SOURCE DETERMINATION OF ARSENIC, LEAD, AND CADMIUM IN THE YELLOW SPRING SEDIMENT IN GLEN HELEN NATURE PRESERVE, OH

Arsenic, lead, and cadmium have been found at elevated levels in the sediment of the “Yellow Spring” located in Glen Helen Nature Preserve in Yellow Springs, Ohio (A. McGowin, unpublished results). The Yellow Spring is named for the bright orange travertine deposits that are rich in iron. My research was to determine whether the arsenic, lead, and cadmium in the sediment were occurring naturally in the spring or coming from the pipes that are used in the construction of the man-made structure from which the artesian spring flows. I collected sediment and soil samples from five surrounding sights for comparison. The first three sample sites were the Yellow Spring sediment, the “Grotto” sediment (a waterfall just downstream), and a second site further downstream site. Another site was soil from the root zone of a fallen tree that is also rich in iron, from which three samples were taken. The last sample site was from a cliff hang on Birch Creek in a different watershed in Glen Helen. A total of seven samples, each sample split into four replicates for analysis. Samples were digested in acid following USEPA Method 3050B and analyzed for iron, arsenic, lead, and cadmium using inductively-coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) following EPA Method 200.7. Statistical analysis of the results indicate that arsenic, lead, and cadmium occur naturally in minerals that are distributed throughout Glen Helen.