The effects of surface mining the Weches Formation in east Texas on the arsenic levels and other water quality parameters of Boregas Creek, Sabine County, Texas.

摘要

The Weches Formation of east Texas has been found to contain elevated levels of arsenic (Ledger and Judy, 2003). Glauconite, the material mined from the Weches Formation, is used as road mass, rip rap, and filter rock. The commercial use of glauconite has raised the question as to whether or not arsenic is released from the material into local waters. Two sites along Boregas Creek in Sabine County, Texas, one site upstream (AS1) of an adjacent glauconite mine and another downstream (AS3), were instrumented to measure the effects of the glauconite mining on water quality. A third site in the drain (AS2) of the glauconite mine was instrumented as well.{09}The samplers were programmed to take a water sample when a rain event caused the stage of the creek, or drain, to rise. The water quality parameters measured were, total arsenic, total iron, total manganese, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, lab specific conductivity, and pH.