Date of Award
12-12-2017
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Environmental Sciences, MS
First Advisor
Jennifer Bouldin
Committee Members
Bill Stroud; Richard Grippo; Tanja McKay
Call Number
ISBN 9780355497311
Abstract
The Rush Mining District, located along the Buffalo River in Arkansas, has a significant history of metal-mining operations. The tails and spoils of these operations deposit heavy amounts of raw ore into streams, including the deposition of cadmium, a minor constituent. Periphyton and invertebrate samples from two creeks within the Rush Mining District were measured for cadmium. Additionally, two creeks with no history of mining were sampled. Periphyton samples from mining sites had significantly higher concentrations of cadmium than samples collected at control sites. Invertebrate samples were classified into trophic levels before analysis. Invertebrate samples collected at treatment sites only had a significant difference in cadmium concentration in collector-gatherer invertebrate species. Although all trophic levels of invertebrates did accumulate cadmium into their tissue, all other trophic levels of invertebrate collected at mining sites were not significantly different from control sites, indicating no significant biomagnification of cadmium within trophic levels.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
McCauley, Jacob Rollins, "Evaluation Of Cadmium Bioaccumulaiton of Periphyton and Aquatic Invertebrates within Tributaries of the Buffalo National River" (2017). Student Theses and Dissertations. 550.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/550
Included in
Environmental Sciences Commons, Fresh Water Studies Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
