Aquatic transport of heavy metals in the urban environment
A study was conducted for the past 2 years on a 4.6 mile stretch of the Saddle River near Lodi, New Jersey. The primary objectives of the study were twofold: initially, the amounts of various heavy metals being contributed to the Saddle River by stormwater runoff, rainfall, and individual tributaries, etc., were investigated to better delineate the distribution of various sources of heavy metals to the aquatic environment. Secondly, a series of benthal deposits from the Saddle River were analyzed to determine the fate of the metals once introduced into the receiving stream. A mass balance analysis of heavy metals in the Saddle River was performed to determine the amount of materials contributed from unrecorded sources. The results of the study seemed to demonstrate the importance of considering the potential scouring of river sediments as a secondary source of metals in determinations of this type. The distribution of metals in precipitation samples collected in the study was found to be similar to that in runoff, with lead and zinc predominating. Relative concentrations of metals in precipitation as compared to those of stormwater were relatively insignificant. Metal concentrations of bottom sediments were found to vary considerably from sample to sample.
- Research Organization:
- Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ
- OSTI ID:
- 6150079
- Journal Information:
- Water Resour. Bull.; (United States), Vol. 13:4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
METALS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
RIVERS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
LEAD
NEW JERSEY
SAMPLING
SEDIMENTS
STREAMS
WATER POLLUTION
WATERSHEDS
ZINC
ELEMENTS
MASS TRANSFER
MID-ATLANTIC REGION
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
SURFACE WATERS
USA
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)