Open-File Report 2006–1350

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Open-File Report 2006–1350

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Summary

The total digestion of 28 field samples from eight sites resulted in 1,008 analyses for the concentration of 10 alkali and alkaline earth elements, 2 non-metals, 20 metals, and 4 lanthanide and actinide elements. Concentrations of laboratory control samples and of blind standard reference materials generally were within acceptable ranges. Total elemental concentrations after a strong-acid digestion of the 9 composite and 19 individual sediment samples were detected for 95 percent of the analyses. Alkali and alkaline earth elements were detected in 100 percent of the sediment samples. The frequency of detection generally increased with the severity of the chemical treatment used during the sequential selective extractions procedure. For the weakest treatment that produced the first fraction, 76 percent of the elements were detected, and 93 percent of the analyses were greater than the reporting limits following four-acid dissolution of the residual sediment remaining after the first three extraction fractions

Analysis of 121 samples of reservoir water, porewater, water overlying incubation cores, and leachates from the tumbling experiments for 56 elements resulted in 6,776 elemental analyses. Overall, the concentrations of 37 percent of the analyses of water samples were greater than the reporting limit. The overall percentage of detected non-metal elements was 51 percent, and ranged from 0 percent for selenium to 100 percent for silica in water samples. The overall percentage of detections for metals was 33 percent. Aluminum and copper were the most frequently detected metal in water samples, with detections in 107 of 121 samples. In contrast, bismuth, chromium, silver and zirconium were not detected in any water samples. Only 14 percent of the analyses of lanthanide and actinide elements were greater than the reporting limit. Cerium and uranium were the most frequently detected lanthanide and actinide elements. In contrast, five lanthanide and actinide elements (holmium, lutetium, terbium, thorium, and thulium) were not detected in any water samples.

The percentage of detected elements of each type of water sample generally reflects the extent of contact with sediment phases. Only 23 percent of the analyses of reservoir water, which had little contact with the sediments, were detected. The percentage of porewater concentrations that were greater than the reporting limit (47 percent) was only slightly less than that of the higher energy tumbling experiment (48 percent). The percentage of analyses of water overlying the incubation cores with concentrations greater than the reporting limit (29 percent) was intermediate between the reservoir water and the leachate from the higher energy tumbling experiments.

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