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SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DYNAMICS IN ARSENIC SPECIATION ACROSS THE GROUND WATER-SURFACE WATER TRANSITION ZONE AT A CONTAMINATED SITE
Citation:
FORD, R. G., R. T. WILKIN, F. P. BECK, P. J. CLARK, J. T. CREED, AND P. A. CREED. SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DYNAMICS IN ARSENIC SPECIATION ACROSS THE GROUND WATER-SURFACE WATER TRANSITION ZONE AT A CONTAMINATED SITE. Presented at 2005 American Chemical Society Meeting, Washington, DC, August 28 - September 01, 2005.
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
Field investigations have been conducted to understand the fate of arsenic in contaminated ground water during discharge into a small lake. The ground-water plume contains elevated levels of arsenic and hydrocarbon contaminants derived from historical disposal of process wastes from up gradient industrial activities. The chemical speciation of arsenic and iron in ground/surface water, suspended solids, and sediments has been assessed using macroscopic and spectroscopic techniques in order to determine the fate of arsenic derived from ground-water discharge. Patterns in the chemistry of redox-sensitive elements point to both the direct and indirect influence of microbial processes on arsenic speciation and transport. Dramatic changes in chemical speciation were observed over spatial distances of meters or less and highlight the need to tailor monitoring efforts in order to address site-specific characteristics.