Industrial Treatment of Heavy Metals to Protect
Aquatic Systems in the New Lead Belt Area
CHARLES JENNETT, Associate Professor
BOBBY G. WIXSON, Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Missouri-Rolla
Rolla, Missouri
INTRODUCTION
The release of metals into the environment in forms that may become pollutants or
concentrated into toxic elements by plant or animal life was brought into the focus of
scientific and public observation by the dramatic outbreak of mercury poisoning in Japan
during the early 1950's. As a result of intensified studies on this problem, it was determined
that mercury and other metals were more abundant, wide-spread, and concentrated in the
environment than previously realized. The logical outgrowth of this research was carried
further, and a number of other potentially toxic metals were then selected for intensive
research to determine sources, cycling and ultimate sinks. One of the metals chosen was
lead, since it was widely utilized in fuel and suspected as presenting potential dangers. Lead
will continue to be a matter of major national concern, and may be viewed either as a friend
or foe depending upon its use as a valuable metal resource, or its misuse resulting in
pollution of the environment.
In 1967, an unusual opportunity was presented to study and evaluate the source,
cycling, and distribution of lead and other heavy metals associated with the development of
mining, milling, and smelting operations within a national forest in the Ozarks Region of
Southeast Missouri. During the past five years, the National Science Foundation-RANN
Program has supported a multi-disciplinary research program which developed
cooperative programs between industry, researchers, local, state, and federal agencies to
apply modern technology to control possible trace metal contamination of the environment
associated with the production of lead. During this time, the area became the largest lead
producing district in the world, and established new records in 1974 with an estimated lead
production of 576,300 tons of metal, or approximately 85% of the United States' total
output. Zinc, copper, and silver production also increased as lead-processing co-products,
and the combined value of these four metals has been estimated to be $352 million (1).
The location, topography, geology, mining, and milling operations of the district has
been described in previous publications (2) and the initial research on sources of pollution
and the effects of these wastes on the streams of the "Viburnum Trend" or "New Lead Belt"
has been previously reported (3, 4). Present findings deal primarily with the physical-
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