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Title: Selenium and mining in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Phase III - a preliminary survey of selenium concentrations in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) livers

Conference ·
OSTI ID:98668
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States)
  2. AMAX Coal West, Inc., Gillette, WY (United States); and others

Samples of liver tissue from deer mice trapped on not-yet-mined areas and reclaimed areas at five surface coal mines in the Powder River Basin of northeastern Wyoming were analyzed for selenium. The overall mean concentration of selenium in wet weight liver tissue was 1.685 ppm. The mean value from not-yet-mined areas was 1.437 ppm; the mean value from reclaimed areas was 1.910 ppm (significant at p<0.1016). When one not-yet-mined outlier was removed, significance rose to p<0.0004. Mine-to-mine comparison of samples stratified by type (that is, by not-yet-mined or reclaimed), showed average tissue concentrations from the reclaimed area of Mine 1 were also higher (p<0.0143) then not-yet-mined area samples at Mine 1. No statistically significant differences were found between mines for samples from not-yet-mined areas, and no statistically significant differences were found between Mines 2, 3, 4, and 5 for samples from reclaimed areas. Multiple analysis of variance using the factors: site (mine) and type (not-yet-mined or reclaimed) was not significantly significant (p<0.2115). Simple linear regression showed that selenium concentrations in dry tissue could easily be predicted from wet tissue selenium (r2=0.9775), demonstrating that percent water in the samples was relatively constant. Animal body weight in general was not a predictor for either wet or dry tissue selenium concentrations, but was related to body weight at the higher tissue concentrations of selenium encountered in samples from the reclaimed area at Mine 1. Mouse body weights at Mine 1 were higher on the reclaimed area than mouse body weights from the not-yet-mined area.

OSTI ID:
98668
Report Number(s):
CONF-9506226-; TRN: 95:006357-0016
Resource Relation:
Conference: 12. American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation annual meeting: decades later - a time for reassessment, Gillette, WY (United States), 3-8 Jun 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Decades later: A time for reassessment. Volume 1 and Volume 2; Schuman, G.E. [High Plains Grasslands Research Station, Cheyenne, WY (United States)]; Vance, G.F. [Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States)] [eds.]; PB: 889 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English