Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Processes Controlling Trace-Metal Transport in Surface Water Contaminated by Acid-Mine Drainage in the Ducktown Mining District, Tennessee

  • Published:
Water, Air, and Soil Pollution Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Former mining activities lasting 140 years in the Ducktown Mining District, Tennessee, USA, has contaminated the streams draining the district with acid-mine drainage (AMD). North Potato Creek and its major tributary, Burra Burra Creek, are two of the most heavily AMD-impacted streams in the district. The removal of dissolved metals from the water in these creeks is largely attributable to the sorption of Cu, Zn, Co, Al, and Mn on suspended hydroxide precipitates of Fe. The fraction of trace metals remaining in solution decreases with increasing pH in the sequence Pb < Cu < Zn < Co. The concentration of Fe in solution also decreases with increasing pH due to the formation of ferric hydroxide precipitates which accounted for up to 81.4% by weight of the total suspended sediment. The concentration of suspended sediment substantially decreases as the water of North Potato Creek flows through a large settling basin, where 1.3 (±0.3) × 106 kg/year of trace-metal-laden suspended sediment would be annually deposited. In spite of this attempt to purify it, the water discharged into the river is acidic (pH 3.6) and still contains high concentrations of dissolved trace metals, which would resorb on to suspended sediment and be ultimately transported to a downstream reservoir, Ocoee No. 3 Lake.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander, F. M., Keck, L. A., Conn, L. G., & Wentz, S. J. (1984). Drought-related impacts on municipal and major self-supplied industrial water withdrawals in Tennessee, Part B. USGS Water Resources Investigation Report, 84-4074, 398.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benjamin, M. M., & Leckie, J. O. (1981). Multiple-site adsorption of Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb on amorphous iron oxyhydroxide. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 79, 209–221.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bigham, J. M., Schwertmann, U., & Pfab, G. (1996a). Influence of pH on mineral speciation in a bioreactor simulating acid mine drainage. Applied Geochemistry, 11, 845–849.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bigham, J. M., Schwertmann, U., Traina, S. J., Winlnd, R. L., & Wolf, M. (1996b). Schwertmannite and the chemical modeling of iron in acid sulfate waters. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 60, 2111–2121.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brunke, M. (1999). Colmation and depth filtration within streambeds: retention of particles in hyporheic interstices. International Review of Hydrobiology, 84, 99–117.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, B. M., Jones, D. R., & Jung, R. F. (1983). Processes controlling metal ion attenuation in acid mine drainage streams. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 47, 1957–1973.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dzombak, D. A., & Morel, F. M. M. (1990). Surface complexation modeling: Hydrous ferric oxide. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammarstrom, J. M., Seal, R. R., Meier A. L., & Kornfeld, J. M. (2005). Secondary sulfate minerals associated with acid drainage in the eastern US: recycling of metals and acidity in surficial environments. Chemical Geology, 215(1–4), 407–431.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jambor, J. L. (1994). Mineralogy of sulfide-rich tailings and their oxidation products. In: J. L. Jambor & D. W. Blowes (Eds.), Short course handbook on environmental geochemistry of sulfide-mine-wastes (pp. 59–102). Ontario: Waterloo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenne, E. A. (1968). Controls on Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn concentrations in soils and water: the significant role of hydrous Mn and Fe oxides. Advances in Chemistry Series, 73, 337–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, C. A. (1986). The regulation of trace element concentrations in river and estuarine waters contaminated with acid mine drainage: The adsorption of Cu and Zn on amorphous Fe oxyhydroxides. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 50, 2433–2438.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karlsson, S., Allard, B., & Häkansson, K. (1988a). Chemical characterization of stream-bed sediments receiving high loadings of acid mine effluents. Chemical Geology, 67, 1–15.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karlsson, S., Allard, B., & Häkansson, K. (1988b). Characterization of suspended solids in a stream receiving acid mine effluents, Bersbo, Sweden. Applied Geochemistry, 3, 345–356.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kimball, B. A., Broshears, R. E., McKnight, D. M., & Bencala, K. E. (1994). Effects of instream pH modification on transport of sulfide-oxidation products. In: C. N. Alpers & D. W. Blowes (Eds.), Environmental geochemistry of sulfide oxidation. ACS symposium series 550 (pp. 224–243). Washington, DC: American Chemical Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinniburgh, D. G., Jackson, M. L., & Syers, J. K. (1976). Adsroption of alkaline earth, transition, and heavy metal cations by hydrous oxide gels of iron and aluminum. Soil Science Society of American Journal, 40, 796–799.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laxen, D. P. (1985). Trace metal adsorption/coprecipitation on hydrous ferric oxide under realistic conditions. Water Research, 19, 1229–1236.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, G. (2001). Transport and fate of trace metals in streams contaminated with acid mine-drainage in the Ducktown Mining District, Tennessee. Dissertation, Ohio State University.

  • Lee, G., Bigham, J. M., & Faure, G. (2002). Removal of trace metals by coprecipitation with Fe, Al, and Mn from natural waters contaminated by acid mine drainage in Ducktown Mining District, Tennessee. Applied Geochemistry, 17, 569–581.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nordstrom, D. K., & Alpers, C. N. (1999). Geochemistry of acid mine waters. In: G. S. Plumlee & M. J. Logsdon (Eds.), The Environmental Geochemistry of Mineral Deposits, Rev. Econ. Geol. vol. 6A. (pp. 133–160) Littleton: Society of Economic Geologists, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packman, A. I., & MacKay, J. S. (2003). Interplay of stream-subsurface exchange, clay particle deposition, and stream bed evolution. Water Resources Research, 39, 1097.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parkhurst, D. L. (1995). Users guide to PHREEQC—a computer program for speciation, reaction-path, advective transport, and inverse geochemical calculations. USGS Water Resources Investigation Report, 95-4227, 143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paulson, R. W., Chase, E. B., Williams, J. S., & Moody, D. W. (1993). National water summary 1990–91. Hydrologic events and stream water quality. USGS Water Supply Paper, 2400, 499–506.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piatak, N. M., Seal, R. R., & Hammarstrom, J. M. (2004). Mineralogical and geochemical controls on the release of trace elements from slag produced by base- and precious-metal smelting at abandoned mine sites. Applied Geochemistry, 19(7), 1039–1064.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rampe, J. J., & Runnells, D. D. (1989). Contamination of water and sediment in a desert stream by metals from an abandoned gold mine and mill, Eureka District, Arizona, U.S.A. Applied Geochemistry, 4, 445–454.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rehg, K. J., Packman, A. I., & Ren, J. (2005). Effects of suspended sediment characteristics and bed sediment transport on streambed clogging. Hydrological Processes, 19, 413–427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stumm, W., & Morgan, J.J. (1996). Aquatic chemistry: Chemical equilibria and rates in natural waters (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, P. J., Yelton, J. L, & Reddy, K. J. (1988). Iron sulfide oxidation and the chemistry of acid generation. Environmental Geology and Water Science, 11, 289–295.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Theobald, P. K. Jr., Lakin, H. W., & Hawkins, D. B. (1963). The precipitation of aluminum, iron and manganese at the junction of Deer Creek with the Snake River in Summit County, Colorado. Geochimica et Cosomochimica Acta, 27(2), 121–132.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2005). Copper Basin Mining District case study: Use of cooperative agreements. http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/aml/tech/copperbasin.pdf.

  • U. S. Geological Survey (1973). Surface water supply of the United States, 1966–70, part 3. Ohio River Basin below Wabash River. USGS Water Supply Paper 2110.

  • Walling, D. E., & Webb, B. W. (1996). Water quality; physical characteristics. In: G. Petts & P. Calow (Eds.), River flows and channel forms (pp. 77–101). Oxford: Blackwell Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, P. J., & Armitage, P. D. (1997). Biological effects of fine sediment in the lotic environment. Environmental Management, 21, 203–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors express gratitude for valuable discussions to Jerry M. Bigham on the characterization of suspended sediment and to Douglas E. Pride on the history and the mines of the Ducktown Mining District. This work was supported by the Graduate Student Alumni Research Award of the Graduate School of The Ohio State University and the Korean Research Foundation (KRF-2005-070-C00137).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth System Sciences, Yonsei University, Seodaemun-gu, Shinchon-dong 134, Seoul, South Korea

    Giehyeon Lee

  2. School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, 125 S. Oval Mall, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Gunter Faure

Authors
  1. Giehyeon Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gunter Faure
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giehyeon Lee.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lee, G., Faure, G. Processes Controlling Trace-Metal Transport in Surface Water Contaminated by Acid-Mine Drainage in the Ducktown Mining District, Tennessee. Water Air Soil Pollut 186, 221–232 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9479-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-007-9479-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation