Currently, a watershed restoration group has made progress in remediating surface water contributions to the Huff Run stream in Mineral City, OH, which is heavily affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) due to historical coal mining. However, the accumulation of AMD sediments on the streambed has prevented the overall ecological health of the area from rebounding. A proposed remediation plan includes dredging, however the efficacy of doing so while preventing further iron buildup and the potential release of trace metals during such an operation is uncertain. The objectives of this research are to examine the effects that mineralogical transformations within stream sediments can have on the fate and transport of trace metals in order to understand the possible side effects of dredging on the Huff Run. This work aims to build a framework on which to base proposed remediation plans at a wide range of acid-mine drainage impacted sites. To achieve these objectives cores were gathered from the Huff Run and the Farr tributary, where a large amount of AMD is discharged into the Huff Run. These core sediments were analyzed through XRD analysis to determine the abundance and distribution of mineral phases, and ICP analysis to provide trace metals concentrations as a function of sediment depth. Groundwater piezometers installed in AMD-bearing sediments and streambed sediment were used to quantify changes in trace metals concentrations. The analyses of cores gathered from the stream provide evidence that over time, deposited Fe(III)-bearing phases go through thermodynamic transformations into more stable phases, mainly goethite. On-going work aims to elucidate the relationship between geochemical and hydrological processes.<br/>

Effects of mineralogical transformations on the mobility of trace metals in an area affected by acid mine drainage, Huff Run, Ohio

251st National Meeting (2016)

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