Environmental assessment of mercury dispersion, transformation and bioavailability in the Lake Victoria Goldfields, Tanzania

Environmental dispersion and transformation of mercury discharged from gold mining operations has been investigated in field and laboratory studies in order to provide better understanding of the degree of mercury (Hg) pollution and bioavailability in the Lake Victoria goldfields (LVGF) ecosystems. This paper reviews results already published elsewhere and presents additional data on Hg dynamics in the LVGF. Studies conducted at the Mugusu and Rwamagaza artisanal mines indicated different degrees of Hg contamination and dispersion in environmental matrices. Mercury concentration in contaminated river sediments near the Mugusu mine varied from 6.0 to 0.5 mg/kg on a dry weight basis. The highest Hg contamination levels (165-232 mg/kg) were associated with mine tailings at the Rwamagaza mine. Mercury concentrations in fish representing different dietary habits on the southwestern shore of Lake Victoria at the Nungwe Bay were very low (2-35 microg/kg) and thought to represent background levels. These and other results suggested that the use of Hg in gold extraction in the LVGF has not caused high Hg levels in lake fish. The study of Hg in lichens showed Parmelia lichen to be an effective bioindicator for atmospheric Hg contamination due to Hg emissions from gold-amalgam firing and purification operations. The Hg levels in the lichens around the Mugusu mine ranged from 3.1 to 0.1 microg/g; the highest levels were recorded in the lichens sampled close to gold-amalgam processing sites. The regional background level in the Parmelia lichen was 0.05-0.10 microg/g, with a mean level of 0.07 microg/g. Studies of Hg transformation in the mine tailings revealed unexpectedly high methylmercury (MeHg) levels in the tailings (629-710 ng/g), which indicated that oxidation and methylation of metallic Hg in the tailings occurred at significant levels under tropical conditions. Re-equilibration of the tailings with freshwater (FW) indicated the MeHg was firmly bound in the tailings and therefore very little MeHg was released to the water column (0.2-1.5 ng/L). The methylation of Hg in tropical loamy clay soil contaminated with HgCl(2) (5 mg Hg/kg) yielded MeHg concentrations of 11 and 14 ng/g when inundated with seawater and FW, respectively, for 4 weeks. Little MeHg was transferred from the soil to the equilibrated water (< or = 0.4 ng/L). Atmospheric exposure of the soil pre-inundated with FW resulted in net degradation of MeHg during the 1st week of exposure, followed by net production and accumulation of MeHg in the soil (up to 15.5 ng/g) during atmospheric desiccation. Mercury uptake by fish from the Hg(0)-contaminated aquatic sediment-tailings system in the aquarium experiment was found to be low, suggesting the low availability of MeHg for bioaccumulation in the system. These and other results provide useful insights into Hg transformation, mobility and bioavailability in tropical aquatic systems affected by Hg pollution from gold mining operations.     

Health and environmental assessment of mercury exposure in a gold mining community in Western Mindanao, Philippines

The small-scale gold mining activities using mercury began in the late 1980s in Sibutad, Western Mindanao. It is located very near the Murcielagos Bay with tailing ponds directly discharging into bodies of water. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the health and environmental effects of gold mining activities on the community. Residents were randomly selected and classified into two groups, namely, the directly exposed and indirectly exposed populations using a set inclusion criteria. Complete medical and laboratory examinations were performed. Environmental and biologic samples were collected for total mercury and methylmercury determinations. The results showed that the directly exposed group had significantly higher mean blood total mercury and methylmercury levels in comparison with the indirectly exposed population. Although there were no significant differences between hair total mercury and methylmercury levels, there was a trend for higher levels of these biomarkers among the directly exposed residents as compared with the unexposed group. The absence of statistically significant differences may be attributable to the small sample size. Ambient air quality monitoring for mercury exceeded the allowable levels. However, levels of mercury in drinking water and sediments were within allowable limits. Frequency of gastrointestinal complaints was significantly associated with elevated hair methylmercury levels (p=0.02). Also, there appears to be a trend towards higher blood total mercury levels and frequency of gastrointestinal complaints (p=0.09). An interesting finding in this study was the increasing incidence of elevated diastolic blood pressure with elevated hair total mercury levels (p=0.07). Mercury storage at home is a risk factor.     

近距煤层无煤柱协调开采布局研究与应用*

为了解决老母矿近距煤层的开采难题,通过理论分析并利用FLAC 3D数值模拟软件进行模拟,分析出煤层前后推进150 m是最合理的步距,侧向采动支撑压力在15~50 m内存在影响。基于这些理论数据,确定回采巷道的合理位置,进而确定以内错距离范围为30~60 m的内错式布置方式布置巷道和无煤柱协调开采布局,并进行井下工程应用。最后把无煤柱协调开采布局与双巷掘进开采布局对比,得出无煤柱协调开采布局的先进性和优势,研究结果可为同类条件下的工程应用提供借鉴。     

数据挖掘在预测组织事故防控效果中的应用*

为进一步探索数据挖据技术在组织事故预防工作中的融入性与适用性,基于24Model构建事故预控基础模型,通过预测准确率数值及接受者操作特性曲线（ROC曲线）对比分析随机森林（RF）、支持向量机(SVM)、决策树（DT）与神经网络（NN）4种方法对组织事故防控效果的预测性能。结果表明:针对事故率控制（Y1）、职业危害预防（Y2）、财产损失3类预测目标（Y3）,RF方法均能达到较高的准确率及稳定性,具有较优的预测性能。根据特征重要度（FI）排序,明确对组织事故水平影响最显著的因素为安全实践活动认知（SC5）及安全管理程序文件（SMS3）,FI值均大于0.150 0。研究结果可为有效预测组织事故防控效果提供方法依据,同时为企业安全工作的规划设计提供思路。     

走向工作面贯通上山与支架快速回撤技术

针对走向工作面停采线与上山之间的护巷煤柱造成煤炭损失,支架回撤工艺复杂、巷道掘进量大等问题,提出走向工作面贯通上山与支架快速回撤技术。工作面贯通采区上山,利用上山回撤支架。在贯通前,利用压力拱模型分析剩余煤柱应力变化规律,并结合极限平衡区公式,确定让压煤柱为8 m;对贯通前基本顶合理断裂位置、让压调节机制、末采阶段采高进行了分析确定,并采取上山巷内补强支护及挂绳铺网措施。贯通上山后,首先利用支架对上山留巷,完成留巷后,利用上山回撤支架,先将上部端头3架逆时针旋转90°作为掩护架,在对剩余支架逐架回撤时,3个掩护架呈现台阶型。提出的技术取消了护巷煤柱及回撤通道,提高了煤炭采出率,减少了巷道掘进量,简化了回撤工艺。     

Geographic Variability in Radon Exhalation at a Rehabilitated Uranium Mine in the Northern Territory, Australia

In this study, dry season radon flux densities and radon fluxes have been determined at the rehabilitated Nabarlek uranium mine in northern Australia using conventional charcoal canisters. Environmental background levels amounted to 31± 15 milli Becquerel per m² per second (mBq m⁻² s⁻¹). Radon flux densities within the fenced rehabilitated mine area showed large variations with a maximum of 6500 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹ at an area south of the former pit characterised by a disequilibrium between ²²⁶Ra and ²³⁸U. Radon flux densities were also high above the areas of the former pit (mean 971 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹) and waste rock dump (mean 335 mBq m⁻² s⁻¹). The lower limit for the total pre-mining radon flux from the fenced area (140 ha) was estimated to 214 kBq s⁻¹, post-mining radon flux amounted to 174 kBq s⁻¹.Our study highlights that the results of radon flux studies are vitally dependant on the selection of individual survey points. We suggest the use of a randomised system for both the selection of survey points and the placement of charcoal canisters at each survey point, to avoid over estimation of radon flux densities. It is also important to emphasize the significance of having reliable pre-mining radiological data available to assess the success of rehabilitation of a uranium mine site.2006 Springer. The Australian Government's right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty free licence in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

基于可拓物元模型的安全经济开采评价指标体系的构建及应用

首先根据安全经济开采的内涵,建立以人员安全、设施设备安全、开采环境安全、安全投资和安全管理为主要制约因素的安全经济开采评价模型,并运用改进的层次分析法确定人员可靠度对安全经济开采水平影响最大,开采环境可靠度影响最小。其次,采用函数拟合法、专家打分法、标准化打分法量化安全经济开采水平指标,并将安全经济开采水平划分为3个等级。最后,运用可拓物元模型方法,得出某铁矿安全经济开采水平为二级,无重大经济损失,与实际吻合。     

煤与瓦斯共采在错层位巷道布置中的机理研究及应用构想

为了完善现有煤与瓦斯共采技术,创新煤与瓦斯共采方法,对错层位巷道布置下的煤与瓦斯共采系统展开研究,利用相似模拟试验,分析错层位巷道布置覆岩运动情况,预测其开采围岩裂隙发育和瓦斯运移形式,提出了创新煤与瓦斯共采技术构想。研究结果表明:采空区覆岩三带高度随接续工作面的增加而增大,相邻采空区垮落矸石压实区呈现“O-L-O”形变化,多个相邻采空区覆岩出现大“O”形圈裂隙带;相邻采空区内瓦斯可实现相互运移,大“O”形圈裂隙带内赋存大量瓦斯气体;研究提出了地面钻井抽采瓦斯、走向高位瓦斯抽采巷和外错尾巷穿层钻孔3种煤与瓦斯共采技术,比传统巷道布置情况下的煤与瓦斯共采技术在安全、经济等方面更具优势。     

Preserving Wilderness or Protecting Homelands? Intersections and Divergences in Activist Discourses About Mining in Ontario’s Far North

Northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire/Wawangajing controversy constitutes a complex site of debate about the risks and benefits of mining in an area of major ecological significance that is also the ancestral territory of nine First Nation communities. This paper investigates the rhetorical alignments and divergences in public calls by Matawa First Nations tribal council and the Ontario Wildlands League for stronger environmental assessment of mining projects than that favoured by the Canadian government. Tracing the terminologies each group uses to describe the affected region and its inhabitants in its activist rhetoric about EA offers insight into the contingent, shifting ways in which wilderness advocacy and Indigenous justice discourses may speak together yet distinctly within contemporary environmental-natural resource disputes.     

哈密地区矿业生产环境保护与综合治理对策探讨

介绍哈密地区矿山企业发展现状,对矿业生产中具有共性的环境问题做了重点分析。深入探讨了在矿业开采中,应加强对当地矿山企业的管理,学习和借鉴国外先进的管理经验,把循环经济、清洁生产等新理念应用于矿山生产的全过程。这将有利于预防或减轻矿业开采造成的环境污染,也是发展经济和保护环境的有效途径。