Fate of heavy metals in an abandoned lead-zinc tailings pond: 1. Vegetation. [Bouteloua gracilis; Agrostis stolonifera L. ; Muhlenbergia asperifolia]

Journal Article · · Journal of Environmental Quality; (United States)

OSTI ID:5701124

Chambers, J C; Sidle, R C ^[1]

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1. USDA-Forest Service, Logan, UT (United States)

A 50-yr-old abandoned tailings pond from a Pb-Zn processing mill was studied to determine relationships among depositional processes, physical and chemical properties of surface soils, vegetation development, and plant foliar concentrations of Zn, Cd, Cu, and Pb. Five soil/vegetation types were identified ranging from loamy sand with arid land species and 14% aerial vegetation cover at the upper (north) end of the pond to clay loam with wet meadow species and 61% cover at the lower (south) end of the pond. Foliar concentrations of Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb in blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis (H.B.K) lag.) and creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) showed no significant differences among the soil/vegetation types in which they dominated. Concentrations of Cd and Pb in foliage of alkali muhly (Muhlenbergia asperifolia (Nees and Meyen) Parodi), a ubiquitous grass species, were higher at the south than the north end of the pond. Metal concentrations in alkali muhly showed significant linear relationships to soil concentrations of metals in the five soil/vegetation types for total Cd and Zn but exhibited negative exponential relationships for total and Pb. Lead concentrations in grasses within the lower meadows (37.6-69.0 mg kg{sup {minus}1} dry mass) exceeded levels known to be toxic to plants. The results were evaluated in terms of tailings pond reclamation.

• OSTI ID: 5701124
• Journal Information: Journal of Environmental Quality; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Environmental Quality; (United States) Vol. 20:4; ISSN JEVQA; ISSN 0047-2425
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
CADMIUM
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
CONTAMINATION
COPPER
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FOLIAR UPTAKE
GROWTH
LAND RECLAMATION
LEAD
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
MILL TAILINGS
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
SOILS
SOLID WASTES
TAILINGS
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UPTAKE
WASTES
ZINC