The fluxes and transport mechanisms of groundwater and surface water contaminants (zinc, lead, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium) into a fluvial system: Palmerton, PA

Surface water and groundwater inputs are two contaminant pathways that contribute metals to a larger fluvial system in dissolved, particulate, and colloidal phases. An historic Zinc Smelter in Palmerton, PA provides an ideal opportunity to characterize the relative hydrologic and contaminant contributions to larger river systems. A 14.7 km reach along the Lehigh River was studied with inputs from the Pohopoco and Aquashicola Creeks, and groundwater providing 9%, 8% and 16% of the discharge respectively. Concentrations of zinc are mainly transported in the dissolved phase (<0.45 mum) with fluxes during high and low flow from groundwater and the Aquashicola Creek. Lead predominantly travels adsorbed to suspended particles (>0.45 mum) with inputs from upstream. These observations suggest that contaminant contributions to the reach are from mixtures of all three endmember sources, with direct affects from discharge and the Zinc Smelter is not the only source of some contaminants in the river.