Effects of coal pile runoff on stream quality and macroinvertebrate communities
Samples of coal pile runoff, Georges Creek water, and macrobenthos above and below two coal storage areas along Georges Creek, Allegany County, Maryland, were collected in July, August, and September 1982, and February and July 1983. Coal pile runoff was collected under high- and low-flow conditions. Water samples were analyzed for Hg, Zn, As, Fe, Mn, Al, SO/sub 4//sup -2/, pH, filterable and nonfilterable residue, conductivity and acidity. Leachate from coal piles along Georges Creek contained high concentrations of heavy metals, particularly manganese, aluminum and zinc. Iron and sulfate were very high and the pH ranged from 1.4 to 3.1. Georges Creek water had much lower concentrations of metals, iron and sulfate and a pH of about 7.0. The distribution of macrobenthos in Georges Creek showed the effects of both runoff from coal storage piles and periodic drought. Brillouin's diversity index values were low even in areas which did not dry. Densities of tubificid worms and chironomid larvae were very high above the coal storage areas where organic inputs were high. At all the rest of the sampling stations, macroinvertebrate densities were very low. Where coal pile runoff enters Georges Creek, it compounds the effects of periodic drought and further stresses the aquatic community.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Maryland, Frostburg
- OSTI ID:
- 5941199
- Journal Information:
- Water Resour. Bull.; (United States), Vol. 21:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
BENTHOS
POPULATION DENSITY
SPECIES DIVERSITY
COAL
RUNOFF
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
TOXICITY
STREAMS
CONTAMINATION
ALUMINIUM
ANIONS
ARSENIC
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
IRON
LEACHATES
MANGANESE
MARYLAND
MERCURY
ORGANIC MATTER
PH VALUE
SAMPLING
STORAGE FACILITIES
SULFATES
WATER POLLUTION
ZINC
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHARGED PARTICLES
DATA
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION III
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INFORMATION
IONS
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
METALS
MIXTURES
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLLUTION
SEMIMETALS
SOLUTIONS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
560304* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Invertebrates- (-1987)
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects