studies.