Deposition and chemistry of pollutant metals in lakes around the smelters at Sudbury, Ontario

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982 · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00103a004· OSTI ID:6377929

Nriagu, J O; Wong, H K.T.; Coker, R D

Analyses of the suspended particulates in lakes within a 30-km radius of the smelting complex at Sudbury show average Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb concentrations of 1500, 420, 540, and 360 ..mu..g g/sup -1/, respectively. Organic matter constitutes 35-60% of the suspended material in the lakes but plays a minor role in the transport of metals to the sediments. The rates of metal accumulation in the sediments have been estimated typically to be 100-600, 50-300, 10-60, and 5-30 mg m/sup -2/ year/sup -1/ for Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb, respectively. The enrichment factors for metals in surficial sediments typically are 12-115 for Ni, 10-77 for Cu, 2-10 for Pb, and 2-8 for Zn. These enrichment factors and deposition rates for Ni and Cu are among the highest recorded anywhere in the world. Some of the lakes with pH values of 4.5 or less show no enrichment or accumulation of pollutant metals in their surface sediments, indicating that pollutant metals previously stored in the sediments have since been leached away. This documentation that the contaminated sediments can release substantial quantities of toxic metals to the overlying water must have interesting ramifications with regard to the limnological impacts of acid rains.

• Research Organization: National Water Research Inst., Burlington, Ontario, Canada
• OSTI ID: 6377929
• Journal Information: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 16:9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
COPPER
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
LAKES
WATER POLLUTION
LEAD
NICKEL
ONTARIO
PH VALUE
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ZINC
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ORGANIC MATTER
PARTICULATES
SEDIMENTS
SMELTERS
CANADA
ELEMENTS
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
PARTICLES
POLLUTION
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
520200* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
580400 - Geochemistry- (-1989)