Reports
Chemical quality of water and trace elements in the Patuxent River basin
1965, Heidel, S.G. and Frenier, W.W.
Report of Investigations 1
Abstract
A one-year investigation of the chemical quality of the river, including spectrographic analysis for trace elements, was begun in July 1963. The salt front, characterized by a section of abrupt increases in salinity, shifted about five miles upstream with high tide. The extent of salt-water intrusion in late summer was as much as 20 miles upstream from the salt front that occurred in late spring. The fresh water of the Patuxent River is low in dissolved solids (less than 100 parts per million); therefore, percentage composition of chemical constituents of the diluted water in the lower estuary was practically the same as sea water.
Trends of concentrations of trace elements in the estuary are similar to the trends of major constituents. Concentrations of boron, lithium, and strontium in the saline water are higher than in the fresh-water inflow, but lower than in sea water. In the fresh water of the Patuxent River, the median concentrations of manganese, boron, and rubidium are higher than those determined for major rivers of North America. Most of 23 other trace elements checked for in fresh waters of the Patuxent River were found in concentrations close to or somewhat less than the median concentrations determined for major North American rivers.
