Exposure of insects and insectivorous birds to metals and other elements from abandoned mine tailings in three Summit County drainages, Colorado

Concentrations of 31 metals, metalloids, and other elements were measured in insects and insectivorous bird tissues from three drainages with different geochemistry and mining histories in Summit Co., Colorado, in 2003, 2004, and 2005. In insect samples, all 25 elements that were analyzed in all years increased in both Snake and Deer Creeks in the mining impacted areas compared to areas above and below the mining impacted areas. This distribution of elements was predicted from known or expected sediment contamination resulting from abandoned mine tailings in those drainages. Element concentrations in avian liver tissues were in concordance with levels in insects, that is with concentrations higher in mid-drainage areas where mine tailings were present compared to both upstream and downstream locations; these differences were not always statistically different, however. The lack of statistically significant differences in liver tissues, except for a few elements, was due to relatively small sample sizes and because many of these elements are essential and therefore well regulated by the bird's homeostatic processes. Most elements were at background concentrations in avian liver tissue except for Pb which was elevated at mid-drainage sites to levels where delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity was inhibited at other mining sites in Colorado. Lead exposure, however, was not at toxic levels. Fecal samples were not a good indication of what elements birds ingested and were potentially exposed to.     

Spatial distribution and sources of trace elements in sediments affected by old mining activities

The distribution of trace elements throughout mining areas is an important issue because abandoned tailings could be a major source of environmental pollution. In order to analyze the spatial variation of trace elements in a zone where mining activities took place and to identify pollution sources in the study area, a three-step study was carried out at a regional, at a local, and a detailed scale. In addition, a conceptual model of trace elements dispersion was established and confirmed by a geographic information system. The results obtained allowed to establish points affected by primary, secondary, and tertiary contamination, according to their proximity to contamination sources and as a function of attenuation processes which could take place in the studied area.     

Risks associated with the mining of Pb–Zn minerals in some parts of the Southern Benue trough,Nigeria

The environmental effects of the mining of lead–zinc mineralization in Enyigba area, Southern Benue trough were examined. The samples used for this study were obtained from abandoned mine sites, mine tailings, streams, hand-dug wells, mine pond and borehole. Collected samples were subjected to X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction analyses, atomic absorption spectrometry and permeability tests. These were done using standard laboratory equipment and procedures. The concentrations of heavy metals present in analysed water samples fall below the world health organizations’ (WHO) acceptable limits. Conversely, the soil, mine tailings and stream sediments indicate appreciable pollution level by some potential toxic metals (PTMs). Consequently, the habitual use of these soils for construction purpose by inhabitants has possible health hazards. The shaly lithology underlying the area is increasingly affected by weathering and lateritization, thus improving its permeability and the easiness with which PTMs can be conducted to the water table by leachate. Regular monitoring assessment is recommended to ensure adherence of miners operating in the area to existing environmental laws.     

Characteristics of Iron Ore Tailing Slime in India and Its Test for Required Pond Size

The physical and chemical nature of the tailingslime depends on milling operations and water contentin the effluent. The characteristics of the tailingsdictate the type of disposal facility required.Characteristics of the tailings, transportation frombeneficiation plants and disposal system are described.Studies on tailing slime have been carried out at ironore mines in Orissa and the results are discussed. Thetailings contain toxic elements and find their wayinto the water environment. Sedimentation test was carriedout on tailings and the area required for tailing pondwas found to be 3155 m² in comparison to10 000 m² obtained from the use of an empiricalequation. Provision of tailing pond for the disposalof tailings is a conservation of resources in additionto pollution control, and sedimentation test is essentialfor required pond size calculation.     

Artificial soils from alluvial tin mining wastes in Malaysia--a study of soil chemistry following experimental treatments and the impact of mycorrhizal treatment on growth and foliar chemistry

For decades Malaysia was the world's largest producer of Sn, but now the vast open cast mining operations have left a legacy of some 100,000 ha of what is effectively wasteland, covered with a mosaic of tailings and lagoons. Few plants naturally recolonise these areas. The demand for such land for both urban expansion and agricultural use has presented an urgent need for better characterisation. This study reports on the formation of artificial soils from alluvial Sn mining waste with a focus on the effects of experimental treatments on soil chemistry. Soil organic matter, clay, and pH were manipulated in a controlled environment. Adding both clay tailings and peat enhanced the cation exchange capacity of sand tailings but also reduced the pH. The addition of peat reduced the extractable levels of some elements but increased the availability of Ca and Mg, thus proving beneficial. The use of clay tailings increased the levels of macro and micronutrients but also released Al, As, La, Pb and U. Additionally, the effects of soil mix and mycorrhizal treatments on growth and foliar chemistry were studied. Two plant species were selected: Panicum milicaeum and Pueraria phaseoloides. Different growth patterns were observed with respect to the additions of peat and clay. The results for mycorrhizal treatment (live inoculum or sterile carrier medium) are more complex, but both resulted in improved growth. The use of mycorrhizal fungi could greatly enhance rehabilitation efforts on sand tailings.     

Groundwater contamination evolution in the Guadiamar and Agrio aquifers after the Aznalcóllar spill: assessment and environmental implications

In 1998, the Agrio and Guadiamar rivers underwent an enormous environmental disaster caused by the rupture of the Aznalcóllar tailings dam and the release of 6 hm³ of pyrite sludge and acidic water. Both rivers run over recent alluvial materials which form a small-sized aquifer which is however important because underground water feeds the flow of the rivers. This work analyzes the state of groundwater 10 years after the spill. Before the dam failure, this aquifer was already contaminated in the zone nearest to the mine, to which the impact of the spill was added. Contamination levels in the alluvial aquifer of the Agrio River have decreased remarkably. However, they are still important, with acidic pH values and high concentrations of toxic elements (maximum values of 16 mg/L of Zn and 15 mg/L of Al). There are also important levels of contamination in the Guadiamar alluvial area closest to the mine, as well as in specific zones located further south. The concentration of toxic elements is mainly controlled by pH. The evolution of contaminant levels show a sharp decrease after the first years following the spill, followed by a subsequent stabilization. It is necessary to take measures for the recovery of the aquifer because, otherwise, groundwater will continue contributing contaminants into the Agrio and Guadiamar rivers.     

Tracking acid mine-drainage in Southeast Arizona using GIS and sediment delivery models

This study investigates the application of models traditionally used to estimate erosion and sediment deposition to assess the potential risk of water quality impairment resulting from metal-bearing materials related to mining and mineralization. An integrated watershed analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based tools was undertaken to examine erosion and sediment transport characteristics within the watersheds. Estimates of stream deposits of sediment from mine tailings were related to the chemistry of surface water to assess the effectiveness of the methodology to assess the risk of acid mine-drainage being dispersed downstream of abandoned tailings and waste rock piles. A watershed analysis was preformed in the Patagonia Mountains in southeastern Arizona which has seen substantial mining and where recent water quality samples have reported acidic surface waters. This research demonstrates an improvement of the ability to predict streams that are likely to have severely degraded water quality as a result of past mining activities.     

Soil criteria to protect terrestrial wildlife and open-range livestock from metal toxicity at mining sites

Thousands of hard rock mines exist in the western USA and in other parts of the world as a result of historic and current gold, silver, lead, and mercury mining. Many of these sites in the USA are on public lands. Typical mine waste associated with these sites are tailings and waste rock dumps that may be used by wildlife and open-range livestock. This report provides wildlife screening criteria levels for metals in soil and mine waste to evaluate risk and to determine the need for site-specific risk assessment, remediation, or a change in management practices. The screening levels are calculated from toxicity reference values based on maximum tolerable levels of metals in feed, on soil and plant ingestion rates, and on soil to plant uptake factors for a variety of receptors. The metals chosen for this report are common toxic metals found at mining sites: arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc. The resulting soil screening values are well above those developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The difference in values was mainly a result of using toxicity reference values that were more specific to the receptors addressed rather than the most sensitive receptor.     

Bioremediation of metal contamination

A study was initiated to evaluate the use of the fungus Aspergillus niger for bioleaching and then todetermine the effect of process steps, the tailingsconcentration and type of substrate. An oxidized miningtailing containing mainly copper (7240 mg kg^-1 tailings) was studied. A sucrose and mineral salts medium was initially used to produce citric and gluconic acids by A. niger atvarious concentrations of tailings (1, 5, 7, 10 and 15% w/v).Maximal removal of up to 60% of the copper was obtained forthe 5% tailings when the organic acid supernatant was addedto the tailings. In a single step process, A. niger wasthen grown in the presence of mining tailings at variousconcentrations. Maximum copper solubilization (63%) occurredwith 10% mining tailings using sucrose as the substrate.Other substrates were then evaluated including molasses, corncobs and brewery waste (10% mining tailings). Sucrose gavethe best results for copper removal, followed by molasses,corn cobs and brewery waste. Other experiments usingultrasound as a pretreatment showed that 80% removal of thecopper could be obtained for a 5% tailings concentration. Inconclusion, leaching of copper from mining tailings istechnically feasible using A. niger but furtherresearch will be required to increase the economic feasibilityof the process.     

Geochemical behavior of heavy metals in a Zn–Pb–Cu mining area in the State of Mexico (central Mexico)

The geochemical behavior of zinc, lead and copper from sulfidic tailings in a mine site with potential to generate acidic drainage (pyrite (55%) and sphalerite (2%)) is reported in this paper. The mining area is divided in two zones, considering the topographic location of sampling points with respect to the tailings pile: (a) outer zone, out of the probable influence of acid mine drainage (AMD) pollution, and (b) inner zone, probably influenced by AMD pollution. Maximum total ions concentrations (mg/L) measured in superficial waters found were, in the outer zone: As (0.2), Cd (0.9), Fe (19), Mn (39), Pb (5.02), SO4(2-) (4650), Zn (107.67), and in the inner zone are As (0.1), Cd (0.2), Fe (88), Mn (13), Pb (6), SO4(2-) (4,880), Zn (46). The presence of these ions that exceeding the permissible maximum limits for human consume, could be associated to tailings mineralogy and acid leachates generated in tailings pile.     

Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and dibenzothiophenes in wetland sediments and aquatic insects in the oil sands area of Northeastern Alberta, Canada

An immense volume of tailings and tailings water is accumulating in tailings ponds located on mine leases in the oil sands area of Alberta, Canada. Oil sands mining companies have proposed to use tailings- and tailings water-amended lakes and wetlands as part of their mine remediation plans. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are substances of concern in oil sands tailings and tailings water. In this study, we determined concentrations of PAHs in sediments, insect larvae and adult insects collected in or adjacent to three groups of wetlands: experimental wetlands to which tailings or tailings water had been purposely added, oil sands wetlands that were located on the mine leases but which had not been experimentally manipulated and reference wetlands located near the mine leases. Alkylated PAHs dominated the PAH profile in all types of samples in the three categories of wetlands. Median and maximum PAH concentrations, especially alkylated PAH concentrations, tended to be higher in sediments and insect larvae in experimental wetlands than in the other types of wetlands. Such was not the case for adult insects, which contained higher than expected levels of PAHs in the three types of ponds. Overlap in PAH concentrations in larvae among pond types suggests that any increase in PAH levels resulting from the addition of tailings and tailings water to wetlands would be modest. Biota-sediment accumulation factors were higher for alkylated PAHs than for their parent counterparts and were lower in experimental wetlands than in oil sands and reference wetlands. Research is needed to examine factors that affect the bioavailability of PAHs in oil sands tailings- or tailings water-amended wetlands.     

Determination of toxic inorganic elements pollution in ground waters of Kahuta Industrial Triangle Islamabad, Pakistan using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The present study deals with the ground water quality assessment in Kahuta Industrial Triangle Islamabad, Pakistan. The objective of the study was to assess ground water quality against the drinking water standards for various toxic inorganic elements. Representative groundwater samples were collected and analyzed in the Water Quality Laboratory of Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) at Islamabad, Pakistan. The samples were run on ICP-MS (Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry), which has the capability to separate and quantify 70 elements at a time. One of the finding of study is that ICP-MS is a very good tool to analyze broad range of toxic inorganic elements to the level of parts per billion (ppb). World Health Organization drinking water standards shows that these toxic inorganic elements such as heavy metals even at this concentration level (ppb) are injurious to human health. This analysis indicated pollution of various toxic elements including Selenium. Vertical leachate through industrial waste septic tanks is identified as major cause of groundwater pollution in the Industrial Triangle. Monitoring of the septic tanks and groundwater quality in study area is suggested along with remedial measures.     

Migration of As, Hg, Pb, and Zn in arroyo sediments from a semiarid coastal system influenced by the abandoned gold mining district at El Triunfo, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Extensive waste deposits (tailings) and ash from the ignition oven of the abandoned gold mine of mining district El Triunfo (MD-ET) in Baja California Sur, Mexico have released trace elements into the sediments of the Hondo-Las Gallinas-El Carrizal arroyo, which connects to the Pacific Ocean through an evaporitic basin. Migration of these elements through the arroyo is mainly caused by winds or tropical hurricanes that occur sporadically during the summer and cause the otherwise dry arroyo to overflow. To evaluate the concentration and distribution of the elements As, Hg, Pb, and Zn along the 48 km arroyo, surface sediments were collected from 26 sites, ranging from close to the MD-ET to the mouth of the arroyo at the Pacific Ocean. Concentrations in tailings and ash were for As 8890 and 505?000 mg kg(-1); for Hg 0.336 and 54.9 mg kg(-1); for Pb 92,700 and 19,300 mg kg(-1); and for Zn 49,600 and 1380 mg kg(-1). The average of the Normalized Enrichment Factor (Av-NEF) in surface sediments, calculated using background levels, indicates that the sediments are severely contaminated with As and Zn (Av-NEF = 22), Pb (Av-NEF = 24) and with a moderate contamination of Hg (Av-NEF = 7.5). The anthropogenic influence of those elements is reflected in the arroyo sediments as far as 18 km away from the MD-ET, whereas the samples closest to the discharge into the Pacific Ocean show a natural to moderate enrichment for As and Zn and low or no enrichment for Hg and Pb. A principal components analysis identified four principal components that explained 90% of the total variance. Factor 1 was characterized by a high positive contribution of the anthropogenic source elements, especially As, Pb, and Zn (37%), whereas Factor 2 was strongly correlated with the oxy-hydroxides of Fe and Mn (27%). Factor 3 was correlated with Li (16%) and Factor 4 with Al (10%), which indicates more than one source of lithogenic composition, though they played a minor role in the distribution of the elements.     

大宝山采矿活动对环境的重金属污染调查

调查了大宝山铁铜多金属矿床固体废弃物-水相互作用对环境的重金属污染,结果表明,矿床固体废弃物导致了水、土壤的重金属污染,污染元素主要有Cd、Cu、Pb、Zn等;重金属元素的水迁移强度由大至小顺序为Cr、Cu、Zn、Ni、Cd、As、Pb、Hg;元素的生物吸收系数由大至小顺序为Cd、Zn、Hg、Ni、Cu、Cr、As、Pb,虽然水稻糙米中的重金属含量未超过国家标准,但Cd、Cr两种元素含量已远远超出了植物中毒量的下限值.     

Monitoring of toxic elements present in sludge of industrial waste using CF-LIBS

Industrial waste is one of the main causes of environmental pollution. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied to detect the toxic metals in the sludge of industrial waste water. Sludge on filter paper was obtained after filtering the collected waste water samples from different sections of a water treatment plant situated in an industrial area of Kanpur City. The LIBS spectra of the sludge samples were recorded in the spectral range of 200 to 500 nm by focusing the laser light on sludge. Calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) technique was used for the quantitative measurement of toxic elements such as Cr and Pb present in the sample. We also used the traditional calibration curve approach to quantify these elements. The results obtained from CF-LIBS are in good agreement with the results from the calibration curve approach. Thus, our results demonstrate that CF-LIBS is an appropriate technique for quantitative analysis where reference/standard samples are not available to make the calibration curve. The results of the present experiment are alarming to the people living nearby areas of industrial activities, as the concentrations of toxic elements are quite high compared to the admissible limits of these substances.     

潘集矿区塌陷水域水质评价及其综合利用

采煤塌陷水域是淮南潘集矿区一种特殊的地表水体.为了对潘集矿区塌陷水域进行水质评价和提供水资源综合利用的理论基础,选择了潘一矿区典型的两个塌陷水域,采用格网法布设39个采样点对水质进行全面采样监测,分析了水体的重金属元素和部分理化指标并运用数学模糊综合评判法对水质进行了评价.结果表明,封闭性较好的l'水域水质由水体中间向两岸呈递减趋势,中间断面水质为Ⅲ类;与泥河连通的2#水域水质较差,所有监测断面水质均为Ⅳ、Ⅴ类.由于矿业污染源的影响,导致2#水域的重金属元素污染强度高于1#水域.各塌陷水域均已受到不同程度污染,然而丰富的塌陷水资源若合理保护和综合开发利用可带来显著的环境效益和经济效益.     

Fluvial transport and surface enrichment of arsenic in semi-arid mining regions: examples from the Mojave Desert, California

As a result of extensive gold and silver mining in the Mojave Desert, southern California, mine wastes and tailings containing highly elevated arsenic (As) concentrations remain exposed at a number of former mining sites. Decades of weathering and erosion have contributed to the mobilization of As-enriched tailings, which now contaminate surrounding communities. Fluvial transport plays an intermittent yet important and relatively undocumented role in the migration and dispersal of As-contaminated mine wastes in semi-arid climates. Assessing the contribution of fluvial systems to tailings mobilization is critical in order to assess the distribution and long-term exposure potential of tailings in a mining-impacted environment. Extensive sampling, chemical analysis, and geospatial mapping of dry streambed (wash) sediments, tailings piles, alluvial fans, and rainwater runoff at multiple mine sites have aided the development of a conceptual model to explain the fluvial migration of mine wastes in semi-arid climates. Intense and episodic precipitation events mobilize mine wastes downstream and downslope as a series of discrete pulses, causing dispersion both down and lateral to washes with exponential decay behavior as distance from the source increases. Accordingly a quantitative model of arsenic concentrations in wash sediments, represented as a series of overlapping exponential power-law decay curves, results in the acceptable reproducibility of observed arsenic concentration patterns. Such a model can be transferable to other abandoned mine lands as a predictive tool for monitoring the fate and transport of arsenic and related contaminants in similar settings. Effective remediation of contaminated mine wastes in a semi-arid environment requires addressing concurrent changes in the amounts of potential tailings released through fluvial processes and the transport capacity of a wash.     

Heavy metal contamination from mining sites in South Morocco: Monitoring metal content and toxicity of soil runoff and groundwater

The aim of the present work is the assessment of metal toxicity in runoff, in their contaminated soils and in the groundwater sampled from two mining areas in the region of Marrakech using a microbial bioassay MetPLATE™. This bioassay is based on the specific inhibition of the β-galactosidase enzyme of a mutant strain of Escherichia coli, by the metallic pollutants. The stream waters from all sampling stations in the two mines were all very toxic and displayed percent enzyme inhibition exceeding 87% except SWA₄ and SWB₁ stations in mine C. Their high concentrations of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) confirm the acute toxicity shown by MetPLATE. The pH of stream waters from mine B and C varied between 2.1 and 6.2 and was probably responsible for metal mobilization, suggesting a problem of acid mine drainage in these mining areas. The bioassay MetPLATE™ was also applied to mine tailings and to soils contaminated by the acidic waters. The results show that the high toxicity of these soils and tailings was mainly due to the relatively concentration of soluble Zn and Cu. The use of MetPLATE™ in groundwater toxicity testing shows that, most of the samples exhibited low metal toxicity (2.7–45.5% inhibition) except GW3 of the mine B (95.3% inhibition during the wet season and 82.9% inhibition during the dry season). This high toxicity is attributed to the higher than usual concentrations of Cu (189 μg Cu l⁻¹) and Zn (1505 μg Zn l⁻¹). These results show the potential risk of the contamination of different ecosystems situated to the vicinity of these two metalliferous sites. The general trend observed was an increase in metal toxicity measured by the MetPLATE with increasing total and mobile metal concentrations in the studied matrices. Therefore, the MetPLATE bioassay is a reliable and fast bioassay to estimate the metals toxicity in the aquatic and solids samples.     

Four trace elements contents of water environment of mining subsidence in the Huainan diggings, China

Mining subsidence pool is the special waters formed by coal mining, located near the mine. We understand the impact on these waters of the surrounding coal production activities and the electricity plant through research the content and characteristics of harmful trace elements in coal contained in these waters. Pb, Hg, Se and Cr these four trace elements increase 0.52, 0.78, 0.70 and 0.28% respectively in Datong mining subsidence pool from November 2004 to November 2006; the four elements increase 1.52, 1.23, 1.08 and 1.08% respectively in Xie'er mining subsidence pool; the four elements increase 1.01, 1.06, 1.02 and 0.83% respectively in Pansan mining subsidence pool. The absolute value of Pb, Hg, Se and Cr in mining subsidence pool is related with their background value, while the increase in their concentration and their environment of mine and electricity plant surrounded are closely linked.     

Metal Pollution in the Environment of Minas Gerais State – Brazil

Intense mining activities in Minas Gerais State – Brazil brings out tons of waste to the environment. Considerable concentrations of toxic elements penetrate the soil, ground waters and rivers. This endangers the environment quality not only in the surrounding areas but also in ichthyofauna and in more distant areas of cattle raising and agricultural activities. After seasonal floods, veterinary clinic studies have shown that most animals raised in this region are affected by symptomatologic nervous diseases, still not clearly diagnosed, which suggests intoxication. These pathologies are mostly noted after floods. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis was applied to determine Al, As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Nd, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Th and Zn in environmental samples. The obtained results show that the water and sediment contaminated with heavy metals and toxic elements from the Das Velhas River upstream basin, the mining region, carry contamination to the ichthyofauna and farming region within a distance of approximately 400 km.