Contaminants in the Mississippi River, 1987-92
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 1133
Reston, Virginia, 1995
Edited by Robert H. Meade
Circular 1133 cover
CONTENTS
-
Conversion Factors
Acknowledgments
- Executive summary
- R.H. Meade and
J.A. Leenheer
- Introduction
- R.M. Hirsch
- Setting: Geology, hydrology, sediments, and
engineering of the Mississippi River
- R.H. Meade
- Setting: Chemical character of the Mississippi
River
- J.A. Moody and W.A. Battaglin
- Sampling the big
rivers
- R.H. Meade, J.A. Moody, and H.H. Stevens, Jr.
- Heavy metals in the Mississippi
River
- J.R. Garbarino, H.C. Hayes, D.A. Roth, R.C. Antweiler,
T.I. Brinton, and H.E. Taylor
- Nutrients in the Mississippi
River
- R.C. Antweiler, D.A. Goolsby, and H.E. Taylor
- Pesticides in the Mississippi
River
- D.A. Goolsby and W.E. Pereira
- Polychlorinated biphenyls and
other synthetic organic contaminants associated with sediments and fish
in the Mississippi RiverC.E. Rostad, L.M. Bishop, G.S. Ellis,
T.J. Leiker, S.G. Monsterleet, and W.E. Pereira
- Organic contamination of the Mississippi
River from municipal and industrial wastewater
- L.B. Barber, II,
J.A. Leenheer, W.E. Pereira, T.L. Noyes, G.A. Brown, C.F. Tabor, and J.H.
Writer
- Potential deleterious effects of
chlorinating Mississippi River water for drinking
purposes
- R.E. Rathbun
FIGURES
- 1. Dissolved
Contaminants Map showing average water discharges and graphs
showing average concentration of dissolved contaminants in the
Mississippi River and some of its major tributaries (116K JPEG)
- 2. Contaminants in
Suspended Sediment
- Map showing average suspended-sediment
discharges and graphs showing average concentrations of contaminants
adsorbed on suspended-silt particles in the Mississippi River and some of
its major tributaries(99K JPEG)
- 3. Contaminants in Bed
Sediments
- Map showing navigation pools and graphs showing
concentrations of contaminants stored in bed sediments of the Upper
Mississippi River (99K JPEG)
- 4. Geologic
Settings Maps and Vignettes of the Mississippi River
showing different geologic settings (132K JPEG)
- 5.Water
Discharge
- Map and graphs showing long-term averages,
year-to-year, and seasonal variations in suspended-sediment discharge of
the Mississippi River (99K JPEG)
- 6. Suspended-Sediment
Discharge
- Maps and graphs showing long-term averages,
year-to-date, and seasonal variations in suspended-sediment discharge of
the Mississippi River.(83K JPEG)
- 7. Particle Sizes of
Sediments
- Graphs showing particle sizes of suspended
and bed sediments of the Mississippi River (83K JPEG)
- 8. Effects of
Reservoirs
- Graphs and photographs showing the effects
of reservoirs on sediment in the Mississippi River and its tributaries (99K
JPEG)
- 9. Engineering
Activities
- Photographs showing engineering works and
activities along the Mississippi River: levees, wing dams, bank revetment,
and dredging (99K JPEG)
- 10. Major
Engineering Works
- Photographs and graphs of major navigation
and water-diversion structures on the Mississippi(83K JPEG)
- 11. Discharge of
River Water
- Graph showing mean annual water discharge of the
Mississippi River (33k JPEG)
- 12. Dissolved
Solids in River Waters
- Graph and map showing dissolved-solids
concentrations in the Mississippi River and its major tributary basins
(116K JPEG)
- 13.Hardness or River
Waters
- Graph and map showing hardness of waters in
the Mississippi River and its major tributary basins (116K JPEG)
- 14. Nitrate in River
Waters
- Graph and map showing concentrations of
nitrate in waters of the Mississippi river and its major tributary
basins (116K JPEG)
- 15. Population
Stress
- Graph and map showing population stress on
waters of the Mississippi River and its major tributary basins (116K
JPEG)
- 16. Research
Vessel
- Photograph of Research Vessel
Acadiana from which most samples were collected (66K JPEG)
- 17. Sampled
Sites
- Maps showing principal sites where flowing
waters were sampled (66K JPEG)
- 18. Sampling Flowing
Waters
- Graph and photographs of techniques and
equipment used to sample flowing waters (99K JPEG)
- 19. Sampling
Navigation Pools
- Maps showing navigation pools of
the Upper Mississippi River and a typical areal pattern of sampling of
bed sediments (99K JPEG)
- 20. Sampling Bed
Sediments
- Photographs or techniques and equipment
used to sample bed sediments (17K JPEG)
- 21. Sources and
Sinks of Heavy Metals
- Diagram showing principal
sources, transfer mechanisms; and sinks of heavy metals in the
Mississippi River (83K JPEG)
- 22. Lead in River
Waters and Sediments
- Map and pie diagrams showing
distributions of lead in waters and suspended sediments of the
Mississippi River during July-August 1991 (99K JPEG)
- 23. Mercury in
River Waters and Sediments
- Map and pie diagrams
showing distributions of mercury in waters and suspended sediments of
the Mississippi River during October-November 1991 (99K JPEG)
- 24. Lead in Silts
and Colloids
- Graph showing concentrations of lead
absorbed by suspended silts and colloids in the Mississippi River,
July-August 1991 (66K JPEG)
- 25. Range of Lead
Dissolved in River Waters
- Graph showing
concentrations of dissolved lead in water of the Mississippi River,
1987-92 (50K JPEG)
- 26. Uranium and
Copper Dissolved in River Waters
- Graphs showing
concentrations and transports of dissolved uranium and copper in the
Mississippi River, April-May 1992 (83K JPEG)
- 27. Mercury
Dissolved in River Waters
- Graph showing
concentration of dissolved mercury in the Mississippi River,
September-October 1991 (50K JPEG)
- 28. Metals Dissolved
in River Waters
- Graph showing ranges of
concentrations of dissolved cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury,
and uranium in the Mississippi River, 1991-92 (33K JPEG)
- 29. Lead and Mercury
in Bed Sediments
- Map and graphs showing
concentrations of lead and mercury, in relation to those of fine
particles and organic carbon, in the bed sediments of the Upper
Mississippi River, 1991-92 (83K JPEG)
- 30. Nutrients
Dissolved in River Waters
- Graphs showing ranges
of concentrations of dissolved nitrate, orthophosphate, ammonium, and
nitrite in the Mississippi River and its tributaries, 1979-92 (66K
JPEG)
- 31. Nitrate in River
Waters
- Graph showing annual mean concentrations of
nitrate plus nitrite at five sampling stations on the Mississippi River,
1979-92 (50K JPEG)
- 32. Nitrate Variations
Through Time
- Map and graphs showing time series of
nitrate concentrations in the Mississippi, Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio
Rivers, March 1991-September 1991 (99K JPEG)
- 33. Ammonium Variations
Through Time
- Map and graphs showing time series of
ammonium concentrations in the Mississippi, Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio
Rivers, March 1991-September 1992 (99K JPEG)
- 34. Nutrient
Concentrations
- Graphs showing concentrations of
orthophosphate, nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium in the Mississippi River,
June-July 1991, and March-April 1991 (99K JPEG)
- 35. Nutrient
Transports
- Graph showing transports of orthophosphate,
nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium in the Mississippi River, June-July 1991
(66K JPEG)
- 36. Nitrate
Sources
- Pie diagrams showing sources of nitrate and
water discharge in the Mississippi River and its drainage basin (33K JPEG)
- 37. Nitrogen Applied to
Croplands
- Map showing use of nitrogen fertilizers on
croplands in the United States, 1991 (99K JPEG)
- 38. Harvested
Croplands
- Map showing areal distribution of harvested
croplands in the United States (99K JPEG)
- 39. Herbicides Applied
to Croplands
- Graph showing 20 most-used herbicides, and map
showing use of atrazine in the United States (132K JPEG)
- 40. Pesticides in the
River
- Graph showing concentrations of 32 pesticides and
pesticide-degradation products in the Mississippi River, 1987-92 (99K JPEG)
- 41. Atrazine
Variations Through Time
- Map and graphs showing time
series of atrazine concentrations in the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio
Rivers, April 1991-September 1992 (99K JPEG)
- 42. Herbicide
Variations Through Time
- Graph showing time series
of streamflow and concentrations of atrzine, cyanazine, and metolachlor
in the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, April 1991-September
1992 (50K JPEG)
- 43. Atrazine at
Vicksburg
- Graph showing annual maxima, means and
minima of concentration of atrzine in the Mississippi River at
Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1976-92 (50K JPEG)
- 44. Atrazine Along the
River
- Graph showing concentrations of atrzine in
the Mississippi River during five sampling cruises, 1990-92 (50K JPEG)
- 45. Herbicide
Transports
- Maps and graphs showing transports of
atrazine, cyanazine, metolachlor, and alachlor in the Mississippi,
Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio Rivers during April 1991-September 1992
(99K JPEG)
- 46. Hexachlorobenzene
and PCBs in Silts
- Graphs showing concentrations of
hexachlorobenzene and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on suspended silts
in the Mississippi River during March 1989 and June 1989 (66K JPEG)
- 47. PCBs from Ohio and
Missouri Rivers
- Graphs showing concentrations of
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on suspended silts in the Lower
Mississippi River when the major source of suspended sediment was the
Ohio River (March 1990) and the Missouri River (June 1990) (50K JPEG)
- 48. PCBs in Silts and
Colloids
- Graphs showing the concentration and
transport of polychlorinate biphenyls (PCBs) adsorbed by suspended silt
and colloid in the Mississippi River, July-August 1991 (66K JPEG)
- 49. PCBs in Bed
Sediments
- Graphs showing the concentrations of
polychlorinate biphenyls (PCBs) in bed sediments stored in the navigation
pools of the Upper Mississippi River (66K JPEG)
- 50. Chlordane and
PCBs in Catfish
- Graphs showing concentrations of
chlordane and polychlorinate biphenyls (PCBs) in catfish in the
Mississippi River, July-August 1987 (50K JPEG)
- 51. Fate of
Contaminants in the River
- Diagram showing processes
controlling the fate of organic contaminants in the Mississippi River
(99K JPEG)
- 52. Surfactants in the
River
- Graph showing annual ranges of concentration
of methylene-blue-active substances in the Mississippi River, 1963-76,
1992 (66K JPEG)
- 53. Fecal Coliforms in the River
(Not Available)
- Graph showing annual
ranges of concentration of methylene-blue-active substances in the
Mississippi River, 1963-76, 1992
- 54.Wastewater
Contaminants along the River
- Graphs showing
temperature and specific conductance, and concentrations of dissolved
organic carbon, methylene-blue-active substances, linear
alkylbenzene-sulfonate, and adsorbable organic halogen in the
Mississippi River, 1991-92 (116K JPEG)
- 55. Wastewater
Contaminants in Bed Sediments
- Graphs showing
concentrations of linear alkybenzenesulfonate, coprostanol, and
polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in bed sediments stored in the
navigation pools of the Upper Mississippi River (83K JPEG)
- 56. Caffeine and EDTA
in River Waters
- Graphs showing the concentrations
of dissolved caffeine and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) in the
Mississippi River and its tributaries, 1992-92 (83K JPEG)
- 57. TTT and Flame
Retardants in River Waters
- Graphs showing the
concentrations of dissolved 1,3,5-trimethyl-2,4,6-triazinetrione and
trihaloalkylphosphates in the Mississippi River and its tributaries,
1987-92 (83K JPEG)
- 58. Volatile
Contaminants in the River
- Graphs showing concentrations of
volatile organic compounds detected in the Mississippi River, 1991-92 (66K
JPEG)
- 59. Graphs showing
potentials for forming trihalomethane
- and nonpurgeable total organic
halides from Mississippi River water collected during summer 1991 and
adjusted to three level of acidity (33K JPEG)
- 60.Graphs showing
reaction times for forming trihalomethane
- and nonpurgeable total organic
halides from Mississippi River water collected at Minneapolie, Minnesota,
Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, during summer 1991 (33K
JPEG)
TABLES
1.
Classification of naturally occurring metals according to their
toxicity and availability in the hydrologic environment.
2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum
contaminant levels for heavy-metal concentrations in drinking water and
water supporting aquatic life, and criteria for open-water disposal of
polluted sediments.
3. Selected
heavy metals presently or formerly used in major industries along the
Mississippi River.
4. Average releases of heavy metals into the
Mississippi River from a large metropolitan wastewater-treatment plant in
St. Paul, Minnesota.
5. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum
contaminant levels (MCLs) for nitrogenous nutrients in drinking water.
6. Sources of nutrients in surface waters.
7. Summary statistics of nutrient concentrations
during 1991-92 in the Mississippi River and all measure tributaries.
8. Physiochemical properties, health-based limits
for drinking water, and aquatic-life guidelines for selected major
pesticides in the Mississippi River Basin.
9. Estimated loads of pesticides, in kilograms,
transported by the Mississippi River and major tributaries, April 1991
through March 1992.
10. Organic compounds measured to evaluate
wastewater contamination of the Mississippi River, 19987-92.
11. Summary assessment of organic contaminants in
the Mississippi River and its major tributaries.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,
GORDON P. EATON, Director
Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for
descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement
by the U.S. Government
This is an electronic version of a U. S. Geological Survey publication.
The original paper copy of this report may be obtained free on application
to the
U.S. Geological Survey
Information Services
Box 25286
Denver Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Contaminants in the Mississippi River, 1987-92/edited by Rober H. Meade
p. cm.--(U.S. Geolgoical Survey circular:1133)
INCLUDES BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES.
1. WATER--Pollution--Mississippi River.
I. Meade, Robert H., 1930- . II. SERIES.
[TD223.4.C657] 1996 96-202
363.73'942'0977--dc20 CIP
Contaminants in the Mississippi River
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 1133
Reston, Virginia, 1995
Edited by Robert H. Meade
https://pubs.water.usgs.gov/circ1133/
