Pollutant loadings from solvay waste beds to lower Ninemile Creek, New York

Changes in Inorganic Carbon Chemistry and Deposition of Onondaga Lake, New York

“…This pattern coincides with a very high Ca2+: DIC molar ratio in the upper waters prior to closure (Figure le). The increases in alkalinity and DIC in the fall reflect continued loading, entrainment of enriched lower waters (21) with the approach to fall turnover, and probably reductions in precipitation in the CaC03. The extent of alkalinity and DIC depletion has decreased since closure of the Na3C03 facility in 1986, indicating a reduction in CaC03 precipitation in the lake.…”

“…Thereafter, the waste entered the upper layers, resulting in the progressive enrichment of Ca2+ (30) and thereby masking the loss of Ca2+ associated with precipitation and deposition of CaC03. The absence of this strong seasonality following closure of the facility is a manifestation of the greatly diminished hydrodynamic impact of the reduced loads of ionic waste (21). The continuing load of ionic waste (Table 1) is apparently still enough to obscure clear manifestations of decalcification in the epilimnetic time series of Ca2+ (Figures la and 2a).…”

“…Loads are based on a biweekly monitoring program of the major tributaries (20). Techniques used to develop the annual loads for these materials have been described in detail elsewhere (21). Reductions of about 75, 60, and 70% have occurred for Cl", Na+, and Ca2+, respectively, as a result of closure of this industry (Table 1).…”

Biogeochemical Reduction Processes in a Hyper-Alkaline Leachate Affected Soil Profile

“…Some are entirely natural, e.g., soda lakes, hot springs, oceanographic cold seeps, deep mine waters (Takai et al 2001;Takai et al 2005;Pollock et al 2007;McMillan et al 2009;Brazelton et al 2010), but many are also due to human activities. These anthropogenic sites occur as a result of the presence of residues from a range of industrial processes, e.g., lime production waste, steelworks slags, coal combustion residues, Solvay process waste, chromite ore processing residues, bauxite processing wastes, borax wastes and cementitious construction wastes (Effler et al 1991;Carlson and Adriano 1993;Townsend et al 1999;Deakin et al 2001;Ye et al 2004;Mayes et al 2006;Mayes et al 2008;Hartland et al 2009;Mayes et al 2011). Weathering of these wastes typically produces highly alkaline leachate (pH 10-13) due to the ubiquitous presence of Ca, Na and K oxides (primarily CaO) that hydrolyze in natural waters to produce soluble metal hydroxides.…”

“…When Ca concentrations are not limiting, the alkaline leachate reacts rapidly with atmospheric CO 2 where it emerges into sub-aerial environments, sometimes producing very high rates of calcite precipitation (Deakin et al 2001;Hartland et al 2009). This has a detrimental impact on surface environments due to the build up of tufa deposits that smother natural vegetation and benthic organisms (Effler et al 1991). As disposal sites rarely have impermeable barriers underneath the waste, the fate of the alkaline leachate, and particularly any contaminants within that leachate, depends solely on biogeochemical interactions with soils and sediments present beneath or adjacent to waste disposal sites.…”