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Prepared in cooperation with the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma

Reconnaissance of Soil, Ground Water, and Plant Contamination at an Abandoned Oilfield-Service Site near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006

By Shana L. Mashburn and S. Jerrod Smith

Contents | Citation Abstract The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, began a reconnaissance study of a site in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, in 2005 by testing soil, shallow ground water, and plant material for the presence of trace elements and semivolatile organic compounds. Chemical analysis of plant material at the site was investigated as a preliminary tool to determine the extent of contamination at the site. Thirty soil samples were collected from 15 soil cores during October 2005 and analyzed for trace elements and semivolatile organic compounds. Five small-diameter, polyvinyl-chloride-cased wells were installed and ground-water samples were collected during December 2005 and May 2006 and analyzed for trace elements and semivolatile organic compounds. Thirty Johnsongrass samples and 16 Coralberry samples were collected during September 2005 and analyzed for 53 constituents, including trace elements. Results of the soil, ground-water, and plant data indicate that the areas of trace element and semivolatile organic compound contamination are located in the shallow (A–horizon) soils near the threading barn. Most of the trace-element concentrations in the soils on the study site were either similar to or less than trace-element concentrations in background soils. Several trace elements and semivolatile organic compounds exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6, Human Health Medium-Specific Screening Levels 2007 for Tap Water, Residential Soils, Industrial Indoor Soils, and Industrial Outdoor Soils. There was little or no correlation between the plant and soil sample concentrations and the plant and ground-water concentrations based on the current sample size and study design. The lack of correlation between trace-element concentrations in plants and soils, and plants and ground water indicate that plant sampling was not useful as a preliminary tool to assess contamination at the study site.

Posted September 2007 Download report (5.6 MB pdf)

Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Purpose and Scope

Description of Study Area

Acknowledgments

Data Collection and Analysis

Field Procedures

Data Analysis

Soil Characteristics

Physical Properties

Chemical Analysis

Ground-Water Chemical Analysis

Plant Chemical Analysis and Relation to Trace elements in Soils and Ground Water

Areas of Contamination

Summary

Selected References

Appendixes

Appendix 1. Quality control data

Appendix 2. Soil data for the oilfield-service site near Shawnee, Oklahoma 2005-2006

Appendix 3. Ground-water data for the oilfield-service site near Shawnee, Oklahoma 2005-2006

Appendix 4. Plant data for the oilfield-service site near Shawnee, Oklahoma 2005-2006

Figures

1. Location of study area near Shawnee, Oklahoma.
2. Abandoned oilfield-service site near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006.
3. Buildings and debris on abandoned oifield-service site near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006.
4. Locations of soil coring sites and installed wells (including existing supply well labeled Old Well) near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006.
5. Locations of transects for initial plant survey and plant sampling sites near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006.
6. Diagram showing approximate range in soil textures found in the A, B, and C horizons of soil cores collected from abandoned oilfield-service site near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006.
7. Descriptive log of soil textures found in soil core SS4 representative of well 1 near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006.
8. Descriptive log of soil textures found in soil core SS1 representative of wells 2 and 5 near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006.
9. Descriptive log of soil textures found in soil core SS7 representative of wells 3 and 4 near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006.
10. Total trace-element and semivolatile organic compound concentrations in soil samples near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006.
11. Trace-element concentrations in soil from abandoned oilfield-service site near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006 and soil and bedrock samples collected from Central Oklahoma aquifer in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, 1991.
12. Trace elements and semivolatile organic compounds (SVOC) in ground-water samples near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006.
13. Total trace-element concentrations in plant samples near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006.

Tables

1. Percent coverages of plants in Open Grassland Zones and Dense Covered Zones at the abandoned oilfield-service site near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005.
2. Summary table for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6, Human Health Medium-Specific screening level exceedances.
3. Ground-water levels measured in wells near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005-2006.
4. Quality-control soil samples collected from oilfield-service site near Shawnee, Oklahoma 2005-2006.
5. Quality-control ground-water samples collected from oilfield-service site near Shawnee, Oklahoma 2005-2006.
6. Quality-control plant samples collected from oilfield-service site near Shawnee, Oklahoma 2005-2006.

Report citation

Mashburn, S.L., and Smith, S.J., 2007, Reconnaissance of soil, ground water, and plant contamination at an abandoned oilfield-service site near Shawnee, Oklahoma, 2005–2006: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5131, 91 p.

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