Cycling of trace metals and rare earth elements (REE) in acid sulfate soils in the Plain of Reeds, Vietnam

Trace metals and rare earth elements (REE) are subject to intensive chemical cycling in acid sulfate soils. The oxidation of pyrite bearing deposits and the subsequent acidification mobilizes a variety of trace metals and REE. In this study solid phase and pore water data of three cores from the Plain of Reeds in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam, were analyzed. Distinct authigenic enrichments of trace metals and REE were observed in the solid phase of these cores. Thermodynamic modeling was employed to elucidate the controls on trace metal and REE mobility and the governing factors for the formation of these authigenic enrichments.