scholarly journals Hydrochemical characterization and evaluation of the impact of AMD processes on river basin areas in the Iberian Pyrite Belt

Water Policy ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Grande ◽  
M. L. de la Torre ◽  
M. Santisteban ◽  
J. C. Fortes
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Iberian Pyrite Belt ◽  
Mining Activity ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
South West ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hydrographic Network

Abstract The hydrographic network in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) (south-west Europe) is intensively affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) processes. This represents a unique worldwide scenario of extractive mining activity for more than 4,000 years. In order to be able to achieve possible restorations, it is necessary to reduce the scale of possible actions for future environmental improvements, at the river basin level. Therefore, the delineation of watersheds and subwatersheds in the IPB has been carried out, as well as the definition of the degree of impact by AMD processes in these basins in the dry season and in the rainy season. The results show that all basins are affected by AMD processes during the entire hydrological year, with pH values between 2 and 3, for most cases, and high concentrations of sulfates, metals and arsenic.

scholarly journals Spatial Variation of Water Chemistry in Aries River Catchment Western Romania

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 6592
Author(s):  
Ana Moldovan ◽  
Maria-Alexandra Hoaghia ◽  
Anamaria Iulia Török ◽  
Marius Roman ◽  
Ionut Cornel Mirea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Chemistry ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Pollution Indices ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
River Catchment ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
The Impact

This study aims to investigate the quality and vulnerability of surface water (Aries River catchment) in order to identify the impact of past mining activities. For this purpose, the pollution and water quality indices, Piper and Durov plots, as well vulnerability modeling maps were used. The obtained results indicate that the water samples were contaminated with As, Fe, Mn, Pb and have relatively high concentrations of SO42−, HCO3−, TDS, Ca, K, Mg and high values for the electrical conductivity. Possible sources of the high content of chemicals could be the natural processes or the inputs of the mine drainage. Generally, according to the pollution indices, which were correlated to high concentrations of heavy metals, especially with Pb, Fe and Mn, the water samples were characterized by heavy metals pollution. The water quality index classified the studied water samples into five different classes of quality, namely: unsuitable for drinking, poor, medium, good and excellent quality. Similarly, medium, high and very high vulnerability classes were observed. The Durov and Piper plots classified the waters into Mg-HCO3− and Ca-Cl− types. The past and present mining activities clearly change the water chemistry and alter the quality of the Aries River, with the water requiring specific treatments before use.

scholarly journals Metal Removal from Acid Waters by an Endemic Microalga from the Atacama Desert for Water Recovery

Minerals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcela Martínez ◽  
Yanett Leyton ◽  
Luis Cisternas ◽  
Carlos Riquelme
Keyword(s):  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Metal Removal ◽  
Atacama Desert ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Mining Activity ◽  
Water Recovery ◽  
Metallic Ions ◽  
Mineral Extraction ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Acid Waters

The environmental problems generated by waste from the mining industry in the mineral extraction for business purposes are known worldwide. The aim of this work is to evaluate the microalga Muriellopsis sp. as a potential remover of metallic ions such as copper (Cu2+), zinc (Zn2+) and iron (Fe2+), pollutants of acid mine drainage (AMD) type waters. For this, the removal of these ions was verified in artificial acid waters with high concentrations of the ions under examination. Furthermore, the removal was evaluated in waters obtained from areas contaminated by mining waste. The results showed that Muriellopsis sp. removed metals in waters with high concentrations after 4–12 h and showed tolerance to pH between 3 and 5. These results allow proposing this species as a potential bioremediator for areas contaminated by mining activity. In this work, some potential alternatives for application in damaged areas are proposed as a decontamination plan and future prevention.

scholarly journals Formation and characterization of acid mine drainage in the Madzharovo ore field, Southeastern Bulgaria

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-50
Author(s):  
Svetlana Bratkova
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Sulfide Minerals ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Zinc Cadmium ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Cadmium Lead ◽  
The Impact

The formation of acid mine drainage (AMD) is a serious environmental problem in areas with mining and processing industries worldwide. Their generation is associated with chemical and biological processes of oxidation of sulfide minerals, mainly pyrite. Sources of AMD can be deposits of sulfide minerals and coal with a high content of pyrite sulfur, mining waste and some tailings. The impact of AMD on surface and groundwater in mining areas continues for decades after the cessation of extraction. An example of the negative impact of generated acid mine drainage on the state of surface waters is in the region of Madzharovo. Years after the cessation of mining, the waters at the discharge points "Momina Skala", "Harman Kaya" and "Pandak Dere" are characterized by low pH values and high concentrations of iron, copper, zinc, cadmium, lead and manganese.

POLLUTION OF A RIVER BASIN IMPACTED BY ACID MINE DRAINAGE IN THE IBERIAN PYRITE BELT (SW SPAIN)

2006 ◽  
Vol 2006 (2) ◽  
pp. 1850-1863
Author(s):  
A.M. Sarmiento ◽  
J.M. Nieto ◽  
M. Olías ◽  
C.R. Cánovas
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Iberian Pyrite Belt ◽  
Sw Spain ◽  
Acid Mine

scholarly journals Accommodating nomadism and mobility

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 324-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoë James ◽  
Rebekah Southern
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Core ◽  
South West ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Socially Excluded ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how and why Gypsies and Travellers are socially excluded in England and how their experience may be reflected in other European contexts. Specifically, the paper explores the impact of planning policies on accommodation provision for Gypsies and Travellers in England and subsequently how their exclusion manifests due to the sedentarist binary definition of nomadism embedded within that policy. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on evidence from empirical research carried out by the authors in the South West of England in 2015 as part of an accommodation needs assessment of Gypsies and Travellers. The research was commissioned by a local authority but the analysis presented here was carried out in addition to the core report. The decision to comment further on the research findings in relation to policy and theory was agreed with the project funders. Findings The research findings show that there continues to be a lack of accommodation provided to Gypsies and Travellers in England, despite policy and legislative initiatives to the contrary. The paper identifies that current government policy in England is likely to diminish access to appropriate accommodation in the future for Gypsies and Travellers, particularly for the most vulnerable. Finally, the paper concludes that a sedentarist binary definition of nomadism has failed to recognise Gypsy and Traveller communities’ culture or mobility. Originality/value This paper sets out how an underpinning “sedentarist binary” definition of nomadism is used in England to determine policies of provision for Gypsies and Travellers. That definition is based on the sedentary notions of nomadism that are binary, distinguishing only between people who are mobile and people who are not, rather than acknowledging the cultural nomadism of Gypsies and Travellers. The findings are useful beyond the UK context as they help to explain why Gypsies, Travellers and Roma in wider Europe remain excluded within states despite extensive European initiatives for inclusion.

scholarly journals How Inter-Basin Transfer of Water Alters Basin Water Stress Used for Water Footprint Characterization

Environments ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (9) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Shinjiro Yano ◽  
Toshio Okazumi ◽  
Yoshihisa Iwasaki ◽  
Masahiro Yamaguchi ◽  
Kenichi Nakamura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Characterization Factors ◽  
Major River ◽  
Basin Water ◽  
Global Estimates ◽  
Local Water ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact

Water footprint assessments contribute to a better understanding of potential environmental impacts related to water and have become essential in water management. The methodologies for characterizing such assessments, however, usually fail to reflect temporal and spatial variations at local scales. In this paper, we employ four widely-used characterization factors, which were originally developed with global estimates of water demand and availability, to evaluate the impact that inter-basin transfer (IBT) of water has on water risk assessments and, consequently, on the evaluation of the soundness of water cycle. The study was conducted for two major river basins in Japan, where diversion channels were built to move water from the Tone river basin to the Arakawa river basin. Considering IBT, the available water in the Arakawa river basin increases a 45%, reducing the characterization factors a 44% on average and denoting their tendency to overestimate the risk in this basin, while the Tone river basin increased the characterization factors a 28% on average by IBT. Moreover, with a simple example we show how ambiguity in the definition of some characterization factors may cause significant changes in the result of the assessments. Finally, we concluded that local water footprint characterization can be more helpful in local assessment of water resources if the results are unanimous, Targetable, Replicable, Ameliorable, Comparable, and Engageable (uTRACE).

scholarly journals Hydrochemical characterization of a river affected by acid mine drainage in the Iberian Pyrite Belt

2017 ◽  
Vol 75 (11) ◽  
pp. 2499-2507 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Grande ◽  
M. Santisteban ◽  
T. Valente ◽  
M. L. de la Torre ◽  
P. Gomes
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Water Reservoir ◽  
Global Solutions ◽  
Iberian Pyrite Belt ◽  
Pollution Level ◽  
Stream Flows ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Chemical Indicators

This paper addresses the modelling of the processes associated with acid mine drainage affecting the Trimpancho River basin, chosen for this purpose because of its location and paradigmatic hydrological, geological, mining and environmental contexts. By using physical-chemical indicators it is possible to define the contamination degree of the system from the perspective of an entire river basin, due to its reduced dimension. This allows an exhaustive monitoring of the study area, considering the particularity that the stream flows directly into a water dam used for human supply. With such a perspective, and in order to find global solutions, the present study seeks to develop methodologies and tools for expeditious and accurate diagnosis of the pollution level of the affected stream that feeds the water reservoir. The implemented methodology can be applied to other water systems affected by similar problems, while the results will contribute to the development of the state of the art in a representative basin of the Iberian Pyrite Belt, whose pollutants' contributions are incorporated into the reservoir.

scholarly journals Acid mine drainage in semi-arid regions: the extent of the problem in the waters of reservoirs in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (SW Spain)

2013 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Santisteban ◽  
J. A. Grande ◽  
M. L. de la Torre ◽  
T. Valente ◽  
J. C. Cerón
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Chemical Characterization ◽  
Iberian Pyrite Belt ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Sw Spain ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
General Functioning ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Semi Arid

There are many reservoirs in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), SW Spain, which receive contributions from watercourses affected by acid mine drainage processes, characterised by low pH values and high concentrations of heavy metals and sulphates. When they reach the reservoirs, the waters increase its pH, which will cause most of the metal load carried by the mining channel to precipitate into the reservoir itself and accumulate on its floor. The silting of reservoirs is an environmental problem which can affect the loss of storage capacity, their general functioning and aquatic ecosystems. A study of these is vital to allow both preventative and corrective measures to be established. Climatic conditions are the most significant external controlling factors in terms of the degree and type of mining pollution. The study area presents characteristics typical of the semi-arid Mediterranean climate, with annual precipitation of around 630 mm/year; moderate temperatures with average annual values of 17.1 °C and a temperature range of 50 °C. The aim of this study is to carry out a physical–chemical characterization of the waters where they enter the reservoirs located in the IPB over the course of a hydrological year and to establish possible interdependencies between the various parameters.

scholarly journals An Experimental Study for the Remediation of Industrial Waste Water Using Combination of Low Cost Mineral Raw Materials

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Petrounias ◽  
Aikaterini Rogkala ◽  
Panagiota P. Giannakopoulou ◽  
Basilios Tsikouras ◽  
Paraskevi Lampropoulou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Waste Water ◽  
Continuous Flow ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Industrial Waste Water ◽  
Mineral Raw Materials ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
The Impact

This paper investigates an alternative use of sterile aggregate materials which may arise from various construction applications in conjunction with other low-cost mineral raw materials to remediate the acid mine drainage phenomenon. This study is based on the combination of unprocessed mineral raw materials as well as on the basic concept of the cyclic economy where the conversion of a waste into a raw material for another application can be achieved. In this way, the value of mineral raw materials can be prolonged for as long as possible, waste generation and exploitation of natural resources are minimized and resources are kept as far as possible within the existing economy. In this study, an electrically continuous flow driven forced device proposed and demonstrated for the remediation of waste water in lab-scale by using certain mixes of mineral raw materials (serpentinite, andesite, magnesite, peat and biochar). Our results focus on the impact of the studied mineral raw materials and especially on their synergy on the water purification potential under continuous water flow operation. Using the proposed 7-day experimental electrically continuous flow driven forced device with the certain mixes of mineral raw materials, the increase of pH values from 3.00 to 6.82 as well as significant removal of Fe, Cu and Zn was achieved.

Arsenic speciation in the Riotinto Mining area (SW Spain) during a hydrological year

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Grande ◽  
M.L. de la Torre ◽  
J.C. Ceron ◽  
D. Sanchez-Rodas ◽  
R. Beltran
Keyword(s):  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Arsenic Speciation ◽  
Statistical Treatment ◽  
Arsenic Species ◽  
Mining Area ◽  
Iberian Pyrite Belt ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Tinto River ◽  
High Concentrations

An arsenic speciation study has been performed in the headwaters of the Tinto River, representing an environment heavily polluted in Acid Mine Drainage originated by the Iberian Pyrite Belt. The variables considered in this study were arsenic species, pH, redox potential, conductivity, temperature, rainfall and concentrations of metals such as Fe, Cu and Zn. The results obtained from the classical statistical treatment confirm the extreme acidity and high concentrations of metals, sulfates and arsenic species (mean values of 2.3 for pH, 1.10 mg L−1 for Cd, 325.4 mg L−1 for Cu, 1241.1 mg L−1 for Fe, 241.2 mg L−1 for Zn, 91.1 mg L−1 for Mn, 0.1 mg L−1 for As(III) and 0.3 mg L−1 for As(V), 5000 mg L−1 of sulfate). Additionally, the speciation of arsenic showed As(V) concentrations always twice or thrice higher than As(III). This distribution of arsenic species was followed along the whole hydrological year, on a daily basis. An increment of the mean concentrations and variability of the arsenic species concentration was also observed in relation to temperature increase during the Spring time.

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