SPATIAL INTERPOLATION OF HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATIONS IN SOILS OF BUMPUS COVE, TN
Location
Ballroom
Start Date
4-5-2018 8:00 AM
End Date
4-5-2018 12:00 PM
Poster Number
11
Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Ingrid Luffman and Dr. Arpita Nandi
Faculty Sponsor's Department
Department of Geosciences
Type
Poster: Competitive
Project's Category
Natural Sciences
Abstract or Artist's Statement
Mining processes generate waste rock, tailings, and slag that can increase heavy metal concentrations in soils. Un-reclaimed, abandoned mine sites are particularly prone to leaching these contaminants, which may accumulate and pose significant environmental and public health concerns. The characterization and spatial delineation of heavy metals of such soils is vital for risk assessment and soil reclamation. Bumpus Cove, once one of the richest mineralized districts of eastern TN, is home to at least 47 abandoned, un-reclaimed mines that were all permanently closed by the 1950s. This study evaluated 52 soil samples collected within a 0.67 km2 study area containing 6 known abandoned Pb, Zn, and Mn mines at the headwaters of Bumpus Cove Creek for heavy metal concentrations. Soil samples were analyzed for Zn, Mn, Pb, Cu, and Cd by means of microwave-assisted acid digestion and flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Using the measured values and digital elevation model (DEM) derived from lidar data, ordinary kriging and cokriging interpolation techniques were used to predict the trend of heavy metal concentrations throughout the study area. Concentrations for Zn, Mn, and Pb show significant variability between sample sites (ranges of 12 – 1,354 mg/kg Zn, 6 – 2,574 mg/kg Mn, 33 – 2,271 mg/kg Pb). Cu and Cd were much less variable, with ranges of 1 - 65 mg/kg and 7 – 40 mg/kg, respectively. Of the measured heavy metals, only Zn and Pb exceed permissible limits in soils. Results show that ordinary kriging interpolation methods produced improved results over ordinary cokriging with and without lognormal transformations for all metals. Mn and Pb were found to transport further downhill following the natural drainage, whereas Zn, Cu and Cd concentrations exhibit localized variability without a clear transportation path. This study can provide a reference for state and local entities responsible for heavy metal monitoring in Bumpus Cove, TN.
SPATIAL INTERPOLATION OF HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATIONS IN SOILS OF BUMPUS COVE, TN
Ballroom
Mining processes generate waste rock, tailings, and slag that can increase heavy metal concentrations in soils. Un-reclaimed, abandoned mine sites are particularly prone to leaching these contaminants, which may accumulate and pose significant environmental and public health concerns. The characterization and spatial delineation of heavy metals of such soils is vital for risk assessment and soil reclamation. Bumpus Cove, once one of the richest mineralized districts of eastern TN, is home to at least 47 abandoned, un-reclaimed mines that were all permanently closed by the 1950s. This study evaluated 52 soil samples collected within a 0.67 km2 study area containing 6 known abandoned Pb, Zn, and Mn mines at the headwaters of Bumpus Cove Creek for heavy metal concentrations. Soil samples were analyzed for Zn, Mn, Pb, Cu, and Cd by means of microwave-assisted acid digestion and flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Using the measured values and digital elevation model (DEM) derived from lidar data, ordinary kriging and cokriging interpolation techniques were used to predict the trend of heavy metal concentrations throughout the study area. Concentrations for Zn, Mn, and Pb show significant variability between sample sites (ranges of 12 – 1,354 mg/kg Zn, 6 – 2,574 mg/kg Mn, 33 – 2,271 mg/kg Pb). Cu and Cd were much less variable, with ranges of 1 - 65 mg/kg and 7 – 40 mg/kg, respectively. Of the measured heavy metals, only Zn and Pb exceed permissible limits in soils. Results show that ordinary kriging interpolation methods produced improved results over ordinary cokriging with and without lognormal transformations for all metals. Mn and Pb were found to transport further downhill following the natural drainage, whereas Zn, Cu and Cd concentrations exhibit localized variability without a clear transportation path. This study can provide a reference for state and local entities responsible for heavy metal monitoring in Bumpus Cove, TN.