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Isotopic imprints of mountaintop mining contaminants.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Vengosh, A; Lindberg, TT; Merola, BR; Ruhl, L; Warner, NR; White, A; Dwyer, GS; Di Giulio, RT
Published in: Environmental science & technology
September 2013

Mountaintop mining (MTM) is the primary procedure for surface coal exploration within the central Appalachian region of the eastern United States, and it is known to contaminate streams in local watersheds. In this study, we measured the chemical and isotopic compositions of water samples from MTM-impacted tributaries and streams in the Mud River watershed in West Virginia. We systematically document the isotopic compositions of three major constituents: sulfur isotopes in sulfate (δ(34)SSO4), carbon isotopes in dissolved inorganic carbon (δ(13)CDIC), and strontium isotopes ((87)Sr/(86)Sr). The data show that δ(34)SSO4, δ(13)CDIC, Sr/Ca, and (87)Sr/(86)Sr measured in saline- and selenium-rich MTM impacted tributaries are distinguishable from those of the surface water upstream of mining impacts. These tracers can therefore be used to delineate and quantify the impact of MTM in watersheds. High Sr/Ca and low (87)Sr/(86)Sr characterize tributaries that originated from active MTM areas, while tributaries from reclaimed MTM areas had low Sr/Ca and high (87)Sr/(86)Sr. Leaching experiments of rocks from the watershed show that pyrite oxidation and carbonate dissolution control the solute chemistry with distinct (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios characterizing different rock sources. We propose that MTM operations that access the deeper Kanawha Formation generate residual mined rocks in valley fills from which effluents with distinctive (87)Sr/(86)Sr and Sr/Ca imprints affect the quality of the Appalachian watersheds.

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Published In

Environmental science & technology

DOI

EISSN

1520-5851

ISSN

0013-936X

Publication Date

September 2013

Volume

47

Issue

17

Start / End Page

10041 / 10048

Related Subject Headings

  • West Virginia
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Sulfur Isotopes
  • Sulfates
  • Strontium Isotopes
  • Strontium
  • Selenium
  • Rivers
  • Mining
  • Geologic Sediments
 

Citation

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Vengosh, A., Lindberg, T. T., Merola, B. R., Ruhl, L., Warner, N. R., White, A., … Di Giulio, R. T. (2013). Isotopic imprints of mountaintop mining contaminants. Environmental Science & Technology, 47(17), 10041–10048. https://doi.org/10.1021/es4012959
Vengosh, Avner, T Ty Lindberg, Brittany R. Merola, Laura Ruhl, Nathaniel R. Warner, Alissa White, Gary S. Dwyer, and Richard T. Di Giulio. “Isotopic imprints of mountaintop mining contaminants.Environmental Science & Technology 47, no. 17 (September 2013): 10041–48. https://doi.org/10.1021/es4012959.
Vengosh A, Lindberg TT, Merola BR, Ruhl L, Warner NR, White A, et al. Isotopic imprints of mountaintop mining contaminants. Environmental science & technology. 2013 Sep;47(17):10041–8.
Vengosh, Avner, et al. “Isotopic imprints of mountaintop mining contaminants.Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 47, no. 17, Sept. 2013, pp. 10041–48. Epmc, doi:10.1021/es4012959.
Vengosh A, Lindberg TT, Merola BR, Ruhl L, Warner NR, White A, Dwyer GS, Di Giulio RT. Isotopic imprints of mountaintop mining contaminants. Environmental science & technology. 2013 Sep;47(17):10041–10048.
Journal cover image

Published In

Environmental science & technology

DOI

EISSN

1520-5851

ISSN

0013-936X

Publication Date

September 2013

Volume

47

Issue

17

Start / End Page

10041 / 10048

Related Subject Headings

  • West Virginia
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Sulfur Isotopes
  • Sulfates
  • Strontium Isotopes
  • Strontium
  • Selenium
  • Rivers
  • Mining
  • Geologic Sediments