Assessing Historical Mining and Smelting Effects on Heavy Metal Pollution of River Systems over Span of Two Decades

Strzebońska, Magdalena; Jarosz‐Krzemińska, Elżbieta; Adamiec, Ewa

doi:10.1007/s11270-017-3327-3

Cited by 39 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…A similar tendency in metal pollution for over the last two decades is also observed for the Przemsza River which receives waters from the Biała Przemsza (Strzeboska et al 2017). The average pollution levels of that river did not change significantly because the Przemsza is dominated by the influence of waters from the lead-zinc mine discharged via the Biała Przemsza River.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 66%

“…In such catchments, where subsequent closure of a mine resulted in a reduced fluvial sediment supply, the drop of the dominant metal content is followed by a decades-long period of the metal content much above a background level (Pirrie et al 1997). In the drainage area of large-scale mining, the changes observed in response to mining reduction and improvement in ore extraction and treatment technologies are less striking (van Geen et al 1997). Nevertheless, the drop in metal concentrations in response to mine closure initializes the aquatic system recovery.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The past and prognosis of mining cessation impact on river sediment pollution

Ciszewski

2018

J Soils Sediments

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Purpose Remediation of mine sites is often aimed at reduction of river pollution after cessation of mining activity. However, the effects of these works overlap natural attenuation processes and their efficiency cannot be recognized well without detailed studies of the fluvial environment. The aim of the study is to predict changes of channel sediment pollution in rivers affected by mine sites after their rehabilitation, planned after mining cessation. Materials and methods This study utilizes data on sediment pollution in three rivers polluted by lead-zinc mining, sampled over a time span of over 20 years in southern Poland. The former and the present pollution levels have been compared between the Biała Przemsza and Sztoła Rivers continuously influenced by mine waters and the Chechło River where mining has ceased. The observed changes in sediment pollution in the three catchments have been interpreted in terms of the impact of mining cessation on sediment pollution and the observed rate of the pollution changes in the past, reconstructed also from reservoir sediments. Results and discussion In the drainage basins of the Chechło River, a mine has been closed and the rapid drop in metal concentrations in channel, and reservoir sediments was observed within a few years. In the other two drainage basins where lead-zinc mines still operate, the metal concentrations remained at the same level. Based on the similar catchment and pollution characteristics, a drop in metal concentration in these two rivers is expected soon after ore exhaustion. Nonetheless, considering the large contamination of soils and overbank sediments in the three drainage basins due to a long mining history, the drop will be followed by a very long period when their concentrations are raised above a permissible level. Conclusions The study has shown that the natural fluvial attenuation processes can decrease heavy metal concentrations in channels cut in fine-grained alluvia within a few years after mine closure by one order of magnitude but the rate of the decrease depends on the frequency and magnitude of floods which will take place after mining cessation. Efforts made to mitigate pollution at mine sites may not be as efficient as fluvial processes to rapidly decrease channel sediment pollution below permissible levels.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 66%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The past and prognosis of mining cessation impact on river sediment pollution

Ciszewski

2018

J Soils Sediments

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“…The I geo of Cd and Hg were above class 6 and were higher than their background values. High concentrations of Hg, Cd, and Pb were found in soils, sediments, and waters in the vicinity of mining activities (Marrugo-Negrete et al 2017;Morton-Bermea et al 2014;Strzebońska et al 2017). Therefore, Cd, Hg, and Pb were possibly caused by anthropogenic inputs from upstream gold smelting industries in this study because small-scale gold mining often employs the immature amalgamation technique (Esdaile and Chalker 2018).…”

Section: Sources Identificationmentioning

confidence: 76%

Distribution and risk assessment of trace metals in riverine surface sediments in gold mining area

Song

Liu

Sheng

2019

Environ Monit Assess

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Recognizing the pollution characteristics and potential risks of trace metals in sediments are important to protect water ecosystem safety. In the present study, a systematic investigation was performed to assess the pollution and risk level of trace metals in river sediments located in the greatest gold production base in China. The geo-accumulation index was used to assess the contamination degree. The sediment quality guidelines and potential ecological risk index were employed to complete an ecological risk assessment. A noncarcinogenic health risk assessment was also carried out to evaluate potential adverse health risks. Correlations and principal component analyses were applied to check relationships among trace metals and ascertain potential pollution sources. The results suggested that the sediments in the river were most polluted by As, Cd, and Hg followed by Cu, Pb, and Zn. The assessment of potential human health risk revealed that there was no significant non-carcinogenic risk to the inhabitants. Gold mining and smelting activities and the long-term excessive application of fertilizers and agrochemicals were identified as the main anthropogenic releases. This study contributed an understanding that possible sources, contamination degree, and ecological risk level of trace metals in riverine surface sediments in a gold mining area.

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“…Observing anthropogenic impacts on aquatic ecosystems occurs not only in countries with an arid climate and water scarcity (Lapworth et al, ), but also in densely populated areas with industrial and agricultural development (Bhateria & Jain, ; Strzebońska, Krzemińska, & Adamiec, ). Assessing water quality and its suitability for various purposes is typically based on determining the concentrations of pollutants in a waterbody (Bhutiani, Kulkarni, Khanna, & Gautam, ; Mahato, Mahato, Karna, & Balmiki, ; Zhao, Ye, Yuan, Ding, & Wang, ), soils (Maleki, Amini, Nazmara, Zandi, & Mahvi, ) or in aquatic biota (Abalaka, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking pollution and its sources in the catchment‐lake system of major waterbodies in Kazakhstan

Krupa¹,

Barınova

Aubakirova

2020

Lakes & Reservoirs

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The objective of the present study was to identify the sources and routes of entry of heavy metals and nutrients into several large waterbodies in the arid zone of Kazakhstan, namely Lake Balkhash and Samarkan and Shardara reservoirs. A data visualization method was used for this purpose. Statistical mapping, based on referencing coordinates of the material selection points, was performed with the Statistics 12.0 program. Matching statistical maps with the waterbody contours was performed in Adobe Photoshop. Maps of the spatial distribution of heavy metals (cadmium, nickel, cobalt, lead, zinc and copper) and nutrients were constructed for all three study waterbodies. Data visualization clearly illustrated the relationship between the distribution of pollutants in the study waterbodies, as well as the sources of anthropogenic pollution. Based on the mapping exercise, it was established that Cu and Zn entered the waterbodies mainly in agricultural waste waters, while Cd, Ni, Co, Pb and partly Zn entered the waterbodies mainly in industrial and surface run‐off. Nutrients enter the waterbodies mainly in river and municipal waters. The constructed maps demonstrate the role of the constant flow in the distribution of pollutants in the waters of Lake Balkhash. The results also indicate that statistical mapping is an effective tool for identifying the sources and routes of pollutant entry into waterbodies. The imposition of statistical maps on the contours of waterbodies of concern provides a mapping method allowing for more visually compelling data and information for a wide circle of users and managers.

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Assessing Historical Mining and Smelting Effects on Heavy Metal Pollution of River Systems over Span of Two Decades

Cited by 39 publications

References 18 publications

The past and prognosis of mining cessation impact on river sediment pollution

The past and prognosis of mining cessation impact on river sediment pollution

Distribution and risk assessment of trace metals in riverine surface sediments in gold mining area

Tracking pollution and its sources in the catchment‐lake system of major waterbodies in Kazakhstan

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