Arsenic, Chromium, Copper, and Lead Enrichment in the Sediments of Prairie Creek in the Ava, Missouri Area

Date of Graduation

Summer 2003

Degree

Master of Natural and Applied Science in Geography, Geology, and Planning

Department

Geography, Geology, and Planning

Committee Chair

Erwin Mantei

Abstract

A total of 65 restricted grain size sediment samples were collected in the Ava, Missouri area. All samples were wet-sieved to obtain the <0.149 to >0.0625mm grain-sized sediment fraction (fine to very fine sand). Samples were collected on Prairie Creek upstream and downstream from an old woodcutting facility that manufactured furniture and hog houses from CCA treated lumber to determine if those sediments were enriched by activities at the facility. Samples were also collected along a tributary of Prairie Creek to determine if those sediments were enriched in Pb by urban sources. In addition, samples were taken from a nearby stream not affected by the woodcutting facility or urban sources to act as a control. To evaluate the precision of the testing methods, a duplicate analysis was performed on 16 samples. Prairie Creek and control stream samples were analyzed for As, Cr, Cu, Pb, Fe, and Mn using Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP), and they were also analyzed for As using Atomic Absorption (AA). Tributary samples were analyzed for Pb, Fe, and Mn using ICP. Comparisons were made using individual metal concentration means in each stream section, metal concentration trend chargs, and statistical two-sample t-tests. Comparison of Prairie Creek and the control stream samples indicated that the sediments of Prairie Creek were enriched in As, Cr, and Cu by the woodcutting facility. Comparison of the tributary, Prairie Creek, and the control stream samples indicated that the tributary was enriched in Pb by urban emissions. These tests were also performed using metal concentration values normalized by the concentration of Fe and Mn in each sample. The resuls of the tests using normalized values did not indicate that Prairie Creek sediments were enriched in As, Cr, and Cu, but indicated that the tributary was enriched in Pb. The normalization results are questionable because individual geochemical phases were not separated.

Subject Categories

Hydrology | Sedimentology

Copyright

© Christopher Reed

Citation-only

Dissertation/Thesis

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