Application of synchrotron radiation technique to analysis of environmental samples

Synchrotron radiation experiments were performed at the Australian National Beamline Facility at Photon Factory, Tsukuba, Japan using the X-ray absorption near edge structure technique to investigate changes in redox speciation of iron and manganese in estuarine particles from the Fly River in Papua New Guinea. In low salinity samples manganese was mostly present as Mn(III) and Mn(IV) compounds with some surface-adsorbed Mn(II). Similarly, iron was present as Fe(III) and Fe(II/III) compounds with some adsorbed Fe(II). The proportions of both Mn(II) and Fe(III) significantly increased in higher salinity samples