title: Post Gold King Mine Spill Investigation of Metal Stability in Water and Sediments of the Animas River Watershed.
abstract: We applied spectroscopy, microscopy, diffraction, and aqueous chemistry methods to investigate the persistence of metals in water and sediments from the Animas River 13 days after the Gold King Mine spill (August 5, 2015). The Upper Animas River watershed, located in San Juan Colorado, is heavily mineralized and impacted by acid mine drainage, with low pH water and elevated metal concentrations in sediments (108.4 ± 1.8 mg kg-1Pb, 32.4 ± 0.5 mg kg-1Cu, 729.6 ± 5.7 mg kg-1Zn, and 51 314.6 ± 295.4 mg kg-1Fe). Phosphate and nitrogen species were detected in water and sediment samples from Farmington, New Mexico, an intensive agricultural area downstream from the Animas River, while metal concentrations were low compared to those observed upstream. Solid-phase analyses of sediments suggest that Pb, Cu, and Zn are associated with metal-bearing jarosite and other minerals (e.g., clays, Fe-(oxy)hydroxides). The solubility of jarosite at near-neutral pH and biogeochemical processes occurring downstream could affect the stability of metal-bearing minerals in river sediments. This study contributes relevant information about the association of metal mixtures in a heavy mineralized semiarid region, providing a foundation to better understand long-term metal release in a public and agricultural water supply.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, MSC01 1070, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Freire
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, MSC01 1070, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.
authors.forename: Sumant
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Avasarala
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, MSC03 2040, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.
authors.forename: Abdul-Mehdi S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: New Mexico Environment Department, 121 Tijeras Avenue NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102, United States.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Agnew
authors.affiliation: Community Environmental Health Program, MSC09 5360, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.
authors.forename: Joseph H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hoover
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, MSC01 1120, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.
authors.forename: Kateryna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Artyushkova
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Iowa , 4105 Seamans Center, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States.
authors.forename: Drew E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Latta
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, MSC01 1120, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: Community Environmental Health Program, MSC09 5360, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.
authors.forename: Johnnye
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, MSC03 2040, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Crossey
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, MSC03 2040, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.
authors.forename: Adrian J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Brearley
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, MSC01 1070, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cerrato
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D006046:Gold; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water; D006046:Gold