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Characterization of heavy metal contamination in two lateral lakes of the Lower Coeur d'Alene River Valley, Northern Idaho Item Info

The lower Coeur d'Alene River valley in Northern Idaho has received heavy metal contamination from over a century of upstream mining activity. Medicine and Thompson Lakes are two of the 11 lateral lakes of the Coeur d'Alene River that lie on the flood plain. In their bottom sediments is preserved a stratigraphic record of upstream mining operations. A freeze box, designed by a Quaternary geologist in Finland, was used to sample the lake bottom sediments. This method preserves the vertical stratigraphy. As little as 10 cm and up to 52 cm of undisturbed tailing sediments with ""varve-like"" features was recovered. Geochemical analyses of these sediments show maximum concentrations of 49 ppm Ag, 427 ppm As, 68 ppm Cd, 341 ppm Cu, 10.9% Fe, 1.8 ppm Hg, 1.1% Mn, 1.8% Pb, 48 ppm Sb and 1.1% Zn. 137Cs was used to establish the depositional chronology of the lake bottom sediments. Fourteen centimeters of sediment were deposited between 1951 and 1964, and 10-12 cm from 1964 to 1992. Particle size distribution and analysis found that the fractions containing the highest Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations are the least abundant in the samples. The most abundant size fraction has some of the lowest heavy metal concentrations. This study shows that the contamination in the lakes is restricted to the shallow sub-bottom and that heavy metal concentrations drop to background levels within a few meters of depth.

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Title:
Characterization of heavy metal contamination in two lateral lakes of the Lower Coeur d'Alene River Valley, Northern Idaho
Authors:
Hoffman, Mark
Date Created (ISO Standard):
1995-05
Description:
The lower Coeur d'Alene River valley in Northern Idaho has received heavy metal contamination from over a century of upstream mining activity. Medicine and Thompson Lakes are two of the 11 lateral lakes of the Coeur d'Alene River that lie on the flood plain. In their bottom sediments is preserved a stratigraphic record of upstream mining operations. A freeze box, designed by a Quaternary geologist in Finland, was used to sample the lake bottom sediments. This method preserves the vertical stratigraphy. As little as 10 cm and up to 52 cm of undisturbed tailing sediments with "varve-like" features was recovered. Geochemical analyses of these sediments show maximum concentrations of 49 ppm Ag, 427 ppm As, 68 ppm Cd, 341 ppm Cu, 10.9% Fe, 1.8 ppm Hg, 1.1% Mn, 1.8% Pb, 48 ppm Sb and 1.1% Zn. 137Cs was used to establish the depositional chronology of the lake bottom sediments. Fourteen centimeters of sediment were deposited between 1951 and 1964, and 10-12 cm from 1964 to 1992. Particle size distribution and analysis found that the fractions containing the highest Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations are the least abundant in the samples. The most abundant size fraction has some of the lowest heavy metal concentrations. This study shows that the contamination in the lakes is restricted to the shallow sub-bottom and that heavy metal concentrations drop to background levels within a few meters of depth.
Subjects:
heavy metals mine wastes sediment
Location:
Coeur d'Alene River; Thompson Lake; Medicine Lake
Latitude:
47.49
Longitude:
-116.72
Additional Lat-Long:
47.47, -116.58
Collection:
Coeur d'Alene Basin
Rights:
In copyright, educational use permitted. Educational use includes non-commercial reproduction of text and images in materials for teaching and research purposes. For other contexts beyond fair use, including digital reproduction, please contact the University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives Department at libspec@uidaho.edu. The University of Idaho Library is not liable for any violations of the law by users.
Publisher:
University of Idaho
Contributing Institution:
University of Idaho
Type:
Text
Format:
application/pdf
Cataloger:
wbv
Date Digitized:
2012

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Preferred Citation:
"Characterization of heavy metal contamination in two lateral lakes of the Lower Coeur d'Alene River Valley, Northern Idaho", Idaho Waters Digital Library, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/iwdl/items/iwdl-cda_hoffman_1995.html
Rights
Rights:
In copyright, educational use permitted. Educational use includes non-commercial reproduction of text and images in materials for teaching and research purposes. For other contexts beyond fair use, including digital reproduction, please contact the University of Idaho Library Special Collections and Archives Department at libspec@uidaho.edu. The University of Idaho Library is not liable for any violations of the law by users.
Standardized Rights:
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
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