210 Environmental Geochemistry and Health

We invite presentations on the environmental fate of contaminants and their impact on human and environmental health. Transdisciplinary contributions are encouraged, especially those examining the rock-soil-water-human nexus at all scales with strong public outreach or societal impact.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
HBGCC, 302A

Sources to Sinks: Insights into Fate and Transport of Heavy Metals at the Tar Creek Superfund Site Using Trace Elemental Fingerprinting and Quadruple Sulfur Isotopes

Paper number: 210-12
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 4:15 PM – 4:30 PM

Authors

  • Ainsley Crist Presenting Author
    Wellesley College Geosciences Department, Wellesley, MA
  • Iris Cessna
    Wellesley College Environmental Studies Department, Wellesley, MA
  • Alice Dricker
    Wellesley College Environmental Studies Department, Wellesley, MA
  • Claire Hayhow
    Wellesley College Geosciences Department, Wellesley, MA
  • Rebecca Jim
    Local Environmental Action Demanded Agency, Miami, OK
  • Martin Lively
    Local Environmental Action Demanded Agency, Miami, OK
  • Shuhei Ono
    Department of Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
  • Gareth Izon
    Department of Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
  • Daniel Brabander
    Wellesley College Geosciences Department, Wellesley, MA

Abstract

The Tar Creek Superfund site, in northeastern Oklahoma, is the result of 20th century mining for galena and sphalerite. Mining generated piles of waste (“chat”) that remain on the surface and underground mine workings that form acid mine drainage (AMD). Chat and AMD are enriched in toxic heavy metals—particularly lead, zinc, and cadmium—which are transported into Tar Creek via chat pile runoff (CPR) and mine working discharge. High flow events enhance dispersal of metals derived from both sources onto the floodplain, increasing residential exposure risks. We employ the first quadruple sulfur isotope analyses on Tri-State Mining District samples and trace metal analyses to characterize original ore refinement byproducts and examine the biogeochemical evolution of the Tar Creek wetland system.

Using a community science research model, we collected four sediment cores: two wetland cores located immediately adjacent to CPR or AMD inputs and two downstream riverbank cores that integrate geochemical signals from both. X-ray fluorescence analysis confirms CPR and AMD as primary fluxes influencing downstream sedimentary metal budgets in the riverbank cores and floodplains. Floodplain soil transects reveal widespread heavy metal contamination, with corresponding lead and zinc concentrations ranging from 30–430 mg/kg and 250–12,700 mg/kg— exceeding the respective 200 mg/kg national screening level and the 4,000 mg/kg county-specific threshold. Targeting historical samples representing various stages of ore refinement, quadruple sulfur isotope data were obtained sequentially to access acid volatile sulfur (AVS), chromium reducible sulfur (CRS), and the Kiba-amenable residual sulphur pool (sulfate). Early- and late-stage galena concentrate from a sludge table yielded δ34S AVS values of −8.3‰ and −7.6‰, consistent with microprobe analyses of galena crystals from the same mining town (−6.3‰ to −11.3‰)1, suggesting minimal sulfur isotope fractionation during refinement. Isotopic similarity between AVS and sulfate implies sulfide oxidation during refinement that, in turn, likely enhanced the mobilization of previously sulfur-bound heavy metals, releasing them into the environment. By Integrating sulfur isotope systematics with trace element data across spatial and temporal gradients, we provide a unique understanding of the fate and transport of elements of interest across the Tar Creek watershed. These data are critical for informing environmental activism and risk assessments in high-use and residential areas.

[1] Deloule et al. (1986), Economic Geology, 81(6), 1313-1314.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-413579

© Copyright 2025 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.