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Hydrological drainage/river basins constitute highly heterogeneous systems of coupled natural and anthropogenic water and pollutant flows across political, national and international boundaries. These flows need to be appropriately understood, quantified and communicated to stakeholders, in order to appropriately guide environmental water system ma...
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... to these activities ought to be the development and constant updating of water balances for tailings dams. Development of a water balance for a given tailings dam ( Figure 5) involves quantification and comparison of all inflows and outflows of water. ...
Context 2
... Hydraulic structures, which cause the flow to behave in such a manner that there is a predictable relationship between water level (stage) and flow rate (discharge). The scale of the suitable structure varies with the magnitude of the flow to be gauged, and can thus range from large weirs in main river channels to large flumes, V-notch weirs (Figure 15) or small H-flumes. Regular maintenance of such structures is needed to counteract ochre clogging. ...
Context 3
... are various parameters that can and should be measured in the field, most notably pH, temperature, and alkalinity. Where the information is needed, it is Figure 15. Example of a V-notch weir measuring the overflow from the Blaydon Hazard Shaft, an abandoned coal mine near Newcastle upon Tyne, UK also advisable to measure redox potential (also known as Eh or ORP) in the field. ...
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... Also known as "tailing dams", TSFs are complex geotechnical structures (Fig.1) and deep knowledge of tailings response under unsaturated conditions represents an essential tool to understand the effects of the atmospheric interaction with TSF stability ([1]- [6]). Fig. 1: a) Cross section of a typical tailing dam; b) Unsaturated conditions and pore water pressure profile (modified from [1] and [5]). ...
This paper deals with laboratory investigation of the compressibility of a silty soil, representative of tailing wastes under unsaturated conditions. The experimental activity consisted of a series of conventional oedometer tests to analyse the stress-strain response at variable degrees of saturation, and a series of water retention tests to determine the water retention curves to be later used for the theoretical interpretation, which was conducted according to the Barcelona Basic Model (BBM). The dependency of the soil compressibility, 1d-Normal Compression Line (1d-NCL), pre-consolidation stress and recompression index on the matric suction is preliminarily analysed. Both the compression and recompression indexes of Stava tailings were observed to decrease with suction. The experimental evidence also showed an increase of the pre-consolidation stress with suction, and the results find a good agreement with literature data obtained on silty soils. .
... These heavy metals can potentially harm the environment and human health because they continue to cause damage long after mining ceases. Consequently, the impact of mining on the aquatic environment has become a growing concern in recent decades (Younger & Wolkersdorfer, 2004) and the pollution of rivers by heavy metals has been a major research topic (Iordache et al., 2022). ...
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... La norma técnica estatal ambiental NTEA-002-SMA-DS-2009 (Gaceta del Gobierno del Estado de La restauración ambiental, de acuerdo con Younger et al. (2004) y la Dirección Nacional de Vialidad (2014), es un proceso que puede desarrollarse de manera casi simultánea al proceso de extracción del material (canteras o minas de pétreos) y la recuperación se verá influenciada por la resiliencia natural del ecosistema para regresar a condiciones similares a las que ostentaba antes de la perturbación. ...
La investigación se enfoca en proponer un procedimiento para la rehabilitación de minas de materiales pétreos abandonadas. El procedimiento es aplicable a diferentes contextos geográficos donde se desee restaurar bajo una perspectiva ecológica. En este trabajo se realiza la aplicación del procedimiento a las minas de San Pablo Autopan, Estado de México. Se inicia con la investigación documental, que permitió el análisis de la información y la colecta de datos cartográficos que contenía información geológico-ambiental y ecológica del sitio. Además, se valoran indicadores físicos, sociales y normativos (normatividad ambiental vigente para cada país). Se propuso un uso recreativo para el sitio afectado, donde se pueden realizar actividades de esparcimiento como el senderismo y actividades deportivas. La aplicación de la propuesta en minas abandonadas de la comunidad de San Pablo Autopan podría reducir la disposición inadecuada de residuos sólidos urbanos y los subsecuentes impactos negativos al medio ambiente.
... Coal is the main source of energy in China, and thus, it is important in economic and social development in China Suo et al. 2021). With rapid economic development, coal resources have been overexploited, which affects the ecological environment and causes degradation of vegetation and soil (Younger et al. 2004). Mining dust can affect plant growth, and plant health around mines is related to the dust generated by mining and the distance to a mine (Kayet et al. 2019a(Kayet et al. , 2019b. ...
The objectives of this study were to explore the changes in soil stoichiometry and enzyme activities at different distances from an opencast coal mine in the Hulun Buir Grassland of China. Four transects were established on north and east sides of the opencast coal mining area, and samples were collected at 50 m, 550 m, and 1550 m from the pit on each transect. Control samples were collected from a grassland station 8 km from the opencast coal mining area that was not disturbed by mining. Four replicate soil samples were collected at each point on the four transects. Soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities were determined, and correlations between soil properties and stoichiometric ratios and enzyme activities were explored using redundancy analysis. The increase in distance from mining did not significantly affect soil properties, although soil urease activity was significantly lower than that of the control area. Soil properties 1550 m from the mine pit were similar to those at the grassland control. In addition, soil total nitrogen had the greatest effect on soil stoichiometry, and soil total potassium had the greatest effect on soil enzyme activities. Coal dust from opencast mining might be the main factor affecting soil stoichiometry and enzyme activities. The results of this study provide direction for the next step in studying the influence of mining areas on soil properties and processes.
... Metal effluents generated during mining activities are sources of water pollution that can arise while the mine is active but, without remedial action, this pollution source can persist long after the mining operation ceases (Younger et al., 2004;Byrne et al., 2012;Kossoff et al., 2014). When mines are abandoned, mining effluents are discharged uncontrollably into the surrounding aquatic ecosystems. ...
... When mines are abandoned, mining effluents are discharged uncontrollably into the surrounding aquatic ecosystems. These unsupervised discharges from abandoned mines are an important source of pollution in several river catchments around Europe (Younger et al., 2004;Skousen et al., 2019). ...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166445X24000146?via%3Dihub#sec0001
... With escalating industrialization and mining activities, the efficient management and disposal of tailings have become paramount, leading to the evolution of various construction methodologies for tailings dams. Tailings are a mixture of coarse-grained and fine-grained particles of ore, including crushed rock, processed water, extraction process additives, and a small amount of valuable minerals (Vick 1990;Younger and Wolkersdorfer 2004;Ozcan et al. 2013;Kossoff et al. 2014;Adiansyah et al. 2015). Tailings dams pose a significant risk of mechanical instability, and their failure can result in catastrophic releases of tailings, causing severe environmental and socio-economic consequences (Okusa and Anma 1980;Chandler and Tosatti 1995;Blight et al. 2000;Rico et al. 2008;Wei et al. 2013;Palmer 2019). ...
The escalating scarcity of disposal areas for tailings and the prevalence of abandoned conventional tailings dams necessitate innovative construction methods, leading to the emergence of hybrid tailings dams. These dams amalgamate two conventional methodologies, enabling the revitalization and reutilization of abandoned dams by enhancing the dam height. This study aims to rigorously assess the stability and responses of hybrid tailings dams, focusing on their behaviour under static and seismic conditions, through Finite Element Method (FEM) analyses. The seismic responses of six distinct hybrid tailings dams were meticulously analysed employing the equivalent linear method. Three varying earthquake motions were considered. The analyses uncovered that the upper segment of the hybrid construction profoundly impacts the response and stability of the entire dam. Nevertheless, overlaying any other hybrid method, be it downstream or centerline, over the upstream method was found to be satisfactory under low to medium seismic conditions. One noteworthy finding was the possibility of raising existing abandoned upstream method of tailings dams with critical stability issues. It is found that it is safe to use hybrid methods of construction such as downstream and centerline over exiting upstream methods of tailings construction without compromising its stability. In conclusion, our study underscores the pragmatic and sustainable potential of hybrid methods, excluding the upstream method in upper constructions, as a viable solution to address the scarcity of disposal areas. This approach not only offers a practical means to revitalize existing tailings dams but also contributes to the advancement of hybrid tailings dam construction practices.
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Vjosa is the main river of South Albania. Currently, the confined Quaternary gravelly aquifer in its lower course supplies drinking water for roughly 300,000 local residents. In the past years, extracted groundwater quantity has increased, whereas the groundwater quality has been affected by seawater intrusion. This paper aims to assess the groundwater quality and to discuss the dominant hydrochemical processes in the aquifer. To fulfil this goal, the study discusses the groundwater quality’s spatial and temporal variations on the basis of the hydrochemical parameters and ratios for 2010–2021 period, during which data are collected from three monitoring wells, located 6, 14 and 17 km, from the sea. While for 1961–2009 period, hydro-chemical water types and TDS maps are prepared using roughly 100 chemical analyses. The hydro-chemical parameters are discussed related to the factors controlling the groundwater’s chemical constituents and the groundwater extraction. Heavy metals and nitrates’ contents indicate that the aquifer is not affected by anthropogenic pollution. The main conclusion is that the groundwater quality is affected by seawater intrusion due to overexploitation. The study reveals its gaps, mentions its possible usefulness, and underlines the discrepancy between the policy makers and the hydrogeologists approaches concerning groundwater extraction.
... While these forms of iron are not completely precipitated as Fe(OH) 3 , they can still bind to o1ther substances in the water such as clay or sand, resulting in the formation of ochre (Casiot et al., 2009). When this ochre builds up in a body of water, it can cover fish gills and prevent them from obtaining oxygen from the water (Younger and Wolkersdorfer, 2004). Another toxic metal in AMD is Cu which can bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms and exert toxic effects on growth, reproduction and overall health (Czédli et al., 2014). ...
Acid mine drainage (AMD) is widely acknowledged as a substantial threat to the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems. The present study aimed to study the toxicological effects of Cu-rich AMD from the Sulitjelma mine in zebrafish larvae. The AMD from this mine was found to contain elevated levels of dissolved metals including Mg (46.7 mg/L), Al (20.2 mg/L), Cu (18.3 mg/L), Fe (19.8 mg/L) and Zn (10.6 mg/L). To investigate the toxicological effects, the study commenced by exposing zebrafish embryos to various concentrations of AMD (ranging from 0.75% to 9%) to determine the median lethal concentration (LC 50). Results showed that 96 h LC 50 for zebrafish larvae following AMD exposure was 2.86% (95% CI: 2.32-3.52%). Based on acute toxicity results, zebrafish embryos (<2 hpf) were exposed to 0.1% AMD (Cu: 21.7 µg/L) and 0.45% AMD (Cu: 85.7 µg/L) for 96 h to assess development, swimming behaviour, heart rate, respiration and transcriptional responses at 116 hpf. Light microscopy results showed that both 0.1% and 0.45% AMD reduced the body length, eye size and swim bladder area of zebrafish larvae and caused phenotypic abnormalities. Swimming behaviour results showed that 0.45% AMD significantly decreased the locomotion of zebrafish larvae. Heart rate was not affected by AMD exposure. Furthermore, exposure caused a significant increase in oxygen consumption indicating vascular stress in developing larvae. Taken altogether, the study shows that even heavily diluted AMD with environmentally relevant levels of Cu caused toxicity in zebrafish larvae.
... Moreover, the extraction and modification of riverbeds disrupt natural flow patterns, influencing water availability, groundwater recharge, and flood vulnerability, thereby potentially leading to socio-economic consequences. Additionally, there are concerns that extensive land clearance, substantial excavation, and soil disturbance linked to intensified mining exacerbate erosion in gradient zones and diminish soil fertility (ERMITE-Consortium et al., 2004). Essentially, the profound impact of intensive mining on traditional livelihoods like fishing and agriculture is coupled with the apprehension of waterborne diseases and health complications arising from surface water pollution within riverine communities, particularly for those dependent on the river as their main water supply (Kitula, 2006). ...
Osun River, a UNESCO heritage site is
currently under threat to unregulated mining activity
along its course. Through remote sensing techniques,
this study aimed to evaluate mining severity (number
and size of mine pits) which was acquired and used
to quantify landscape changes and degradation in
water quality (turbidity) along the river. Studies were
carried out using data for years 2020–2022 covering
2-km and 5-km bufer areas of the river’s watershed.
High-resolution Google Earth imagery and Landsat
8 imagery (OLI) were used for land-use land-cover
assessment and computation of the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) respectively. The mining severity assessment for 2022 revealed a total of
32 mining pits within the 5-km bufer zone, where
21 mining pits (65.63%) of the total mining activities
occurred within the 2-km bufer zone. The severity
assessment in terms of both the number of mines and
the land area covered revealed an extensive physical mining activity, with severe impacts on surface water
quality. The predominantly irregular shapes of the
mine pits, indicated by the mean perimeter-to-area
ratio (X̅=0.22), linear regression (y = 0.1351x +
0.6102), and coefcient of determination (R2
=0.88),
portend challenges for post-mining reclamation,
including erosion control and terrain stabilization.
The declining trend in the upper limit NDWI values
over the 3 years, 2020, 2021, and 2022 (0.053, 0.017,
and −0.084476 respectively), indicates a signifcant
reduction in water quality, plausibly associated with
the heightened mining activity within the 2-km bufer
areas of the river. The escalating habitat degradation
and imminent efects on drinking water quality and
biodiversity health underscore the pressing implications of unchecked mining, eroding the ecological
and cultural signifcance of the Osun-Oshogbo Sacred
Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Urgent governmental action is crucial to enforce mining regulations, curbing these threats, and preserving the site’s
ecological and cultural importance.
... O processo de espuma utiliza os oculantes para tornar os cátions metálicos direcionados hidrofóbicos, para que possam ser separados do material a granel. Esse processo tem um requisito para partículas finas do tamanho de lodo (Younger & Wolkersdorfer, 2004). O método de espuma tem um requisito ideal de tamanho de grão de 300 a 50lm (Smolders et al., 2003). ...
... Barragens de rejeitos são comumente construídas a partir de materiais locais prontamente disponíveis, em vez de concreto usado, por exemplo, em barragens de retenção de água. Embora o dique inicial seja comumente feito de solo localmente derivado (Álvarez-Valero et al., 2009), as rochas residuais e o rejeito são frequentemente utilizados na construção (Younger & Wolkersdorfer, 2004). ...
A principal fonte de poluição ambiental são as atividades humanas que atingem o meio ambiente, esses poluentes se acumulam, alterando não só a característica do ar, da água e do solo, mas também causando danos à saúde humana e causando toxicidade aos organismos aquáticos. Dentre as atividades que causam poluição ambiental, destaca-se a mineração, que altera a qualidade do ecossistema e produz abundante quantidade de rejeitos que geralmente ficam na barragem. Quando essas barragens rompem, geram grandes problemas. Em novembro do dia 05 de 2015, na região de Mariana, em Minas Gerais, a mineradora brasileira sofreu seu pior acidente. A barragem da Samarco Mineradora rompeu e vazou cerca de 43 milhões de metros cúbicos de resíduos de mineração (argila e areia) ricos em ferro, alumínio, manganês e outros metais. A destruição da Barragem do Fundão causou desastre social, ambiental, cultural e econômico incomensuráveis em Mariana, no distrito de Bento Rodrigues e em outros 41 municípios, deixando um encalço de destruição ao longo do Rio Doce até chegar ao oceano. Várias pessoas encontrar-se desabrigadas, sem contar as que perderam a vida na tragédia, 19 pessoas. Os impactos dos ecossistêmicos causados são inestimáveis e inconvertíveis. Tendo em vista as perguntas da população afetada, objetivo desta pesquisa extrair as lições do desastre para mostra a importância continuação dos estudos acadêmicos para contribuição e melhoria da sociedade afetada pelo desastre. Esta pesquisa trata de uma revisão de bibliografia. A revisão bibliográfica sistemática é um método científico para busca a análise de artigos de uma determinada área da ciência.
