Final project report on arsenic biogeochemistry in the Clinch River and Watts Bar Reservoir: Volume 2, Quality assurance/quality control summary report for arsenic biogeochemistry in the Clinch River and Watts Bar Reservoir. Environmental Restoration Program

摘要

Arsenic contamination was studied in the Clinch River/Watts Bar Reservoir (CR/WBR) system downstream from the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). Arsenic is of particular interest and concern because (1) it occurs commonly in coal-bearing rock and waste products such as fly ash associated with the burning of coal, (2) it is classified as a Class A carcinogen by the US Environmental Protection Agency, and (3) disposal of fly ash, both on and off the ORR, may have contaminated surface water and sediments in the Clinch River and Watts Bar Reservoir. The present study dffers from previous reports on arsenic concentrations in the CR/WBR system in the use of much more sensitive and precise processing and analytical techniques to measure arsenic species (arsenate, arsenite, and organic arsenic) at levels well below the ecological and human health risk screening criteria. The absolute detection limits using these techniques are approximately 20 to 40 pmol/L or 0.0015 to 0.003 microg/L.