An investigation of mining effluent and water quality in the New Lead Belt of Southeastern Missouri

A field and laboratory investigation was carried out to collect background data for stream water quality in the New Lead Belt of Southeastern Missouri. The parameters measured were temperature, hydrogen ion concentration, hardness, alkalinity, turbidity and fluorides. A prolific algal and microbial growth was found in Bee Fork Creek which receives the mining and milling wastewater effluent from the Fletcher Mine. The laboratory studies were conducted to examine the biological effects of the organic flotation reagents used in the mining operations. The studies included Gram staining of bacteria, antimicrobial effects of milling reagents, bacterial fermentation tests of sodium isopropyl xanthate and algal growth tests. A spectrophotometric method was conducted to detect and study sodium isopropyl xanthate by using a Hitachi Perkin-Elmer UV-VIS spectrophotometer model 139. A bioassay study was also conducted with bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus, Rafinesque). The organic flotation reagents employed in the biological effect and bioassay studies were sodium isopropyl xanthate (Aero-xanthate 343), isopropyl ethyldithiocarbamate (Z-200) and mixed alcohols (Frother-71). Characterization of stream water indicated that mine water represented the major stream constituents for small streams receiving mine waste water. The slightly basic mine water also helped to precipitate heavy metals in the milling discharges. A biological study of the organic flotation reagents did not concisely relate any one particular organic compound solely to the algal growth. Results from the bioassay study indicated that all three organic flotation reagents tested were toxic to bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus. The spectrophotometric study indicated that the milling reagent sodium isopropyl xanthate would undergo rapid decomposition in a natural environment. Benzene, toluene, chloroform and hexane were not found to be suitable solvents for the extraction of sodium isopropyl xanthate from water. Sodium isopropyl xanthate in a water solution had its maximum absorbance at 303 millimicrons wavelength. Recommendations for future studies were made with respect to the effects of lead-zinc mining effluents discharged into streams in the \u27New Lead Belt\u27 --Abstract, pages ii-iii