Selected metals in sediments and streams in the Oklahoma Part of the Tri-State Mining District, 2000-2006

Andrews, William J.; Becker, Mark F.; Mashburn, Shana L.; Smith, S. Jerrod

doi:10.3133/sir20095032

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…No relationship was present (i.e., linear coefficient of correlation R² = 0.3073). Lead is found in much higher concentrations within the Tri-State Mining District (Andrews et al, 2009). …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Preliminary Assessment of Floodplain Soil Metal Concentrations, Neosho River, Oklahoma

Mignogna¹,

Runyon²,

Nairn³

et al. 2012

JASMR

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Abstract. The lower Neosho River watershed has been negatively affected by intensive Pb and Zn mining that took place from the late 1800's through the mid-1900's. The nearby region is recognized with several of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund Sites. The Tar Creek Superfund Site in Oklahoma is contaminated with ecotoxic metals such as lead, zinc, cadmium, and iron. In addition, millions of tonnes of mine tailings have been left on the surface near the neighboring towns of Picher and Cardin. Tar Creek is the main drainage through the Oklahoma portion of the mining area and a major source of contamination leading into the Neosho River and subsequently Grand Lake O' the Cherokees. Completion of the Pensacola Dam forming Grand Lake is a cause of backwater flooding in the Neosho River basin, which could lead to sediment and dissolved metals transport into the surrounding riparian areas. Due to the increased frequency of upstream flood events since construction of Grand Lake, a floodplain area on the Neosho River upstream of Tar and Elm Creeks was investigated for possible transport of mining-related metals using sediment core sampling and analysis techniques. Metals analysis showed total metals concentrations to have strong correlations with elevation in the floodplain area. Other relationships regarding metals concentrations and distance from the riverine area and particle size were inconclusive. Further study should be employed to characterize the quantities of metals on the remaining downstream stretch of the Neosho River.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Metals concentrations in the floodplain and riverine area were much lower than typical trace metal concentrations that would be found in a mining district (Table. 1) (Andrews et al, 2009). …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary Assessment of Floodplain Soil Metal Concentrations, Neosho River, Oklahoma

Mignogna¹,

Runyon²,

Nairn³

et al. 2012

JASMR

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Although cadmium occurred in lower concentrations than zinc, cadmium poses a higher risk due to its high toxicity level. Therefore, cadmium remains a metal of concern throughout the historic mining district (Johnson et al 2016;Andrews et al 2009).…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the district's peak production period, between 1885 and 1955, the TSMD was one of the world's largest producers of lead and zinc. The district exported an estimated 500 million tons of ores (Manders and Aber 2014;Andrews et al 2009;U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2007).…”

Section: Growth and Decline Of The Mining Operationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Legacy of Mining in Southwest Missouri: Past and Present Conditions of the Tri-State Mining District

McClanahan¹

2018

Geological Society of America Abstracts With Programs

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The historic Tri-State Mining District (TSMD) of southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma has a history of lead and zinc mining that extended over a hundred years. During the district's peak production period, the TSMD was one of the world's largest producers of lead and zinc. The mining activities in the TSMD produced economic growth that supported the local communities and were essential to the victory of the Allied Forces during World War I and World War II. Beginning in the 1920s, the mining activities in the district slowly began to cease due to depletion of metal ores and competition from imports. The last mine in southwest Missouri closed in 1957. Unfortunately, the negative consequences of the mining industry have had a lasting effect in the environment. Abandoned mining sites caused lead and zinc contamination in the soils, sediments, and streams throughout the district. Due to the high level of contaminants present, remediation efforts began in the 1980s and are still ongoing today. This study assists in identifying sites with contaminated levels of heavy metals in the sediment due to over a hundred years of lead and zinc mining centers in southwest Missouri. The metal content of sediments reported in literature were collected and added to a database used to build maps that would highlight their spatial distribution. The purpose of this study is to (1) provide an historical description of the mining activities in the Missouri part of the TSMD, (2) aid in further understanding the extent of contamination caused by the historic mining activities, and (3) aid in an understanding of the effectiveness of remediation.

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“…Several studies assessing the effectiveness of remediation, e.g., variations of metal concentrations, have been conducted on all four TSMD Superfund sites as well as other TSMD sites [13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. These studies recognize that metal concentrations remain above toxic levels in sediments of some streams, reservoirs, and floodplain soils, and that the attainment of safe levels in sediments is a slow process [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metal Content of Stream Sediments as a Tool to Assess Remediation in an Area Recovering from Historic Mining Contamination

et al. 2020

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Lead and zinc mining was booming in the early 1900s in and near Joplin, Missouri; a town within the Tri-State Mining District, USA. After the ore became depleted, mining companies moved out, leaving a profoundly disturbed land. Presently, over 90% of the land has been remediated. We collected sediment samples along two creeks flowing through the historically contaminated area that have been identified as major contributors of metals to downstream reservoirs, Center Creek (14 samples) and Turkey Creek (30 samples). Sediment metal content was determined by aqua regia extraction, the potentially bioavailable fraction by 0.11 M acetic acid extraction, and toxicity by ΣPEC-QCd,Pb,Zn. Zinc and lead content in sediments were high in both creeks notwithstanding remediation actions; e.g., median concentrations of 521 mg/kg Pb and 5425 mg/kg Zn in Center Creek, corresponding to 19 and 52 times the background concentration. The metals’ distribution followed no discernible pattern downstream. The potentially bioavailable fraction varied between 0.36% (Pb, Center Creek) and 4.96% (Zn, Turkey Creek). High toxicity was found in 40% of the samples in Turkey Creek and 78.5% of the samples in Center Creek. While this level of toxicity would likely affect aquatic organisms, its limited mobility under alkaline conditions suggests a lesser threat to humans. On the other hand, this high toxicity will likely persist in sediments for at least a few decades, based on their high metal content and low mobility.

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Selected metals in sediments and streams in the Oklahoma Part of the Tri-State Mining District, 2000-2006

Cited by 9 publications

References 8 publications

Preliminary Assessment of Floodplain Soil Metal Concentrations, Neosho River, Oklahoma

Preliminary Assessment of Floodplain Soil Metal Concentrations, Neosho River, Oklahoma

The Legacy of Mining in Southwest Missouri: Past and Present Conditions of the Tri-State Mining District

Metal Content of Stream Sediments as a Tool to Assess Remediation in an Area Recovering from Historic Mining Contamination

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