Document jzx7qaY7LaNXkMx11KJxe3d9

ne-ws r .ei e a s e GtlOLCfelCAL SURVEY .- * Forrester (202). 3A3-4fii>6 .^rch 3ijt97i ussr co^pi.ETr.s h at zo ^id e r ec o n r ais ^c s o f k e t ais i $?& A report '$mani.iug results of a f<iiowid? rccomsfissance of selected metslr In the Nation's surface waters--ei.c'tieeUrJy sources of w-.ter for motropontan arcao;---has.,just been released .by the- U* 2. Geological Survey, /* Depart-ssnt-. of -the Interior* ; Hydrologists of the Gee1ouic?ii Sumy* worsen.-y irr cooperation with thft Bureau of fpert f-isharles and kHIdllfc* analysed -rev? than T<~0 woter o-rinfit; *t % . _ i * .. - t- .T . . n- a. . :o,r. _ ^ nnri tin-........ i. - Pi strict tori i:. l&sdr t`inov ntC liV; 'i v;C; repa 'wceiO;:;tive iii: tor ' rt-tp res wire coll d;tcd . iW ter/v.:.- i-r.' is. Oa-w ;c:nft;r :s<A~V-! -- -.- disr-icr. =ri : id; of ;' ;-r. $:;ch flcts aocen i.-a ii: 'vi] * :ti.< t'O-f t t'ssac at'Si - car ir ..t-v -, k...: to . a rt= Uls. f. : rr "f inp >.p .*. ra:Pnr'r vfivr;; a iv'rr ,. c- ; of tf:?.: seven disk;- :skc:ri is the rk'cars- .'.ns apt'-a cf Hni: 0 Srt'css s ere vncfdy /V-tine-ch 5nucf of the kCiCiliny ecc concentrevet in std er-vcd the d'vior'C mdrsv' tooin;:Ot where striw;. ininht bo cepncfed to receive wothlr frew infostrioT and keniciwa'i waate frenfkont: nyst;';,:-?, tp;.:rv- eppafits to be no wkdopreed occurrence of tiiese ir&t&ls i s'ern-uns and takes in a<aou.nta exceed inn current ILS* bao'iic HusK-h Sar-vice (PHS) drinking water tteadu-'uj. (tee Table No.; attached). Only a -aew samples of the acre than 700 collected evotained hctvy metal ccne^-lc'atioae-'fYsvfoos-ji of Hj$ for drinking voter (at shown in Tdfk Oh- 2 ;-:Oi':-.sk.ad); 4 percent cv the water rasp'las cr--i;;a.in?d eedfrure cou- cactdr.io vr even 10 tirtcrosrnnis per liter* mid 2 yn'ccni: of the vainifbn; cruvcaieod error.: Over ft id cry-i nn;* par li-or.. A few sdrpTrs cunt pi mi load and ;narctry cn.-a \ :0,;;;e 0; -.:.? an of ft nic; ofr.-. u: par 1 i i: - arid a cicv-ogr.MVic pen lifer tvr15-L:-.;fv...vjiV- (dtc !-.V{?,rc-rr:-:-\n per Hcpr \p enrol yc ;aire rart par fciU <w, or one pr.trt.1 of mzUA in one ! f 11 fee; pounds of water). ;/r. -bin k\u T. Paeorvy IM rector. 0. $. Gc-olo.yic?! Survey, Nodnncton* H.C., f'lU that `the reccnv:: latantG dcvid; \r-a spurred 5?y h'iv giving nrud. fa-- d-cio c.-i - -:a nacurrona1 f rertcein ndcr du-red:. in tonic ^jcntitiuc in the a'.v .. ;;f ipfcu i,':;'. ':uy-;ly t!';tcv to the ". ticii'n fitie.:. and indiaarippa1 LIA-77089 "In recent, months/* Uccora ssid, "we have received many requests for information on the natural end man-made concentrations cl mercury in our waters; bi.il. the'.larger question has remained: Are there- potentially dangerous concentrations. of other elements present in our -water resources? This first nationwide rtetirroaissence sampling was designed to provide at least.a. partial answer - to that question." , He emphasized that. the values- obtained may not. be typical of the sampling sites bycgs.ye concentrations of contaminants vary signif icantly from one sampling to cn&thor for f variety of reasons, lit; also pointed out that the concenfrtv-o-is of heavy metals attributable to natural uwreos have not yet been -datam icc-id. ` "With this end future sampling programs, we hopeto establish a continuing baseline of inforaratior! about the quality of our surface Kid ground v'ttero to meet our resr-oivsiblities as appraisers of the Ration's water resources/' the purvey spykesmun said. .. - f during- the reconnaissance study; water .samples were collected at three general types of locationsv : 0) from rivs-rs end lakes that supply water to ciltias of more than lOibOOD population or, in less wrUunUftig States,, to the larcesf city in thg state. - 1 . (2) vv`G-s wafer courses downstream from wsjor municipal and i four trial cocylcfc-j in even State; aoc' (3) f.i: t'- Geological Survey's hydrologic "bredey ki; statim;.-. 1-hiTv c.stabli:dkuf ill the mid-lrSO's to sy-suir long-term U/i-T-:' In sAreamilow end water quality at sifts for removed from .c'i-ffsadir interferences. Some of the results .of the stidy: MERCURY: Dissolved mercury ranged in concentration fro;;: below the limit . of cU-i.eclior*, 0,1 microgram per liter (1 microyran per `Mter is equal to 1part per billion), to abort q .r; crop rams rcr liter,. arid war, 'nvni in only 7 percent of the camples. Knne of tKe suwpltts '-.vtoir-cU dissolved mercury in excess of the Pnbl ic i'eaUh f/ .ice's proposed upper limit of 5 micrcgrcms no-- 11'ter. At o fayid;;, however, a. combination of dissolved mercury and mercary ; ,;w.had to svygended particle:; gave concentration::; that ey/.:vi:;lo!i A mb.rograms per liter. f! AUStlllC: ...... ~ About 21 - -cut of the samoles contained deteciable amounts <jf ei der is : >._ than '10 micrograms ih t liter), but only ?. ocrccnt of ii o . ./Vf. e>:ccadwl the AO mic;cv-ams tw.r 1 "sler upper limit set ` !.;.! il io Health Service. The largest concent .rat i on of iSrsc.-- - : .'-?(. 1. T T> 0 mi programs per lifer - was found in Sugar r.y- s- ; j'i j n , S.T., dvV:nsi rv:; free a kuy: industrial ecuy.' .! !:s;'if-v; ro i'; ::u . LIA-77090 j t \ l | i \ ; ! : S \ f f i l \ 1 1 ; : ' j * ; i ; . ; j CADl-HUH: /`.bout 42 percent of the samples contained . cadmium in low concentrations ranging from 1 to 70 faicrograms per Titer, and 4 percent of the water samples contained cadmium in excess of the TO miarograras'per Titer upper limit the PHS has set for drinking water. LEAD; Concentrations of lead ranging from 1 to 50 micrograms per liter were found in abetsf 63 prrceot of the samples. but only s few samples actually exceeded the 50 mi urograms per liter PHS upper-limit; for cirfnking water. CdROPU'UM: Hexavsleat chro:riiu:n conc-fif.rav.fons in the range of G to 50 nncrogr&ns per.liter wore detected in colly 11 samples, less thnn 2 percent of ell those collected. Hone of the river samples .contained concentrations in excess of 50 mlcrograres per liter, the Oi}jxinrns level established. by PHS for drinking water. COBALT.; Cobalt vocs found in about 37 percent of the samples, usu&Hy in the range of from 1 to 5 micrograms per liter, l(o tsaxlmunt eonce.ntrution limit has yet been set by PHS for cobalt In drinking water, ZTM: .Zinc is a fairly soluble n&tnl and concentrations range widely in river water's. It was detected most ccfnWy in the range of 10 ic 50 inleroermB per liter, but occasions]ly ereseded 5,000 micrograms per liter, the revc:rt;vr:d. (but not re31vj.st.cry) Pi IS upper limit for drintiru water. Pecorr- said thru the various mates' ss?np]fes "were analyzed with the help of ncw'ij'-doveloprd ter.irai?y.u>s. For cxrmnle, wo cm row able to detect dissolved n ninny odnldm-nun, a-rnl loud concentre t ions at so.;a Vi as 1 part nor hi In on carts of wafer, using an absorption can placed in the light baom of ru; atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Mercury Is detected ns lj>w as 1 part in 2 bill ton parts of water. "The spaded] r&coiycmissanc.e was mad," 'pocevre explained, "through the dictrist offices rod Vi'cnHodes mriofoired by the* Geological Survey throughout the country that operate the Survey's ftetlorml Gator Data KetworU." "Tbs U5GG," Pif:ore empiiidted, "coss not oridnato, rag.uUtc, or carry out pollution codfoi proy-GC.si rotifer, ic is the Survey's responsibility-.^ through its Hafiodi fkrLv;nr'.;* to tnvhrr tin basic hydrologic dota needed by those who txit atU.dnng such problems.." The report, ''tecorrdssnice of So!cried Giro.' dements in Surface Haters of the United Staton," by b.ii. Durum; A.B.. Hem, &><: 5.G. Heitfel * is published as Geological Srrvo.v Circular Cni. Copies are available fro? upon request from ttf: lri rector* U.:,.. Geologic"1 Survey, tfasbiurjton, 0.0, 7SY-AZ. t !! i: {Koto to fit; t.-ivs; Table Co. 1 a Pul)lie. Water Supplier., Tali 1 u f r.tandjrdr. for dr ink j.up, waU-i:.) .died list:- CuhVc dnUi. CtndimK for If at;:; areas; of camp.I iny exceedin^ LIA-77091 LIA-77092 Table No. ?. Locations at which msmlatory tippar limits of metals v;ere. exceeded' {U.S. Public. Health Service drinking water standar-ds)* : State Location (Coiicontr:;t\eos in tnicrograms per liter,, or parts per bill Ian) Arsenic CurMmm] Lead Mercury Alabi:ama H Cahaba R. pump station,. Dirmlngttf.r/s Mobile R. at Covens,tone Street Hofo-He Tenness-ec R. at Hhitesburg, 12' 65 S3 Arizona , Arkansas a Cl ( 11 (1 1} H u California Conn. Idaho Mineral Creek near Big Dome* 3 miles south of Ray Arkansas R. nr. lock ft Dam 3*.. below Pine 01off Arkansas R. at Lock ft Osnt B* below Little Rock Arkansas R. at Lock ft Dam 13,. below fort Smith Lot Springs Heservoir on bull Bayou Hurricane. Croak rear Sheridan Lake Winona. on Alum Fork* Saline River North Sylsfiioro O'eefc nr. Fifty Six Ouachita'' U. Pro Kalvemy below Upt Springs White R. near Goshen, below1 Fayetteville . Merced U at Happy islo Bridge near Yosctito ) Naugatuck R. at Rcacon full ft South Fori; Co our d'Alene \l- at Svool torvii lc 130 90 i \ 140 12 20 Hi 10 60 IS 80 i` \ i 9? i-L- ' O4- 'ii > 15.0 6.8 Illinois i{ t\ Mississipol (U at Chester Mississippi A. at east St.Louis Girin !?. at lock ft Gam S3 near {'rami Chain i ; 12 16 If LIA-77093 t. i-'yiy .of Uw- inert ions at which rnb'iic Usalfh Service Standards Oil/ ox'crtrii.'il. are not in into where v-v.'w-r Is i;i hdsvwfi for nrbl'o State Kenty-eky lOUliisiw!!{i U Mai ne Miss.. Mis(s( ouri it t! MeLiraska K. li C. ft. oak. 0:0 ftHOHift Pa. u ll S. c. S. is. T:?nn. ` Location > .Arsenic Cxbniujti Lead Ohio ft. at Louisville 70 20 CaTcasisy U, nesr Sulphur Cress Lake at Shreveport Red. R. &t fdoric 1 a SO 1ft 14 St. Croix ft. at Baring 22 090 Escatawjsa ft. at Moss Point 65 Mississippi R. at Cape G1 rsrdasu Mississippi R. fit Cottonwood Pi. Missouri ft. at St. Joseph Missouri ft. at Lexington 0 IB 14 2ft Big. Blue ft. at femes ton- 40 , Caps fear R. at Lvr,k 1 nv. kelly Cotr-whs ft. nr. Cinrlotte 60 60 t Red ft. of the Cerlfti hoi on Fargo 26 Corny ft, or. (k:heiut<; K1amichi ft, nr. Bin Conor 12 (V4 Lack'VWfi'H.a ft. at Old Forge Spring rrdnk tmorvoir rir. Hi Ikes- Bar.re - Tuineftockrn Creek at Blue Karsh' demuz nr. riding West Branch Sinoovkmna it at iR-movo Holt Cvebt ucerrmlr nr, PottsyilTe / Sugar Cia-.k vv Ft. Kill 30 i ./ion 0W;:S ft. boiow d;nu;$ it, nr. Hi - "Co; 02 27 11 14 12 . 5.5 Watauga ft. or, ,V.` tan City 60 1 Mercury LIA-77094