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PERCHLORATE BEHAVIOR IN A MUNICIPAL LAKE FOLLOWING FIREWORKS DISPLAYS
Citation:
WILKIN, R. T., D. D. FINE, AND N. G. BURNETT. PERCHLORATE BEHAVIOR IN A MUNICIPAL LAKE FOLLOWING FIREWORKS DISPLAYS. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 41(11):3966-3971, (2007).
Impact/Purpose:
journal article
Description:
Perchlorate salts of potassium and ammonium are the primary oxidants in pyrotechnic mixtures, yet insufficient information is available regarding the relationship between fireworks displays and the environmental occurrence of perchlorate. Here we document changes in perchlorate concentrations in surface water adjacent to a site of fireworks displays from 2004 to 2006. Preceding fireworks displays, perchlorate concentrations in surface water ranged from 0.005 to 0.081ug/L, with a mean value of 0.043 ug/L. Within 14 h after the fireworks, perchlorate concentrations spiked to values ranging from 24x to 1028x the mean baseline value. A maximum perchlorate concentration of 44.2 ug/L was determined following the July 4th event in 2006. After the fireworks displays, perchlorate concentrations decreased towards the background level within 20 to 80 days, with the rate of attenuation correlating to surface water temperature. Adsorption tests indicate that sediments underlying the water column have limited (<100 nmol/g) capacity to remove perchlorate via chemical adsorption. Microcosms showed comparatively rapid intrinsic perchlorate degradation in the absence of nitrate consistent with the observed disappearance of perchlorate from the study site. This suggests that at sites with appropriate biogeochemical conditions, natural attenuation may be an important factor affecting the fate of perchlorate following fireworks displays.