10 Student Research I (Posters)

Tuesday, 19 May 2015
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Grand Terrace

TESTING FOR METAL CONTAMINATION IN AURORA, MO

Paper number: 10-34
Program: Theme Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Authors

  • Amanda Bybee Presenting Author
    Missouri State University, Springfield, MO

Abstract

Aurora is a historic mining town in the Tri-state Mining District. Mining in the Tri-state district began in 1885 and ended by 1930. Mining waste (chat) was disposed in-piles for the most part. Metals (lead, zinc, cadmium) present in those piles might have reached sediments, posing a risk to water quality.

This study will use fluvial surface sediment samples to study current conditions of metal contaminants in the area, followed by plotting the location where chat piles used to be using ArcMap.

Twenty five sediment samples containing cadmium with concentrations from 1.20 to 281.0 ppm with a median of 2.60 ppm, lead with concentrations from 53.0 to 8200 ppm with a median of 204.0 ppm, Zinc with concentrations from 126.0 to 9910 ppm with a median of 1040.5 ppm.

Higher contaminants are expected in former chat pile sites within the study area than that of surrounding areas. We will compare sediment data with stream sediment quality guidelines, to check the health of the aquatic systems.