Volume 52, Number 1, 51-62, DOI: 10.1007/s00254-006-0448-1

Diagnosis of trace Pb in domestic wells, Upper Gloucester Catchment, Maine, USA

W. C. Sidle

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Abstract

Dissolved Pb in 32 wells associated with corroding submersible pumps is examined within a rural water district after almost 20 years (1984–2002). Groundwater Pb ranged from 0.4–24.9 μg L−1 after 24 h pump flushing. Preliminary geochemistry and representative borehole lithology examinations were extrapolated by Markov chain modeling. The first-order geostatistical realizations of glacial sediments coupled with the Monte Carlo Metropolis-Hasting method suggest that elevated trace Pb persists in sand and gravel units, and continues at least to 40 m depth in the catchment. The 207Pb/206Pb and 208Pb/206Pb isotope compositions of groundwater Pb were decisive in discriminating the importance of leached Pb from submersible pump materials among geogenic sources.

Keywords  Lead isotope - Drinking water - Groundwater wells - Geostatistics - Catchment - Maine

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