Trace elements in Northern Great Plains strip mine and livestock impoundment water
The water from 32 strip mine water impoundments and mine livestock watering ponds in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming were analyzed for trace elements. Because of the high concentrations of trace elements in coal and bentonite clay, the possibility exists for these elements to dissolve or be suspended in the water. Strip mine ponds were not significantly higher in trace element concentrations compared to livestock ponds. All but one of the 41 ponds sampled contained elemental concentrations that would be detrimental for livestock use or aquatic life use. Cadmium and lead were the elements most frequently in excess of water quality criteria. Lead was found in the study ponds about 35 times the median concentration of North American rivers. Manganese concentrations were found to exceed iron in many ponds, which is unusual in natural waters. The potential for detrimental concentrations of trace elements in pond water must be evaluated when designing land use management plans for ponds intended to be used by livestock or aquatic life.
- Research Organization:
- Siskiyou National Forest, Grants Pass, OR
- OSTI ID:
- 6542575
- Journal Information:
- Water Resour. Bull.; (United States), Vol. 20:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ALUMINIUM
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ARSENIC
CADMIUM
CHROMIUM
COBALT
COPPER
IRON
LEAD
MANGANESE
MERCURY
PONDS
CONTAMINATION
SELENIUM
SURFACE MINING
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ZINC
BENTONITE
CATTLE
COAL MINES
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GROUND WATER
WATER QUALITY
ANIMALS
CLAYS
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
METALS
MINES
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RUMINANTS
SEMIMETALS
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
USA
VERTEBRATES
WATER
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects