Soil/sediment interaction with ground and surface water during lake recovery : potential biological treatment measures 1998-2003 : laboratory simulations

Abstract

During the early flooding period of the Gaertner Pit in the early 1990s, Boojum Research Ltd. assessed the likelihood of elevated solute concentrations in the recovering surface waters within the Key Lake project area. The sediments in the dewatered lakes had been exposed to the atmosphere for many years and there was a concern that the resulting iron oxidation could lead to pH depressions and subsequent release of Ni during and after lake recovery. The levels of nickel were of particular interest, as higher concentrations of nickel in the sediments were mostly found in material with high organic content. This material was likely decomposed during the period of atmospheric exposure, and hence more likely to release contaminants.