In Situ Measurements of Labile Al and Mn in Acid Mine Drainage Using Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films

Abstract

The technique of diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) can be used for in situ measurements of labile metal species in water, but the application for this method on acid mine drainage (AMD) is complicated due to reduced sampler adsorption of metals at low pH. This study evaluates the use of DGT on labile Al and Mn in AMD (pH 3.1-4.2). DGT measurements were performed both in standard solutions in the laboratory and in situ in the field. Laboratory results show that DGT can be used in water with pH as low as 3.0 for Al and 4.0 for Mn without correcting for reduced adsorption. Below pH 4.0, the adsorption of Mn showed a linearly decrease with pH to approximately 55% at pH 3.0. Taking this correction into account revealed that 84-100% of the total dissolved Al and Mn measured in the field was DGT-labile. Measurements using DGT agreed well with predictions using the speciation program WHAM VI. This study shows that the use of DGT can be extended below the previously reported pH working range for Al, and for Mn using a simple linear correction with respect to pH, and demonstrates that the technique can be applied for monitoring time-integrated labile metal concentrations at AMD sites.