Selenium distribution and mode of occurrence in the Kanawha Formation, southern West Virginia, U.S.A.

Vesper, Dorothy J.; Roy, M. D.; Rhoads, Christina J.

doi:10.1016/j.coal.2007.06.003

Cited by 58 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Because these weathering-derived ions are the dominant source of high conductivity in draining streams, our data suggest that current reclamation strategies will have limited success in reducing ionic stress for downstream organisms. Alternative explanations for this pattern may be that differences in the Sr, N, and Se content of parent rocks within the basin drive these spatial patterns (15,20) or that earlier surface coal mining approaches may not have accessed additional selenium-enriched coal strata occurring in deeper formations. We found little evidence, however, of differences in parent geology across the watershed that would support the former hypothesis.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We found little evidence, however, of differences in parent geology across the watershed that would support the former hypothesis. The study area is dominated by the middle Pennsylvanian Allegheny and upper Kanawha coal seams that generally contain the highest concentrations of Se in WV (15). Furthermore, leachate experiments conducted on spoil samples from three surface mines that targeted different formations within the ACR showed no systematic difference in water chemistry, which is predominantly controlled by SO 4 2− , HCO 3 − , Ca 2þ , Mg 2þ , K þ , and Na þ , much like the stream chemistry of the Upper Mud River (21).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The abundance of the elements Fe, Al, Mn, K, and Se may also be elevated in surface coal mine drainage (7,8,11). Of particular concern is the increase in surface water concentrations of the known fish toxin selenium (12)(13)(14) due to the Se-enriched coal formations in the regions where MTM is most prevalent and the enhanced solubility of Se in alkaline waters (15).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Cumulative impacts of mountaintop mining on an Appalachian watershed

Lindberg

Bernhardt

Bier

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

227

286

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Mountaintop mining is the dominant form of coal mining and the largest driver of land cover change in the central Appalachians. The waste rock from these surface mines is disposed of in the adjacent river valleys, leading to a burial of headwater streams and dramatic increases in salinity and trace metal concentrations immediately downstream. In this synoptic study we document the cumulative impact of more than 100 mining discharge outlets and approximately 28 km 2 of active and reclaimed surface coal mines on the Upper Mud River of West Virginia. We measured the concentrations of major and trace elements within the tributaries and the mainstem and found that upstream of the mines water quality was equivalent to state reference sites. However, as eight separate mining-impacted tributaries contributed their flow, conductivity and the concentrations of selenium, sulfate, magnesium, and other inorganic solutes increased at a rate directly proportional to the upstream areal extent of mining. We found strong linear correlations between the concentrations of these contaminants in the river and the proportion of the contributing watershed in surface mines. All tributaries draining mountaintop-mining-impacted catchments were characterized by high conductivity and increased sulfate concentration, while concentrations of some solutes such as Se, Sr, and N were lower in the two tributaries draining reclaimed mines. Our results demonstrate the cumulative impact of multiple mines within a single catchment and provide evidence that mines reclaimed nearly two decades ago continue to contribute significantly to water quality degradation within this watershed.environmental impact | alkaline mine drainage | total dissolved solids | water chemistry

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Cumulative impacts of mountaintop mining on an Appalachian watershed

Lindberg

Bernhardt

Bier

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

227

286

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“…In particular, Se content in coals was reported to be significantly higher than that in other geologic materials in the United States (Coleman et al, 1993;Vesper et al, 2008). As a result, Se was found to be present in elevated concentrations in acid mine drainage which can vary from 1 to 7,000 μg/L (Kapoor et al, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Continuation of Crosscutting Technology Development at Cast

Yoon¹

2012

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5Figure ES-2. Optimization of conditions for leaching Coal B with hydrochloric acid solutions (The selection of time/pH conditions in the dark green region should result in the removal of >30% of the sodium. Note also that a flag has been added to show the amount of sodium in the leach solution, 35% sodium removal, and the sodium content in the product ash). Coal DCoal D showed significantly greater sodium removal than Coal B for similar treatment conditions. The treatability of Coal B is demonstrated in Figures ES3 to ES5. . Coal D leach results for hydrochloric acid solutions (Greater than 75% of the sodium was removed using pH 3 acidic solutions at a 1-hour treatment time. The initial sodium, reported as sodium oxide in the ash, was 6.16 %. The removal of over one-half of the sodium can be achieved using conditions of pH 5, 0.5 hours). Recommended Future StudiesIt is recommended that future studies include, but not be limited to:• Investigation to determine if multiple leach solution contacts with new coal will allow recycle of the leach solution without detrimentally affecting the leachability of the coals and to produce a concentrated sodium bearing solution in order to limit the amount of leach solution that would have to be treated prior to water recycle or disposal.• Water cleanup will be required because of the relatively high sodium and chloride or sulfate content.• Evaluation of where and how the leachate could be introduced into the coal preparation treatment system. • Evaluation of the possible impact of pretreatment on the subsequent shipping and combustion processes.• The anticipated cost of the sodium cleansing treatment and subsequent water treatments. INTRODUCTION BackgroundThe US Department of Energy (DOE) Center for Advanced Separation Technologies (CAST), Great Northern Properties (GN), and the Montana Board Research and Commercialization Technology (MBRCT) are funding this project. The project is being administered and the research directed and conducted at CAMP. The intent of the project is to identify, and validate selected currently used (or previously studied) removal and sodium recovery treatment alternative(s) using laboratory bench-scale tests on four Montana coal samples. If the coals cannot be effectively treated by known techniques, alternative treatments will be developed. The evaluation of selected sodium removal technologies are presently underway and the following four stages are being and will be followed in future work: the successful removal of sodium from the coal so that the ash will content less than three percent, the rate at which the sodium ions are removed, characterization of the waste produced by sodium removal processing, and the overall economics of viable processes. Not part of the initial Project, but a necessary follow-up, will be the scale-up of the most appropriate sodium removal technology(s) in applications with companies using Clean Coal Technology to demonstrate sodium removal process or processes on a pilot scale. Objective and ApproachThe overall ob...

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“…Selenium is sometimes found as a trace inclusion in pyrite (Yudovich and Ketris, 2006), and MKSS-PA and KBF-WV had the lowest S contents of the five samples. Selenium has also been found to be mostly closely associated with coal and carbon rich shales in parts of the Kanawha formation in West Virginia (Vesper and Roy, 2006). Interestingly, sample KBF-WV, which was collected from the Kanawha formation, had negligible quantities of Se leached.…”

Section: Sample Bcs Calcite Saturation Indexmentioning

confidence: 99%

Standard Weathering Procedure for Coal Overburden, Inter-Laboratory Study of Leachate Composition

Perry¹,

Cuddeback²,

Brady³

et al. 2008

ASMR

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Abstract. Simulated weathering tests are used to estimate leachate quality from rocks containing varying concentrations of pyrite and carbonates at mines. Five rock samples of coal overburden materials were subjected to a standardized column leaching test at eight commercial, university and government laboratories. Splits from sized, homogenized bulk samples were loaded in duplicate columns, incubated under humid air containing 10% CO 2 , and leached every 7 days for a 14 week period. Leachates were analyzed for mine drainage parameters including acidity, alkalinity, metals, sulfate and selected trace elements.Relative percent difference (RPD) and relative standard deviation (RSD) statistics show the variation within individual labs and among the group of labs. Fe, Al, Se, Zn and Acidity exhibited the greatest variability in results across all rock samples and labs. RPD's usually exceeded 30% for these parameters. The variation in Fe and Acidity increased with weathering duration. Ca, Mg, Na, SO 4, and specific conductance were the most consistent parameters. Mass weighting the chemical concentrations to account for differences in sample mass and leachate volumes did not noticeably improve the RPD and RSD statistics. Cumulative quantities leached were, however, consistent among labs for most parameters.About 2 to 6 % of the total sulfur present in the rocks was leached during the test. One rock sample was near saturation for gypsum, and some sulfate may have been retained in the column. Acid neutralizing capacity was depleted at a faster rate than acid producing potential. Carbonate dissolution varied, with 3 of 5 rocks producing solutions that were saturated for calcite, while two rocks produced under-saturated solutions. Four of five rocks had less than 5 % of total Ca and Mg leached, with similar or smaller leaching fractions for other elements. More than 90% of the iron mobilized by pyrite weathering was retained in the column for all samples. One acid forming sample leached elements more aggressively than the rocks producing neutral leachates.The inter-lab results show that the standard column test can yield consistent estimates of mine water composition, and differentiate the behavior of various rock and mineral assemblages. __________________

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Selenium distribution and mode of occurrence in the Kanawha Formation, southern West Virginia, U.S.A.

Cited by 58 publications

References 24 publications

Cumulative impacts of mountaintop mining on an Appalachian watershed

Cumulative impacts of mountaintop mining on an Appalachian watershed

Continuation of Crosscutting Technology Development at Cast

Standard Weathering Procedure for Coal Overburden, Inter-Laboratory Study of Leachate Composition

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