Abstract
Whereas mining and non-mining sourced particulate metal/metalloids (PM) (> 0.45 μm) are present in the tributaries of the San Juan River, USA, the individual contributions of PM from the San Juan River tributaries to the sediment of the San Juan River Delta of Lake Powell were previously unknown. Suspended PM signatures, including enrichment factors (ratios of PM concentrations to ubiquitous metals such as aluminum), lead isotopes, color, and particle size, were used to tie layers in a San Juan River sediment core to upstream tributary sources. Tributary PM concentrations and loads were compared to Lower San Juan River suspended PM loads to estimate the relative contribution of tributary PM (both mining and non-mining sourced) directly upstream of Lake Powell. Results suggest elevated enrichment factors of lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc in deposited sediment were sourced from mined tributaries, whereas elevated manganese in deposited sediment was sourced from unmined tributaries. Sediment Pb isotope ratios reflected the depleted signature of the mineralized vein (present in the headwaters of mined tributaries), the enriched signature of the Chinle Sandstone (predominant underlying geology of unmined tributaries), or a mixture of these two endmembers. These independent lines of evidence were used to link probable tributary source and runoff category to sediment layers, where ~ 10% and 5% of the overall PM deposited in the sediment core was attributed to mining versus non-mining sources, respectively. Because traditional dating methods were not possible, runoff category signatures were used to estimate that the 3.37 m San Juan River Delta core was deposited over ~ 1.3 years.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (Contract #171990). The authors wish to thank the scientists at the NNEPA, USGS, and DEQ for their support.
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Highlights
•Contributions of suspended particulate metals and metalloids to the San Juan River from mined and unmined tributaries were determined using tributary geochemical signatures that reflected legacy mining impacts or the predominant underlying geology.
•Suspended particulates in tributaries were linked to layers in San Juan River Delta sediment cores through geochemical signatures, such as depleted Pb isotopes and elevated Pb to Al, Cd to Al, and Zn to Al ratios reflective of mining impact, as well as enriched Pb isotopes, elevated Mn to Al, and red color reflective of unmined sources
•Approximately 10% of PM deposited in a sediment core was attributed to mining sources, whereas approximately 80% of PM deposited in a sediment core was attributed to a mixture of sources.
•Seasonal accumulation in sediment traps indicated that the 3.37-m core was deposited over approximately 1.3 years
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Frederick, L., Johnson, W.P., Cerling, T. et al. Source Identification of Particulate Metals/Metalloids Deposited in the San Juan River Delta of Lake Powell, USA. Water Air Soil Pollut 230, 128 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-019-4176-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-019-4176-z