Effects of pH fluctuations on potentially toxic metals in the water and sediment of the Dillon Reservoir, Summit County, Colorado

Potentially toxic metals exist in many reservoirs of surface water and therefore require an understanding of their occurrence, distribution, and mobility. The sediment accumulating at the bottom of the Dillon Reservoir, Colorado is contaminated with metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Mo, etc.) that are primarily sorbed to Fe and Al hydroxides present in the sediment. The metals are derived from weathering of mineralized bedrock and mine tailings in the surrounding drainage basins. Sediment samples from the Dillon Reservoir were analyzed for major and trace elements and acidification experiments were performed to quantify the fraction of metals released from the sediment as a function of changes in pH. The highest percentages of metals are released from the sediment at low pH with the exception of Mo which has the highest percent released at near neutral pH. In addition, seasonal fluctuations in the concentrations of metals in the water of the Dillon Reservoir can be explained by changes in pH of as low as 0.2 pH units.