Critical analysis of the waste management performance of two uranium production units in Brazil--part I: Poços de Caldas production centre

Waste management strategies in mining projects will depend to a large extent on the characteristics of the operational process, the type of ore and prevailing socio-environmental conditions, amongst other issues. The expenditures required by the management scheme and the implementation of remediation programs will be determined by the extent that the above issues were considered in the planning phase of the project. Several works have been published in the literature concerning the analysis of waste management programs and environmental impacts associated with uranium projects around the world. However, the vast majority do not report a comprehensive assessment integrating the various relationships among operational process, environmental impact, remediation strategy and costs. This study, divided into two papers, presents a detailed critical analysis of the waste management strategies adopted in two uranium production centres in Brazil, i.e., the Poços de Caldas Project (Part I) and the Caetité Project (Part II). The operational processes are described and the environmental impacts of the generated wastes as well as the adopted management strategies and costs are examined. Also, in Part II, a comparison between both production centres is made emphasizing the impacts of environmental and social-economical issues on the overall assessment.     

Comparison of benthic macroinvertebrate indices for the assessment of the impact of acid mine drainage on an Irish river below an abandoned Cu-S mine

A range of macroinvertebrate indices were compared to assess the most appropriate metric for the assessment of acid mine drainage (AMD) in a low alkalinity, highly erosional river in south-east Ireland. Differences were found in the ability of indices to discriminate AMD impact with the Brillouin, BMWP score, Margalef and Shannon Indices the most precise. Taxon richness was also strongly correlated with AMD indicator parameters (e.g. pH alkalinity, sulphate, Zn and Fe) at impacted sites being an equally reliable metric. The response of the community structure to AMD in this river does not fulfil the optimum criteria for either diversity or biological indices, which may explain the variation in the success of different indices seen in this and other studies. The development of indices that model the expected community response to AMD more accurately or are based on the response of indicator species to AMD pollutants are required.     

亚铁对水平潜流人工湿地反硝化作用的影响

亚铁离子可以作为电子供体参与反硝化作用,某些微生物可以通过氧化亚铁离子还原硝酸盐,从而去除污水中的硝态氮.本研究通过在潜流人工湿地中添加Fe2+,分析不同初始Fe2+浓度对反硝化过程的强化效果及不同C/N对Fe2+参与反硝化作用的影响.结果表明,Fe2+的添加可以显著提高人工湿地反硝化能力,进水NO-3-N为30 mg·L-1、C/N为2、水力停留时间为1 d,添加45 mg·L-1Fe2+的人工湿地中硝氮去除率可以提高24%;硝氮去除率随初始Fe2+浓度的增加而增加.C/N与初始Fe2+浓度对反硝化作用都具有显著影响且两者具有交互作用,碳源的存在可以促进Fe2+参与的反硝化作用.     

碎石床湿地去除城镇污水厂出水中磷的研究

为解决城镇污水二级生物处理厂脱磷不达标的问题,设计了潜流碎石床湿地,通过其填料的吸附、沉淀和植物摄取作用,对二级生化处理后的城镇污水进行脱磷试验。结果表明碎石床湿地有较高的脱磷效果,当进水TP为1.74mg/L时,出水为0.25mg/L,去除率为85.63%,同时对BOD5、COD、SS、NH3-N等也有一定去除作用。出水不仅能满足《污水综合排放标准》(GB8978-96)一级,而且满足《城市污水再生利用景观环境用水水质标准》(GB/T18921-2002),污水可以回用。潜流碎石床湿地深度脱磷技术运行费用低、管理方便、环境景观好、有推广应用价值。     

The Ecotoxicological Recovery of Ely Creek and Tributaries (Lee County, Va) After Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage

The Ely Creek watershed (Lee County, VA) was determined in 1995 to be the most negatively affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) within the Virginia coalfield. This determination led the US Army Corps of Engineers to design and build passive wetland remediation systems at two major AMD seeps affecting Ely Creek. This study was undertaken to determine if ecological recovery had occurred in Ely Creek. The results indicate that remediation had a positive effect on all monitoring sites downstream of the remediated AMD seeps. At the site most impacted by AMD, mean pH was 2.93 prior to remediation and improved to 7.14 in 2004. Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys revealed that one AMD influenced site had increased taxa richness from zero taxa in 1997 to 24 in 2004. While in situ testing of Asian clams resulted in zero survival at five of seven AMD influenced sites prior to remediation, some clams survived at all sites after. Clam survival was found to be significantly less than upstream references at only two sites, both downstream of un-mitigated AMD seeps in 2004. An ecotoxicological rating (ETR) system that combined ten biotic and abiotic parameters was developed as an indicator of the ecological status for each study site. A comparison of ETRs from before and after remediation demonstrated that all sites downstream of the remediation had experienced some level of recovery. Although the remediation has improved the ecological health of Ely Creek, un-mitigated AMD discharges are still negatively impacting the watershed.     

模拟实验研究煤矿酸性水中Co、Ni、Zn、Cd、Al、Cr、As、Pb可溶性金属迁移行为

通过模拟煤矿酸性水环境,对来自2个不同产地的煤系非均质黄铁矿样品进行了不同固液比的淋滤实验,对反应体系物理化学状态以及其中的Co、Ni、Zn、Cd、Al、Cr、As、Pb8种元素的释放行为进行了长达312h跟踪检测和对比.结果显示,在2种不同来源的煤系黄铁矿样品反应体系中,Co、Ni、Zn、Cd的释放行为均为持续升高,说明这些元素的释放受体系中物理化学状态的影响相对较小,在液相中具有较高的迁移行为;Al、Cr、As、Pb在不同样品体系中的释放行为差异较大,受到体系pH值、吸附及共沉淀作用等因素的影响,是相对不易迁移的元素.煤矿酸性水环境中元素释放和迁移行为主要受到黄铁矿的氧化还原反应速率、反应体系介质pH值和围岩矿物学性质3个宏观因素控制.     

国外尾矿酸性排水和重金属淋滤作用研究进展

尾矿引起的环境问题是水 气 矿物在地表条件下发生复杂反应的综合结果。近年来 ,国外学者研究显示 ,发生在尾矿中的风化作用不仅仅有硫化物的氧化作用 ,而且还伴随有机物氧化作用 ,碳酸盐等矿物中和作用 ,次生矿物沉淀作用、结晶作用、胶结作用 ,矿物交代蚀变作用、吸附作用、离子交换作用以及生物作用。上述各种作用互相影响 ,互相制约。目前 ,最新研究表明 ,许多因素都会影响尾矿风化作用 ,这些因素主要包括 :尾矿原生矿物组成、成因、化学成分、表面积和形态 ;尾矿酸中和潜力 ;溶液pH值 ;次生矿物形成及其吸附、离子交换、胶结作用 ;溶液中Fe3+离子的浓度 ;有机物的种类和含量 ;尾矿粒度分布和空隙度 ;气候条件和尾矿的水文地质环境     

利用累积NDVI估算黄河流域年蒸散量

地表蒸散的准确估算在流域水资源的评价、干旱监测及农作物产量模拟研究中很重要,论文通过建立年蒸散量与累积NDVI及相对湿润指数之间的关系,利用1982～2000年8km分辨率的AVHRRNDVI资料及月平均气温和月降水量资料,对黄河流域近20年来地表蒸散的时空分布进行了分析,并利用水文站径流观测资料对估算结果进行了检验。结果表明,黄河流域多年平均年蒸散量是389mm,年际间变化很大,空间分布格局是东南部蒸散量最大,其次是兰州以上区间,宁蒙河段及鄂尔多斯高原蒸散量最小;全流域平均蒸散估算误差比较小,吻合比较好。     

IMPLICATIONS OF FEEDBACK PROCESSES IN PLANT WATER USAGE AND RESULTING CLIMATE CHANGE1

ABSTRACT: Increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has the secondary effect on plants of reducing transpiration. The degree of reduction in transpiration has been studied mostly at the leaf scale and as such, has not taken feedbacks into account that come into play when the plant canopy or the atmosphere as a whole is considered. The objective of this paper is to examine the role of negative feedback processes that act through the dynamics of the canopy and the atmosphere. This is done through the application of two canopy models, one of which is later coupled to a full Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM) called GENESIS. The results suggest that the reduction in transpiration in a double CO₂ environment compared to present day will not be as considerable as the leaf scale experiments suggest ‐ a 7 percent reduction compared to 15 to 57 percent when feedbacks are considered. At the regional scale, precipitation patterns appear to be the primary factor in determining evapotranspiration. The implications for agriculture, in terms of water usage, would therefore not seem to be as acute as the leaf scale experiments depict. Regarding climate change, there is a suggestion that regional water usage may vary from present day values in certain areas.     

工业废水排放的影响因素量化分析

工业废水排放量的大小受工业发展水平、产业结构、产品结构、技术工艺及设备水平、管理政策、环境法规等多因素的综合影响。选取长江三角洲典型地区的主要污染排放指标,重点分析工业经济规模、工业行业结构、工业技术进步以及环境治理投资等因素与工业水污染排放之间的相互关系。研究结果表明：随着长江三角洲地区产业结构的调整、工业技术进步、工业废水达标排放政策的实施,工业规模的扩大并没有引起工业废水的显著增加。从制造业结构看,有些行业的废水排放量对其结构调整比较敏感; 相反,有些行业的废水排放量对其结构的调整不敏感。工业技术进步和环境治理投资与工业废水排放量呈现负相关,说明工业技术进步、环境污染治理对于减少工业水污染排放起重要作用。