Composition of pore water in lake sediments, research site "B", Osage County, Oklahoma: Implications for lake water quality and benthic organisms

Robert A. Zielinski; William N. Herkelrath; James K. Otton

doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2007.04.013

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Composition of pore water in lake sediments, research site "B", Osage County, Oklahoma: Implications for lake water quality and benthic organisms

Robert A. Zielinski·William N. Herkelrath·James K. Otton

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Abstract

Shallow ground water at US Geological Survey research site B in northeastern Oklahoma is contaminated with NaCl-rich brine from past and present oil production operations. Contaminated ground water provides a potential source of salts, metals, and hydrocarbons to sediment and water of adjacent Skiatook Lake. A former brine storage pit 10 m in diameter that is now submerged just offshore from site B provides an additional source of contamination. Cores of the upper 16–40 cm of lake sediment were taken at the submerged brine pit, near an offshore saline seep, and at a location containing relatively uncontaminated lake sediment. Pore waters from each 2-cm interval were separated by centrifugation and analyzed for dissolved anions, cations, and trace elements. High concentrations of dissolved Cl − in pore waters (200–5000 mg/L) provide the most direct evidence of contamination, and contrast sharply with an average value of only about 37 mg/L in Skiatook Lake. Chloride/Br − mass ratios of 220–240 in contaminated pore waters are comparable to values in contaminated well waters collected onshore. Dissolved concentrations of Se, Pb, Cu and Ni in Cl − -rich pore waters exceed current US Environmental Protection Agency criteria for probable toxicity to aquatic life. At the submerged brine storage pit, the increase of Cl − concentration with depth is consistent with diffusion-dominant transport from deeper contaminated sediments. Near the offshore saline seep, pore water Cl − concentrations are consistently high and vary irregularly with depth, indicating probable Cl − transport by layer-directed advective flow. Estimated annual contributions of Cl − to the lake from the brine storage pit (∼20 kg) and the offshore seep (∼9 kg) can be applied to any number of similar sources. Generous estimates of the number of such sources at site B indicate minimal impact on water quality in the local inlet of Skiatook Lake. Similar methodologies can be applied at other sites of NaCl contamination surrounding Skiatook Lake and elsewhere.

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Applied Geochemistry Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 36.28967012684225° to 36.446694448546836° latitude; -96.29825592041016° to -96.06994628906249° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Robert A. Zielinski, William N. Herkelrath, James K. Otton. 2007. Composition of pore water in lake sediments, research site "B", Osage County, Oklahoma: Implications for lake water quality and benthic organisms. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2007.04.013

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