Trace elements in Northern Great Plains strip mine and livestock impoundment water

Journal Article · Sun Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Water Resour. Bull.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.1984.tb04679.x· OSTI ID:6542575

Anderson, M T; Hawkes, C L

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), Journal Name: Water Resour. Bull.; (United States) Vol. 20:2; ISSN WARBA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALUMINIUM
ANIMALS
ARSENIC
BENTONITE
CADMIUM
CATTLE
CHROMIUM
CLAYS
COAL MINES
COBALT
CONTAMINATION
COPPER
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IRON
LEAD
MAMMALS
MANGANESE
MERCURY
METALS
MINES
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PONDS
RUMINANTS
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SURFACE MINING
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
USA
VERTEBRATES
WATER
WATER QUALITY
ZINC