Baseline Hydrosoil Chemistry of the A-01 Wetland Treatment System, September 2001

Technical Report · Wed Jul 10 04:00:00 EDT 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/799419· OSTI ID:799419

Specht, W L

The A-01 wetland treatment system was designed to remove metals from effluent from the A-01 NPDES outfall. Construction of the treatment system was completed in the summer of 2000 and all treatment cells were receiving A-01 effluent by July 2000. In September 2001, hydrosoil samples were collected from two of the treatment cells and analyzed for a suite of chemical parameters. The data indicate that copper and zinc are accumulating primarily in the surficial hydrosoils of the first treatment cells (A cells). Mercury was below the detection limit in most samples. However, the monthly data for mercury in water samples collected from the inflow and outflow of the treatment cells indicates that more mercury is removed in the A cells than in the B cells. The hydrosoils in the wetland treatment system have relatively low concentrations of organic carbon and a relatively low cation exchange capacity, due to the sandy nature of the hydrosoil and low organic content. Cation exchange capacity is expected to increase as organic matter produced by the wetland vegetation accretes in the wetland. Even though the wetland is removing metals from the A-01 effluent to concentrations that are below regulatory limits, as the treatment system matures, its ability to remove metals from the A-01 effluent is expected to increase. This report summarizes the hydrosoil chemistry data.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Site (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-96SR18500
• OSTI ID: 799419
• Report Number(s): WSRC-TR-2002-00174
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
COPPER
DEMETALLIZATION
ION EXCHANGE
MERCURY
ORGANIC MATTER
PLANTS
SOIL CHEMISTRY
WATER CHEMISTRY
WATER TREATMENT
WETLANDS
ZINC