Abstract
Runoff from a highway interchange in western Maryland had Al concentrations averaging about 50 mg L−1, with a maximum of 206 mg L−1. As an alternative to expensive chemical treatment of this Al-rich water, in August 1984, the drainage was diverted through a 500 m2 man-made wetland, constructed from organic peat. For a 10 week period, Al concentrations in water leaving the wetland averaged 1.5 mg L−1. as compared to Al concentrations at the two major inflows to the wetland of 35.3 and 6.6 mg L−1. However, effective treatment of the drainage by the wetland was not observed over the entire 27 mo sampling period. Peat chemical analysis indicated that over the 27 mo, total Al concentration in the peat increased from 2375 μg g−1 to 13 634 μg g−1. Of this increase 5.5 % was contributed by exchangeable Al, 4.3% by adsorbed Al, 39.8% by organically bound Al, 33.1% by oxide bound Al, and 17.2% by precipitated and residual Al. Changes in Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, K, and Na chemistry in the peat associated with Al retention are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Public Health Association: 1981, Standard Methods for the Analysis of Water and Wastewater, 15th ed., American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C.
Burris, J. E., Gerber, D. W., and McHerron, L. E.: 1984, ‘Removal of Iron and Manganese from Water by Sphagnum Moss’, in J. E. Burris (ed.), Treatment of Mine Drainage by Wetlands, Contribution No. 264, Department of Biology. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
Clymo, R. S.: 1963, Ann. Bot., N. S. 27, 309.
Conover, W. J.: 1980, Practical Nonparametric Statistics, second ed., John Wiley & Sons, New York.
Gerber, D. W., Burris, J. E., and Stone, R. W.: 1985, ‘Removal of Dissolved Iron and Manganese Ions by a Sphagnum Moss System’, in R. P. Brooks, D. E. Samuel, and J. B. Hill (eds.), Wetlands and Water Management on Mined Lands, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
Ghiorse, W. C.: 1984, Annual Rev. Microbio. 38, 515.
Giblin, A. E.: 1985, ‘Comparisons of the Processing of Elements by Ecosystems, II: Metals’, in P. J. Godfrey, E. R. Kaynor, S. Pelczarski, and J. Benforado (eds.), Ecological Considerations in Wetlands Treatment of Municipal Wastewaters, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York.
Girts, M. A., and Kleinmann, R. L. P.: 1986, ‘Constructed Wetlands for Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage: A Preliminary Review’, in National Symposium on Surface Mining, Hydrology, Sedimentology, and Reclamation, University of Kentucky, Lexington.
Godfrey, P. J., Kaynor, E. R., Pelczarski, S., and Benforado, J.: 1985. Ecological Considerations in Wetlands Treatment of Municipal Wastewaters, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York.
Greeson, P. E., Clark, J. R., and Clark, J. E.: 1978, Wetland Functions and Values. The State of Our Understanding, American Water Resources Assoc., Minneapolis.
Huntsman, B. E., Solch, J. G., and Porter, M. D.: 1978, ‘Utilization of Sphagnum Species Dominated Bog for Acid Coal Mine Drainage Abatement’, Abstracts of the 91st Ann. Mtg. Geol Soc. Amer., Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Hsu, P. H.: 1977, ‘Aluminum Hydroxides and Oxyhydroxides’, in J. B. Dixon and S. B. Weed (eds.), Minerals in Soil Environments, Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin.
Kadlec, R. H., and Tilton, D. L.: 1979, CRC Critical Reviews in Environmental Control 9, 185.
Kleinmann, R. L. P., Tiernan, T. O., Solch, J. G., and Harris, R. L.: 1983, ‘A Low-cost, Low Maintenance Treatment System for Acid Mine Drainage Using Sphagnum Moss and Limestone’, in S. B. Carpenter and R. W. DeVore (ed.), National Symposium on Surface Mining, Hydrology, Sedimentology, and Reclamation, University of Kentucky, Lexington.
McLaren, R. G., and Crawford, D. V.: 1973, J. Soil Sci. 24, 172.
Miller, W. P., and McFee, W. W.: 1983, J. Environ. Qual. 12, 29.
Miller, W. P., McFee, W. W., and Kelly, J. M.: 1983, J. Environ. Qual. 12, 579.
Page, A. L., Miller, R. H., and Keeney, D. R.: 1982, Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 2. Chemical and Microbiological Properties, second ed., American Society of Agronomy, Madison.
Shuman, L. M.: 1979, Soil Sci. 127, 10.
Snedecor G. W., and Cochran, W. G.: 1978, Statistical Methods, sixth ed., Iowa State University Press, Ames.
Stone, R. W.: 1984, ‘The Presence of Iron- and Manganese-oxidizing Bacteria in Natural and Simulated Bogs’, in J. E. Burris (ed.), Treatment of Mine Drainage by Wetlands, Contribution No. 264, Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
Stover, R. C., Sommers, L. E., and Silviera, D. J.: 1976, J. Water Poll. Control Fed. 48, 2165.
Tarleton, A. L., Lang, G. E., and Wieder, R. K.: 1984, ‘Removal of Iron from Acid Mine Drainage by Sphagnum Peat: Results from Experimental Laboratory Microcosms’, in D. H. Graves (ed.), National Symposium, on Surface Mining, Hydrology, Sedimentology, and Reclamation, University of Kentucky, Lexington.
Tessler, A., Campbell, P. G. C., and Bisson, M.: 1979, Anal. Chem. 51, 844.
United States Department of Agriculture: 1972, Soil Survey Laboratory Methods and Procedures for Collecting Soil Samples, USDA Soil Survey Report of Investigations No. 1, Soil Conservation Service, Washington, D.C.
Wieder, R. K., and Lang G. E.: 1982, ‘Modification of Acid Mine Drainage in a Freshwater Wetland’, in B. R. McDonald (ed.), Proceedings of the Symposium on Freshwater Wetlands of the Unglaciated Appalachian Region, West Virginia University, Morgantown.
Wieder, R. K., and Lang, G. E.: 1986, Water, Air, and Soil Pollut. 29, 309.
Wieder, R. K., Lang, G. E., and Whitehouse, A. E.: 1985, ‘Metal Removal in Sphagnum-dominated Wetlands: Experience with a Man-made Wetland System’, in R. P. Brooks, D. E., Samuel and J. B. Hill (eds.), Wetlands and Water Management on Mined Lands, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
Wieder, R. K., Lang G. E., and Whitehouse, A. E.: 1987, ‘Treatment of Acid Coal Mine Drainage Using Sphagnum Wetlands’, in B. Moldan and T. Paces (eds.), GEOMON, International Workshop on Geochemistry and Monitoring in Representative Basins, Geological Survey, Prague, Czechoslovakia.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kelman Wieder, R., Heston, K.P., O'Hara, E.M. et al. Aluminum retention in a man-made Sphagnum wetland. Water Air Soil Pollut 37, 177–191 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00226490
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00226490