Effect of Wastewater on the Concentrations of Mo, Zn, Cu, and Ni in Mill Creek at Marysville, Ohio

Abstract

The presence of Zn, Cu, and Ni in solution in streams may be used to find deposits of the ore minerals of these metals in the Silurian carbonate rocks in northwestern and west-central Ohio. However, the concentrations of these metals in streams may be increased by discharge of municipal and industrial wastewater. In the present study, a suite of water samples from Mill Creek in Union County, OH, was analyzed in order to determine to what extent wastewater discharged by the City of Marysville alters the chemical composition of the water. The data indicate that the concentrations of Na, K, and P increase significantly whereas those of Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba decrease slightly. In addition, the concentrations of Mo, Zn, Cu, and Ni also rise, thereby changing the chemical signature of the water. The results demonstrate that the municipal wastewater of the City of Marysville is a significant source of transition metals in Mill Creek.