Palmerton, Pennsylvania

The Palmerton, Pennsylvania, plant had 43 retorts with an output of ca 8 t/d per retort. Recovery was ca 94% when the plant was shut down in 1980. The zinc contained ca 0.3% lead, 0.10% cadmium, and 0.01% iron plus minor impurities. Lead and aluminum are added to produce galvanizer s zinc. 

Cadmium residues, in mg/kg dry weight (ppm) in soil, flora, and fauna collected near two zinc smelters in Palmerton, Pennsylvania... 

Plants readily accumulate lead from soils of low pH or low organic content however, uptake is significantly reduced after the application of lime or phosphate, which converts lead to hydroxides, carbonates, or phosphates of relatively low solubility (Demayo et al. 1982). Lead persists for lengthy periods in forest litter the estimated Tb 1/2 is 220 years (Turner et al. 1985). High levels of lead persisted for at least 6 years in litter, soil, amphibians, and mammals after zinc smelting was discontinued in Palmerton, Pennsylvania (Storm et al. 1994). Lead seems to be tightly bound by... 

Zinc smelter, Palmerton, Pennsylvania Site 2 km downwind of smelter Soil... 

Education can effectively minimize exposure to hazardous substances. Information and training has been provided to health care providers in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, concerning biological monitoring and potential adverse health effects in people exposed to lead and cadmium. The general public also has been advised about potential adverse health effects associated with exposure to lead and cadmium. 

Emissions from the Palmerton smelting plant in Palmerton, Pennsylvania have contaminated over 2000 acres of land on the north-facing slope of nearby Blue Mountain in the Appalachians (Figure 8.1). The Zn smelting facilities (Smelters I and II) are located in east-central Pennsylvania near the confluence of Aquashicola Creek and... 

FIGURE 8.1 Location of Blue Mountain sampling site in the vicinity of the Palmerton Smelter, Palmerton, Pennsylvania. 

Li, Y.M. et al., Response of four turfgrass cultivars to limestone and biosolids-compost amendment of a zinc and cadmium contaminated soil at Palmerton, Pennsylvania, J. Environ. Qual., 29, 1440, 2000. 

Concentrations of lead in soil litter ranged from 3200.0 mg/kg in locations near a zinc smelter in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, to... 

Table 2.15 Effect of Time of Day on Zinc Corrosion Rates at Palmerton, Pennsylvania ...

Anderson and Reinhard (1939) observed definite differences in the corrosion rates of sheet zinc exposed during different periods of the day. Specimens were exposed for 8 hours per day and were stored in dry, unheated rooms for the other 16 hours. The test was planned so that a different group of specimens was exposed during each 8-hour period 08 15 to 16 15, 16 15 to (X) 15, and 00 15 to 08 15. The test continued for 6 years, and thus each set was exposed to the atmosphere of Palmerton, Pennsylvania, for a cumulative... 

The Blue Ridge Mountain next to Palmerton, Pennsylvania, was decimated by SO2 pollution from the zinc refinery located there. The roasting of the ZnS ore to produce ZnO (used to produce Zn metal] also made SO2 most of which was captured to generate sulfuric acid. But cumulative SO2 releases over many years killed most of the vegetation on the mountain next to the refinery. The refinery is now shut down, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is doing extensive remediation of the mountain with acid- and zinc-resistant plants. 

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