Metal content of Casey and Wilkes melt streams and lake water and sediment and their risk to local organisms

In melt lakes, the dissolved metal concentration and diffusive gradient in thin-film technique (DGT) with a Chelex-100 binding resin to measure DGT-labile metal concentrations. In melt streams, dried sediments were analysed using a strong acid, weak acid, and water extractions, as well as using DGT probes.

Physical chemistry of melt streams and lake waters were also collected and included the temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved organic carbon concentration of waters and the texture, organic matter content, and inorganic matter content in sediments. The diatom community within the collected melt stream sediments were taxonomically identified. An ecotoxicological bioassay was conducted that exposed field-collected samples of Ceratadon purpeus to concentrations of cadmium, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc and their mixtures.