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PubMed2004

Alteration to lake trophic status as a means to control arsenic mobility in a mine-impacted lake.

The relationship between lake trophic status, sedimentary redox conditions and As mobility was examined in mine-impacted Balmer Lake, Canada. Under the current redox regime, the reductive dissolution of As-bearing Fe(III) oxyhydroxides occurs in close proximity to the sediment-water interface, resulting in the remobilization of dissolved As in the shallow porewaters to values as high as 8.5 mg L(-1). The shallow depth of the oxic zone limits the extent to which As can be re-sorbed in the interfacial horizons, and as a result, a proportion of the remobilized As escapes into the water column where it poses a water quality concern. Examination of the relationship between summer average chlorophyll a and total P at spring overturn in the lake water column demonstrates that Balmer Lake is currently eutrophic as a result of mining-derived inputs of P (domestic waters) and N (blasting residues and cyanide breakdown products). The results suggest that actively pushing the system towards oligotrophy by reducing non-natural P loadings to the system will decrease rates of in situ production and associated sediment oxygen demand, which will in turn result in increased thickness of the aerobic zone and enhanced As scavenging. Such conclusions are supported by porewater data which indicate that the flux of As to the water column is significantly reduced when the Fe(III) redox cline is situated at deeper sediment depths. In the absence of detailed P-loading data, it is recommended that P inputs be reduced to approximately 10% of the estimated pre-mining P loading of approximately 200 kg yr(-1). This implies reducing the collective P-loadings from the two mine sites adjacent to the lake from the approximate current value (approximately 150 kg yr(-1)) to approximately 20 kg yr(-1). It is proposed that establishment of oligotrophy in the lake should significantly mitigate the current level of dissolved As in lake waters.

Arsenic↗
PubMed2001

Temporal variation in the diversity and cover of sessile species in rocky intertidal communities affected by copper mine tailings in northern Chile.

Several coastal rocky shores in the northern Chile have been affected by the discharges of copper mine tailings. In spite of this, the temporal and spatial variation on the diversity and composition of their intertidal benthic communities has scarcely been studied. The objectives of the present study were to analyse and to compare quantitatively the temporal variation on the diversity, cover and composition of sessile species in rocky intertidal benthic communities of the northern Chilean coast, in relation to the presence of copper mine tailings. The results show that the drastic reduction on the sessile species diversity and the monopolization of the substrate exerted by the green algae Enteromorpha compressa, are common and permanent features of the intertidal rocky shores affected by copper mine tailings. Such spatial (between sites) and temporal (seasonal) variation of these changes has been associated with the relative concentrations of trace metals and inorganic particles of the mining wastes. Our results suggest that the mechanical effects of resuspended and settling tailings are a more likely cause.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Heavy metal concentrations in growth bands of corals: a record of mine tailings input through time (Marinduque Island, Philippines).

The impact of copper mining along the western coast of Marinduque Island was investigated. Historic input of mine tailings in the coastal region was traced through variations in heavy metal concentrations in Porites growth bands. Five samples were collected from three reefs showing different modes and extent of exposure to mine tailings. Baseline metal concentrations in Porites were established using a coral from a reef that is least exposed to contamination. The lowest mean values of Cu (0.7 microg/g), Mn (0.8 microg/g), and Zn (1.0 microg/g) were calculated from annual skeletal bands representing five years of growth. Conversely, a sample from a reef adjacent to an old tailings stockpile displayed consistently elevated metal values in its growth bands. Mean Cu, Mn, and Zn values for this coral are 3.1, 1.0 and 1.8 microg/g, respectively. Corals from the Ihatub reef showed a distinct metal concentration peak in their 1996 growth ring. These peaks coincide with a documented release of mine tailings in the Ihatub area during that year. Other metal peaks observed in coral samples correlate with years of high precipitation which may have resulted in increased sediment transport in the region. The metals are presumed to be mostly bound to the aragonite lattice of the coral skeleton, however, contribution from incorporated detrital materials to the observed metal signal (mainly of Fe) could not be easily discounted.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Sulphur isotopes as tracers of the influence of potash mining in groundwater salinisation in the Llobregat Basin (NE Spain).

Conventional chemical data for spring and river waters are presented together with sulphur isotopic data for dissolved sulphate to elucidate the source of water salinisation in the middle section of the Llobregat River. As dilution processes do not affect sulphur isotopic composition, the analysis of delta34S of dissolved sulphate in waters provides an excellent tool for quantifying the environmental impact caused by the mining activity existing in the area. The delta34S of dissolved sulphate from mining effluents and saline springs unrelated to mining activity was analysed. The results obtained range from + 18 per thousand to + 20 per thousand (VCDT) for mining effluents and from + 10 per thousand to + 14 per thousand (VCDT) for natural saline springs. These values are in accordance with the pattern of sulphur isotopic composition of sulphates from the evaporite materials of this area. This distinctive isotopic composition has allowed us to determine the origin of salinity in those cases in which chemical features are not conclusive. In addition, two fertilisers widely used in the studied area are chemically and isotopically characterised and their contribution to groundwater salinisation is assessed.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed2002

Contribution of Spanish-American silver mines (1570-1820) to the present high mercury concentrations in the global environment: a review.

In this review I evaluate the contribution of Spanish-American silver mines during the period 1570-1820 (a Spanish colonial period of 250 years) to the present high mercury concentrations in the global environment. The evaluation is based upon the following bibliographic information: (1) total amount of mercury consumed in Spanish-American silver mines between 1570 and 1820; (2) percentage of the total amount of mercury consumed in Spanish-American silver mines that may have been emitted to the atmosphere; (3) global natural input of mercury to the atmosphere; (4) worldwide anthropogenic emissions of mercury to the atmosphere; (5) residence time of mercury in the atmosphere; and (6) capacity of mercury to be deposited in the sediments of aquatic systems. From all this information, and owing to the relatively long time that has passed since Spanish-American silver mines were operational, I conclude that most of the mercury lost during the refining of silver via the patio amalgamation process is now sequestered into the sediments of aquatic systems, mainly in marine sediments. The high mercury concentrations now being reported in the global environment essentially are a consequence of the huge pollution caused by human activities during the past 20th century.

Environmental Pollutants↗
PubMed2000

Characterization and speciation of mercury-bearing mine wastes using X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

Mining of mercury deposits located in the California Coast Range has resulted in the release of mercury to the local environment and water supplies. The solubility, transport, and potential bioavailability of mercury are controlled by its chemical speciation, which can be directly determined for samples with total mercury concentrations greater than 100 mg kg(-1) (ppm) using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). This technique has the additional benefits of being non-destructive to the sample, element-specific, relatively sensitive at low concentrations, and requiring minimal sample preparation. In this study, Hg L(III)-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra were collected for several mercury mine tailings (calcines) in the California Coast Range. Total mercury concentrations of samples analyzed ranged from 230 to 1060 ppm. Speciation data (mercury phases present and relative abundances) were obtained by comparing the spectra from heterogeneous, roasted (calcined) mine tailings samples with a spectral database of mercury minerals and sorbed mercury complexes. Speciation analyses were also conducted on known mixtures of pure mercury minerals in order to assess the quantitative accuracy of the technique. While some calcine samples were found to consist exclusively of mercuric sulfide, others contain additional, more soluble mercury phases, indicating a greater potential for the release of mercury into solution. Also, a correlation was observed between samples from hot-spring mercury deposits, in which chloride levels are elevated, and the presence of mercury-chloride species as detected by the speciation analysis. The speciation results demonstrate the ability of XAS to identify multiple mercury phases in a heterogeneous sample, with a quantitative accuracy of +/-25% for the mercury-containing phases considered. Use of this technique, in conjunction with standard microanalytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis, is beneficial in the prioritization and remediation of mercury-contaminated mine sites.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2003

Emissions and environmental implications of mercury from artisanal gold mining in North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

In artisanal gold mining practiced in North Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, gold is separated from ore by the use of mercury, which forms an amalgam with gold. All related processes are undertaken with a low level of technical knowledge and skills, no regulation, and with disregard for the safety of human and environment health. The situation is generating serious potential health and environmental risks in the area. As part of an ongoing monitoring program, total mercury concentrations were examined in water, bottom sediment and fish samples from three main rivers in Talawaan Watershed, which receives drainage from gold mining practices. Monitoring began in May-June 2000, almost 2 years after artisanal gold mining had begun. At that time, the mercury concentration in the sediment was generally low, except in places close to the gold processing plants. In the present study, a more systematic sampling and analysis was conducted in May-June 2001. Bottom surface sediments, water, and fish samples were collected at 12 sites along the three main rivers in the watershed. In addition, one site outside the watershed was sampled to serve as a control. Sample collections were conducted in three phases in duplicate, with two-week intervals between each phase. The mercury concentration observed in this study indicated that an increase took place along the three main rivers in the watershed. Solutions to this problem must be formulated as soon as possible in order to avoid a major health, economic, and ecological disaster arising from the continuing discharge of Hg. The present study proposes that mercury dispersion occur downstream of the mining.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Multiphase transfer processes in waste rock piles producing acid mine drainage 1: Conceptual model and system characterization.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) results from the oxidation of sulfides, mainly pyrite, present in mine wastes, either mill tailings or waste rock. This is the first of two papers describing the coupled physical processes taking place in waste rock piles undergoing AMD production. Since the oxidation of pyrite involves the consumption of oxygen and the production of heat, the oxidation process initiates coupled processes of gas transfer by diffusion and convection as well as heat transfer. These processes influence the supply of oxygen that is required to sustain the oxidation process. This first paper describes a general conceptual model of the interaction of these coupled transfer processes. This general conceptual model is illustrated by the physicochemical conditions observed at two large sites where extensive characterization programs revealed widely different properties. The South Dump of the Doyon mine in Canada is permeable and has a high pyrite oxidation rate leading to high temperatures (over 65 degrees C), thus making temperature-driven air convection the main oxygen supply mechanism. The Nordhalde of the Ronnenberg mining district in Germany contains lower permeability material which is less reactive, thus leading to a more balanced contribution of gaseous diffusion and convection as oxygen supply mechanisms. The field characterization and monitoring data at these sites were thoroughly analyzed to yield two coherent sets of representative physical properties. These properties are used in the second paper as a basis for applications of numerical simulation in AMD-producing waste rock piles.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed2001

Multiphase transfer processes in waste rock piles producing acid mine drainage 2. Applications of numerical simulation.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) results from the oxidation of sulfides, mainly pyrite, present in mine wastes, either mill tailings or waste rock. This is the second of two papers describing the coupled physical processes taking place in waste rock piles undergoing AMD production. Since the oxidation of pyrite involves the consumption of oxygen and the production of heat, the oxidation process initiates coupled processes of gas transfer by diffusion and convection as well as heat transfer. These processes influence the supply of oxygen that is required to sustain the oxidation process. This second paper describes a numerical simulator used to represent the interaction of these coupled transfer processes. Numerical simulations are applied to two large sites with extensive characterization programs and widely different properties and behavior that were described in the first paper. The South Dump of the Doyon mine in Canada is permeable and has a high pyrite oxidation rate, thus making temperature-driven air convection the main oxygen supply mechanism. The Nordhalde of the Ronnenberg mining district in Germany contains lower permeability material which is less reactive, thus leading to a more balanced contribution of gaseous diffusion and convection as oxygen supply mechanisms. Overall, simulations allow a coherent representation of the conditions monitored within the waste rock piles and the confirmation of their physical properties. Conceptual simulations are also carried out to illustrate the potential effect of border membranes and layered co-mingling as mitigation methods used to control AMD production in either active or future waste rock piles.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed2002

High contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream waters of a Cu-Pb-Zn mining area.

Stream waters draining an old mining area present very high rare earth element (REE) contents, reaching 928 microg/l as the maximum total value (sigmaREE). The middle rare earth elements (MREEs) are usually enriched with respect to both the light (LREEs) and heavy (HREEs) elements of this group, producing a characteristic "roof-shaped" pattern of the shale Post-Archean Australian Shales-normalized concentrations. At the Fenice Capanne Mine (FCM), the most important base metal mine of the study area, the REE source coincides with the mine tailings, mostly the oldest ones composed of iron-rich materials. The geochemical history of the REEs released into Noni stream from wastes in the FCM area is strictly determined by the pH, which controls the REE speciation and in-stream processes. The formation of Al-rich and mainly Fe-rich flocs effectively scavenges the REEs, which are readily and drastically removed from the solution when the pH approaches neutrality. Leaching experiments performed on flocs and waste materials demonstrate that Fe-oxides/oxyhydroxides play a key role in the release of lanthanide elements into stream waters. The origin of the "roof-shaped" REE distribution pattern as well as the peculiar geochemical behavior of some lanthanide elements in the aqueous system are discussed.

Aluminum↗
PubMed2002

Investigation of influence of tungsten mine wastes on the elemental composition of some alpine and subalpine plants on Mount Uludağ, Bursa, Turkey.

In this study, the effect of mine work wastes on elemental composition (N, P, Ca, K, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) of some alpine and subalpine plant species and in soils were investigated in the surroundings of the Etibank Wolfram Mine Work in Uludag mountain. Soils and plant parts belonging to Thymus praecox Opiz., Acinos alpinus (L.) Moench, Plantago holosteum Scop and Festuca punctoria Sm species collected from three directions around Wolfram Mine Work were used for our investigations. All samples were analysed by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (FAAS) for Ca, K, Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Cu. The significant differences among sample sites were in terms of pH, % CaCO3, % C, % N and % P contents of soil. The changes of Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Cu contents in soil were determined to be due to mining activity. Of the four species examined, an important change was determined in concentrations of Mg, Mn, Fe and Zn although P. holosteum and F. punctoria were different in above- and below-ground parts, showing that plant element content is specific to species.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed2003

Perceptions of health hazards in the narratives of Italian migrant workers at an Australian asbestos mine (1943-1966).

This article reconstructs how workers perceived asbestos hazards, using narratives from a group of migrant workers at the crocidolite mine of Wittenoom Gorge, Western Australia. The mine employed about 7000 workers over the entire period of its operation from 1943 to 1966-relying heavily on migrant workers. The exposure to asbestos dust caused a huge number of occupational respiratory diseases in workers, leading Wittenoom later to be labelled as a modern industrial disaster. Fieldwork involved 137 interviews with Italians who had worked at Wittenoom. They constituted 18% of the mine's work-force and were employed as miners or millers between 1951 and 1966. We interviewed workers who had returned to Italy, relatives of Italian workers now deceased, and workers who had settled in Australia. The results confirm the seriousness of the occupational exposure to asbestos and the weaknesses of the health surveillance program. Although workers were given no health-related information, they felt they were at risk and left the job as soon as possible. From the early 1950s onward, some of the workers became aware of a long-term connection between work at Wittenoom and lung illnesses that required hospitalisation and caused deaths. However, up to the early 1960s, workers at the mine were led to believe that the respiratory disease spreading among them was tuberculosis.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Cover design for radioactive and AMD-producing mine waste in the Ronneburg area, eastern Thuringia.

At the former uranium mining site of Ronneburg, large scale underground and open pit mining for nearly 40 years resulted in a production of about 113,000 tonnes of uranium and about 200 million cubic metres of mine waste. In their present state, these materials cause risks to human health and strong environmental impacts and therefore demand remedial action. The remediation options available are relocation of mine spoil into the open pit and on site remediation by landscaping/contouring, placement of a cover and revegetation. A suitable vegetated cover system combined with a surface water drainage system provides long-term stability against erosion and reduces acid generation thereby meeting the main remediation objectives which are long-term reduction of radiological exposure and contaminant emissions and recultivation. The design of the cover system includes the evaluation of geotechnical, radiological, hydrological, geochemical and ecological criteria and models. The optimized overall model for the cover system has to comply with general conditions as, e.g. economic efficiency, public acceptance and sustainability. Most critical elements for the long-term performance of the cover system designed for the Beerwalde dump are the barrier system and its long-term integrity and a largely self-sustainable vegetation.

Environmental Monitoring↗
PubMed2001

Biogeochemical and ecological considerations in designing wetland treatment systems in post-mining landscapes.

Although wetlands have gained acceptance as important components of ecosystems in post-mining landscapes in the past decade, their roles in contaminant retention/removal have not been well integrated into the designing of restoration programs. This paper describes the integration of sediment microbial activities and natural precipitation processes, along with approaches to defining the contaminant load from the mine wastes. The contaminant removal rates, which can be expected by a wetland sediment, are summarized and how they need to be reflected in the wetland size required, and the carbon supply which is needed. Contaminant loading from mining wastes can be balanced by wetland ecological processes, including wetland primary production and microbial mineralization in the sediment. This ecological engineering approach is demonstrated using case studies on hard-rock mining waste in Canada.

Canada↗
PubMed2001

Relocation of net-acid-generating waste to improve post-mining water chemistry.

Acidic drainage and metal leaching are long-term environmental liabilities that can persist for many decades to millennia. One technique to improve the water chemistry and ecology of post-mining landscapes is to relocate and submerge net-acid-generating mine materials in a lake or water-retaining impoundment. One example of a carefully executed relocation of waste rock took place at the Eskay Creek Mine in Canada. Pre-relocation studies included an empirical relationship that related (1) the amount of acidity retained by the waste rock during past oxidation to (2) the amount of lime needed in each truckload for neutralization of the acidity and for suppression of metal release. During relocation, thousands of rinse pH measurements indicated net acidity varied significantly over short distances within the waste rock and that acidic rock could not be reliably segregated from near-netural rock. After relocation, water from the watershed continued to be acidic for a few years, then returned to near-neutral pH and near-background concentrations of metals. The chemistry of the lake where the waste rock was submerged remains near background conditions. Therefore, with careful planning and implementation, the relocation and submergence of net-acid-generating materials can greatly improve post-mining water chemistry.

British Columbia↗
PubMed2001

Recovery of fish communities in the Finniss River, northern Australia, following remediation of the Rum Jungle uranium/copper mine site.

The Finniss River in the wet-dry tropics of northern Australia has received acid rock drainage (ARD) contaminants from the Rum Jungle uranium/copper mine site over more than four decades. Annual-cycle loads of Cu, Zn, Mn, and sulfate, calculated from daily water and flow measurements, have been determined both prior to and following mine-site remediation, that began in the early 1980s. The effects of varying contaminant loads on the relative abundances of seven fish species, sampled by enmeshing nets during dry seasons, were determined by nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS), in combination with cluster-analysis and other nonparametric statistical techniques. These analyses showed that (i) prior to remediation, the impacted region of the Finniss River in 1974 had significantly dissimilar (P < 0.001) and more heterogeneous fish communities, generally characterized by reduced diversity and abundance, compared to sites unexposed to elevated contaminant water concentrations and (ii) postremediation, recovery in fish communities from the impacted region was indicated because they were not significantly dissimilar from those sampled at contemporary (P = 0.16) unimpacted sites, that were also similar to preremedial unimpacted sites. Even though considerable contaminant loads are still being delivered to the impacted region of the Finniss River over the annual cycle, the recovery in fish diversity and abundances is consistent with (a) reductions of in situ contaminant water concentrations at the time of fish sampling, (b) reductions in annual-cycle contaminant loads of sulfate, Cu, Zn, and Mn by factors of 3-7, (c) greatly reduced frequencies of occurrence and magnitude of elevated contaminant water concentrations over the annual cycle, that was most pronounced for Cu, and (d) the absence of extensive fish-kills during the first-flushes of contaminants into the Finniss river proper at the beginning of the wet season, that were observed prior to remediation. As such, the results indicate that there has been ecological benefit to the Finniss River attributable to remedial works undertaken at the Rum Jungle mine site. Recovery in abundances of these fishes may also be due to their time-dependent evolution of tolerance to mine-waste contaminants over their long period of exposure.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

History and environmental impact of mining activity in Celtic Aeduan territory recorded in a peat bog (Morvan, France).

The present study aims to document historical mining and smelting activities by means of geochemical and pollen analyses performed in a peat bog core collected around the Bibracte oppidum (Morvan, France), the largest settlement of the great Aeduan Celtic tribe (ca. 180 B.C. to 25 A.D.). The anthropogenic Pb profile indicates local mining operations starting from the Late Bronze Age, ca. cal. 1300 B.C. Lead inputs peaked at the height of Aeduan civilization and then decreased after the Roman conquest of Gaul, when the site was abandoned. Other phases of mining are recognized from the 11th century to modern times. They have all led to modifications in plant cover, probably related in part to forest clearances necessary to supply energy for mining and smelting. Zn, Sb, Cd, and Cu distributions may result from diffusional and biological processes or from the influence of groundwater and underlying mineral soil, precluding their interpretation for historical reconstruction. The abundance of mineral resources, in addition to the strategic location, might explain why early settlers founded the city of Bibracte at that particular place. About 20% of the anthropogenic lead record was accumulated before our era and about 50% before the 18th century, which constitutes a troublesome heritage. Any attempts to develop control strategies in accumulating environments should take into account past human activities in order to not overestimate the impact of contemporary pollution.

Archaeology↗
PubMed2005

Synergic effect of gold mining and damming on mercury contamination in fish.

Since the late 1980s, several studies have shown that human populations in the Amazon basin are exposed to high mercury levels in their fish diet. Gold mining, which releases the metal during the amalgamation process and erodes soils naturally rich in mercury, is regarded as the main contamination source. Here, we present the results of a comparative study of mercury distribution in the water and fish of two adjacent rivers in French Guiana, with and without gold mining activities. As a consequence of a marked difference in suspended particulate matter between the two systems, total mercury concentrations in unfiltered water samples were higher in the mined river (25.4-34.9 ng L(-1)) as compared to the reference one (2.1-5.4 ng L(-1)). Surprisingly, no significant differences were observed in mercury concentrations between 13 common fish species at upstream sites. In sharp contrast, mercury concentration of fish caught downstream a hydroelectric reservoir, where the two rivers flow, was up to 8-fold higher than that upstream. Mercury speciation measurements allowed one to relate these differences in fish to the water distribution of monomethylmercury, the mercury chemical species that biomagnifies along aquatic foodwebs. Indeed, mean dissolved monomethylmercury concentrations were low and similar in both rivers (0.03-0.06 ng L(-1)), while they were 10 times higher (up to 0.56 ng L(-1)) in the water outflowing the hydroelectric dam. Dissolved monomethylmercury determinations along a water column profile suggest that methylation of inorganic mercury occurs in the deep anoxic part in reservoir. We conclude that mercury mobilization related to gold mining is not solely sufficient to account for high concentrations in fish and that environmental conditions that favor mercury methylation, such as anoxia, are needed.

Animals↗