scholarly journals Biogeochemical Controls on the Potential for Long-Term Contaminant Leaching from Soils Developing on Historic Coal Mine Spoil

Soil Systems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
David Singer ◽  
Elizabeth Herndon ◽  
Laura Zemanek ◽  
Kortney Cole ◽  
Tyler Sanda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Microbial Community Composition ◽  
Toxic Metal ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Mineral Weathering ◽  
Mine Spoil ◽  
Secondary Phases ◽  
Undisturbed Soil

Coal mine spoil is widespread in US coal mining regions, and the potential long-term leaching of toxic metal(loid)s is a significant and underappreciated issue. This study aimed to determine the flux of contaminants from historic mine coal spoil at a field site located in Appalachian Ohio (USA) and link pore water composition and solid-phase composition to the weathering reaction stages within the soils. The overall mineralogical and microbial community composition indicates that despite very different soil formation pathways, soils developing on historic coal mine spoil and an undisturbed soil are currently dominated by similar mineral weathering reactions. Both soils contained pyrite coated with clays and secondary oxide minerals. However, mine spoil soil contained abundant residual coal, with abundant Fe- and Mn- (oxy)hydroxides. These secondary phases likely control and mitigate trace metal (Cu, Ni, and Zn) transport from the soils. While Mn was highly mobile in Mn-enriched soils, Fe and Al mobility may be more controlled by dissolved organic carbon dynamics than mineral abundance. There is also likely an underappreciated risk of Mn transport from coal mine spoil, and that mine spoil soils could become a major source of metals if local biogeochemical conditions change.

scholarly journals Iron and Manganese Biogeochemistry in Forested Coal Mine Spoil

Soil Systems ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Herndon ◽  
Brianne Yarger ◽  
Hannah Frederick ◽  
David Singer
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Reaction Front ◽  
Mineral Weathering ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Abandoned Mine ◽  
Mine Spoil ◽  
Mining Operations ◽  
Rooting Zone ◽  
Shallow Soils

Abandoned mine lands continue to serve as non-point sources of acid and metal contamination to water bodies long after mining operations have ended. Although soils formed from abandoned mine spoil can support forest vegetation, as observed throughout the Appalachian coal basin, the effects of vegetation on metal cycling in these regions remain poorly characterized. Iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) biogeochemistry were examined at a former coal mine where deciduous trees grow on mine spoil deposited nearly a century ago. Forest vegetation growing on mine spoil effectively removed dissolved Mn from pore water; however, mineral weathering at a reaction front below the rooting zone resulted in high quantities of leached Mn. Iron was taken up in relatively low quantities by vegetation but was more readily mobilized by dissolved organic carbon produced in the surface soil. Dissolved Fe was low below the reaction front, suggesting that iron oxyhydroxide precipitation retains Fe within the system. These results indicate that mine spoil continues to produce Mn contamination, but vegetation can accumulate Mn and mitigate its leaching from shallow soils, potentially also decreasing Mn leaching from deeper soils by reducing infiltration. Vegetation had less impact on Fe mobility, which was retained as Fe oxides following oxidative weathering.

Long-term tracing of Rhizophagus irregularis isolate BEG140 inoculated on Phalaris arundinacea in a coal mine spoil bank, using mitochondrial large subunit rDNA markers

Mycorrhiza ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzana Sýkorová ◽  
Boris Börstler ◽  
Soňa Zvolenská ◽  
Judith Fehrer ◽  
Milan Gryndler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Large Subunit ◽  
Phalaris Arundinacea ◽  
Rhizophagus Irregularis ◽  
Mine Spoil ◽  
Spoil Bank ◽  
Large Subunit Rdna

Modelling the Effects of Acid Deposition: Estimation of Long-Term Water Quality Responses in Forested Catchments in Finland

1988 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Lepistö ◽  
P. G. Whitehead ◽  
C. Neal ◽  
B. J. Cosby
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Base Cations ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Mineral Weathering ◽  
Co2 Solubility ◽  
Forested Catchments ◽  
Deposition Rates ◽  
Magic Model

A modelling study has been undertaken to investigate long-term changes in surface water quality in two contrasting forested catchments; Yli-Knuutila, with high concentrations of base cations and sulphate, in southern Finland; and organically rich, acid Liuhapuro in eastern Finland. The MAGIC model is based on the assumption that certain chemical processes (anion retention, cation exchange, primary mineral weathering, aluminium dissolution and CO2 solubility) in catchment soils are likely keys to the responses of surface water quality to acidic deposition. The model was applied for the first time to an organically rich catchment with high quantities of humic substances. The historical reconstruction of water quality at Yli-Knuutila indicates that the catchment surface waters have lost about 90 μeq l−1 of alkalinity in 140 years, which is about 60% of their preacidification alkalinity. The model reproduces the declining pH levels of recent decades as indicated by paleoecological analysis. Stream acidity trends are investigated assuming two scenarios for future deposition. Assuming deposition rates are maintained in the future at 1984 levels, the model indicates that stream pH is likely to continue to decline below presently measured levels. A 50% reduction in deposition rates would likely result in an increase in pH and alkalinity of the stream, although not to estimated preacidification levels. Because of the high load of organic acids to the Liuhapuro stream it has been acid before atmospheric pollution; a decline of 0.2 pH-units was estimated with increasing leaching of base cations from the soil despite the partial pH buffering of the system by organic compounds.

Soil and ecological division into districts of the Baikal region

2018 ◽  
Vol 940 (10) ◽  
pp. 54-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.A. Belozertseva ◽  
A.A. Sorokovoj
Keyword(s):  
Baikal Region ◽  
Soil Cover ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Soil Cover Structure ◽  
Reflecting Surface ◽  
Heat And Moisture ◽  
Made In

On the basis of long-term researches of soils in the territory of Russia and Mongolia soil and ecological division into districts of the Baikal region is carried out. At division into districts the whole set of an environment of soil formation was considered. On the map of soil and ecological division into districts 13 mountain, mid-mountain, low-mountain taiga, foothill, hollow-valley, forest-steppe and steppe provinces reflecting surface device originality as the ratio of balance of heat and moisture forming a basis to zoning is shown against the background of difficult orography are allocated. In total 42 districts on lithologic-geomorphological features are allocated. In formation of distinctions of a soil cover of these provinces the leading role is played by bioclimatic factors and inside them the lithologic-geomorphological ones. In the view of structural approach of the district they are considered as territories with a certain natural change of several types of the soil cover structure caused by features of a relief and the parent rock. The map is made in the MapInfo program. It is revealed that on ill-defined width zoning of soils the vertical one which has a greater influence on soils of this region is imposed. Soils of the Baikal region are not similar to the soils located at the same latitude of the flat European territory of Russia. Zone soils of this territory are specific and original.

scholarly journals Using Fission-Track Radiography Coupled with Scanning Electron Microscopy for Efficient Identification of Solid-Phase Uranium Mineralogy at a Former Uranium Pilot Mill (Grand Junction, Colorado)

Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 294
Author(s):  
Raymond H. Johnson ◽  
Susan M. Hall ◽  
Aaron D. Tigar
Keyword(s):  
Fission Track ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Nuclear Research ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Nuclear Research Reactor ◽  
Elemental Data ◽  
Individual Grains ◽  
Scanning Electron ◽  
Section Sample

At a former uranium pilot mill in Grand Junction, Colorado, mine tailings and some subpile sediments were excavated to various depths to meet surface radiological standards, but residual solid-phase uranium below these excavation depths still occurs at concentrations above background. The combination of fission-track radiography and scanning electron microscope energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) provides a uniquely efficient and quantitative way of determining mineralogic associations of uranium that can influence uranium mobility. After the creation of sample thin sections, a mica sheet is placed on those thin sections and irradiated in a nuclear research reactor. Decay of the irradiated uranium creates fission tracks that can be viewed with a microscope. The fission-track radiography images indicate thin section sample areas with elevated uranium that are focus areas for SEM-EDS work. EDS spectra provide quantitative elemental data that indicate the mineralogy of individual grains or grain coatings associated with the fission-track identification of elevated uranium. For the site in this study, the results indicated that uranium occurred (1) with coatings of aluminum–silicon (Al/Si) gel and gypsum, (2) dispersed in the unsaturated zone associated with evaporite-type salts, and (3) sorbed onto organic carbon. The Al/Si gel likely formed when low-pH waters were precipitated during calcite buffering, which in turn retained or precipitated trace amounts of Fe, As, U, V, Ca, and S. Understanding these mechanisms can help guide future laboratory and field-scale efforts in determining long-term uranium release rates to groundwater.

Colloidal metal transport in soils developing on historic coal mine spoil

2021 ◽  
pp. 104933
Author(s):  
Md Abu Raihan Chowdhury ◽  
David M. Singer ◽  
Elizabeth Herndon
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Metal Transport ◽  
Mine Spoil ◽  
Colloidal Metal
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