scholarly journals Aboveground and Belowground Colonization of Vegetation on a 17-Year-Old Cover with Capillary Barrier Effect Built on a Boreal Mine Tailings Storage Facility

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Proteau ◽  
Marie Guittonny ◽  
Bruno Bussière ◽  
Abdelkabir Maqsoud
Keyword(s):  
Mine Tailings ◽  
Root Colonization ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Plant Colonization ◽  
Herbaceous Species ◽  
Barrier Effect ◽  
Capillary Barrier ◽  
Vegetation Parameters

Acid mine drainage is an important environmental risk linked to the surface storage of reactive mine tailings. To manage this problem, a cover with a capillary barrier effect (CCBE) can be used. This oxygen barrier cover relies on maintaining a fine-grained material layer (moisture-retaining layer, MRL) with a high degree of saturation. CCBEs can be colonized by surrounding plants. Plant roots pump water and could impact CCBE’s performance. This performance is predicted with unsaturated water flow numerical models in which vegetation parameters can be included. Vegetation parameters may be specific in a CCBE environment. Therefore, analyzing and quantifying the vegetation that colonizes this type of cover is necessary. Plant colonization was investigated through cover and density surveys on 12 transects on a 17-year-old CCBE in the mixed forest of Quebec, Canada. Then, aboveground vegetation and root colonization intensity at three depths in the MRL were characterized on 25 plots of five dominant vegetation types (Salix, Populus, Alnus, Picea sp., and herbaceous species). The mean root length density under plots dominated by Salix sp. was higher than in the other plots. Root colonization of the MRL was concentrated in the first 10 cm and occurred under all woody and herbaceous species as well. This work quantitatively describes, for the first time, the vegetation colonizing a CCBE both at the above- and belowground levels. These data will be useful to better predict the long-term performance of this engineered reclamation cover.

scholarly journals Oxygen migration through a cover with capillary barrier effects colonized by roots

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (12) ◽  
pp. 1903-1914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Proteau ◽  
Marie Guittonny ◽  
Bruno Bussière ◽  
Abdelkabir Maqsoud
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Root Colonization ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Root Length Density ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Capillary Barrier ◽  
Barrier Effects ◽  
Lower Oxygen ◽  
Oxygen Migration ◽  
Reactivity Coefficient

Covers with capillary barrier effects (CCBEs) are multi-layered oxygen barrier covers used in humid climates to reclaim reactive mine tailings and limit the generation of acid mine drainage. Once constructed, CCBEs are colonized by surrounding plants. Roots modify water storage and respire oxygen. The performance of CCBEs could evolve over time due to root colonization. Twenty-five plots with varying vegetation were investigated at a 17-year-old CCBE in the mixed forest of Quebec, Canada. Geotechnical parameters and root colonization of the moisture-retaining layer (MRL) of the CCBE were characterized. The performance of the MRL to control oxygen migration was assessed using oxygen consumption tests and numerical modeling. Despite root colonization at the surface of the MRL, oxygen fluxes generally complied with the CCBE’s design criteria. Root presence created oxygen consumption in the MRL, which could be expressed with a reactivity coefficient (Kr). A positive correlation (R2 = 0.65) was found between root length density and Kr. Oxygen consumption by root respiration helped to lower oxygen fluxes by 0.5 to 76 g/m2/year, with a mean of 13 g/m2/year. These results will help to better understand the influence of roots on CCBEs’ performance to control oxygen migration.

scholarly journals A Multidisciplinary Approach for the Assessment of Origin, Fate and Ecotoxicity of Metal(loid)s from Legacy Coal Mine Tailings

Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 164
Author(s):  
Honorine Gauthier-Manuel ◽  
Diane Radola ◽  
Flavien Choulet ◽  
Martine Buatier ◽  
Raphaël Vauthier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Mine Tailings ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Subcellular Fractionation ◽  
Mining Operations ◽  
Biological Responses ◽  
Receiving Waters ◽  
Coal Tailings ◽  
Produce Acid

Over the course of history, the development of human societies implied the exploitation of mineral resources which generated huge amounts of mining wastes leading to substantial environmental contamination by various metal(loid)s. This is especially the case of coal mine tailings which, subjected to weathering reactions, produce acid mine drainage (AMD), a recurring ecological issue related to current and past mining activities. In this study, we aimed to determine the origin, the fate and the ecotoxicity of metal(loid)s leached from a historical coal tailing heap to the Beuveroux river (Franche-Comté, France) using a combination of mineralogical, chemical and biological approaches. In the constitutive materials of the tailings, we identified galena, tetrahedrite and bournonite as metal-rich minerals and their weathering has led to massive contamination of the water and suspended particles of the river bordering the heap. The ecotoxicity of the AMD has been assessed using Chironomus riparius larvae encaged in the field during a one-month biomonitoring campaign. The larvae showed lethal and sub-lethal (growth and emergence inhibition and delay) impairments at the AMD tributary and near downstream stations. Metal bioaccumulation and subcellular fractionation in the larvae tissues revealed a strong bioavailability of, notably, As, Pb and Tl explaining the observed biological responses. Thus, more than 70 years after the end of mining operations, the coal tailings remain a chronic source of contamination and environmental risks in AMD effluent receiving waters.

A review of recent strategies for acid mine drainage prevention and mine tailings recycling

Chemosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 219 ◽  
pp. 588-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilhwan Park ◽  
Carlito Baltazar Tabelin ◽  
Sanghee Jeon ◽  
Xinlong Li ◽  
Kensuke Seno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Tailings ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Acid Mine

scholarly journals Monitoring infiltration and subsurface stormflow in layered slope deposits with 3D ERT and hydrometric measurements – the capillary barrier effect as crucial factor

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rico Hübner ◽  
Thomas Günther ◽  
Katja Heller ◽  
Ursula Noell ◽  
Arno Kleber
Keyword(s):  
Water Flow ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Basal Layer ◽  
Organic Layer ◽  
Barrier Effect ◽  
Capillary Barrier ◽  
Shallow Subsurface ◽  
Layered Slope ◽  
Slope Deposits ◽  
Flow Pathways

Abstract. Identifying principles of water movement in the shallow subsurface is crucial for adequate process-based hydrological models. Hillslopes are the essential interface for water movement in catchments. The shallow subsurface on slopes typically consist of different layers with varying characteristics. The aim of this study was to draw conclusion about the infiltration behaviour, to identify water flow pathways and derive general validity about the water movement on a hillslope with periglacial slope deposits (cover beds), where the layers differ in their sedimentological and hydrological properties. Especially the described varying influence of the basal layer (LB) as impeding layer on the one hand and as a remarkable pathway for rapid subsurface stormflow on the other. We used a time lapse 3D ERT approach combined with punctual hydrometric data to trace the spreading and the progression of an irrigation plume in layered slope deposits during two irrigation experiments. This multi-technical approach enables us to connect the high spatial resolution of the 3D ERT with the high temporal resolution of the hydrometric devices. Infiltration through the uppermost layer was dominated by preferential flow, whereas the water flow in the deeper layers was mainly matrix flow. Subsurface stormflow due to impeding characteristic of the underlying layer occurs in form of "organic layer interflow" and at the interface to the first basal layer (LB1). However, the main driving factor for subsurface stormflow is the formation of a capillary barrier at the interface to the second basal layer (LB2). The capillary barrier prevents water from entering the deeper layer under unsaturated conditions and diverts the seepage water according to the slope inclination. With higher saturation the capillary barrier breaks down and water reaches the highly conductive deeper layer. This highlights the importance of the capillary barrier effect for the prevention or activation of different flow pathways under variable hydrological conditions.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Arsenic Leaching Potential in Gold Mine Tailings Amended with Peat and Mine Drainage Treatment Sludge

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 735-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. V. Rakotonimaro ◽  
M. Guittonny ◽  
C. M. Neculita ◽  
F. Trépanier ◽  
G. Pépin
Keyword(s):  
Mine Tailings ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Gold Mine ◽  
Leaching Potential ◽  
Gold Mine Tailings ◽  
Arsenic Leaching

On the Physico-Chemical Basis for the Capillary Barrier Effect

1988 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 281-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Rasmuson ◽  
Jan-Christer Eriksson
Keyword(s):  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Hazardous Wastes ◽  
Barrier Effect ◽  
Capillary Barrier ◽  
Simple Estimate ◽  
Soil Layers ◽  
Chemical Basis ◽  
Water Influx ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
Coarse Soil

The capillary barrier concept, using fine and coarse soil layers to reduce water infiltration into piles of hazardous wastes, is investigated theoretically. A detailed account of the hydrological and physico-chemical basis for the phenomenon is given. It is established that the capillary barrier will, in practice, only function if the fine layer remains somewhat unsaturated, i.e. the upper menisci exist and no ponding over the fine layer occurs. Accordingly, water reaching the fine layer must be transported laterally within this layer. The pressure conditions are dependent on the length of the interface, the slope of the interface, the thickness of the fine layer, the type of soil in the fine layer, the water influx at the surface, and the total volume of water infiltrated during an infiltration event. A simple estimate shows that the capillary barrier concept is feasible only for small heaps with steep interfacial slopes.

scholarly journals Correlating Microbial Diversity Patterns with Geochemistry in an Extreme and Heterogeneous Environment of Mine Tailings

2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (12) ◽  
pp. 3677-3686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Liu ◽  
Zheng-Shuang Hua ◽  
Lin-Xing Chen ◽  
Jia-Liang Kuang ◽  
Sheng-Jin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Mine Tailings ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Hot Springs ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Geochemical Parameters

ABSTRACTRecent molecular surveys have advanced our understanding of the forces shaping the large-scale ecological distribution of microbes in Earth's extreme habitats, such as hot springs and acid mine drainage. However, few investigations have attempted dense spatial analyses of specific sites to resolve the local diversity of these extraordinary organisms and how communities are shaped by the harsh environmental conditions found there. We have applied a 16S rRNA gene-targeted 454 pyrosequencing approach to explore the phylogenetic differentiation among 90 microbial communities from a massive copper tailing impoundment generating acidic drainage and coupled these variations in community composition with geochemical parameters to reveal ecological interactions in this extreme environment. Our data showed that the overall microbial diversity estimates and relative abundances of most of the dominant lineages were significantly correlated with pH, with the simplest assemblages occurring under extremely acidic conditions and more diverse assemblages associated with neutral pHs. The consistent shifts in community composition along the pH gradient indicated that different taxa were involved in the different acidification stages of the mine tailings. Moreover, the effect of pH in shaping phylogenetic structure within specific lineages was also clearly evident, although the phylogenetic differentiations within theAlphaproteobacteria,Deltaproteobacteria, andFirmicuteswere attributed to variations in ferric and ferrous iron concentrations. Application of the microbial assemblage prediction model further supported pH as the major factor driving community structure and demonstrated that several of the major lineages are readily predictable. Together, these results suggest that pH is primarily responsible for structuring whole communities in the extreme and heterogeneous mine tailings, although the diverse microbial taxa may respond differently to various environmental conditions.

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