Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Urban lake sediment chemistry: Lake design, runoff, and watershed impact

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6997866

Sediments of twenty-two urban lakes and stormwater discharge into five of the impoundments were analyzed for the presence of selected metallic priority pollutants, total petroleum hydrocarbons, and volatile and extractable organic compounds. The concentration (mg/kg dry weight) ranges of metals in lake sediments were: arsenic 7-29, cadmium < 0.5-0.5, chromium 14-55, lead <1-138, selenium <0.01-1.1, silver 0.2-2.1, copper 25-2760, nickel 5-40, and zinc 33.9-239. Concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons ranged from 30 to 4400 mg/kg (wet weight). Organic priority pollutants detected in the urban lake impoundments included tetrachlorethylene, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, trichlorofluoromethane, phthalate esters, chloroform, and dichlorobromomethane. Stormwater runoff contained measurable quantities of arsenic, chromium, lead, selenium, copper, nickel, zinc, and petroleum hydrocarbons; whereas organic priority pollutants were not detected. Stormwater runoff pollutant loads indicated that runoff provides a significant contribution of metals and petroleum hydrocarbons to lake sediments.

Research Organization:
Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (USA)
OSTI ID:
6997866
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English