Project Number: 6408-13660-006-01
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Aug 16, 2002
End Date: Jun 30, 2007

Objective:
Determine the in situ chemical and mineralogical properties of sediment and how these properties change, with respect to the solubility of contaminants, when exposed to atmospheric conditions such as occur during "draw downs" and dredging operations.

Approach:
Sediment cores collected from Grenada Lake, in north central Mississippi, will be characterized for pore water and sediment chemistry to determine stable mineral forms under existing redox conditions. The sediment will be characterized for content of chemical contaminants, including heavy metals and As, using total elemental and selective dissolution analysis. Additionally, the sediment will be air-dried and re-characterized for the effects of oxidation on the form and solubility of chemical compounds. These data will be used to determine solubility product constants and Eh-pH diagrams that will allow for the prediction of the chemical composition of reservoir water at a range of Eh conditions, and the form and solubility of chemicals in sediments once dredged from reservoirs and stockpiled on the landscape.