Cyanide and metal pollution by urban snowmelt: Impact of deicing compounds

Novotný, Vladimír; Muehring, Deron; Zitomer, Daniel; Smith, Daniel; Facey, Roderick M.

doi:10.1016/s0273-1223(98)00753-7

Cited by 38 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Concentrations of several trace elements were also elevated above background, particularly lithium (Li + ), which is present at over 6 times the background concentration at Site 7 (Table S2, Figure e). Increased trace element concentrations in surface waters may be due to mobilization from sediments by the wastewater-derived inorganic salts, similar to what has been observed for roadside soils impacted by deicing salts. − Increased concentrations of Cl – , Br – , Sr 2+ , and Ba 2+ have been found in Pennsylvania streams downstream from wastewater treatment plants. , Elevated Br – concentrations in UOG wastewaters can lead to increases in disinfection byproducts (DBP) downstream from wastewater treatment plants, however DBP were not observed at any of the sites sampled in the Wolf Creek tributary …”

Section: Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

“…For example, increases in salinity due to deicing of roads are associated with disruptions in nitrogen cycling, likely due to alterations of microbial communities. , The alterations in sediment microbial communities at the downstream sites could impact nutrient cycling in the stream, highlighting the importance of understanding the link between microbial community structure and function in environments impacted by UOG wastewater releases. Increasing hardness and metal concentrations in ecosystems impacted by road salt were also shown to have toxic effects on aquatic organisms and terrestrial plants. ,, At Wolf Creek, organisms may be similarly impacted; similar components are elevated in stream waters due to disposal activities and wastewater inputs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Wastewater Disposal from Unconventional Oil and Gas Development Degrades Stream Quality at a West Virginia Injection Facility

Akob

Mumford

Orem

et al. 2016

Environ. Sci. Technol.

131

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The development of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) resources has rapidly increased in recent years; however, the environmental impacts and risks are poorly understood. A single well can generate millions of liters of wastewater, representing a mixture of formation brine and injected hydraulic fracturing fluids. One of the most common methods for wastewater disposal is underground injection; we are assessing potential risks of this method through an intensive, interdisciplinary study at an injection disposal facility in West Virginia. In June 2014, waters collected downstream from the site had elevated specific conductance (416 μS/cm) and Na, Cl, Ba, Br, Sr, and Li concentrations, compared to upstream, background waters (conductivity, 74 μS/cm). Elevated TDS, a marker of UOG wastewater, provided an early indication of impacts in the stream. Wastewater inputs are also evident by changes in (87)Sr/(86)Sr in streamwater adjacent to the disposal facility. Sediments downstream from the facility were enriched in Ra and had high bioavailable Fe(III) concentrations relative to upstream sediments. Microbial communities in downstream sediments had lower diversity and shifts in composition. Although the hydrologic pathways were not able to be assessed, these data provide evidence demonstrating that activities at the disposal facility are impacting a nearby stream and altering the biogeochemistry of nearby ecosystems.

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Section: Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wastewater Disposal from Unconventional Oil and Gas Development Degrades Stream Quality at a West Virginia Injection Facility

Akob

Mumford

Orem

et al. 2016

Environ. Sci. Technol.

131

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In contrast, in a controlled laboratory study, Mann et al (2011) found that acidic, laboratory-synthesized snow with added Cl − showed more Hg(II) free in melted snow fractions, and Hg in synthesized snow containing no salt at a neutral pH had a higher fraction bound to particulate matter. In soils with pH < 7, the presence of Cl − results in less binding of Hg to particles, and in neutral or basic environments, Hg binding to particles is not influenced by the presence of Cl − (Barrow and Cox 1992;Lumsdon et al 1995;Yin et al 1996;Novotny et al 1998). Road salt applied to snowpacks can cause the release of heavy metals bound to organic matter in the soil under the snowpack due to the presence of high Cl − concentrations (Backstrom et al 2004).…”

Section: Halogens and Halogen Radicalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mercury photochemistry in snow and implications for Arctic ecosystems

2014

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Mercury is a toxic and bioaccumulative environmental contaminant, which may be transported to remote regions around the world, such as the Arctic. Snowmelt is a major source of mercury to many surface water environments, but the amount of mercury in snow varies considerably. This variation is due to the balance of mercury retention and losses from snow, which is largely controlled by photochemical mechanisms controlling speciation. As such, quantifying these photochemical reaction rates and the factors affecting them will allow for the prediction of mercury speciation and movement into receiving water bodies. This will consequently improve our ability to predict exposure of aquatic organisms to mercury. This review highlights knowledge gaps in the quantification of mercury photochemical kinetics and the specific research required to advance the science of mercury photochemistry in snow, while examining the physical and chemical snowpack variables that influence snowpack mercury reactions. At present, our lack of mechanistic and kinetic knowledge of mercury reactions in snow is one of the greatest gaps preventing accurate predictions of mercury fate in regions containing seasonal snowpacks.Résumé : Le mercure constitue un contaminant environnemental toxique et biocumulatif, pouvant être transporté dans des régions éloignées partout au monde, comme dans l'Arctique. La fonte des neiges représente une source majeure de mercure pour plusieurs plans d'eau de surface, mais la quantité de mercure dans la neige varie considérablement. Cette variation est due à la balance entre la rétention du mercure et les pertes à partir de la neige, celles-ci étant fortement contrôlées par des mécanismes photochimiques déterminant la spéciation. Comme telle, la quantification des taux de ces réactions photochimiques et des facteurs les affectant permettront de prédire la spéciation du mercure et le mouvement vers les milieux aquatiques réceptifs. Conséquemment, ceci améliorera notre capacité à prédire l'exposition des organismes aquatiques au mercure. Cette revue insiste sur les manques de connaissances concernant la quantification de la cinétique photochimique du mercure ainsi que les recherches spécifiques nécessaires à l'avancement de la science sur la photochimie du mercure dans la neige, tout en examinant les variables physiques et chimiques influençant les réactions du mercure dans les bancs de neige. Présentement, l'absence de connaissances mécanistiques et cinétiques des réactions du mercure dans la neige constitue une des plus grandes lacunes empêchant les prédictions sur le devenir du mercure dans les régions connaissant des enneigements saisonniers. [Traduit par la Rédaction]

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“…Many researchers studied concentrations of pollutants in urban snow (Malmquist 1978;Jervis et al 1982;Viklander 1999;Reinosdotter and Viklander 2005;Sillanpää and Koivusalo 2013;Kuoppamäki et al 2014;Siudek et al 2015) and/or assessed the environmental impacts of snow disposal into the receiving waters (Novotny et al 1998;Engelhard et al 2007;Corsi et al 2010). However, none of those studies addressed the sampling of urban snow piles for a robust estimation of stored pollutant loads.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating Pollution Loads in Snow Removed from a Port Facility: Snow Pile Sampling Strategies

Vijayan

Österlund

Maršálek

et al. 2021

Water Air Soil Pollut

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Choosing the appropriate sampling strategy is significant while estimating the pollutant loads in a snow pile and assessing environmental impacts of dumping snow into water bodies. This paper compares different snow pile sampling strategies, looking for the most efficient way to estimate the pollutant loads in a snow pile. For this purpose, 177 snow samples were collected from nine snow piles (average pile area − 30 m2, height − 2 m) during four sampling occasions at Frihamnen, Ports of Stockholm’s port area. The measured concentrations of TSS, LOI, pH, conductivity, and heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, and V) in the collected samples indicated that pollutants are not uniformly distributed in the snow piles. Pollutant loads calculated from different sampling strategies were compared against the load calculated using all samples collected for each pile (best estimate of mass load, BEML). The results/study showed that systematic grid sampling is the best choice when the objective of sampling is to estimate the pollutant loads accurately. Estimating pollutant loads from single snow column samples (collected at a point from the snow pile through the entire depth of the pile) produced up to 400% variation from BEML, whereas samples composed by mixing volume-proportional subsamples from all samples (horizontal composite samples) produced only up to 50% variation. Around nine samples were required to estimate the pollutant loads within 50% deviation from BEML for the studied snow piles. Converting pollutant concentrations in snow to equivalent concentrations in snowmelt and comparing it with available guideline values for receiving water, Zn was identified as the critical pollutant.

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Cyanide and metal pollution by urban snowmelt: Impact of deicing compounds

Cited by 38 publications

References 2 publications

Wastewater Disposal from Unconventional Oil and Gas Development Degrades Stream Quality at a West Virginia Injection Facility

Wastewater Disposal from Unconventional Oil and Gas Development Degrades Stream Quality at a West Virginia Injection Facility

Mercury photochemistry in snow and implications for Arctic ecosystems

Estimating Pollution Loads in Snow Removed from a Port Facility: Snow Pile Sampling Strategies

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