Are “ramblas” the sewerage of metal pollution in mining areas with a semi-arid climate?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Pérez-Sirvent ◽  
Maria Jose Martínez Sánchez ◽  
Salvadora Martínez López ◽  
Lucia Belén Martínez Martínez ◽  
Carmen Hernández Pérez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Particulate Material ◽  
Potential Toxic Elements ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Mar Menor ◽  
Protection Area ◽  
High Flows ◽  
Soluble Material ◽  
Semi Arid

<p> “Rambla”are temporary watercourses, which are characteristic of mediterranean and semi-arid climates, with low rainfall and sporadic torrential rain. A few times a year, when the rainfall exceeds 80 mm in less than an hour, they are capable of evacuating high flows of water mixed with particulate material of different granulometries to the sea.</p><p>The Sierra Minera of Cartagena (Murcia, Spain) has two marine slopes, one of short distance and steep slope towards the Mediterranean Sea, and another of a greater extent that affects the Mar Menor, a specially protected saltwater lagoon.</p><p>The processes that can take place in the course of the ramblas that begin in the Sierra Minera, when water is present, are those of transport of particulate and soluble material, processes of dissolution, hydrolysis, redox, complexation, carbonation and precipitation among others. When the rainy season ends and the Surface water disappears, the sediments that have been left in the riverbed are subject to other secondary processes that lead to the formation of very particular mineralogical species, efflorescence of hydrated sulphates, carbonates and oxydroxides. This is due to the pore water which can remain for a long period of time in the sediments of the rambla bed. Depending on the degree of influence of the current mining sediments in the rambla, the water it transports can have an acid pH (3.5-5.5), being qualified as acid mine drainage.</p><p>The Rambla del Beal is one of the various watercourses that cross the Sierra and flow into the Mar Menor next to a wetland that is an Special Protection Area (SPA), which makes the study more interesting. Like other ramblas in the area, during different periods, it carried the waste from the mineral floatation plants to the sea, as if it were a natural pipe, so along its route there are abundant terraces formed by this waste. This is in addition to the materials dumped and the materials eroded from the ponds and dumps that are in its receiving basin.</p><p>A selective sampling has been carried out along the riverbed to its mouth, analysing the content of potential toxic elements (PTEs), granulometry, general characteristics and mineralogy.</p><p>The bioavailability and mobility of the different PTEs (As, Pb, Zn, Cd and Fe) and their relationship with the mineralogy have also been studied.</p><p>The results show that only in the central part of the rambla can sediments not affected by primary pollution be found (they are secondary pollution), and that the Rambla del Beal itself can be considered a focus or primary source of pollution by PTEs.</p><p> </p>

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.

Stable isotopes as a tool for determining transformation and fate of sulphur in AMD affected water bodies in Meghalaya

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivek Kumar ◽  
Dibyendu Paul ◽  
Sudhir Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Environmental Fate ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Aquatic Systems ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Hydrochemical Parameters ◽  
Dominant Form ◽  
Mining Areas

<p>Meghalaya, also known as ‘abode of clouds’, is a state located in north-eastern part of India, blessed with abundance of water resources. In the last few decades, extensive coal mining in different parts of Meghalaya has caused detrimental changes in the environment, particularly the aquatic systems. Acid and metal loaded effluents (also known as acid mine drainage or AMD), resulting from the exposure of sulphide mineralization to oxidizing conditions from abandoned or active mining areas, are the principal environmental problems today. Sulphate (SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2-</sup>) is a major contaminant and attracts widespread attention as the dominant form of sulphur in coal mining affected aquatic systems. The increased presence of SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2- </sup>in ecosystems affected by mining activities has immense negative environmental and human health effects. Low pH and high heavy metal concentrations have been reported from streams flowing in and around the coal mining area in Meghalaya rendering the water quality to be very poor  and unfit for use as potable water.</p><p>Stable isotopes have emerged as a promising environmental tracer to understand different environmental functions and processes. Valuable information on the sources and processes can be obtained from the stable isotope ratios of chemical elements in environmental samples as the sources and processes influence history of the samples. Stable isotopes analysis combined with hydrochemical analysis enhances our understanding of transformation and environmental fate of different compounds in water bodies and can provide precise information about factors responsible for controlling water chemistry of different water bodies.</p><p>Stable isotopes of sulphur and oxygen combined with hydrochemical parameters were used as a tool for determining origin, transformation and fate of sulphur in AMD affected water bodies in Meghalaya.The study was conducted on two rivers affected by AMD, viz. Myntdu River and Lunar-Lukha River, flowing in the Jaintia Hills region of Meghalaya. The water samples collected are analysed for hydrochemical parameters and stable sulphur and oxygen isotopes (δ<sup>34</sup>S and δ<sup>18</sup>O in aqueous SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2-</sup>). The stable isotopes of sulphur and oxygen were also analysed in the coal samples from the nearby mining areas. The result provided an insight into the transformational processes of sulphur in these two AMD affected rivers and the environmental fate of sulphur.</p>

scholarly journals Global Desert Areas Vs Local Mining Areas from Maramureș County (Romania)

2020 ◽  
pp. 45-52
Author(s):  
Bogdan-Vasile Cioruța ◽  
Mirela Coman
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Common Elements ◽  
Mining Pollution ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Desert Areas ◽  
Semi Arid

Almost a third of the Earth's surface is occupied by vast stretches of stone and sand, having a torrid climate or, on the contrary, extremely frigid. As such, the regions considered to fall into the category of deserts, which can be hot and arid, semi-arid, coastal, or cold, are of interest for the present study. In the same context, at the level of the Maramureș County surface, a major place is occupied by the areas that have served mining activities, and which, at first glance, have similarities with the specific landscapes of deserts. Starting from the aforementioned, through the present work, we intend to underline, in the form of a comparative study, the main common elements that exist between the naturally formed (globally) and anthropic (locally) deserts, for those the latter considering the areas of Maramures County, affected by the specific mining pollution.

scholarly journals Recovery of Agricultural Areas Affected by Traditional Gold Mining: Sustainable Food Supply Stability

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-184
Author(s):  
Golar Golar ◽  
Muhammad Basir-Cyio ◽  
Isrun Isrun ◽  
Rahmat Bakri ◽  
Muhammad Rusydi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Supply ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Mining Area ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Forest Park ◽  
Mining Areas

This study aims to analyze the recovery of the agricultural area’s function affected by the Poboya traditional gold mining in supporting the stability of sustainable food supply. We began the research by examining the existing mining land conditions through spatial analysis (land cover and land use changes from 2010 to 2019). Apart from that, it also analyzed the land’s health was through the soil’s physical and chemical properties, especially mercury. The observation proved that changes in the land’s cover and uses lead to decreased land quality and degradation. The existing condition showed heavy metals, particularly mercury, mostly polluted agricultural land in the mining area. The model design produced by this study may 1) emphasize land arrangement; 2) revegetation design with forestry, plantation, and food crops; 3) domesticated plant; and 4) environmental monitoring, concerning monitoring of soil quality, monitoring of erosion and sedimentation, water quality, acid mine drainage, successful revegetation, and others. These four aspects expect to help suppress the rate of land degradation in agriculture located in ex-mining areas and reduce forest destruction in the Grand Forest Park area.

FTIR Spectra Analysis of Sediment Influenced by Acid Mine Drainage

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Singovszka ◽  
Magdalena Balintova
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Slovak Republic ◽  
Sediment Quality ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Industrial Wastes ◽  
Spectra Analysis ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Acid Mine

The contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems with heavy metals and other mining chemicals have been major environmental problems in many mining areas of the world. Industrial wastes, geochemical structure and metals mining form a potential source of metal contaminants in the aquatic environment especially in sediment. In Slovak Republic there are some localities with existing acid mine drainage (AMD) generation conditions. The most critical values were observed in the abandoned deposit Smolnik. Waters from the earth surface penetrated the mine and they are enriched with metals and their pH values decreased. Increasing of pH after their mixing with surface water has negative influence on accumulation of pollutants in sediment. The aim of this paper is to investigate the use of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) transmittance spectroscopy for identification of changes of functions group in the sediment composition influenced by acid mine drainage. Chemical parameters of sediment quality were studied also by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF).

Microbiological monitoring of acid mine drainage treatment systems and aquatic surroundings using real-time PCR

2009 ◽  
Vol 59 (11) ◽  
pp. 2083-2091 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Han ◽  
C. G. Kim
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Real Time Pcr ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Treatment System ◽  
Microbiological Monitoring ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Acid Mine

In general, acid mine drainage (AMD) causes low pH and high metal concentrations in mining areas and surroundings. The aim of this research was to achieve microbiological monitoring for AMD and to assess whether mine water outflows have any ecological effects on the aqueous ecosystem receiving effluents from different types of treatment system. The water quality of aquatic sample was analyzed and the molecular biological diversity of the samples was assessed using 16S rRNA methods, which were implemented to determine which bacteria existed throughout various unit processes for different AMD treatment systems and their receiving water environments. Acidiphilium cryptum, a heterotrophic acidophile, was found at the AMD sites, and Rhodoferax ferrireducens, which can reduce iron using insoluble Fe(III) as an electron acceptor, was detected at many AMD treatment facilities and downstream of the treatment processes. Subsequently, quantitative real-time PCR was conducted on specific genes of selected bacteria. Surprisingly, obvious trends were observed in the relative abundance of the various bacteria that corresponded to the water quality analytical results. The copy number of Desulfosporosinus orientus, a sulfate reducing bacteria, was also observed to decrease in response to decreases in metals according to the downstream flow of the AMD treatment system.

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