Biomarker responses of Peromyscus leucopus exposed to lead and cadmium in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District

Science.gov (United States)

Beyer, W. Nelson; Casteel, Stan W.; Friedrichs, Kristen R.; Gramlich, Eric; Houseright, Ruth A.; Nichols, John W.; Karouna-Renier, Natalie; Kim, Dae Young; Rangen, Kathleen; Rattner, Barnett A.; Schultz, Sandra

2018-01-01

Biomarker responses and histopathological lesions have been documented in laboratory mammals exposed to elevated concentrations of lead and cadmium. The exposure of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) to these metals and the potential associated toxic effects were examined at three contaminated sites in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District and at a reference site in MO, USA. Mice from the contaminated sites showed evidence of oxidative stress and reduced activity of red blood cell δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD). Histological examinations of the liver and kidney, cytologic examination of blood smears, and biomarkers of lipid peroxidation and DNA damage failed to show indications of toxic effects from lead. The biomagnification factor of cadmium (hepatic concentration/soil concentration) at a site with a strongly acid soil was 44 times the average of the biomagnification factors at two sites with slightly alkaline soils. The elevated concentrations of cadmium in the mice did not cause observable toxicity, but were associated with about a 50% decrease in expected tissue lead concentrations and greater ALAD activity compared to the activity at the reference site. Lead was associated with a decrease in concentrations of hepatic glutathione and thiols, whereas cadmium was associated with an increase. In addition, to support risk assessment efforts, we developed linear regression models relating both tissue lead dosages (based on a previously published a laboratory study) and tissue lead concentrations in Peromyscus to soil lead concentrations.

Mining and mining authorities in Saarland 2016. Mining economy, mining technology, occupational safety, environmental protection, statistics, mining authority activities. Annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

The annual report of the Saarland Upper Mining Authority provides an insight into the activities of mining authorities. Especially, the development of the black coal mining, safety and technology of mining as well as the correlation between mining and environment are stressed.

The effect of exposure to employees from mining and milling operations in a uranium mine on lead isotopes--a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gulson, Brian L; Mizon, Karen J; Dickson, Bruce L; Korsch, Michael J

2005-03-01

Potential exposure during mining and milling of uranium ore has resulted in the industry being highly regulated. Exposure can arise from inhalation of the daughter product radioactive gas radon (222Rn), inhalation of radioactive dust particles from mining and milling, direct irradiation from outside the body, and ingestion of radionuclides (e.g. uranium or radium) in food or water. Making use of the highly unusual lead isotopic signature for uranium ores (high 206Pb/204Pb from the high uranium content, low 208Pb/204Pb from the low Th/U ratio), we undertook a pilot study of nine male mine employees and three controls from the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory Australia to determine if it was feasible to use lead isotopes in blood to identify exposure to uranium-derived materials. The lead isotopic data for the mine employees and controls plot in two distinct fields which are consistent with predicted isotopic patterns. Assuming retention of 10% of the ingested lead, then the increases seen in 206Pb represent intakes of between 0.9 and 15 mg, integrated over the years of exposure. The small amount of lead does not affect blood lead concentrations, but appears to be sufficient to be detectable with sensitive isotopic methods. Further studies, including those on urine, should be undertaken to confirm the veracity of the lead isotope method in monitoring exposure of uranium industry employees.

The effect of exposure to employees from mining and milling operations in a uranium mine on lead isotopes. A pilot study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gulson, Brian L.; Mizon, Karen J.; Dickson, Bruce L.; Korsch, Michael J.

2005-01-01

Potential exposure during mining and milling of uranium ore has resulted in the industry being highly regulated. Exposure can arise from inhalation of the daughter product radioactive gas radon ( 222 Rn), inhalation of radioactive dust particles from mining and milling, direct irradiation from outside the body, and ingestion of radionuclides (e.g. uranium or radium) in food or water. Making use of the highly unusual lead isotopic signature for uranium ores (high 206 Pb/ 204 Pb from the high uranium content, low 208 Pb/ 204 Pb from the low Th/U ratio), we undertook a pilot study of nine male mine employees and three controls from the Ranger uranium mine in the Northern Territory Australia to determine if it was feasible to use lead isotopes in blood to identify exposure to uranium-derived materials. The lead isotopic data for the mine employees and controls plot in two distinct fields which are consistent with predicted isotopic patterns. Assuming retention of 10% of the ingested lead, then the increases seen in 206 Pb represent intakes of between 0.9 and 15 mg, integrated over the years of exposure. The small amount of lead does not affect blood lead concentrations, but appears to be sufficient to be detectable with sensitive isotopic methods. Further studies, including those on urine, should be undertaken to confirm the veracity of the lead isotope method in monitoring exposure of uranium industry employees

Minimizing the Impact of Mining Activities for Sustainable Mined-Out ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Minimizing the Impact of Mining Activities for Sustainable Mined-Out Area ... sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) in assessing environmental impact of ... Keywords: Solid mineral, Impact assessment, Mined-out area utilization, ...

Tailings From Mining Activities, Impact on Groundwater, and Remediation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalid Al-Rawahy

2001-12-01

Full Text Available Effluent wastes from mining operations and beneficiation processes are comprized mostly of the following pollutants: total suspended solids (TTS, alkalinity or acidity (pH, settleable solids, iron in ferrous mining, and dissolved metals in nonferrous mining. Suspended solids consist of small particles of solid pollutants that resist separation by conventional means. A number of dissolved metals are considered toxic pollutants. The major metal pollutants present in ore mining and beneficiation waste waters include arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc. Tailings ponds are used for both the disposal of solid waste and the treatment of waste-water streams. The supernatant decanted from these ponds contains suspended solids and, at times, process reagents introduced to the water during ore beneficiation. Leakage of material from tailings pond into groundwater is one possible source of water pollution in the mining industry. Percolation of waste-water from impoundment may occur if tailings ponds are not properly designed. This paper addresses potential groundwater pollution due to effluent from mining activities, and the possible remediation options.

The Necessity of Public Relations for Sustainable Mining Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyunbock; Ji, Sangwoo

2015-04-01

This paper reports research about the necessity of image making for sustainable mine developments in the Republic of Korea. One of the big risks in mining activities is mining area residents opposing mine developments and operations. Analysis of the media reports on disputes between mining companies and residents can determine causes of opposing mine developments, dispute process, and influences of disputes on processes of mining projects. To do this, civil complaints from 2009 to 2012 and 24 media reports since 2000 on opposing mining activities are analyzed. And, to analyze difficulties of mining companies, the survey is conducted to target to mining companies. 57 representatives of mining companies are participated in the survey. The result of analysis cited that the major reasons of anti-mining activities are environmental degradation and reduced agricultural productivity. And specifically because of water pollution (50%), crop damages (33%), and mining dust pollution (21%), communities of mining area are against mine developments and operations. However, 25% of residents have experience of the damage caused by mining activities and the remaining 75% of residents opposing mining activities simply have anxiety about mining pollution. In the past, construction-oriented, environment-unfriendly mining projects had lasted. And while mine reclamation had been postponed in abandoned mines, mining area residents had suffered from mining pollution. So, mining area residents are highly influenced by the prejudice that mining activities are harmful to mining area communities. Current mining projects in South Korea, unlike the past mining activity, focus on minimizing environmental damage and contributing to mining area communities financially. But, in many case of disputes between mining companies and mining area residents, the both cannot reach an agreements because of the negative prejudice. Moreover, some communities categorically refuse any mining activity. On the

Misled about lead: an assessment of online public health education material from Australia's lead mining and smelting towns.

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Marianne; Green, Donna

2016-01-06

This study assesses the accuracy and comprehensiveness of online public health education materials from the three Australian cities with active lead mines and or smelters: Broken Hill, Mount Isa and Port Pirie. Qualitative content analysis of online Australian material with comparison to international best practice where possible. All materials provided incomplete information about the health effects of lead and pathways of exposure compared to best practice materials. Inconsistent strategies to reduce exposure to lead were identified among the Australian cities, and some evidence-based best practices were not included. The materials normalised environmental lead and neglected to identify that there is no safe level of lead, or that primary prevention is the best strategy for protecting children's health. Health education materials need to clearly state health risks from lead across developmental stages and for sensitive populations, integrate a primary prevention perspective, and provide comprehensive evidence-based recommendations for reducing lead exposure in and around the home. Families who rely on information provided by these online public education materials are likely to be inadequately informed about the importance of protecting their children from exposure to lead and strategies for doing so.

Outbreak of fatal childhood lead poisoning related to artisanal gold mining in northwestern Nigeria, 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Dooyema, Carrie A; Neri, Antonio; Lo, Yi-Chun; Durant, James; Dargan, Paul I; Swarthout, Todd; Biya, Oladayo; Gidado, Saheed O; Haladu, Suleiman; Sani-Gwarzo, Nasir; Nguku, Patrick M; Akpan, Henry; Idris, Sa'ad; Bashir, Abdullahi M; Brown, Mary Jean

2012-04-01

In May 2010, a team of national and international organizations was assembled to investigate children's deaths due to lead poisoning in villages in northwestern Nigeria. Our goal was to determine the cause of the childhood lead poisoning outbreak, investigate risk factors for child mortality, and identify children data. Multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to determine risk factors for childhood mortality. We surveyed 119 family compounds. Of 463 children 45 µg/dL), and incidence of convulsions among children before death (82%) suggest that most of the recent childhood deaths in the two surveyed villages were caused by acute lead poisoning from gold ore-processing activities. Control measures included environmental remediation, chelation therapy, public health education, and control of mining activities.

Panorama of mining activities in France during 1993-1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michel, J.C.; Bornuat, M.; Heinry, C.; Le Berre, P.

1995-01-01

Demand, and thus prices and activities, in the French mining sector continued to suffer from the effects of the 1993 recession. The moderate economic recovery seen in 1994 has not had an immediate impact on the mining industry partly because of previously built up stocks, but some encouraging signs have appeared: a clear resumption of oil exploration, the anti-dumping measures of the European Union, and a new Chinese pricing policy particularly concerning tungsten, antimony and fluorite. In general, French mining continued its decline as illustrated by the closures of further iron, uranium and zinc mines and the loss of all tungsten, bauxite, lead, zinc and germanium mines. The very marked decrease in zinc, silver, uranium, iron and coal production reflects the programmed closure of certain mines. In detail, the balance is more varied and the situation and outlook are not as bleak for all mineral substances: decline is moderate for potassium, barite and fluorite; oil and gas in France and nickel in new Caledonia are stable; sulphur, talc, salt, kaolin, feldspar and silica production have recorded a slight growth while gold is in clear progression. However, these positive aspects cannot counter-balance the lack of significant new resources (hydrocarbons, potassium) and of sufficient exploration effort relative to the stakes (metal ore mines). The end of the National Mineral Inventory in 1993 and the very long procedures for mining permits obtention do not favor national or international private investment. (J.S.). 14 figs., 11 tabs

Indoor metallic pollution related to mining activity in the Bolivian Altiplano.

Science.gov (United States)

Fontúrbel, Francisco E; Barbieri, Enio; Herbas, Cristian; Barbieri, Flavia L; Gardon, Jacques

2011-10-01

The environmental pollution associated with mining and metallurgical activities reaches its greatest extent in several Andean cities and villages. Many locations in this area have accumulated through centuries a large amount of mining wastes, often disregarding the magnitude of this situation. However, in these naturally mineralized regions, there is little information available stating the exact role of mining and metallurgical industries in urban pollution. In this study, we demonstrated that the various metallic elements present in indoor dust (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, Sn, Zn) had a common origin and this contamination was increased by the proximity to the mines. Lead dust concentration was found at concerning levels for public health. In addition, wrong behaviors such as carrying mining workwear home contributed to this indoor dust pollution. Consequently, the constant exposure of the population could represent a potential health hazard for vulnerable groups, especially children. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Activity recognition from minimal distinguishing subsequence mining

Science.gov (United States)

Iqbal, Mohammad; Pao, Hsing-Kuo

2017-08-01

Human activity recognition is one of the most important research topics in the era of Internet of Things. To separate different activities given sensory data, we utilize a Minimal Distinguishing Subsequence (MDS) mining approach to efficiently find distinguishing patterns among different activities. We first transform the sensory data into a series of sensor triggering events and operate the MDS mining procedure afterwards. The gap constraints are also considered in the MDS mining. Given the multi-class nature of most activity recognition tasks, we modify the MDS mining approach from a binary case to a multi-class one to fit the need for multiple activity recognition. We also study how to select the best parameter set including the minimal and the maximal support thresholds in finding the MDSs for effective activity recognition. Overall, the prediction accuracy is 86.59% on the van Kasteren dataset which consists of four different activities for recognition.

Impact of historical mining assessed in soils by kinetic extraction and lead isotopic ratios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camizuli, E.; Monna, F.; Bermond, A.; Manouchehri, N.; Besançon, S.; Losno, R.; Oort, F. van; Labanowski, J.; Perreira, A.; Chateau, C.; Alibert, P.

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to estimate the long-term behaviour of trace metals, in two soils differently impacted by past mining. Topsoils from two 1 km 2 zones in the forested Morvan massif (France) were sampled to assess the spatial distribution of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. The first zone had been contaminated by historical mining. As expected, it exhibits higher trace-metal levels and greater spatial heterogeneity than the second non-contaminated zone, supposed to represent the local background. One soil profile from each zone was investigated in detail to estimate metal behaviour, and hence, bioavailability. Kinetic extractions were performed using EDTA on three samples: the A horizon from both soil profiles and the B horizon from the contaminated soil. For all three samples, kinetic extractions can be modelled by two first-order reactions. Similar kinetic behaviour was observed for all metals, but more metal was extracted from the contaminated A horizon than from the B horizon. More surprising is the general predominance of the residual fraction over the “labile” and “less labile” pools. Past anthropogenic inputs may have percolated over time through the soil profiles because of acidic pH conditions. Stable organo-metallic complexes may also have been formed over time, reducing metal availability. These processes are not mutually exclusive. After kinetic extraction, the lead isotopic compositions of the samples exhibited different signatures, related to contamination history and intrinsic soil parameters. However, no variation in lead signature was observed during the extraction experiment, demonstrating that the “labile” and “less labile” lead pools do not differ in terms of origin. Even if trace metals resulting from past mining and metallurgy persist in soils long after these activities have ceased, kinetic extractions suggest that metals, at least for these particular forest soils, do not represent a threat for biota. - Highlights: • Trace

Impact of historical mining assessed in soils by kinetic extraction and lead isotopic ratios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Camizuli, E., E-mail: estelle.camizuli@u-bourgogne.fr [UMR 6298, ArTeHiS, Université de Bourgogne — CNRS — Culture, 6 bd Gabriel, Bat. Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France); Monna, F. [UMR 6298, ArTeHiS, Université de Bourgogne — CNRS — Culture, 6 bd Gabriel, Bat. Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France); Bermond, A.; Manouchehri, N.; Besançon, S. [Institut des sciences et industries du vivant et de l' environnement (AgroParisTech), Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique, 16, rue Claude Bernard, 75231 Paris Cedex 05 (France); Losno, R. [UMR 7583, LISA, Universités Paris 7-Paris 12 — CNRS, 61 av. du Gal de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil Cedex (France); Oort, F. van [UR 251, Pessac, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Centre de Versailles-Grignon, RD 10, 78026 Versailles Cedex (France); Labanowski, J. [UMR 7285, IC2MP, Université de Poitiers — CNRS, 4, rue Michel Brunet, 86022 Poitiers (France); Perreira, A. [UMR 6298, ArTeHiS, Université de Bourgogne — CNRS — Culture, 6 bd Gabriel, Bat. Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France); Chateau, C. [UFR SVTE, Université de Bourgogne, 6 bd Gabriel, Bat. Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France); Alibert, P. [UMR 6282, Biogeosciences, Université de Bourgogne — CNRS, 6 bd Gabriel, Bat. Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France)

2014-02-01

The aim of this study is to estimate the long-term behaviour of trace metals, in two soils differently impacted by past mining. Topsoils from two 1 km{sup 2} zones in the forested Morvan massif (France) were sampled to assess the spatial distribution of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. The first zone had been contaminated by historical mining. As expected, it exhibits higher trace-metal levels and greater spatial heterogeneity than the second non-contaminated zone, supposed to represent the local background. One soil profile from each zone was investigated in detail to estimate metal behaviour, and hence, bioavailability. Kinetic extractions were performed using EDTA on three samples: the A horizon from both soil profiles and the B horizon from the contaminated soil. For all three samples, kinetic extractions can be modelled by two first-order reactions. Similar kinetic behaviour was observed for all metals, but more metal was extracted from the contaminated A horizon than from the B horizon. More surprising is the general predominance of the residual fraction over the “labile” and “less labile” pools. Past anthropogenic inputs may have percolated over time through the soil profiles because of acidic pH conditions. Stable organo-metallic complexes may also have been formed over time, reducing metal availability. These processes are not mutually exclusive. After kinetic extraction, the lead isotopic compositions of the samples exhibited different signatures, related to contamination history and intrinsic soil parameters. However, no variation in lead signature was observed during the extraction experiment, demonstrating that the “labile” and “less labile” lead pools do not differ in terms of origin. Even if trace metals resulting from past mining and metallurgy persist in soils long after these activities have ceased, kinetic extractions suggest that metals, at least for these particular forest soils, do not represent a threat for biota. - Highlights: • Trace

Responsible Development of Areva's Mining Activities - 2010 Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-07-01

Areva's mining activities place it among the world leaders in uranium production. The main objective of Areva's mining activities is ensuring uranium supply over the long term to produce nuclear power while emitting less CO 2 , reducing risks to people and the environment and contributing to the development of areas where mining activities take place. Areva's mining activities span five continents. This diversified portfolio allows the group to carry out exploration, project development and production activities in various geopolitical and technological contexts with the support of its staff's multi-cultural backgrounds. This document is the first Responsible Development report of Areva's Mining Activities. Content: 1 - All about Areva's Mining Activities (Interview with Sebastien de Montessus, General Director of Areva's Mining Activities, Ongoing Progress, The Core of Areva's Mining Activities Work); 2 - The Foundation of Areva's Mining Activities Approach (Values and Principles, Governance, Commitments); 3 - Reporting on Areva's Mining Activities (Scope, Relevance of Indicators, Outlook); 4 - Being a Responsible Mining Stakeholder (Actions, Reducing Industrial Risks, Ensuring the Protection of Workers and Populations, Consuming Water and Energy Resources in a Rational Way, Preserving Biodiversity, Managing Waste Rock and Mine Tailings over Time, Sustainable Presence, Contribution to Social Development); 5 - Glossary

Lead Poisoning

Science.gov (United States)

Lead is a metal that occurs naturally in the earth's crust. Lead can be found in all parts of our ... from human activities such as mining and manufacturing. Lead used to be in paint; older houses may ...

Occurrence and partitioning of cadmium, arsenic and lead in mine impacted paddy rice: Hunan, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Paul N; Lei, Ming; Sun, Guoxin; Huang, Qing; Lu, Ying; Deacon, Claire; Meharg, Andrew A; Zhu, Yong-Guan

2009-02-01

Paddy rice has been likened to nictiana sp in its ability to scavenge cadmium (Cd) from soil, whereas arsenic (As) accumulation is commonly an order of magnitude higher than in other cereal crops. In areas such as those found in parts of Hunan province in south central China, base-metal mining activities and rice farming coexist. Therefore there is a considerable likelihood that lead (Pb), in addition to Cd and As, will accumulate in rice grown in parts of this region above levels suitable for human consumption. To test this hypothesis, a widespread provincial survey of rice from mine spoilt paddies (n = 100), in addition to a follow-up market grain survey (n = 122) conducted in mine impacted areas was undertaken to determine the safety of local rice supply networks. Furthermore, a specific Cd, As, and Pb biogeochemical survey of paddy soil and rice was conducted within southern China, targeting sites impacted by mining of varying intensities to calibrate rice metal(loid) transfer models and transfer factors that can be used to predict tissue loading. Results revealed a number of highly significant correlations between shoot, husk, bran, and endosperm rice tissue fractions and that rice from mining areas was enriched in Cd, As, and Pb. Sixty-five, 50, and 34% of all the mine-impacted field rice was predicted to fail national food standards for Cd, As, and Pb, respectively. Although, not as elevated as the grains from the mine-impacted field survey, it was demonstrated that metal(loid) tainted rice was entering food supply chains intended for direct human consumption.

TRACE ELEMENTS LATERAL DISTRIBUTION AND LIMITATIONS FOR REVEGETATION IN LEAD MINE SOILS: CASE OF LAKHOUAT MINE, TUNISIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Sahraoui

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Anthropogenic activities such as mining have increased the prevalence and occurrence of trace elements soil contamination. Abandoned mine tailings cause the contamination of adjacent agricultural soils. In Lakhouat mining area (West-Northern Tunisia, the dispersion of particles containing Pb, Zn and Cd results in the contamination of the surrounding agricultural soils. These soils presented high concentrations of Pb (1272 mg kg-1, Zn (5543 mg kg-1 and Cd (25 mg kg-1. Furthermore, the tailing sample and soil sample close the dam tailing presented higher concentrations of Pb, Zn and Cd and conferred more limitation factors for revegetation than adjacent soils of mining area. The main limiting factors of mine soils are their low effective depth, low organic matter content and low phosphorus content and an imbalance between potassium and manganese exchangeable cations. These mine soils are strongly affected by high Pb, Zn and Cd levels which hinder revegetation.

Legacy sediment, lead, and zinc storage in channel and floodplain deposits of the Big River, Old Lead Belt Mining District, Missouri, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlowsky, Robert T.; Lecce, Scott A.; Owen, Marc R.; Martin, Derek J.

2017-12-01

The Old Lead Belt of southeastern Missouri was one of the leading producers of Pb ore for more than a century (1869-1972). Large quantities of contaminated mine waste have been, and continue to be, supplied to local streams. This study assessed the magnitude and spatial distribution of mining-contaminated legacy sediment stored in channel and floodplain deposits of the Big River in the Ozark Highlands of southeastern Missouri. Although metal concentrations decline downstream from the mine sources, the channel and floodplain sediments are contaminated above background levels with Pb and Zn along its entire 171-km length below the mine sources. Mean concentrations in floodplain cores > 2000 mg kg- 1 for Pb and > 1000 mg kg- 1 for Zn extend 40-50 km downstream from the mining area in association with the supply of fine tailings particles that were easily dispersed downstream in the suspended load. Mean concentrations in channel bed and bar sediments ranging from 1400 to 1700 mg kg- 1 for Pb extend 30 km below the mines, while Zn concentrations of 1000-3000 mg kg- 1 extend 20 km downstream. Coarse dolomite fragments in the 2-16 mm channel sediment fraction provide significant storage of Pb and Zn, representing 13-20% of the bulk sediment storage mass in the channel and can contain concentrations of > 4000 mg kg- 1 for Pb and > 1000 mg kg- 1 for Zn. These coarse tailings have been transported a maximum distance of only about 30 km from the source over a period of 120 years for an average of about 250 m/y. About 37% of the Pb and 9% of the Zn that was originally released to the watershed in tailings wastes is still stored in the Big River. A total of 157 million Mg of contaminated sediment is stored along the Big River, with 92% of it located in floodplain deposits that are typically contaminated to depths of 1.5-3.5 m. These contaminated sediments store a total of 188,549 Mg of Pb and 34,299 Mg of Zn, of which 98% of the Pb and 95% of the Zn are stored in floodplain

Remote Sensing based multi-temporal observation of North Korea mining activities : A case study of Rakyeon mine

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, J. H.; Yu, J.; Koh, S. M.; Lee, G.

2017-12-01

Mining is a major industrial business of North Korea accounting for significant portion of an export for North Korean economy. However, due to its veiled political system, details of mining activities of North Korea is rarely known. This study investigated mining activities of Rakyeon Au-Ag mine, North Korea based on remote sensing based multi-temporal observation. To monitor the mining activities, CORONA data acquired in 1960s and 1970s, SPOT and Landsat data acquired in 1980s and 1990s and KOMPSAT-2 data acquired in 2010s are utilized. The results show that mining activities of Rakyeon mine continuously carried out for the observation period expanding tailing areas of the mine. However, its expanding rate varies between the period related to North Korea's economic and political situations.

Environmental laws for mining activities in Provincia de San Juan (Argentina), gravel mines exploitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez, M.; Carrascosa, H.

2007-01-01

This paper analyses San Juan Province - Argentina prevailing environmental legislation for mining activity and gravel mines. The study focuses the subject from a mining engineering point of view. (author)

Active mines in Arizona - 1993. Directory 40

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, K.A.; Niemuth, N.J.; Bain, D.R.

1992-01-01

A directory of the active mines in Arizona is presented. The directory was compiled in November, 1992 from field visits and information received by the Department's technical staff. For the purpose of this directory, an active mine is defined as a mine in continuous operation, either in production or under full-time development for production. Custom milling operations that are active or available on a full-time basis are also included in the directory. It is acknowledged that there are additional mines not listed that are in an exploration, evaluation, or part-time development phase. There are others where production is on an intermittent basis that are not listed. The report is dependent on the cooperation of government agencies, private industry, and individuals who voluntarily provide information on their projects and activities. The directory is arranged alphabetically by company name. Each listing includes corporate addresses, mine name and location, operation description, and key personnel. The listing for the sand and gravel operations include name, address, and phone number

Actual Uranium Exploration and Mining Activities in Niger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kache, Mamane

2014-01-01

Conclusion: Since the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in 2011, many mining companies are not interested in uranium. It leads to the decrease in uranium spot price and the delay of IMOURAREN Project. Only, 47 exploration licenses for 12 mining companies are now valid in Niger.

The financial assurance of obliteration of mining activity consequences

OpenAIRE

Jaroslav Dvořáček

2004-01-01

The contribution deals with the financing of the obliteration of the mining activity consequences process which is considered as the general problem of mining industry connected with the mining activity completion. It deals with the existing law solution of this sphere in the Czech Republic and the changes expected. The procedures of the resources ensuring for the mining activity consequences obliteration used in abroad are mentioned here.

Assessment of Trace Metals in Soil, Vegetation and Rodents in Relation to Metal Mining Activities in an Arid Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Méndez-Rodríguez, Lia C; Alvarez-Castañeda, Sergio Ticul

2016-07-01

Areas where abandoned metal-extraction mines are located contain large quantities of mineral wastes derived from environmentally unsafe mining practices. These wastes contain many pollutants, such as heavy metals, which could be released to the environment through weathering and leaching, hence becoming an important source of environmental metal pollution. This study evaluates differences in the levels of lead, iron, nickel, manganese, copper and cadmium in rodents sharing the same type of diet under different microhabitat use in arid areas with past mining activities. Samples of soil, roots, branches and seeds of Palo Adán (Fouquieria diguetii) and specimens of two rodent species (Chaetodipus arenarius and C. spinatus) were collected in areas with impact from past metal mining activities as well as from areas with no mining impact. Both rodent species mirrored nickel and iron levels in soil and seeds, as well as lead levels in soil; however, C. arenarius accumulated higher levels of manganese, copper and cadmium.

Assessment of water resources in lead-zinc mined areas in Cherokee County, Kansas, and adjacent areas

Science.gov (United States)

Spruill, Timothy B.

1987-01-01

A study was conducted to evaluate water-resources problems related to abandoned lead and zinc mines in Cherokee County, Kansas, and adjacent areas in Missouri and Oklahoma. Past mining activities have caused changes in the hydrogeology of the area. Lead and zinc mining has caused discontinuities and perforations in the confining shale west of the Pennsylvanian-Mississippian geologic contact (referred to as the western area), which have created artificial ground-water recharge and discharge areas. Recharge to the shallow aquifer (rocks of Mississippian age) through collapses, shafts, and drill holes in the shale has caused the formation of a ground-water 'mound' in the vicinity of the Picher Field in Kansas and Oklahoma. Discharge of mine-contaminated ground water to Tar Creek occurs in Oklahoma from drill holes and shafts where the potentiometric surface of the shallow aquifer is above the land surface. Mining of ore in the shallow aquifer has resulted in extensive fracturing and removal of material, which has created highly transmissive zones and voids and increased ground-water storage properties of the aquifer. In the area east of the Pennsylvanian-Mississippian geologic contact (referred to as the eastern area), fractured rock and tailings on the land surface increased the amount of water available for infiltration to the shallow aquifer; in the western area, tailings on the impermeable shale created artificial, perched aquifer systems that slowly drain to surface streams. Pumping of the deep aquifer (rocks of Cambrian and Ordovician age) by towns and industries, which developed as a result of the mining industry, has resulted in a potential for downward movement of water from the shallow aquifer. The potential is greatest in Ottawa County, Oklahoma. Because of the large volume of water that may be transported from the shallow to the deep aquifer, open drill holes or casings present the greatest contamination hazard to water supplies in the deep aquifer. Mining

Wastes from former mining and milling activities in Tajikistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirsaidov, U.M.

2012-01-01

This article is devoted to wastes from former mining and milling activities in Tajikistan. Currently, the serious radiological and ecological problems in Tajikistan are uranium mining and milling activities consequences overcoming which intensively developed during the soviet period. After the collapse of USSR, the uranic ores extraction in Tajikistan stopped due to deposit's output completion on the territory of the republic. Remediation of mining and milling activities' sites became the most urgent once all mines were closed.

Contamination of wells completed in the Roubidoux aquifer by abandoned zinc and lead mines, Ottawa County, Oklahoma

Science.gov (United States)

Christenson, Scott C.

1995-01-01

The Roubidoux aquifer in Ottawa County Oklahoma is used extensively as a source of water for public supplies, commerce, industry, and rural water districts. Water in the Roubidoux aquifer in eastern Ottawa County has relatively low dissolved-solids concentrations (less than 200 mg/L) with calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate as the major ions. The Boone Formation is stratigraphically above the Roubidoux aquifer and is the host rock for zinc and lead sulfide ores, with the richest deposits located in the vicinity of the City of Picher. Mining in what became known as the Picher mining district began in the early 1900's and continued until about 1970. The water in the abandoned zinc and lead mines contains high concentrations of calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, sulfate, fluoride, cadmium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc. Water from the abandoned mines is a potential source of contamination to the Roubidoux aquifer and to wells completed in the Roubidoux aquifer. Water samples were collected from wells completed in the Roubidoux aquifer in the Picher mining district and from wells outside the mining district to determine if 10 public supply wells in the mining district are contaminated. The chemical analyses indicate that at least 7 of the 10 public supply wells in the Picher mining district are contaminated by mine water. Application of the Mann-Whitney test indicated that the concentrations of some chemical constituents that are indicators of mine-water contamination are different in water samples from wells in the mining area as compared to wells outside the mining area. Application of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that the concentrations of some chemical constituents that are indicators of mine-water contamination were higher in current (1992-93) data than in historic (1981-83) data, except for pH, which was lower in current than in historic data. pH and sulfate, alkalinity, bicarbonate, magnesium, iron, and tritium concentrations consistently

Mining activities at Neyveli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boopathy, P.V.; Rathinavel, R.

1993-01-01

Mining activities at lignite areas around Neyveli are described. Measures taken to safeguard the environment from despoliation of land, air pollution, noise pollution and effluents are described. (M.G.B.)

Sustainability Activities In The Mining Sector: Current Status And Challenges Ahead Limestone Mining In Nusakambangan

Science.gov (United States)

Ayuningrum, Theresia Vika; Purnaweni, Hartuti

2018-02-01

Potential Karst area in Nusakambangan has an important role in maintaining the balance of nature. But with the existence of mining activities, will automatically change the environmental conditions there. In order for the utilization of resources to meet the rules of optimization between the interests of mining and sustainability of the environment so in every mining sector activities required a variety of environmental studies. The purpose of this study is to find out how the analysis of environmental management due to limestone mining activities in Nusakambangan so that it can be known the management of mining areas are optimal, wise based on ecological principles, and sustainability. In qualitative research methods, data analysis using description percentage, with the type of data collected in the form of primary data and secondary data.

Uptake and accumulation of lead by plants from the Bo Ngam lead mine area in Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotkittikhun, P.; Kruatrachue, M.; Chaiyarat, R.; Ngernsansaruay, C.; Pokethitiyook, P.; Paijitprapaporn, A.; Baker, A.J.M.

2006-01-01

A field survey of terrestrial plants growing on Bo Ngam lead mine area, Thailand, was conducted to identify species accumulating exceptionally high concentrations of lead. Plant and soil samples were collected from five areas. Lead concentrations in surface soil ranged from 325 to 142 400 mg/kg. The highest lead concentration in soil was found at the ore dressing plant area and lowest at a natural pond area. In different areas, the concentrations of lead in plants were different when comparing various study sites. A total of 48 plant species belonging to 14 families were collected from five sampling sites. Twenty-six plant species had lead concentrations more than 1000 mg/kg in their shoots. Three species (Microstegium ciliatum, Polygala umbonata, Spermacoce mauritiana) showed extremely high lead concentrations in their shoots (12 200-28 370 mg/kg) and roots (14 580-128 830 mg/kg). - Uptake and accumulation of lead by plants

Revegetation of metalliferous mine spoil contaminated by lead and zinc

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, M S; McNeilly, T; Putwain, P D

1977-04-01

Plant growth and development on metalliferous mine spoil is restricted by the high concentrations of phytotoxic metals and by the low levels of macronutrients in the substrates. Swards established on innocuous amendments applied to the surface of mine spoil deteriorate when roots penetrate to the underlying toxic substratum. This deterioration is attributed to the accumulation of toxic metals. The rate of decline is determined by the inherent fertility of the amendment and the depth to which it is applied. Results of field trials on calcareous and acidic lead/zinc spoils indicate that inert amendments may be more suitable where revegetation is for amenity or recreational purposes. Legumes are essential components of low-maintenance swards established on substrates of low nutrient status.

Geomorphological and hydrological transformation of the landscape due to mining activity in the mining area Bana Dolina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balga, J.; Hroncova, E.

2010-01-01

After more than 150 year history of mining activity in the brown coal mining area Bana Dolina have been produced a range of anthropogenic forms of relief. For reasons of underground coal mining to make interventions in the hydrographic network. Significant changes due to surface mining of coal seams should result in subsidence basins of different sizes, damage to buildings and roads. Mining activity was influenced by agricultural and forestry fund, gardening settlements. All these factors have contributed to the change in relief of the surrounding area. This study aims to research the effects of the largest mining Bana Dolina mining area reflecting the structure of land area. (authors)

Lead immobilization and phosphorus availability in phosphate-amended, mine-contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Osborne, Lydia R; Baker, Leslie L; Strawn, Daniel G

2015-01-01

Over a century of mining activities in the Coeur d'Alene mining district in Idaho have contaminated soils of the downstream basin with lead, arsenic, zinc, and cadmium. Elevated soil-Pb levels are a significant hazard to the health of humans and wildlife in the region. One in situ treatment approach for remediating Pb-contaminated soils is application of phosphorus to promote the formation of lead phosphate minerals that have low solubility. However, this remediation strategy may result in excess P runoff to surface waters, which can lead to eutrophication, particularly when used in riparian areas. Research presented in this paper describes experiments in which monopotassium phosphate (KHPO) solution was applied to two Pb-contaminated soils from the Coeur d'Alene River valley to determine how P loading rates affect both Pb immobilization and P mobility and to determine if an optimal P amendment rate can be predicted. Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure extractions were used to assess changes in Pb availability for uptake by an organism or mobilization through the soil, and Bray extractions were used to assess P availability for leaching out of the soil system. For the two soils tested, increasing phosphate amendment caused decreasing Pb extractability. Phosphorus amendment rates above approximately 70 mg kg, however, did not provide any additional Pb immobilization. Phosphorus availability increased with increasing phosphate application rate. An empirical relationship is presented that predicts extractable Pb as a function of extractable P. This relationship allows for prediction of the amount of Pb that can be immobilized at specified P leaching amounts, such as regulatory levels that have been established to minimize risks for surface water degradation. Results suggest that phosphate can be used to immobilize Pb in contaminated wetland or riparian areas without posing risks of P loading to surface waters. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy

Sulfide oxidation and acid mine drainage formation within two active tailings impoundments in the Golden Quadrangle of the Apuseni Mountains, Romania.

Science.gov (United States)

Sima, Mihaela; Dold, Bernhard; Frei, Linda; Senila, Marin; Balteanu, Dan; Zobrist, Jurg

2011-05-30

Sulfidic mine tailings have to be classified as one of the major source of hazardous materials leading to water contamination. This study highlights the processes leading to sulfide oxidation and acid mine drainage (AMD) formation in the active stage of two tailings impoundments located in the southern part of the Apuseni Mountains, in Romania, a well-known region for its long-term gold-silver and metal mining activity. Sampling was undertaken when both impoundments were still in operation in order to assess their actual stage of oxidation and long-term behavior in terms of the potential for acid mine drainage generation. Both tailings have high potential for AMD formation (2.5 and 3.7 wt.% of pyrite equivalent, respectively) with lesser amount of carbonates (5.6 and 3.6 wt.% of calcite equivalent) as neutralization potential (ABA=-55.6 and -85.1 tCaCO(3)/1000 t ) and showed clear signs of sulfide oxidation yet during operation. Sequential extraction results indicate a stronger enrichment and mobility of elements in the oxidized tailings: Fe as Fe(III) oxy-hydroxides and oxides (transformation from sulfide minerals, leaching in oxidation zone), Ca mainly in water soluble and exchangeable form where gypsum and calcite are dissolved and higher mobility of Cu for Ribita and Pb for Mialu. Two processes leading to the formation of mine drainage at this stage could be highlighted (1) a neutral Fe(II) plume forming in the impoundment with ferrihydrite precipitation at its outcrop and (2) acid mine drainage seeping in the unsaturated zone of the active dam, leading to the formation of schwertmannite at its outcrop. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Open Pit Mining & The Cost of Water Potential Opportunities Towards Sustainable Mining

OpenAIRE

Sébastien J.R. Fortin

2015-01-01

Mining operations require vast quantities of water to run ore processing facilities and thus have a responsibility to manage this critical resource. Operations are often located in areas of limited water supply, which may create a competitive climate for water consumption. Make-up water for mineral processing can represent a significant portion of production cost for mining companies. While necessary for mining, water in open pits is problematic for extraction activities and leads to increase...

Enzyme activity as an indicator of soil-rehabilitation processes at a zinc and lead ore mining and processing area.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciarkowska, Krystyna; Sołek-Podwika, Katarzyna; Wieczorek, Jerzy

2014-01-01

The activities of soil enzymes in relation to the changes occurring in the soil on a degraded area in southern Poland after zinc and lead mining were analyzed. An evaluation of the usefulness of urease and invertase activities for estimating the progress of the rehabilitation processes in degraded soil was performed. The data show that the soil samples differed significantly in organic carbon (0.68-104.0 g kg(-1)) and total nitrogen (0.03-8.64 g kg(-1)) content in their surface horizons. All of the soil samples (apart from one covered with forest) had very high total concentrations of zinc (4050-10,884 mg kg(-1)), lead (959-6661 mg kg(-1)) and cadmium (24.4-174.3 mg kg(-1)) in their surface horizons, and similar concentrations in their deeper horizons. Nevertheless, the amounts of the soluble forms of the above-mentioned heavy metals were quite low and they accounted for only a small percentage of the total concentrations: 1.4% for Zn, 0.01% for Pb and 2.6% for Cd. Urease activities were ranked as follows: soil from flotation settler (0.88-1.78 μg N-NH4(+) 2h(-1) g(-1))slag heaps (1.77-2.51 μg N-NH4(+) 2h(-1) g(-1))slag heaps, ranging from 20.5 to 77.1mg of the inverted sugar, but they were much lower in soil from the flotation settler (0.12-6.95 mg of the inverted sugar). The results demonstrated that heavy pollution with Zn, Pb and Cd slightly decreased the activities of urease and invertase. It is thought that it resulted from the enzyme reactions occurring in slightly acidic or alkaline soil conditions. Under such conditions, heavy metals occur mainly in insoluble forms. The activities of these enzymes are strongly dependent on the content and decomposition of organic matter in the soil. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimation of active rockburst prevention effectiveness during longwall mining under disadvantageous geological and mining conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Łukasz Wojtecki

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Underground longwall mining of coal seams in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin is currently being carried out under increasingly difficult geological and mining conditions. Mining depth, dislocations and mining remnants are the main factors responsible for the most significant rockburst hazard, which can be minimized via the use of active and passive rockburst prevention. Active rockburst prevention in longwalls is usually based on blasting, in order to either destress local stress concentrations in the rock mass or to fracture the thick layers of strong roof rocks to prevent or minimize the impact of high energy tremors on excavations. The accurate estimation of active rockburst prevention effectiveness is particularly important when mining under disadvantageous geological and mining conditions, which are associated with high levels of this hazard. The efficiency of blasting applied for this purpose is typically evaluated from the seismic effect, which is calculated based on seismic monitoring data and the weight of the charged explosive. This method, as used previously in the Czech Republic, was adopted in the present study to analyze conditions occurring in a Polish hard coal mine in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Parameters of long hole destress blastings in roof rocks (torpedo blastings from the face of the assigned longwall in coal seam no. 507 were correct a success according to the seismic effect method and corresponded to observations made in situ. The analytical method presented enables the rapid estimation of destress blasting effectiveness and could also be useful when determining appropriate active rockburst prevention.

Blood lead concentrations in wild birds from a polluted mining region at Villa de La Paz, San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapa-Vargas, Leonardo; Mejia-Saavedra, Jose J; Monzalvo-Santos, Karina; Puebla-Olivares, Fernando

2010-01-01

This investigation was undertaken to determine the concentrations of lead in bird blood samples from a mining region in central Mexico and to compare concentrations among several different feeding guilds. The study took place in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi in a region known as "Villa de la Paz." This is one of the most intensely exploited mining regions in central Mexico and has been actively mined for over four centuries. Lead concentrations from bird blood samples taken from four polluted sites were significantly higher than those from a control, unpolluted site (F = 6.3, P birds from a highly polluted site were higher than those from a site that has intermediate pollution levels (P birds had significantly lower lead concentrations compared to granivores, frugivores-insectivores, and omnivores (F = 4.86, P = 0.004), and a large proportion of all individuals had blood lead concentrations indicative of low, sub-lethal toxic effects. Finally, in two polluted sites, remarkably small numbers of insectivore-frugivores, and granivores were trapped, and in one polluted site a large number of insectivores was trapped (X(2) = 29.9, P = 0.03), and no differences in proportions of migrants and non-migrants were found among sampling sites (X(2) = 0.6, P = 0.96). To date, it has not been determined to what extent constant exposure to these levels of pollution can influence health at the individual level, lifespan, and, therefore, population demography of birds from this region.

Mining and mining authorities in Saarland 2016. Mining economy, mining technology, occupational safety, environmental protection, statistics, mining authority activities. Annual report; Bergbau und Bergbehoerden im Saarland 2016. Bergwirtschaft, Bergtechnik, Arbeitsschutz, Umweltschutz, Statistiken, Taetigkeiten der Bergbehoerden. Jahresbericht

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2016-07-01

The annual report of the Saarland Upper Mining Authority provides an insight into the activities of mining authorities. Especially, the development of the black coal mining, safety and technology of mining as well as the correlation between mining and environment are stressed.

Linking geology and health sciences to assess childhood lead poisoning from artisanal gold mining in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Plumlee, Geoffrey S.; Durant, James T.; Morman, Suzette A.; Neri, Antonio; Wolf, Ruth E.; Dooyema, Carrie A.; Hageman, Philip L.; Lowers, Heather; Fernette, Gregory L.; Meeker, Gregory P.; Benzel, William M.; Driscoll, Rhonda L.; Berry, Cyrus J.; Crock, James G.; Goldstein, Harland L.; Adams, Monique; Bartrem, Casey L.; Tirima, Simba; Behrooz, Behbod; von Lindern, Ian; Brown, Mary Jean

2013-01-01

Background: In 2010, Médecins Sans Frontières discovered a lead poisoning outbreak linked to artisanal gold processing in northwestern Nigeria. The outbreak has killed approximately 400 young children and affected thousands more. Objectives: Our aim was to undertake an interdisciplinary geological- and health-science assessment to clarify lead sources and exposure pathways, identify additional toxicants of concern and populations at risk, and examine potential for similar lead poisoning globally. Methods: We applied diverse analytical methods to ore samples, soil and sweep samples from villages and family compounds, and plant foodstuff samples. Results: Natural weathering of lead-rich gold ores before mining formed abundant, highly gastric-bioaccessible lead carbonates. The same fingerprint of lead minerals found in all sample types confirms that ore processing caused extreme contamination, with up to 185,000 ppm lead in soils/sweep samples and up to 145 ppm lead in plant foodstuffs. Incidental ingestion of soils via hand-to-mouth transmission and of dusts cleared from the respiratory tract is the dominant exposure pathway. Consumption of water and foodstuffs contaminated by the processing is likely lesser, but these are still significant exposure pathways. Although young children suffered the most immediate and severe consequences, results indicate that older children, adult workers, pregnant women, and breastfed infants are also at risk for lead poisoning. Mercury, arsenic, manganese, antimony, and crystalline silica exposures pose additional health threats. Conclusions: Results inform ongoing efforts in Nigeria to assess lead contamination and poisoning, treat victims, mitigate exposures, and remediate contamination. Ore deposit geology, pre-mining weathering, and burgeoning artisanal mining may combine to cause similar lead poisoning disasters elsewhere globally.

Linking geological and health sciences to assess childhood lead poisoning from artisanal gold mining in Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Plumlee, Geoffrey S; Durant, James T; Morman, Suzette A; Neri, Antonio; Wolf, Ruth E; Dooyema, Carrie A; Hageman, Philip L; Lowers, Heather A; Fernette, Gregory L; Meeker, Gregory P; Benzel, William M; Driscoll, Rhonda L; Berry, Cyrus J; Crock, James G; Goldstein, Harland L; Adams, Monique; Bartrem, Casey L; Tirima, Simba; Behbod, Behrooz; von Lindern, Ian; Brown, Mary Jean

2013-06-01

In 2010, Médecins Sans Frontières discovered a lead poisoning outbreak linked to artisanal gold processing in northwestern Nigeria. The outbreak has killed approximately 400 young children and affected thousands more. Our aim was to undertake an interdisciplinary geological- and health-science assessment to clarify lead sources and exposure pathways, identify additional toxicants of concern and populations at risk, and examine potential for similar lead poisoning globally. We applied diverse analytical methods to ore samples, soil and sweep samples from villages and family compounds, and plant foodstuff samples. Natural weathering of lead-rich gold ores before mining formed abundant, highly gastric-bioaccessible lead carbonates. The same fingerprint of lead minerals found in all sample types confirms that ore processing caused extreme contamination, with up to 185,000 ppm lead in soils/sweep samples and up to 145 ppm lead in plant foodstuffs. Incidental ingestion of soils via hand-to-mouth transmission and of dusts cleared from the respiratory tract is the dominant exposure pathway. Consumption of water and foodstuffs contaminated by the processing is likely lesser, but these are still significant exposure pathways. Although young children suffered the most immediate and severe consequences, results indicate that older children, adult workers, pregnant women, and breastfed infants are also at risk for lead poisoning. Mercury, arsenic, manganese, antimony, and crystalline silica exposures pose additional health threats. Results inform ongoing efforts in Nigeria to assess lead contamination and poisoning, treat victims, mitigate exposures, and remediate contamination. Ore deposit geology, pre-mining weathering, and burgeoning artisanal mining may combine to cause similar lead poisoning disasters elsewhere globally.

Linking Geological and Health Sciences to Assess Childhood Lead Poisoning from Artisanal Gold Mining in Nigeria

Science.gov (United States)

Durant, James T.; Morman, Suzette A.; Neri, Antonio; Wolf, Ruth E.; Dooyema, Carrie A.; Hageman, Philip L.; Lowers, Heather A.; Fernette, Gregory L.; Meeker, Gregory P.; Benzel, William M.; Driscoll, Rhonda L.; Berry, Cyrus J.; Crock, James G.; Goldstein, Harland L.; Adams, Monique; Bartrem, Casey L.; Tirima, Simba; Behbod, Behrooz; von Lindern, Ian; Brown, Mary Jean

2013-01-01

Background: In 2010, Médecins Sans Frontières discovered a lead poisoning outbreak linked to artisanal gold processing in northwestern Nigeria. The outbreak has killed approximately 400 young children and affected thousands more. Objectives: Our aim was to undertake an interdisciplinary geological- and health-science assessment to clarify lead sources and exposure pathways, identify additional toxicants of concern and populations at risk, and examine potential for similar lead poisoning globally. Methods: We applied diverse analytical methods to ore samples, soil and sweep samples from villages and family compounds, and plant foodstuff samples. Results: Natural weathering of lead-rich gold ores before mining formed abundant, highly gastric-bioaccessible lead carbonates. The same fingerprint of lead minerals found in all sample types confirms that ore processing caused extreme contamination, with up to 185,000 ppm lead in soils/sweep samples and up to 145 ppm lead in plant foodstuffs. Incidental ingestion of soils via hand-to-mouth transmission and of dusts cleared from the respiratory tract is the dominant exposure pathway. Consumption of water and foodstuffs contaminated by the processing is likely lesser, but these are still significant exposure pathways. Although young children suffered the most immediate and severe consequences, results indicate that older children, adult workers, pregnant women, and breastfed infants are also at risk for lead poisoning. Mercury, arsenic, manganese, antimony, and crystalline silica exposures pose additional health threats. Conclusions: Results inform ongoing efforts in Nigeria to assess lead contamination and poisoning, treat victims, mitigate exposures, and remediate contamination. Ore deposit geology, pre-mining weathering, and burgeoning artisanal mining may combine to cause similar lead poisoning disasters elsewhere globally. PMID:23524139

Design criteria applicable to the environmental restoration of sites affected by uranium mining activities in the past

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carboneras, P.; Sanchez, M.

1993-01-01

In this paper the authors discuss the basic aspects to be considered while evaluating different alternatives to perform environmental restoration of sites affected by naturally occurring radionuclides, enhanced by human actions, as is the case in some old uranium mining activities. The discussion is confined to sites where radiation hazards had existed forever (sites with uranium deposits) and where the mining activities have introduced several factors modifying the initial situation, leading to the now existing one, requiring intervention as decided by the relevant authorities, in accordance with recommendations of ICRP60

Design criteria applicable to the environmental restoration of sites affected by uranium mining activities in the past

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carboneras, P. [ENRESA, Madrid (Spain); Sanchez, M. [INITEC, Madrid (Spain)

1993-12-31

In this paper the authors discuss the basic aspects to be considered while evaluating different alternatives to perform environmental restoration of sites affected by naturally occurring radionuclides, enhanced by human actions, as is the case in some old uranium mining activities. The discussion is confined to sites where radiation hazards had existed forever (sites with uranium deposits) and where the mining activities have introduced several factors modifying the initial situation, leading to the now existing one, requiring intervention as decided by the relevant authorities, in accordance with recommendations of ICRP60.

Environmental arsenic, cadmium and lead dust emissions from metal mine operations: Implications for environmental management, monitoring and human health

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, Mark Patrick, E-mail: mark.taylor@mq.edu.au; Mould, Simon Anthony; Kristensen, Louise Jane; Rouillon, Marek

2014-11-15

Although blood lead values in children are predominantly falling globally, there are locations where lead exposure remains a persistent problem. One such location is Broken Hill, Australia, where the percentage of blood lead values >10 μg/dL in children aged 1–4 years has risen from 12.6% (2010), to 13% (2011) to 21% (2012). The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of metal contamination in places accessible to children. This study examines contemporary exposure risks from arsenic, cadmium, lead, silver and zinc in surface soil and dust, and in pre- and post-play hand wipes at six playgrounds across Broken Hill over a 5-day period in September 2013. Soil lead (mean 2,450 mg/kg) and zinc (mean 3,710 mg/kg) were the most elevated metals in playgrounds. Surface dust lead concentrations were consistently elevated (mean 27,500 μg/m{sup 2}) with the highest lead in surface dust (59,900 μg/m{sup 2}) and post-play hand wipes (60,900 μg/m{sup 2}) recorded close to existing mining operations. Surface and post-play hand wipe dust values exceeded national guidelines for lead and international benchmarks for arsenic, cadmium and lead. Lead isotopic compositions ({sup 206}Pb/{sup 207}Pb, {sup 208}Pb/{sup 207}Pb) of surface dust wipes from the playgrounds revealed the source of lead contamination to be indistinct from the local Broken Hill ore body. The data suggest frequent, cumulative and ongoing mine-derived dust metal contamination poses a serious risk of harm to children. - Highlights: 1.Playground soils and surface dust in a mining town have high metal concentrations. 2.Elevated levels of As, Cd, Pb and Zn dust are found on playground users′ hands. 3.Pb isotope analysis shows that the source of playground dust is ore body Pb. 4.Surface mine operations must be contained to reduce childhood lead exposure risks. 5.Mine environmental licences need to set trigger values for As, Cd, Pb and Zn dust.

Environmental arsenic, cadmium and lead dust emissions from metal mine operations: Implications for environmental management, monitoring and human health

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, Mark Patrick; Mould, Simon Anthony; Kristensen, Louise Jane; Rouillon, Marek

2014-01-01

Although blood lead values in children are predominantly falling globally, there are locations where lead exposure remains a persistent problem. One such location is Broken Hill, Australia, where the percentage of blood lead values >10 μg/dL in children aged 1–4 years has risen from 12.6% (2010), to 13% (2011) to 21% (2012). The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of metal contamination in places accessible to children. This study examines contemporary exposure risks from arsenic, cadmium, lead, silver and zinc in surface soil and dust, and in pre- and post-play hand wipes at six playgrounds across Broken Hill over a 5-day period in September 2013. Soil lead (mean 2,450 mg/kg) and zinc (mean 3,710 mg/kg) were the most elevated metals in playgrounds. Surface dust lead concentrations were consistently elevated (mean 27,500 μg/m 2 ) with the highest lead in surface dust (59,900 μg/m 2 ) and post-play hand wipes (60,900 μg/m 2 ) recorded close to existing mining operations. Surface and post-play hand wipe dust values exceeded national guidelines for lead and international benchmarks for arsenic, cadmium and lead. Lead isotopic compositions ( 206 Pb/ 207 Pb, 208 Pb/ 207 Pb) of surface dust wipes from the playgrounds revealed the source of lead contamination to be indistinct from the local Broken Hill ore body. The data suggest frequent, cumulative and ongoing mine-derived dust metal contamination poses a serious risk of harm to children. - Highlights: 1.Playground soils and surface dust in a mining town have high metal concentrations. 2.Elevated levels of As, Cd, Pb and Zn dust are found on playground users′ hands. 3.Pb isotope analysis shows that the source of playground dust is ore body Pb. 4.Surface mine operations must be contained to reduce childhood lead exposure risks. 5.Mine environmental licences need to set trigger values for As, Cd, Pb and Zn dust

The lead mine in Colmenar del Arroyo (Spain); La mineria de plomo en Colmenar del Arroyo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jorda Bordehore, L.

2003-07-01

The present article is a circuit through the history of various abandoned lead mines at 40 km away from the city of Madrid. These mineralizations are located at the South Est limit of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range in the Center of Spain. The deposits were exploited by test pits and small underground mines since the 16th Century till 1971. These small exploitations have a remarkable interest from a cultural point of view due to them having both a geologic value and historic mining-industrial heritage. Due to their proximity to the capital, these mines and out-crops can be exploited for didactic purposes. (Author)

Injury Surveillance and Safety Considerations for Large-Format Lead-Acid Batteries Used in Mining Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, Miguel Angel; Novak, Thomas

2016-03-01

Large lead-acid batteries are predominantly used throughout the mining industry to power haulage, utility, and personnel-carrier vehicles. Without proper operation and maintenance, the use of these batteries can introduce mechanical and electrical hazards, particularly in the confined, and potentially dangerous, environment of an underground coal mine. A review of the Mine Safety and Health Administration accident/illness/injury database reveals that a significant number of injuries occur during the maintenance and repair of lead-acid batteries. These injuries include burns from electrical arcing and acid exposure, as well as strained muscles and crushed hands. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health investigated the design and implementation of these batteries to identify safety interventions that can mitigate these inherent hazards. This paper promotes practical design modifications, such as reducing the size and weight of battery assembly lids in conjunction with lift assists, as well as using five-pole cable connectors to improve safety.

BLM Colorado Mining Claims Active

Data.gov (United States)

Department of the Interior — Shapefile Format –This data set consists of active mining claim records extracted from BLM’s LR2000 database. These records contain case attributes as well as legal...

The lead isotopic composition of dust in the vicinity of a uranium mine in northern Australia and its use for radiation dose assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bollhoefer, Andreas; Honeybun, Russell; Rosman, Kevin; Martin, Paul

2006-01-01

Airborne lead isotope ratios were measured via Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry in samples from the vicinity of Ranger uranium mine in northern Australia. Dust deposited on leaves of Acacia spp. was washed off and analysed to gain a geographical snapshot of lead isotope ratios in the region. Aerosols were also collected on Teflon filters that were changed monthly over one seasonal cycle using a low volume diaphragm pump. Lead isotope ratios in dust deposited on leaves overestimate the relative amount of mine origin airborne lead, most likely due to a difference of the size distribution of particles collected on leaves and true aerosol size distribution. Seasonal measurements show that the annual average mine contribution to airborne lead concentrations in Jabiru East, approximately 2.5 km northwest of the mine, amounted to 13%, with distinct differences between the wet and dry season. The relative contribution of mine origin lead deposited on leaves in the dry season drops to less than 1% at a distance of 12.5 km from the mine along the major wind direction. An approach is outlined, in which lead isotope ratios are used to estimate the effective radiation dose received from the inhalation of mine origin radioactivity trapped in or on dust. Using the data from our study, this dose has been calculated to be approximately 2 μSv year -1 for people living and working in the area

Study by lead isotope method of a vein : Sobrado of the Boquira mine (Bahia State, Brazil)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cassedanne, J.P.; Duthou, J.-L.; Clermont-Ferrand Univ., 63

1981-01-01

Fourteen samples of galena from the Sobrado vein, Boquira mine (Bahia) are analysed. Lead isotope compositions show an irregular variation from the central part to the extremidades. They are the result of a mixture of lead from normal galenas and lead which aparent U/Pb ratio are higher. (ARHC) [pt

Forest ecosystem and mining activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badrinath, S.D.; Chakraborty, A.; Khan, S.

1994-01-01

The Indian sub-continent has a tremendous diversity of plant and animal species. About 80,000 species of animals and 15,000 species of flowering plants have so far been described from India. Profound changes have taken place in this era, the changes driven by an unprecedented level of human demands for the resources. One major crisis is the loss of biological diversity. Tropical moist forest tracts harbouring the bulk of this diversity is of main concern. Many countries largely from tropical belts have been identified as megadiversity countries, for biodiversity conservation. India is one of them. Conserving India's heritage of biodiversity is a great challenge, with large biomass needs of its huge rural population and exploding resource demands of its growing urban-industrial-intensive agricultural sector. One such major impact on the biological diversity is mining. Main environmental problems of mining are deforestation, land damage, visual intrusion, and disturbance of hydrological systems. Opencast mining, specially with multi-seam or steep deposits involves creation of external overburden dumps which destroys further lands and causes visual intrusion. The present paper highlights a few case studies carried out to understand the biological environmental impact assessment due to mining activity and also discusses the management plan for eco-restoration of the mined areas and degraded lands. 3 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs

The Positive Environmental Contribution of Jarosite by Retaining Lead in Acid Mine Drainage Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teresa Pereira da Silva

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Jarosite, KFe3(SO42(OH6, is a secondary iron sulphate often found in acid mine drainage (AMD environments, particularly in mining wastes from polymetallic sulphide ore deposits. Despite the negative environmental connotation usually ascribed to secondary sulphate minerals due to the release of hazardous elements to aquifers and soils, jarosite acts as an efficient remover and immobilizer of such metals, particularly lead. The mineral chemistry of jarosite is reviewed and the results of a Fe K-edge XANES (X-Ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure study of K-, Na- and Pb-jarosite are described and discussed within the context of the abandoned old mines of São Domingos and Aljustrel located in southern Portugal, in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB.

Geochemical Weathering Increases Lead Bioaccessibility in Semi-Arid Mine Tailings

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Sarah M.; Webb, Sam M.; Bargar, John R.; O'Day, Peggy A.; Maier, Raina M.; Chorover, Jon

2012-01-01

Mine tailings can host elevated concentrations of toxic metal(loid)s that represent a significant hazard to surrounding communities and ecosystems. Eolian transport, capable of translocating small (micrometer-sized) particles, can be the dominant mechanism of toxic metal dispersion in arid or semi-arid landscapes. Human exposure to metals can then occur via direct inhalation or ingestion of particulates. The fact that measured doses of total lead (Pb) in geomedia correlate poorly with blood Pb levels highlights a need to better resolve the precise distribution of molecularly-speciated metal-bearing phases in the complex particle mixtures. Species distribution controls bioaccessibility, thereby directly impacting health risk. This study seeks to correlate Pb-containing particle size and mineral composition with lability and bioaccessibility in mine tailings subjected to weathering in a semi-arid environment. We employed X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), coupled with sequential chemical extractions, to study Pb speciation in tailings from the semi-arid Arizona Klondyke State Superfund Site. Representative samples ranging in pH from 2.6 to 5.4 were selected for in-depth study of Pb solid-phase speciation. The principle lead-bearing phase was plumbojarosite (PbFe6(SO4)4(OH)12), but anglesite (PbSO4) and iron oxide-sorbed Pb were also observed. Anglesite, the most bioavailable mineral species of lead identified in this study, was enriched in surficial tailings samples, where Pb concentrations in the clay size fraction were 2–3 times higher by mass relative to bulk. A mobile and bioaccessible Pb phase accumulates in surficial tailings, with a corresponding increase in risk of human exposure to atmospheric particles. PMID:22553941

The landscape degradation in the mining sites with suspended activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anca IONCE

2009-08-01

Full Text Available The extracting industry, through its extraction activities, of shipping the ores, of breaking the ores, of preparing the practical substances, of stowing the useless rock, of transporting the practical substances, etc. might modify the area’s relief and the quality of ground, of thesurface waters and of the air. Suceava County has an old tradition of mining, where the results of this activity are visible, especially the visual point of view, and where not taking certain measures of ecological remediation will emphasize the disappointing image of the landscape within the areas of mining activity performing.The predominant mountainous landscape, in which mining activities have been held, is being affected also by the abandoned industrial and administrative buildings, in an advanced degradation state.The hydrographic system, very rich in mining areas, has its water quality affected by the acid rock drainage- phenomenon which appeared in many mining waste deposits.

Biochemical effects of lead, zinc, and cadmium from mining on fish in the Tri-States district of northeastern Oklahoma, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitt, Christopher J.; Whyte, Jeffrey J.; Brumbaugh, William G.; Tillitt, Donald E.

2005-01-01

We assessed the exposure of fish from the Spring and Neosho Rivers in northeast Oklahoma, USA, to lead, zinc, and cadmium from historical mining in the Tri-States Mining District (TSMD). Fish (n = 74) representing six species were collected in October 2001 from six sites on the Spring and Neosho Rivers influenced to differing degrees by mining. Additional samples were obtained from the Big River, a heavily contaminated stream in eastern Missouri, USA, and from reference sites. Blood from each fish was analyzed for Pb, Zn, Cd, Fe, and hemoglobin (Hb). Blood also was analyzed for ??-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) activity. The activity of ALA-D, an enzyme involved in heme synthesis, is inhibited by Pb. Concentrations of Fe and Hb were highly correlated (r = 0.89, p < 0.01) across all species and locations and typically were greater in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) than in other taxa. Concentrations of Pb, Zn, and Cd typically were greatest in fish from sites most heavily affected by mining and lowest in reference samples. The activity of ALA-D, but not concentrations of Hb or Fe, also differed significantly (p < 0.01) among sites and species. Enzyme activity was lowest in fish from mining-contaminated sites and greatest in reference fish, and was correlated negatively with Pb in most species. Statistically significant (p < 0.01) linear regression models that included negative terms for blood Pb explained as much as 68% of the total variation in ALA-D activity, but differences among taxa were highly evident. Positive correlations with Zn were documented in the combined data for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), as has been reported for other taxa, but not in bass (Micropterus spp.) or carp. In channel catfish, ALA-D activity appeared to be more sensitive to blood Pb than in the other species investigated (i.e., threshold concentrations for inhibition were lower). Such among-species differences are consistent

Tracing toxic elements sources using lead isotopes: An example from the San Antonio–El Triunfo mining district, Baja California Sur, México

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutiérrez-Caminero, Leopoldo; Weber, Bodo; Wurl, Jobst; Carrera-Muñoz, Mariela

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Provenance of toxic elements is investigated in a basin close to the mining district. • Stable lead isotope analyses assist to distinguish between sources of toxic elements. • Two major sources are identified: mine tailings and fault bounded mineralization. • There is evidence in the detritus of a different natural lead component. • An additional anthropogenic lead input is detectable from the soluble phases. - Abstract: Pollution of sediments and water bodies with toxic elements around the San Antonio–El Triunfo mining district, Baja California Sur, México is probably sourced from the tailings of abandoned mines that are hosted in mineralized Cretaceous granitoids. However, there is evidence to suggest local hot springs related to recent faults may be an additional source for contamination in the area. In this study, lead isotope signatures are applied to draw conclusions with regard to potential sources of toxic elements. Lead isotope ratios were analyzed from sulfides and scoria from the abandoned mines, fluvial sediments, and igneous rocks with secondary disseminated mineralization. To differentiate between superposed secondary and residual primary lead, leaching experiments were performed, and both leachate and residues were analyzed separately. Most of the residues from sediment samples have lead isotope ratios similar to those from the sulfides and scoria of the mining district, indicating that most of the lead in the detritus is related to the mineralized plutons. However, there is evidence of an additional detrital component. Lead isotope ratios from the leachates indicate a different source for the superimposed lead that is best explained by the contamination with the average Mexican industrial lead. Secondary disseminated mineralization that is related to younger, deep structures (hot springs) has different lead isotope ratios compared to massive vein sulfides and accounts for a significant amount in areas with high

Environmental risk assessment of lead-zinc mining: a case study of Adudu metallogenic province, middle Benue Trough, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Igwe, Ogbonnaya; Una, Chuku Okoro; Abu, Ezekiel; Adepehin, Ekundayo Joseph

2017-09-07

Assessment of the impacts of lead-zinc mining in Adudu-Imon metallogenic province was carried out. Reconnaissance and detailed field studies were done. Lithologies, stream sediments, farmland soils, mine tailings, artificial pond water, stream water, well water, and borehole water were collected and subjected to atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses. Geochemical maps were generated using ArcGIS 10.1. Significant contamination with cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), and lead (Pb) was recorded in the collected water samples. Virtually all collected soil samples were observed to be highly contaminated when compared with the European Union environmental policy standard. The discharge of mining effluents through farmlands to the Bakebu stream, which drains the area, further exposes the dwellers of this environment to the accumulation of potentially harmful metals (PHMs) in their bodies through the consumption of food crops, aquatic animals, and domestic uses of the water collected from the stream channels. The study revealed non-conformity of past mining operations in the Adudu-Imon province to existing mining laws in Nigeria. Inhabitants of this region should stop farming in the vicinity of the mines, fishing from the Bakebu stream channels should be discouraged, and domestic use of the water should be condemned, even as concerned government agencies put necessary mercenaries in place to ensure conformity of miners to standard mining regulations in Nigeria.

Mine Ventilation System Variable Resistance Regulate Air Quantity Economy and Its Impacts on Artisanal Mine in Ivory Coast

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kouame Kouame Arthur Joseph

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The artisanal gold mining is one of the major illegal activities in Ivory Coast. Thousands of indigents and foreigners including men, women and children are involved in this dangerous activity. Contracting contagious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and multiple lung diseases are commonplace on the artisanal mining sites due to air pollution. For this reason, the differential analysis, research mine ventilation system by changing the working windage adjustment for air flow of the economy, identifies factors, obtained discriminant variable resistance air volume control economic quantitative criteria for underground actual situation of joint variable resistance method and economic variable resistance than the concept of the development of effective mine ventilation system to improve air quantity adjusting rheostat economical way. The findings of this study can help lead to better safety practices in mining in order to improve the health and safety of the miners who are involved in artisanal mining activities in Ivory Coast and other mining sites over the world.

Genetic Algorithm Calibration of Probabilistic Cellular Automata for Modeling Mining Permit Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Louis, S.J.; Raines, G.L.

2003-01-01

We use a genetic algorithm to calibrate a spatially and temporally resolved cellular automata to model mining activity on public land in Idaho and western Montana. The genetic algorithm searches through a space of transition rule parameters of a two dimensional cellular automata model to find rule parameters that fit observed mining activity data. Previous work by one of the authors in calibrating the cellular automaton took weeks - the genetic algorithm takes a day and produces rules leading to about the same (or better) fit to observed data. These preliminary results indicate that genetic algorithms are a viable tool in calibrating cellular automata for this application. Experience gained during the calibration of this cellular automata suggests that mineral resource information is a critical factor in the quality of the results. With automated calibration, further refinements of how the mineral-resource information is provided to the cellular automaton will probably improve our model.

Responsible Development of Areva's Mining Activities. Report 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-09-01

After a presentation of the approach to responsibility adopted by AREVA to be a responsible mining stake holder (charter of values, implemented policies, risk prevention and management, best practices), this report gives an overview of mining activities (international presence, production in constant increase) with a focus on uranium mining which is the core business (the different phases are briefly presented: exploration, project development, mining, site decommissioning). It outlines personnel qualification and commitment, actions and policy in the field of personnel health and safety. It addresses the environmental policy: key levers, environmental management system, examples throughout the entire mining life cycle, changes in site consumptions and emissions, promotion of biodiversity. The next part concerns Areva's social commitment (dialogue, development aid in mining territories). Then, performance is expressed in terms of indicators for these different issues (teams, environmental policy, social involvement)

Digital database of mining-related features at selected historic and active phosphate mines, Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, and Caribou counties, Idaho

Science.gov (United States)

Causey, J. Douglas; Moyle, Phillip R.

2001-01-01

This report provides a description of data and processes used to produce a spatial database that delineates mining-related features in areas of historic and active phosphate mining in the core of the southeastern Idaho phosphate resource area. The data have varying degrees of accuracy and attribution detail. Classification of areas by type of mining-related activity at active mines is generally detailed; however, the spatial coverage does not differentiate mining-related surface disturbance features at many of the closed or inactive mines. Nineteen phosphate mine sites are included in the study. A total of 5,728 hc (14,154 ac), or more than 57 km2 (22 mi2), of phosphate mining-related surface disturbance are documented in the spatial coverage of the core of the southeast Idaho phosphate resource area. The study includes 4 active phosphate mines—Dry Valley, Enoch Valley, Rasmussen Ridge, and Smoky Canyon—and 15 historic phosphate mines—Ballard, Champ, Conda, Diamond Gulch, Gay, Georgetown Canyon, Henry, Home Canyon, Lanes Creek, Maybe Canyon, Mountain Fuel, Trail Canyon, Rattlesnake Canyon, Waterloo, and Wooley Valley. Spatial data on the inactive historic mines is relatively up-to-date; however, spatially described areas for active mines are based on digital maps prepared in early 1999. The inactive Gay mine has the largest total area of disturbance: 1,917 hc (4,736 ac) or about 19 km2 (7.4 mi2). It encompasses over three times the disturbance area of the next largest mine, the Conda mine with 607 hc (1,504 ac), and it is nearly four times the area of the Smoky Canyon mine, the largest of the active mines with 497 hc (1,228 ac). The wide range of phosphate mining-related surface disturbance features (approximately 80) were reduced to 13 types or features used in this study—adit and pit, backfilled mine pit, facilities, mine pit, ore stockpile, railroad, road, sediment catchment, tailings or tailings pond, topsoil stockpile, water reservoir, and disturbed

Occurrence and variability of mining-related lead and zinc in the Spring River flood plain and tributary flood plains, Cherokee County, Kansas, 2009--11

Science.gov (United States)

Juracek, Kyle E.

2013-01-01

Historical mining activity in the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), located in parts of southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri, and northeast Oklahoma, has resulted in a substantial ongoing input of cadmium, lead, and zinc to the environment. To provide some of the information needed to support remediation efforts in the Cherokee County, Kansas, superfund site, a 4-year study was begun in 2009 by the U.S. Geological Survey that was requested and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A combination of surficial-soil sampling and coring was used to investigate the occurrence and variability of mining-related lead and zinc in the flood plains of the Spring River and several tributaries within the superfund site. Lead- and zinc-contaminated flood plains are a concern, in part, because they represent a long-term source of contamination to the fluvial environment. Lead and zinc contamination was assessed with reference to probable-effect concentrations (PECs), which represent the concentrations above which adverse aquatic biological effects are likely to occur. The general PECs for lead and zinc were 128 and 459 milligrams per kilogram, respectively. The TSMD-specific PECs for lead and zinc were 150 and 2,083 milligrams per kilogram, respectively. Typically, surficial soils in the Spring River flood plain had lead and zinc concentrations that were less than the general PECs. Lead and zinc concentrations in the surficial-soil samples were variable with distance downstream and with distance from the Spring River channel, and the largest lead and zinc concentrations usually were located near the channel. Lead and zinc concentrations larger than the general or TSMD-specific PECs, or both, were infrequent at depth in the Spring River flood plain. When present, such contamination typically was confined to the upper 2 feet of the core and frequently was confined to the upper 6 inches. Tributaries with few or no lead- and zinc-mined areas in the basin—Brush Creek

Mine Water Treatment in Hongai Coal Mines

OpenAIRE

Dang Phuong Thao; Dang Vu Chi

2018-01-01

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is recognized as one of the most serious environmental problem associated with mining industry. Acid water, also known as acid mine drainage forms when iron sulfide minerals found in the rock of coal seams are exposed to oxidizing conditions in coal mining. Until 2009, mine drainage in Hongai coal mines was not treated, leading to harmful effects on humans, animals and aquatic ecosystem. This report has examined acid mine drainage problem and techniques for acid mine ...

Enhancement Experiment on Cementitious Activity of Copper-Mine Tailings in a Geopolymer System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Yu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Copper-mine tailings are the residual products after the extraction of precious copper metal from copper ores, and their storage can create numerous environmental problems. Many researchers have used copper-mine tailings for the preparation of geopolymers. This paper studies the enhancement of the cementitious activity of copper-mine tailings in geopolymer systems. First, copper-mine tailings are activated through mechanical grinding activation. Then, the mechanically activated copper-mine tailings are further processed through thermal activation and alkaline-roasting activation. The cementitious activity index of copper-mine tailings is characterized through the degree of leaching concentration of Si and Al. It was observed that the Si and Al leaching concentration of mechanically activated tailings was increased by 26.03% and 93.33%, respectively. The concentration of Si and Al was increased by 54.19% and 119.92%, respectively. For alkaline-roasting activation, roasting time, temperature and the mass ratio of copper-mine tailings to NaOH (C/N ratio were evaluated through orthogonal tests, and the best condition for activation was 120 min at 600 °C with a C/N ratio of 5:1. In this study, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD and infra-red (IR analysis show that mechanical, thermal and alkaline-roasting activation could be used to improve the cementitious activity index of copper-mine tailings.

Detection of uranium mining activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maiorov, V.; Ryjinski, M.; Bragin, V.

2001-01-01

In undisturbed natural uranium ore the 238 U decay chain isotopes appear in secular decay equilibrium with activity ratios equal to one. In the course of ore processing the bulk of the uranium decay products is separated from the uranium product and concentrated in the tails. Therefore the disturbed activity ratios of short-lived daughters to long-lived parents can be indicators of ore processing. Using 234 Th and 238 U activities (the short-lived daughter with T 1/2 =24.1 days and the long- lived parent respectively) one can roughly estimate how much time has elapsed since ore processing occurred. Equilibrium is reached in about three months after processing and the 234 Th and 238 U activity levels are approximately equal (taking into account the error of measurements). Higher or lower 234 Th activity levels, relative to 238 U, indicate the material has been recently processed. Assuming the product is depleted in Th and the tails are enriched, the activity of 234 Th in fresh product should be lower than 238 U and higher in fresh tails. The 234 Th/ 230 Th activity ratio can also be used for age estimations ( 230 Th is a long-lived nuclide). Five samples were taken from the Ranger Uranium Mine and Concentration Plant in Australia, and one sample was taken from the Jabiluka mine (10 km far from the Ranger Mine). The samples included non-processed ore, coarse ore from the stockpile, final crushed ore, fresh and old tails, and fresh product (U 3 O 8 ). All the samples were analyzed by HRGS to measure the activities of gamma emitting nuclides. XRF and IDMS were used to measure uranium content and isotopic composition. The 238 U activity was calculated from these measurement results. The 234 Th activity was measured by HRGS with a planar HPGe detector and a calibrated low activity 241 Am solution as an internal standard. The 234 Th/ 230 Th activity ratio was measured using the 60 keV energy region where both isotopes have gamma lines. Use of gamma lines with close

Environmental Remediation to Address Childhood Lead Poisoning Epidemic due to Artisanal Gold Mining in Zamfara, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Tirima, Simba; Bartrem, Casey; von Lindern, Ian; von Braun, Margrit; Lind, Douglas; Anka, Shehu Mohammed; Abdullahi, Aishat

2016-09-01

From 2010 through 2013, integrated health and environmental responses addressed an unprecedented epidemic lead poisoning in Zamfara State, northern Nigeria. Artisanal gold mining caused widespread contamination resulting in the deaths of > 400 children. Socioeconomic, logistic, and security challenges required remediation and medical protocols within the context of local resources, labor practices, and cultural traditions. Our aim was to implement emergency environmental remediation to abate exposures to 17,000 lead poisoned villagers, to facilitate chelation treatment of children ≤ 5 years old, and to establish local technical capacity and lead health advocacy programs to prevent future disasters. U.S. hazardous waste removal protocols were modified to accommodate local agricultural practices. Remediation was conducted over 4 years in three phases, progressing from an emergency response by international personnel to comprehensive cleanup funded and accomplished by the Nigerian government. More than 27,000 m3 of contaminated soils and mining waste were removed from 820 residences and ore processing areas in eight villages, largely by hand labor, and disposed in constructed landfills. Excavated areas were capped with clean soils (≤ 25 mg/kg lead), decreasing soil lead concentrations by 89%, and 2,349 children received chelation treatment. Pre-chelation geometric mean blood lead levels for children ≤ 5 years old decreased from 149 μg/dL to 15 μg/dL over the 4-year remedial program. The unprecedented outbreak and response demonstrate that, given sufficient political will and modest investment, the world's most challenging environmental health crises can be addressed by adapting proven response protocols to the capabilities of host countries. Tirima S, Bartrem C, von Lindern I, von Braun M, Lind D, Anka SM, Abdullahi A. 2016. Environmental remediation to address childhood lead poisoning epidemic due to artisanal gold mining in Zamfara, Nigeria. Environ Health

Responsible Development of AREVA's Mining Activities - Report 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-09-01

By defining AREVA's strategy and policies, this report aims to demonstrate the company's performance in the key areas of mining activity responsibility: ethics and governance, social report, the environment, occupational health and safety, community involvement, commitments to stakeholders. The data given cover the assets for which AREVA acts as operator in uranium mining activities: exploration, project development, production and rehabilitation. The consolidated data target activities in France, Canada, Niger, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Gabon and Namibia. Activities in the Central African Republic and those linked to La Mancha no longer fall within the scope of this report (sale of assets in 2012). This report is the third edition of this annual exercise

Removal of metals from lead-zinc mine tailings using bioleaching and followed by sulfide precipitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Maoyou; Li, Guojian; Yan, Pingfang; Ren, Jie; Zheng, Li; Han, Dajian; Sun, Shuiyu; Huang, Shaosong; Zhong, Yujian

2017-10-01

Mine tailings often contain significant amounts of metals and sulfide, many traditional operations used to minerals was not as good as those currently available. This study investigated metals removal from lead-zinc mine tailings using bioleaching and followed by sulfide precipitation. Metals were dissolved from the tailings by the bacteria in a bioleaching reactor. During a 10% pulp density bioleaching experiment, approximately 0.82% Pb, 97.38% Zn, and 71.37% Fe were extracted after 50 days. With the pulp density of 10% and 20%, the dissolution of metals followed shrinking core kinetic model. Metals (Pb, Zn, and Fe) present in the pregnant bioleaching leachate. Metals were next precipitated as a sulfide phase using sodium sulfide (Na 2 S). Metal precipitations were selectively and quantitatively produced from the bioleaching leachate by adding Na 2 S. More than 99% of the zinc and 75% of the iron was precipitated using 25 g/L Na 2 S in the bioleaching leachate. The results in the study were to provide useful information for recovering or removing metals from lead-zinc mine tailings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mine Water Treatment in Hongai Coal Mines

Science.gov (United States)

Dang, Phuong Thao; Dang, Vu Chi

2018-03-01

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is recognized as one of the most serious environmental problem associated with mining industry. Acid water, also known as acid mine drainage forms when iron sulfide minerals found in the rock of coal seams are exposed to oxidizing conditions in coal mining. Until 2009, mine drainage in Hongai coal mines was not treated, leading to harmful effects on humans, animals and aquatic ecosystem. This report has examined acid mine drainage problem and techniques for acid mine drainage treatment in Hongai coal mines. In addition, selection and criteria for the design of the treatment systems have been presented.

Responsible Development On Areva's Mining Activities - Report 2014

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

Mining activities are the first link in the nuclear fuel cycle and in the integrated model of the Areva Group. Areva was one of the top producers worldwide in 2014, producing 8,959 metric tons of uranium. The group works to maintain resources and weighted reserves equivalent to 20 years of production at all times. Thanks to a presence spanning five continents, they ensure the long-term supply to customers of uranium for electricity production while maintaining a responsible attitude towards people and the environment. It has a diverse portfolio of both active mines (Canada, Kazakhstan and Niger) and mines under development (Africa). This document is Areva's Mining Activities responsible Development report for 2014. Content: profile (Overview, Keys events, Worldwide presence, Governance and Organization, Uranium market); CSR approach (Statement from the senior executive vice president, Risk management, Ethics and human rights, Voluntary initiatives, Materiality); Commitments (Health and radiation protection, Occupational safety, Environment and Biodiversity, Community involvement, Commitment to employees, After-mines, Innovation); Performance (Key indicators, Objectives of responsibility, Reporting parameters); Case Studies; Annexes (GRI Index)

Responsible Development On Areva's Mining Activities. Report 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2016-01-01

Mining activities are the first link in the nuclear fuel cycle and in the integrated model of the Areva Group. Areva was one of the top producers worldwide in 2015, producing 11,002 metric tons of uranium. The group works to maintain resources and weighted reserves equivalent to 20 years of production at all times. Thanks to a presence spanning five continents, they ensure the long-term supply to customers of uranium for electricity production while maintaining a responsible attitude towards people and the environment. It has a diverse portfolio of both active mines (Canada, Kazakhstan and Niger) and mines under development (Africa). This document is Areva's Mining Activities responsible Development report for 2015. Content: profile (Overview, Keys events, Worldwide presence, Governance and Organization, Uranium market); CSR approach (Statement from the senior executive vice president, Risk management, Ethics and human rights, Voluntary initiatives, Materiality); Commitments (Health and radiation protection, Occupational safety, Environment and Biodiversity, Social involvement, Commitment to employees, Mining closure, Innovation); Performance (CSR objectives, Key indicators, Reporting parameters); Case Studies; Annexes (GRI Index)

Mine Water Treatment in Hongai Coal Mines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dang Phuong Thao

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Acid mine drainage (AMD is recognized as one of the most serious environmental problem associated with mining industry. Acid water, also known as acid mine drainage forms when iron sulfide minerals found in the rock of coal seams are exposed to oxidizing conditions in coal mining. Until 2009, mine drainage in Hongai coal mines was not treated, leading to harmful effects on humans, animals and aquatic ecosystem. This report has examined acid mine drainage problem and techniques for acid mine drainage treatment in Hongai coal mines. In addition, selection and criteria for the design of the treatment systems have been presented.

Responsible Development of Areva's Mining Activities. 2010 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

After a map indicating the location of the main Areva's mining sites, this report provides several key figures and data and discusses the evolution of this activity which is part of the business core of the AREVA company. It gives a statement of values and principles, governance and commitments related to this activity. In order to report this activity, it addresses several topics: reduction of industrial risks, protection of workers and populations, rational consumption of water and energy resources, biodiversity preservation, management over time of waste rock and mining tailings, sustainable integration into territories, and contribution to social development. This document is proposed in French and in English

Stable lead isotope ratios and metals in freshwater mussels from a uranium mining environment in Australia’s wet-dry tropics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bollhöfer, Andreas

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Lead isotope ratios in mussels from Magela more uranogenic than from Sandy catchment. ► Additional input of Broken Hill type lead further downstream of mine site. ► Lead isotope ratios in mussels ideal for source apportionment of lead into waterways. - Abstract: Concentrations of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, U and Pb, and stable Pb isotopes 206 Pb, 207 Pb and 208 Pb were measured via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in sediments, water and freshwater mussels (Velesunio angasi) from two catchments in the Alligator Rivers Region, Australia. Sediment U and Pb concentrations were higher in Magela Creek downstream than upstream of the Ranger U mine due to the mineralised nature of the catchment and potential local input of sediment from the mine site. Water metal concentrations were highest in Georgetown Creek, which is a tributary of Magela Creek and part drains the Ranger mine site, but there was little difference in concentrations between the Magela Creek upstream and downstream sites. Metal concentrations in mussels collected immediately upstream and downstream of the mine site also showed little difference, whereas Pb isotope ratios displayed a very distinct pattern. The 206 Pb/ 207 Pb and 208 Pb/ 207 Pb isotope ratios were more uranogenic downstream than upstream of the site and also more uranogenic than ratios measured in Sandy Billabong, a reference billabong in a catchment not influenced by U mineralisation. Isotope ratios were also more uranogenic in younger mussels, potentially due to the increasing footprint of the mine site over the past decade. The most uranogenic ratios were found in mussels from Georgetown Creek and at a site approximately 2 km downstream. At Mudginberri Billabong, approximately 12 km downstream of the Ranger mine, the relative contribution of uranogenic Pb to the total Pb concentration in mussels was small and overwhelmed by the input of industrial Pb with a Broken Hill type Pb signature. Whereas metal uptake by and

Responsible Development of Areva's Mining Activities - Report 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-09-01

The results consolidated at Mining Business Group level and presented in this document mainly relate to the uranium production sites for which Areva is the majority operator. For each stage of the mining life cycle (exploration, project development, operation, closure, redevelopment) much of the data is also reported on a national and international reporting level, and is presented in this document when deemed necessary for the understanding of Areva's activities. This document reports the extra-financial performance of Areva's mining activities for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2011. The extra-financial performance of mining activities presented in this report is underpinned by the Areva group reporting process called STAR (for Sustainability Tools Advanced Reporting). It is supplemented by information collected from in-house experts or from other reporting documents deemed to be valid sources of reference for the subjects discussed. Content: 1 - Approach to responsibility (Being a Responsible Mining Stakeholder, The Fundamentals of Areva's Approach); 2 - Activities (Activities Experiencing Strong Growth, Uranium as a Core Business); 3 - Teams (A Proactive Employment Policy, Employee Health and Safety, Focus: 'I am committed to maintaining safety' campaign yields exemplary results in Namibia); 4 - Environmental policy (Management of Challenges, The Environment Throughout the Entire Mining Lifecycle, Focus: hybrid electricity generation system for prospecting camps in Australia); 5 - Social commitment (Transparency and Openness to Dialogue, Community Involvement, Focus: working group with communities of the province of Saskatchewan in Canada); 6 - Performance (The Main Sustainable Development Indicators, Scope of this Report); 7 - Appendices (Glossary, Communications associated with this report)

Activities of the Main Studies and Designing Bureau for Mines in export of technical experience and international cooperation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Danielak, Z

1985-07-01

The Main Studies and Designing Bureau for Mines in Poland consists of 3 units: the Mine Design Bureau in Katowice (leading unit) and Mine Design Bureaus in Cracow and Katowice. There are 2200 employees (75% specialists) in 3 units. The Bureau is the leading agency for coal mine design and mine modernization in Poland. In 35 years the Bureau has developed the design of 25 coal mines in Poland, the design of more than 100 mining levels, and modernization projects for more than 50 coal mines. The Bureau specializes in programs for coal district development, mine design and mine modernization. It has developed the design of coal mines and coal preparation plants in the following countries: Albania, China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Argentina, Colombia, Canada, Colombia, India, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. Prospects for increasing exports by the Bureau are discussed.

Panorama of mining activities in France during 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinry, C.; Michel, J.C.

1992-01-01

1991 can be considered as year of transition during which the world economy was adapting to the new political situation arising out of the Gulf War and the collapse of the Soviet Bloc. Although a major conflict normally causes a rise in the price of gold and a high demand for base products, this time the raw materials market did not react in the normal way. The prices of almost all products dropped throughout the year, and the dollar increase (average exchange rate for the year = FF 5.65) did not compensate European industry for this drop in metal prices. The economic slowdown in America, Europe and, which is new, Japan, compounded by the consequences of CIS export, caused serious harm to western firms, including those of the European Community: seriously disrupted markets, price falls, production units in danger. The purpose of this paper is to give a panorama of mining activities in France during 1991. The French mineral sector continued with difficulty to adjust to the economic trend through reductions in staff and production capacities: the Malines Zn-Pb mine closed, uranium mines in the Vendee and Limousin closed, mining activities at the Salsigne gold mine and its refining plants stopped. The field of energy supplies saw a fall off in both coal and petroleum production. Gas production, however, rose to a level close to that of 1987. Uranium production continued to ease; in spite of a relatively stable demand, poor prices coupled with the exhaustion of certain deposits and the public's preoccupation with preserving the environment, led to mines being closed. 15 refs., 2 figs., 11 tabs

Environmental activities in uranium mining and milling. A Joint NEA/IAEA report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

This report on 'Environmental Activities in Uranium Mining and Milling' presents an overview of environmental activities related to uranium production. The profile of activities and concerns are based on survey responses from 29 countries and a review of relevant activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. It also provides an overview of the reported interests of specialists working in the field, including environmental impact assessment, emissions to air and water, work environment, radiation safety, waste handling and disposal, mine and mill decommissioning and site restoration, and the regulation of these activities. The report reflects the increasing awareness in all countries of the need for environmental protection. For several years large programmes have been underway in several countries to clean up wastes from closed mines and mills. Many of these sites, particularly the older ones, were brought into production, operated and closed when little was known about environmental effects. At the time, little concern was given to the resulting environmental impacts. Currently, planning for and conducting uranium mine closure and mill decommissioning, together with site clean-up and restoration, are of almost universal concern. Mine closure and mill decommissioning activities have been or are being conducted in most of the countries with a history of uranium production. Information about several mine closures and mill decommissioning projects is included in this report

Tracing lead pollution sources in abandoned mine areas using stable Pb isotope ratios.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoo, Eun-Jin; Lee, Jung-A; Park, Jae-Seon; Lee, Khanghyun; Lee, Won-Seok; Han, Jin-Seok; Choi, Jong-Woo

2014-02-01

This study focused on Pb isotope ratios of sediments in areas around an abandoned mine to determine if the ratios can be used as a source tracer. For pretreatment, sediment samples were dissolved with mixed acids, and a multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS, Nu plasma II) was used to investigate the Pb isotopic composition of the samples. The measured isotope ratios were then corrected for instrumental mass fractionation by measuring the (203)Tl/(205)Tl ratio. Repeated measurements with the NIST SRM 981 reference material showed that the precision of all ratios was below 104 ppm (±2σ) for 50 ng/g. The isotope ratios ((207)Pb/(206)Pb) found were 0.85073 ± 0.0004~0.85373 ± 0.0003 for the main stream, while they were 0.83736 ± 0.0010 for the tributary and 0.84393 ± 0.0002 for the confluence. A binary mixing equation for isotope ratios showed that the contributions of mine lead to neighboring areas were up to 60%. Therefore, Pb isotope ratios can be a good source tracer for areas around abandoned mines.

Seismic activity in the Sunnyside mining district, Carbon and Emery Counties, Utah, during 1968

Science.gov (United States)

Dunrud, C. Richard; Maberry, John O.; Hernandez, Jerome H.

1970-01-01

More than 20,000 local earth tremors were recorded by the seismic monitoring network in the Sunnyside mining district during 1968. This is about 40 percent of the number of tremors recorded by the network in 1967. In 1968 a total of 281 tremors were of sufficient magnitude to be located accurately--about 50 percent of the number of tremors in 1967 that were located accurately. As in previous years, nearly all the earth tremors originated near, or within a few thousand feet of, the mine workings. This distribution indicates that mine-induced stress changes caused most of the seismic activity. However, over periods of weeks and months there were significant changes in the distribution of seismic activity caused by tremors that were not directly related to mining but probably were caused by adjustment of natural stresses 6r by a complex combination of both natural and mine-induced stress changes. In 1968 the distribution of tremor hypocenters varied considerably with time, relative to active mining areas and to faults present in the mine workings. During the first 6 months, most tremors originated along or near faults that trend close to or through the active mine workings. However, in the last 6 months, the tremor hypocenters tended to concentrate in the rock mass closer to, or around, the active mining areas. This shift in concentration of seismic activity with time has been noted throughout the district many times since recording began in 1963, and is apparently caused by spontaneous releases of stored strain energy resulting from mine-induced stress changes. These spontaneous releases of strain energy, together with rock creep, apparently are the mechanism of adjustment within the rock mass toward equilibrium conditions, which are continually disrupted by mining. Although potentially hazardous bumps were rare in the Sunnyside mining district during 1968, smaller bumps and rock falls were more common in a given active mining area whenever hypocenters of larger

Case studies: Mining and milling activities - South African facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metcalf, P.E.; Woude, S. van der

2000-01-01

The mining and milling of minerals is a very important industry in South Africa that employs more than 300,000 people. South Africa extracts minerals with naturally occurring radionuclides, amongst which uranium, monazite and zircon. Two case studies involving environmental restoration activities that are typically associated with mining and minerals processing are discussed. The first case study, Katdoringbos, describes the restoration of a contaminated site where scrap material originating from the mining and minerals processing facilities had been recycled. The other case study, Crown 4, deals with the restoration of a contaminated site where a mine tailings dam had been removed and the owner of the land wished to develop it for commercial exploitation. (author)

Impact of mining activities on water resources in the vicinity of the Obuasi Mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akabzaa, T.M.; Banoeng-Yakubo, B.K.; Sekyire, J.S.

2007-01-01

Surface and groundwater samples within the catchment area of the Obuasi mine were analysed to assess the impact of mining activities on water resources. The concentration of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Hg, As and selected major ions in water samples were analysed to assess their role in the contamination of both surface and ground water. The mineralogical composition of various mine spoil and rock samples was investigated by microprobe analysis to ascertain the possible sources of the metals in drainage and ground water. The hydrochemical analytical study, using standard methods, shows that streams in the study area have higher trace and major ions loading than ground water with iron and arsenic concentrations ranging from 0.025 mg/l to 17.19 mg/l and < 0.001 mg/l to 18.91 mg/l, respectively. Hydrochemical modeling of water types showed varied composition for both ground and surface water, but with strong indication of mixed waters from a variety of sources. The microprobe results showed that waste rocks and related mine spoil contain a variety of Fe, Cu, As, Sb, Zn and co-bearing sulphides with strong compositional variations, and account for the augmented levels of these metals in drainage proximal to mining and processing facilities. The probe results did not show Hg in mine spoil, and very high Hg values observed in the vicinity of areas of intense illegal small-scale mining are attributed to the use of this chemical by miners in gold amalgamation. (au)

Decomposition of vegetation growing on metal mine waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, S T; McNeilly, T; Wellington, E M.H.

1977-01-01

Aspects of the decomposition of metal tolerant vegetation growing on mine waste containing high concentrations of lead and zinc were studied and compared with those on an adjacent uncontaminated site. High concentrations of Pb and, to a lesser extent, Zn, accumulated in metal-tolerant grass. Retarded decomposition of this vegetation as compared with that on the uncontaminated site was indicated by a greater accumulation of litter, less humus formation, reduced soil urease activity and smaller microbial and microfaunal populations. Some evidence for increased metal tolerance in microbes from the mine waste was obtained. Concentrations of lead tolerated under laboratory conditions were much lower than those extracted from the mine waste and its vegetation, probably due to the lack of an accurate method for assessing the availability of lead in soil and vegetation.

Metal(loid) levels in biological matrices from human populations exposed to mining contamination--Panasqueira Mine (Portugal).

Science.gov (United States)

Coelho, Patrícia; Costa, Solange; Silva, Susana; Walter, Alan; Ranville, James; Sousa, Ana C A; Costa, Carla; Coelho, Marta; García-Lestón, Julia; Pastorinho, M Ramiro; Laffon, Blanca; Pásaro, Eduardo; Harrington, Chris; Taylor, Andrew; Teixeira, João Paulo

2012-01-01

Mining activities may affect the health of miners and communities living near mining sites, and these health effects may persist even when the mine is abandoned. During mining processes various toxic wastes are produced and released into the surrounding environment, resulting in contamination of air, drinking water, rivers, plants, and soils. In a geochemical sampling campaign undertaken in the Panasqueira Mine area of central Portugal, an anomalous distribution of several metals and arsenic (As) was identified in various environmental media. Several potentially harmful elements, including As, cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and selenium (Se), were quantified in blood, urine, hair, and nails (toe and finger) from a group of individuals living near the Panasqueira Mine who were environmentally and occupationally exposed. A group with similar demographic characteristics without known exposure to mining activities was also compared. Genotoxicity was evaluated by means of T-cell receptor (TCR) mutation assay, and percentages of different lymphocyte subsets were selected as immunotoxicity biomarkers. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) analysis showed elevated levels of As, Cd, Cr, Mn, and Pb in all biological samples taken from populations living close to the mine compared to controls. Genotoxic and immunotoxic differences were also observed. The results provide evidence of an elevated potential risk to the health of populations, with environmental and occupational exposures resulting from mining activities. Further, the results emphasize the need to implement preventive measures, remediation, and rehabilitation plans for the region.

Monitoring of Thermal and Gas Activities in Mining Dump Hedvika, Czech Republic

Science.gov (United States)

Surovka, D.; Pertile, E.; Dombek, V.; Vastyl, M.; Leher, V.

2017-10-01

The negative consequences of mining of the black coal is occurrence of extractive waste storage locations - mining dumps. The mining activities carried out within the area of Ostrava are responsible for at least six mine dumps of loose materials arising as wastes from mining of mineral resources, many of which show presence of thermal processes. The thermal activity in dumps is responsible for many hazardous substances that pollute the environment and harm human health in the surroundings. This paper deals with the results of the first phase of project CZ.11.4.120/0.0/0.0/15_006/0000074 TERDUMP, on exploration of thermally active mining dumps are published in the article. As a first studied thermally active dump was a Hedvika dump. To localize of hot spots with hot gas emission was used a thermovision scanning by drone. The place with high temperature (49.8 °C) identified natural gas emission through natural cracks. Analysing the occurring pollutants in Hedvika Dump using the GC-MS or HPLC, respectively and the inert gases (CO2, CO and SO2) were determined by ion chromatography. The pollutants were determined in five sampling points during two measurements executed from July to August 2017.

Evaluation of the biosorption capacity of lead by filamentous fungi native to the Ticapampa mining tailings (Recuay, Ancash)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perez, Mirella; Rosas, Paola; Villena, Gretty; Leon, Kety; Espinoza, Marco

2015-01-01

Lead biosorption was determined in five fungal biomasses isolated from the mining waste from the town of Ticapampa (Recuay province, Ancash Region) of which the strains with the highest percentage of lead sorption were studied. The process of biosorption was evaluated using a system of polyethylene tubes each containing 40 ml of solution contaminated with 200 ppm lead incubated at 30 °C under constant agitation at 150 rpm using 1 g/L of inactive fungal biomass. Removal of lead was measured by atomic absorption using the technique of flame, finding that the biomass of the species Talaromyces muroii, Talaromyces flavus and Penicillium velutinun (identified by DNA sequencing) are the most efficient to decrease the concentration of lead in aqueous solution thus achieving a maximum of its capacity of sorption of 189.7 mg/L, 82.7 mg/L and 33.8 mg/L, pH 6.0 respectively in approximately 48 hours of incubation. The results indicate that the native fungi isolated from environmental mining liabilities could be a cost effective biosorbent and easily cultivable for the removing of metal ions such as lead as in the case of environmental contamination by heavy metals. (author)

Long-term dispersal of heavy metals in a catchment affected by historic lead and zinc mining

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ciszewski, Dariusz; Kubsik, Urszula; Aleksander-Kwaterczak, Urszula [AGH Univ. of Science and Technology, Krakow (Poland)

2012-10-15

The Matylda catchment, in southern Poland, was polluted by the discharge of mine waters from a lead and zinc mine that inundated parts of a valley floor and caused the accumulation of metal-polluted sediments. After a partial reclamation of the mine site in the early 1980s, polluted sediments continue to accumulate on downstream floodplains and in fishponds. The aim of this study was to reconstruct the changes in metal dispersal during 100 years of mining and during the 40-year post-mining period and to propose a strategy for pollution mitigation in the area. Analyses of Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Mn, Ca, Mg and Fe concentrations, speciation of heavy metals and mineralogical analyses were undertaken on overbank sediment cores and in stream sediments. Concentrations of the same elements and macro-ions soluble in stream waters were also determined. Concentrations of Zn, Cd and Pb in the sediment profiles vary between 40,000 and 55,000, 300 and 600 and 30,000 and 50,000 mg kg{sup -1}, respectively. Changes of metal concentrations and the stratigraphy of sediments from the floodplains, stream channels and fishponds suggest rapid changes of metal loads migrating downstream during both the mining and post-mining periods. Since the time of mine closure, fine-grained, mine-derived sediments (ca. 12 cm thick) have been the main source of pollution of post-mining sediments and surface waters. Closure of the mine was followed by a relatively short period of rapid redistribution of sediment-associated heavy metals in the stream channel. Since the 1980s, the floodplain and fishponds have received a constant supply of metals. It contrasts with the slow sediment accretion rate and a rapid decrease of metal concentrations in floodplain pools due to dilution by decomposed leaf litter. A fivefold increase of Cd content in waters over the 4.6 km reach of the Matylda stream indicates continuous leaching of this element from the contaminated valley floor. Unsuccessful mine site rehabilitation is

Restoration activities in uranium mining and milling facilities in Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia Quiros, J.M.

1997-01-01

From the end of the 80's up to now, several tasks have been carried out in Spain on restoration in the field of uranium mining and milling, significant among them being Andujar Uranium Mill (FUA) closure and La Haba closure. Also, a study has been carried out on restoration of inoperative and abandoned uranium mine sites. At present, detailed plans are being worked out for the project on the closure of the Elefante plant. All activities have been developed in the common framework of national standards and regulations which are generally in compliance with the standards, regulations and recommendations of international organizations. This paper describes briefly the standards and the criteria applied to the restoration tasks at various sites of the uranium mining and milling facilities in Spain. The restoration activities have different characteristics La Haba facility is an isolated and conventional facility to produce uranium concentrate; in the case of old and abandoned uranium mines the intervention criteria is more relevant than the activities to be carried out; the closure (the first phase of licensing) and restoration activities of Elefante plant have to be developed taking into account that it is sited within the area of Quercus plant which is currently in operation. (author)

Responsible Development On Areva's Mining Activities - Report 2013-2014

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

Mining activities are the first link in the nuclear fuel cycle and in the integrated model of the Areva Group. Areva was one of the top producers worldwide in 2013, producing 9,330 metric tons of uranium (Areva's financially consolidated share). The group works to maintain resources and weighted reserves equivalent to 20 years of production at all times. Thanks to a presence spanning five continents, they ensure the long-term supply to customers of uranium for electricity production while maintaining a responsible attitude towards people and the environment. It has a diverse portfolio of both active mines (Canada, Kazakhstan and Niger) and mines under development (Africa). This document is Areva's Mining Activities responsible Development report for 2013 and 2014. Content: profile (Overview, Keys events, Worldwide presence, Governance and Organization, Uranium market); CSR approach (Message from the Senior Executive Vice President, Fundamentals, Responsible Commitments Plan, Materiality); Commitments (Health and radiation protection, Occupational safety, Environment and Biodiversity, Community involvement, Commitment to employees, Relationships with stakeholders, Innovation); Performance (Main Key indicators, 2013-2016 Objectives, Reporting parameters); Annexes (Cases studies, Focus post-mining, Audit and GRI certifications)

Lead in residential soil and dust in a mining and smelting district in northern Armenia: a pilot study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrosyan, Varduhi; Orlova, Anna; Dunlap, Charles E.; Babayan, Emil; Farfel, Mark; Braun, Margrit von

2004-01-01

This pilot study of sources of lead exposure in residential settings was conducted in a mining and smelting district in northern Armenia. Samples of exterior soil and dust and interior house dust were collected in and around apartment buildings in Alaverdi where the country's largest polymetallic smelter is located, and in nearby mining towns of Aghtala and Shamlugh. The NITON XL-723 Multi-Element XRF analyzer was used for lead testing. Lead levels in samples from Alaverdi were higher than those in Shamlugh and Aghtala. In all three towns, the highest lead levels were found in loose exterior dust samples, and lead concentrations in yard soil were higher than those in garden soil. Many soil samples (34%) and the majority of loose dust samples (77%) in Alaverdi exceeded the US Environmental Protection Agency standard of 400 mg/kg for bare soil in children's play areas. In addition, 36% of floor dust samples from apartments in Alaverdi exceeded the US Environmental Protection Agency standard of 40 μg/ft 2 for lead loading in residential floor dust. The Armenian Ministry of Health and other interested agencies are being informed about the findings of the study so that they can consider and develop educational and preventive programs including blood lead screening among sensitive populations

CO{sub 2} in underground openings and mine rescue training

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weyer, J. [Freiburg Univ. of Mining and Technology (Germany). Inst. of Mining Engineering and Special Civil Engineering

2010-07-01

Mine rescue training procedures related to dangerous gases in mines were discussed. Methods of detecting carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) in abandoned opening and old adits were presented. High concentrations of CO{sub 2} combine with hemoglobin and lead to a lack of oxygen supply to the inner organs. Nitric acid forms in the alveoli and can lead to injuries or death after a period of 4 to 12 hours. Exposure to very high concentrations of CO{sub 2} can cause people to immediately lose consciousness. CO{sub 2} concentrations in the blood can change pH blood values. Members of mine rescue teams should be equipped with breathing equipment and be between 18 and 40 years old. Training rescue operations should be conducted 4 times per year. While larger mines have their own rescue teams, smaller mines must ensure that guest rescue teams are familiar with their mines. Various mine training activities were reviewed. 5 refs.

Geology and mining history of the Southeast Missouri Barite District and the Valles Mines, Washington, Jefferson, and St. Francois Counties, Missouri

Science.gov (United States)

Mugel, Douglas N.

2017-03-09

lost to the ashes (slags) and to volatilization. Starting in 1798, ash furnaces were used to smelt the ashes from the log furnaces. These two furnaces were worked in tandem for many years but were gradually replaced by other furnaces, including the Scotch hearth. Estimates of lead recovery as high as 80–90 percent have been made for the Scotch hearth. By the mid-1870’s the air furnace was being used, also with estimated lead recovery as high as 80–90 percent. Zinc furnaces were built when zinc became a valuable commodity, but much of the zinc ore was shipped out of the area, either to a smelter in St. Louis, Missouri, or to other smelters.The total lead and zinc production from the Southeast Missouri Barite District and the Valles Mines is estimated at 180,000 tons of lead and 60,000 tons of zinc. An estimated 97,000 tons of lead and an estimated 120,000 tons of zinc were lost during smelting. The estimated losses do not include losses at the mine site during mining and preparation for smelting, such as the loss of fine-grained galena during hand cleaning or the discarding of zinc ore before its value was known, for which no estimates are available.Hand mining for barite in the residuum was active by at least the 1860’s and peaked from 1905 to the 1930’s when several thousand people were engaged in barite mining. Hand mining (diggings) and cleaning of the ore was done in much the same way as earlier lead mining, with the additional use of a rattle box to further clean the barite. Mechanized open-pit mining of old barite diggings began in 1924 to recover barite left behind by hand mining, and washing plants were used to clean the clay from the barite. Hand mining, however, continued to thrive, and washer plants began to close temporarily in 1931; nearly all of the barite produced before 1937 was by hand mining. By the 1940’s, however, all barite mining was mechanized.Mechanized mining used shovels powered by steam, gasoline, or electricity (and by the 1950�

Environmental management in North American mining sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Asif, Zunaira; Chen, Zhi

2016-01-01

This paper reviews the environmental issues and management practices in the mining sector in the North America. The sustainable measures on waste management are recognized as one of the most serious environmental concerns in the mining industry. For mining activities, it will be no surprise that the metal recovery reagents and acid effluents are a threat to the ecosystem as well as hazards to human health. In addition, poor air quality and ventilation in underground mines can lead to occupational illness and death of workers. Electricity usage and fuel consumption are major factors that contribute to greenhouse gases. On the other hand, many sustainability challenges are faced in the management of tailings and disposal of waste rock. This paper aims to highlight the problems that arise due to poor air quality and acid mine drainage. The paper also addresses some of the advantages and limitations of tailing and waste rock management that still have to be studied in context of the mining sector. This paper suggests that implementation of suitable environmental management tools like life cycle assessment (LCA), cleaner production technologies (CPTs), and multicriteria decision analysis (MCD) are important as it ultimately lead to improve environmental performance and enabling a mine to focus on the next stage of sustainability.

Distribution of uranium-238 in environmental samples from a residential area impacted by mining and milling activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McConnell, M.A.; Ramanujam, V.M.S.; Alcock, N.W.; Gabehart, G.J.; Au, W.W.

1998-01-01

The northern region of Karnes County, Texas, USA, has been the site of extensive mining/milling of uranium for over 30 years. A previous study in their laboratory indicates that residents living near these facilities have increased chromosomal aberrations and a reduced DNA repair capacity. In this study, the long-lived radionuclides uranium-238 ( 238 U) and thorium-232 ( 232 Th) were measured in order to evaluate the extent of contamination from mining/milling facilities. 232 Th was quantified simultaneously and served as a reference. Soil samples were collected from the yards of previously studied households and adjacent areas near former mining and mining/milling sites at the surface and 30 cm subsurface. Additionally, samples from drinking water wells were collected from selected households. Sites located over 14 km from the study area with no known history of mining/milling served as the control. In the control area, 238 U concentrations in soil were consistent between surface (0.13--0.26 mg/kg) and subsurface samples. Near mining/milling sites, 238 U in surface soil was found to be consistently and statistically higher than corresponding subsurface samples. Near mining-only areas, 238 U in surface soil, however, was not significantly increased over subsurface soil. As expected, 238 U was much higher overall in the mining/milling and mining-only areas compared to the control sites. No trends were detected in the distribution of 232 Th. The concentration of 238 U was up to six times higher in a drinking water well near a former mining/milling operation, indicating possible leaching into the groundwater, while 232 Th concentrations were low and uniform. Furthermore, lead isotope ratio analysis indicates contamination from the interstate shipping of ore by rail to and from a mining/milling facility. These data indicate contamination of the environment by the mining/milling activities in a residential area

Identification of Social and Environmental Conflicts Resulting from Open-Cast Mining

Science.gov (United States)

Górniak-Zimroz, Justyna; Pactwa, Katarzyna

2016-10-01

Open-cast mining is related to interference in the natural environment. It also affects human health and quality of life. This influence is, among others, dependent on the type of extracted materials, size of deposit, methods of mining and mineral processing, as well as, equally important, sensitivity of the environment within which mining is planned. The negative effects of mining include deformations of land surface or contamination of soils, air and water. What is more, in many cases, mining for minerals leads to clearing of housing and transport infrastructures located within the mining area, a decrease in values of the properties in the immediate vicinity of a deposit, and an increase in stress levels in local residents exposed to noise. The awareness of negative consequences of taking up open-cast mining activity leads to conflicts between a mining entrepreneur and self-government authorities, society or nongovernment organisations. The article attempts to identify potential social and environmental conflicts that may occur in relation to a planned mining activity. The results of the analyses were interpreted with respect to the deposits which were or have been mined. That enabled one to determine which facilities exclude mineral mining and which allow it. The research took the non-energy mineral resources into consideration which are included in the group of solid minerals located in one of the districts of Lower Silesian Province (SW Poland). The spatial analyses used the tools available in the geographical information systems

Sources of dissolved mine drainage and atmospheric transported lead: A comparative case study in Japan and Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aberg, Goeran; Satake, Kenichi

2009-01-01

A comparative case study in Naganobori Japan and Falun Sweden of runoff water from copper mines shows that the water and its particulates, filtered with a cutoff of 0.45 μm, have different lead isotope ratios pointing to different origins for the lead. While the larger particles have a lead ratio indicative of the atmospheric anthropogenic pollution the soluble lead has that of the copper ores. The domestic atmospheric lead ratio in Japan is homogeneous and characteristic of emissions from the incineration of waste. Lead pollution transported from the Asian continent by westerly winds can be distinguished from the Japanese pollution by its more thorogenic lead ratios, in for example analyses of copper moss from Naganobori.

Exploring Student Characteristics of Retention That Lead to Graduation in Higher Education Using Data Mining Models

Science.gov (United States)

Raju, Dheeraj; Schumacker, Randall

2015-01-01

The study used earliest available student data from a flagship university in the southeast United States to build data mining models like logistic regression with different variable selection methods, decision trees, and neural networks to explore important student characteristics associated with retention leading to graduation. The decision tree…

Ecotoxicology: Lead

Science.gov (United States)

Scheuhammer, A.M.; Beyer, W.N.; Schmitt, C.J.; Jorgensen, Sven Erik; Fath, Brian D.

2008-01-01

Lead (Pb) is a naturally occurring metallic element; trace concentrations are found in all environmental media and in all living things. However, certain human activities, especially base metal mining and smelting; combustion of leaded gasoline; the use of Pb in hunting, target shooting, and recreational angling; the use of Pb-based paints; and the uncontrolled disposal of Pb-containing products such as old vehicle batteries and electronic devices have resulted in increased environmental levels of Pb, and have created risks for Pb exposure and toxicity in invertebrates, fish, and wildlife in some ecosystems.

Panorama of mining activities in France during 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michel, J.C.; Bornuat, M.; Mouron, R.

1996-01-01

The French mining industry in 1995 continued to follow the overall trend of the past 5 to 10 years characterized mainly by: 1)a decline in the production of most energy materials: oil, coal, uranium. This decline will probably be further accentuated over the next two years with the planned closure of Lodeve (U), Forbach, La Mure and Carmaux (coal). Gas production, however, has remained relatively stable at 4.7 to 5 billion m''3 per year. 2)a scarcity of metal ore mines in Metropolitan France 3)an increase in the production of gold that, in 1995, came close to 6 tonnes in Metropolitan France and reached 8.4 tonnes with French Guiana. 4)the development of metal ore mining in the DOM-TOM 5) divergent developments in the industrial mineral sector: downward trends for sulfur, talc, andalusite, diatomite and silica; upward trends for kaolin, mica, feldspar and salt. Although overall the decline in mine production continued, the panorama does include some positive aspects: 1)France's independence in the energy sector exceeded the half-way mark two years ago and 1995 saw an appreciable decrease in the nation's energy bill compared to 1994. 2)French companies involved in metal mining have adapted themselves to world trends: Cogema has diversified its uranium sources mainly through its mining interests in Canada; Eramet has strengthened its activities by becoming the majority shareholder of Comilog, a manganese producer in Gabon. France also has mining interests in Africa, South America and Europe through LaSource Compagnie Miniere (BRGM and Normandy) created in 1995 3) France's position and production in the industrial mineral sector are significant at European scale, if not at world scale, as regards andalusite, diatomite, kaolin, mica, feldspar, sulfur, potassium, salt and industrial silica. Finally, mention must be made of the increasing environmental awareness by the French authorities and mining companies. This has resulted in a major rehabilitation of mine sites by

Lead, cadmium, and zinc concentrations in plaster and mortar from structures in Jasper and Newton Counties, Missouri (Tri-State Mining District)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perry, Phyllis M [Chemistry Department, Southwest Missouri State University, 901 S. National Avenue, Springfield, MO 65804 (United States); Pavlik, Jeffrey W [Chemistry Department, Southwest Missouri State University, 901 S. National Avenue, Springfield, MO 65804 (United States); Sheets, Ralph W [Chemistry Department, Southwest Missouri State University, 901 S. National Avenue, Springfield, MO 65804 (United States); Biagioni, Richard N [Chemistry Department, Southwest Missouri State University, 901 S. National Avenue, Springfield, MO 65804 (United States)

2005-01-05

The primary goal of this study was to evaluate anecdotal evidence that within Jasper and Newton Counties, Missouri, two counties within the Tri-State Mining District, granular mine tailings were commonly used in place of river sands in wall plasters and mortar. Interior wall plaster and mortar samples from structures in this mining district were analyzed for lead, cadmium, and zinc, and compared to samples from Springfield, MO (comparison site). The Jasper and Newton County samples showed elevated concentrations of the three elements, consistent with the inclusion of mine tailings, with a number of samples containing lead and cadmium at concentrations greater than EPA remediation targets for yard soil. X-ray diffraction studies showed the presence of the zinc ore minerals, sphalerite and hemimorphite, in high level samples. Thin section optical studies identified the major component of the aggregate as chert, a mineral abundant within the tailing piles. Because dust from crumbling plaster and mortar could represent an avenue for significant heavy metal exposure to building occupants, we suggest that there may be associated health consequences that should be further evaluated.

Lead, cadmium, and zinc concentrations in plaster and mortar from structures in Jasper and Newton Counties, Missouri (Tri-State Mining District)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perry, Phyllis M.; Pavlik, Jeffrey W.; Sheets, Ralph W.; Biagioni, Richard N.

2005-01-01

The primary goal of this study was to evaluate anecdotal evidence that within Jasper and Newton Counties, Missouri, two counties within the Tri-State Mining District, granular mine tailings were commonly used in place of river sands in wall plasters and mortar. Interior wall plaster and mortar samples from structures in this mining district were analyzed for lead, cadmium, and zinc, and compared to samples from Springfield, MO (comparison site). The Jasper and Newton County samples showed elevated concentrations of the three elements, consistent with the inclusion of mine tailings, with a number of samples containing lead and cadmium at concentrations greater than EPA remediation targets for yard soil. X-ray diffraction studies showed the presence of the zinc ore minerals, sphalerite and hemimorphite, in high level samples. Thin section optical studies identified the major component of the aggregate as chert, a mineral abundant within the tailing piles. Because dust from crumbling plaster and mortar could represent an avenue for significant heavy metal exposure to building occupants, we suggest that there may be associated health consequences that should be further evaluated

A study of chemical forms of polonium-210 and lead-210 in air particulates in phosphate mines and Tartous port

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Masri, M.S.; Al-Kharfan, K.; Khalili, H.; Hasan, M.

2003-03-01

Chemical forms of polonium-210 and lead-210 in air particulates of two areas having different climate conditions (Phosphate mines and Tartous port) have been studied. Air particulates were collected at six periods covering the climate changes from September 2000 until February 2002. Total suspended particulates (TSP) concentration was varied between 1827 and 9722 μg/M 3 and 197 and 1135 μg/m 3 in phosphate mines and Tartous port respectively; all of these values were higher than the maximum permissible concentration according to the Syrian standard (120 μg/m 3 ). Results of 210 po and 210 Pb extraction from the air particulates using selective solutions have shown that inorganic and insoluble 210 Po and 210 Pb (attached to silica and not soluble in mineral acids) ratio was high in phosphate mine air particulates and reached a value of 94% and 77% respectively. While the amount of lead 210 attached to organic compounds has reached a value of 24%. In addition, small variations in total inorganic and insoluble 210 Po and 210 Pb during the year were observed with little differences between polonium 210 ratio in both Tartous port and phosphate mines, which indicated that variations in climate conditions may affect the chemical forms. In both cases, inorganic and insoluble polonium 210 and lead 210 ratio was high; this may lead to their attachment to lung cells and their transfer via body streams. Moreover, the date obtained in this study can be utilized to calculate the radiation dose due to inhalation of radon gas and its decay daughters in the Syrian phosphate sites. (author)

Bench-scale study of active mine water treatment using cement kiln dust (CKD) as a neutralization agent.

Science.gov (United States)

Mackie, Allison L; Walsh, Margaret E

2012-02-01

The overall objective of this study was to investigate the potential impact on settled water quality of using cement kiln dust (CKD), a waste by-product, to replace quicklime in the active treatment of acidic mine water. Bench-scale experiments were conducted to evaluate the treatment performance of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)(2)) slurries generated using four different CKD samples compared to a control treatment with quicklime (CaO) in terms of reducing acidity and metals concentrations in acid mine drainage (AMD) samples taken from the effluent of a lead/zinc mine in Atlantic Canada. Results of the study showed that all of the CKD samples evaluated were capable of achieving greater than 97% removal of total zinc and iron. The amount of solid alkaline material required to achieve pH targets required for neutralization of the AMD was found to be higher for treatment with the CKD slurries compared to the quicklime slurry control experiments, and varied linearly with the free lime content of the CKD. The results of this study also showed that a potential benefit of treating mine water with CKD could be reduced settled sludge volumes generated in the active treatment process, and further research into the characteristics of the sludge generated from the use of CKD-generated calcium hydroxide slurries is recommended. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hazard mitigation in coal mines

Science.gov (United States)

Rashmi, R. V.; Devalal, Shilpa; Jacob, Anjali; Vidhyapathi, C. M.

2017-11-01

Today’s world witnesses increased number of mine accidents caused due to explosion and fire. When the methane gas concentration goes high, it causes fire leading to explosion. In this paper, an IoT based system is proposed to ensure safety to the mine workers in underground collieries. The proposed system consists of DHT-11 sensor to monitor the temperature and humidity of coal mines. When the gas sensor detects high methane gas level, blower is activated so that the atmospheric air can be pumped in from outside to dilute the gas concentration. The smoke sensor is also used to detect the fire. In case of any abnormality in any of these parameters the buzzer sounds. All these parameters are uploaded to the cloud directly so that the people at the control station can be well informed of the underground mines.

Mining activities of the Cogema group; Activite miniere du groupe Cogema

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1996-12-31

This brochure is a general presentation of the mining activities of the COGEMA group. COGEMA is specialized in the whole operations of the nuclear fuel cycle and is responsible for about 20% of the worldwide uranium production with the exploitation of French mines and its participation in the exploitation of mines abroad, mainly in Canada, USA, Niger and Gabon. This document is divided in seven chapters: the search for uranium ores and the mining prospecting, the uranium deposits and the worldwide market, the exploitation of uranium ores (techniques and mines exploited by the COGEMA group), the processing of ores, the radioactivity and the mining installations, the environmental protection and the rehabilitation of sites (environmental survey and management of mining sites), application of COGEMA`s know-how to other domains such as: gold ore processing, research and development studies, instrumentation and radioprotection, soils cleansing and sites rehabilitation. This brochure is illustrated with several photos and pictures. (J.S.).

Acid mine drainage arising from gold mining activity in Johannesburg, South Africa and environs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naicker, K.; Cukrowska, E.; McCarthy, T.S.

2003-01-01

Ground water within the mining district is heavily contaminated and acidified. - The Witwatersrand region of South Africa is famous for its gold production and a major conurbation, centred on Johannesburg, has developed as a result of mining activity. A study was undertaken of surface and ground water in a drainage system in this area. Soils were also analysed from a site within the mining district. This study revealed that the ground water within the mining district is heavily contaminated and acidified as a result of oxidation of pyrite (FeS 2 ) contained within mine tailings dumps, and has elevated concentrations of heavy metals. Where the water table is close to surface, the upper 20 cm of soil profiles are severely contaminated by heavy metals due to capillary rise and evaporation of the ground water. The polluted ground water is discharging into streams in the area and contributes up to 20% of stream discharge, causing a lowering of pH of the stream water. Much of the metal load is precipitated in the stream: Fe and Mn precipitate as a consequence of oxidation, while other heavy metals are being removed by co-precipitation. The oxidation of iron has created a redox buffer which controls the pH of the stream water. The rate of oxidation and of dilution is slow and the deleterious effect of the addition of contaminated water persists for more than 10 km beyond the source

Applying geochemical signatures of atmospheric dust to distinguish current mine emissions from legacy sources

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Chenyin; Taylor, Mark Patrick

2017-07-01

Resolving the source of environmental contamination is the critical first step in remediation and exposure prevention. Australia's oldest silver-zinc-lead mine at Broken Hill (>130 years old) has generated a legacy of contamination and is associated with persistent elevated childhood blood lead (Pb) levels. However, the source of environmental Pb remains in dispute: current mine emissions; remobilized mine-legacy lead in soils and dusts; and natural lead from geological weathering of the gossan ore body. Multiple lines of evidence used to resolve this conundrum at Broken Hill include spatial and temporal variations in dust Pb concentrations and bioaccessibility, Pb isotopic compositions, particle morphology and mineralogy. Total dust Pb loading (mean 255 μg/m2/day) and its bioaccessibility (mean 75% of total Pb) is greatest adjacent to the active mining operations. Unweathered galena (PbS) found in contemporary dust deposits contrast markedly to Pb-bearing particles from mine-tailings and weathered gossan samples. Contemporary dust particles were more angular, had higher sulfur content and had little or no iron and manganese. Dust adjacent to the mine has Pb isotopic compositions (208Pb/207Pb: 2.3197; 206Pb/207Pb: 1.0406) that are a close match (99%) to the ore body with values slightly lower (94%) at the edge of the city. The weight of evidence supports the conclusion that contemporary dust Pb contamination in Broken Hill is sourced primarily from current mining activities and not from weathering or legacy sources.

Legal Policy Of Peoples Rights In Around Mining Corporate Post-Mining Activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teng Berlianty

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This study aims to gain an understanding of the essence of the rights of communities around post-mining corporate responsibility towards the fulfillment of the rights of communities around post-mining as well as government policies to protect the sustainability of the post-mining communities around the mining business. This type of research is a normative legal research methods using primary legal materials secondary and tertiary. With the approach of sociolegal through down the field in Gebe to get data concrete. Data were analyzed with qualitative analysis. The results showed that the essence of the rights of communities around mining operations after the mine in the form of the right to a decent life welfare the right to social security in the form of employment the guarantee of free education and healthcare for the local population as well as the right to a good environment and healthy as a guarantee of the continuity of human existence and future generations. These rights have not been fully realized post-mining. Corporate responsibility in accordance with Article 74 of Law No. 40 of 2007 on the fulfillment of the rights of communities around mining operations after the mine in the form of welfare responsibilities clothing food and shelter especially electricity and water have not been met then the social responsibility to empower communities around the mine as stakeholders as well as environmental responsibility. Legal policy such as the empowerment of communities around the mine in order to be self-sufficient after the post-mining public service policies in education and health as a form of existence of government using existing programs nationally and subordinate to the PT. Antam. as well as environmental protection policies in the form of post-mining reclamation formulated in the companys liabilities.

Isotopically constrained lead sources in fugitive dust from unsurfaced roads in the southeast Missouri mining district

Science.gov (United States)

Witt, Emitt C.; Pribil, Michael; Hogan, John P; Wronkiewicz, David

2016-01-01

The isotopic composition of lead (Pb) in fugitive dust suspended by a vehicle from 13 unsurfaced roads in Missouri was measured to identify the source of Pb within an established long-term mining area. A three end-member model using 207Pb/206Pb and concentration as tracers resulted in fugitive dust samples plotting in the mixing field of well characterized heterogeneous end members. End members selected for this investigation include the 207Pb/206Pb for 1) a Pb-mixture representing mine tailings, 2) aerosol Pb-impacted soils within close proximity to the Buick secondary recycling smelter, and 3) an average of soils, rock cores and drill cuttings representing the background conditions. Aqua regia total concentrations and 207Pb/206Pb of mining area dust suggest that 35.4–84.3% of the source Pb in dust is associated with the mine tailings mixture, 9.1–52.7% is associated with the smelter mixture, and 0–21.6% is associated with background materials. Isotope ratios varied minimally within the operational phases of sequential extraction suggesting that mixing of all three Pb mixtures occurs throughout. Labile forms of Pb were attributed to all three end members. The extractable carbonate phase had as much as 96.6% of the total concentration associated with mine tailings, 51.8% associated with smelter deposition, and 34.2% with background. The next most labile geochemical phase (Fe + Mn Oxides) showed similar results with as much as 85.3% associated with mine tailings, 56.8% associated with smelter deposition, and 4.2% associated with the background soil.

Radon Progeny In Underground Phosphate Mines and Their Activity Distributions In Human Lung

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abd El-Hady, M.; Mohammed, A.; El-Hussein, A.; Ali, A.E.; Ahmed, A.A.

2001-01-01

In addition to workers in uranium mines, the staff of other underground mines, such as worker in underground phosphate mines, Can be exposed to 222 Rn and its progeny. In this study the individual radon progeny concentrations were measured in three Egyptian underground phosphate mines to estimate the occupational exposure to the workers in those sites. Active techniques are employed to fulfill the objective of measuring individual radon progeny concentrations (C RaA , C RaB and C RaC ). The mean reported values of radon progeny concentrations exceed the action levels recommended by ICRP 65 (1993). Based on the physical properties of attached radon progeny aerosol and physiological parameters for heavy work activity which recommended by ICRP 66 (1994). the deposition fraction for each airway generation was calculated. From the measured individual radon progeny concentrations in these mines and the calculated values of deposition fractions, the surface activity distribution per generation were calculated in human respiratory system (BB and regions). The maximum values of these activities were found in the upper bronchial airway generations. According to the obtained results, some of the corrective actions were recommended in this study

Community- and family-level factors influence care-giver choice to screen blood lead levels of children in a mining community.

Science.gov (United States)

Moodie, S M; Tsui, E K; Silbergeld, E K

2010-07-01

Bunker Hill, in Kellogg, Idaho, formerly a lead mine (1884-1981) and smelter (1917-1981), is now a Superfund site listed on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Priorities List. Lead contamination from the site is widespread due to past smelter discharges to land, water, and air, placing children at risk for both exposure to lead and resultant health effects of lead. Since 1983, the EPA has used child blood lead levels to inform the clean-up standards for the Bunker Hill Superfund site. This study was undertaken to examine factors that have contributed to the significant fall-off in the rates and numbers of children being screened for blood lead in Kellogg (number screened decreased from 195 to 8 from 2002 to 2007). The goal of this research project was to define community- and family-level factors which influence care-giver choice to screen blood lead levels of their children in this environment. This formative research study used mixed methods and was comprised of three research components: (1) preliminary interviews using community-based participatory research methods to define key research questions of relevance to community members, government and NGOs working in relation to the Bunker Hill clean-up; (2) a quantitative analysis of a cross-sectional household survey conducted with adult care-givers about child blood lead screening in Kellogg; and (3) ethnographic community rapid assessment methods formed the in-depth interview process and qualitative analysis. The survey showed the likelihood of blood lead screening that for children under the age of 18 years increases 34% with each one-year increase in current age of the child (95% CI, 1.08-1.67, p-value=0.009), and decreases 45% with annual household income greater than $10,000 (95% CI, 0.35-0.88, p-value=0.013). Sibling birth order increased the likelihood of blood lead screening by 61% (95% CI, 1.04-2.48, p-value=0.032) for each successive child. Female children were rated by their care

Uptake of metals and metalloids by plants growing in a lead-zinc mine area, Northern Vietnam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Nguyen Thi Hoang; Sakakibara, Masayuki; Sano, Sakae; Nhuan, Mai Trong

2011-01-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the phytoremediation and phytomining potential of 10 plant species growing naturally at one of the largest lead-zinc mines in Northern Vietnam. Total concentrations of heavy metals and arsenic were determined in the plant and in associated soil and water in and outside of the mine area. The results indicate that hyperaccumulation levels (mg kg -1 dry weight) were obtained in Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (1140) and Pteris vittata L. (3750) for arsenic, and in Ageratum houstonianum Mill. (1130), Potamogeton oxyphyllus Miq. (4210), and P. vittata (1020) for lead. To the best of our knowledge, the present paper is the first report on metal accumulation and hyperaccumulation by H. cordata, A. houstonianum, and P. oxyphyllus. Based on the obtained concentrations of metals, bioconcentration and translocation factors, as well as the biomass of these plants, the two latter species and P. vittata are good candidates for phytoremediation of sites contaminated with arsenic and multi-metals. None of the collected plants was suitable for phytomining, given their low concentrations of useful metals (e.g., silver, gallium, and indium).

Uptake of metals and metalloids by plants growing in a lead-zinc mine area, Northern Vietnam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ha, Nguyen Thi Hoang [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan); Sakakibara, Masayuki, E-mail: sakakiba@sci.ehime-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan); Sano, Sakae [Department of Geology, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan); Nhuan, Mai Trong [Department of Environmental Geology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, 334 Nguyen Trai, Hanoi (Viet Nam)

2011-02-28

This study was conducted to evaluate the phytoremediation and phytomining potential of 10 plant species growing naturally at one of the largest lead-zinc mines in Northern Vietnam. Total concentrations of heavy metals and arsenic were determined in the plant and in associated soil and water in and outside of the mine area. The results indicate that hyperaccumulation levels (mg kg{sup -1} dry weight) were obtained in Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (1140) and Pteris vittata L. (3750) for arsenic, and in Ageratum houstonianum Mill. (1130), Potamogeton oxyphyllus Miq. (4210), and P. vittata (1020) for lead. To the best of our knowledge, the present paper is the first report on metal accumulation and hyperaccumulation by H. cordata, A. houstonianum, and P. oxyphyllus. Based on the obtained concentrations of metals, bioconcentration and translocation factors, as well as the biomass of these plants, the two latter species and P. vittata are good candidates for phytoremediation of sites contaminated with arsenic and multi-metals. None of the collected plants was suitable for phytomining, given their low concentrations of useful metals (e.g., silver, gallium, and indium).

Decreased sialidase activity in alveolar macrophages of guinea pigs exposed to coal mine dust.

Science.gov (United States)

Terzidis-Trabelsi, H; Lefèvre, J P; Bignon, J; Lambré, C R

1992-01-01

The origin of immune dysfunctions that are observed in pneumoconiotic miners still remains unknown. There is evidence that the carbohydrate moiety of membrane glycoconjugates is of primary importance in many functions of immunocompetent cells. The glycosylation, and especially the sialylation level of membrane components of various lymphocyte and macrophage subsets, vary depending on the state of cellular differentiation and activation. Sialidases, which may regulate the amount of sialic acids exposed on the cell membrane, can thus be considered as immunoregulatory enzymes. In this report, the sialidase activity has been measured in alveolar macrophages (AM) and in cell-free bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from guinea pigs exposed for 4 months to coal mine dust at a concentration of 300 mg/m3. The samples were collected by bronchoalveolar lavage 2 months after cessation of exposure. The sialidase activity in the cell-free fluid and in the purified alveolar macrophages showed a 10-fold decrease (p less than 0.001). Kinetic parameters of the enzyme such as Km and optimum pH did not change. This changed activity was specific for sialidase, as two other lysosomal glycosidases, beta-galactosidase and N-acetylglucosaminidase, showed unchanged activities. These results suggest the possibility that, by inducing a decreased sialidase activity, exposure to coal mine dust may lead to a modified expression of AM membrane-associated sialic acids giving rise to altered immune functions (i. e., phagocytosis, antigen processing, response to cytokines, etc.). PMID:1396442

Effects of mining activities on heavy metal concentrations in water, sediment, and macroinvertebrates in different reaches of the Pilcomayo River, South America.

Science.gov (United States)

Smolders, A J P; Lock, R A C; Van der Velde, G; Medina Hoyos, R I; Roelofs, J G M

2003-04-01

From 1997 until 1999 the extent and the ecological effects of zinc, copper, lead, and cadmium pollution were studied in different reaches of the South American Pilcomayo River. A comparison of metal concentrations in water, sediment, and chironomid larvae, as well as the diversity of macroinvertebrate species, was made between sites near the origin of the Pilcomayo River, with hardly any mining activities, sites in the Potosí region, with intensive mining, and sites located 500 km or further downstream of Potosí, in the Chaco plain. Samples were also collected in an unpolluted river (Cachi Mayu River) and in the Tarapaya River, which is strongly contaminated by mine tailings (1000 tons a day). The upper parts of the Pilcomayo River are strongly affected by the release of mine tailings from the Potosí mines where mean concentrations of lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc in water, filtered water, sediment, and chironomid larvae were up to a thousand times higher than the local background levels. The diversity of the benthic macroinvertebrate community was strongly reduced in the contaminated parts; 97% of the benthic macroinvertebrates consisted of chironomid larvae. The degree of contamination in the lower reaches of the river, however, was fairly low because of sedimentation processes and the strong dilution of mine tailings with enormous amounts of clean sediment from erosion processes. Analysis of sediment cores from the Ibibobo floodplain, however, reveal an increase of the heavy metal concentrations in the lower reaches since the introduction of the contaminating flotation process in the mine industry in 1985.

Lead (Pb) in sheep exposed to mining pollution: implications for animal and human health.

Science.gov (United States)

Pareja-Carrera, Jennifer; Mateo, Rafael; Rodríguez-Estival, Jaime

2014-10-01

Livestock from the ancient mining area of Sierra Madrona and Alcudia Valley (Spain) is exposed to elevated levels of lead (Pb), as previous studies based on blood monitoring have revealed. Here we have studied blood, liver and muscle Pb levels in sheep in order to know if Pb exposure could represent a risk for human consumers of the meat and offal of these animals. A cross-sectional study was conducted with ≥4 years old (adults) ewes from the mining area (n=46) and a control area (n=21). Blood samples were taken before the sacrifice at the slaughterhouse, and liver and muscle samples were taken thereafter. At the same time, 2-3 year old rams (subadults, n=17) were blood sampled in the mining area. Blood, liver and muscle Pb levels were higher in the mining than in the control area. Blood Pb concentration in the mining area (n= 44, mean: 6.7μg/dl in ewes and 10.9μg/dl in rams) was above background levels (>6μg/dl) in 73.3 percent of animals. Liver Pb concentration in 68 percent of sheep from the mining area (n=32, mean: 6.16μg/g dry weight, d.w.) exceeded the minimum level associated with toxic exposure (5µg/g d.w.) and 87.5 percent of liver samples were above European Union Maximum Residue Levels (MRL) established for offal destined for human consumption (0.5µg/g w.w.~1.4µg/g d.w.). On the contrary, none of the muscle samples in ewes exceeded the EU MRL (0.1µg/g w.w.~0.34µg/g d.w.) established for meat, which may be related to the decline of blood Pb levels with age observed in the present study. These results suggest a potential health effect for sheep exposed to Pb pollution in this area and implications for food safety, but further research with lamb meat may be necessary to refine the risk assessment for human consumers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mineralogical, textural, structural and geochemical aspects of Nakhlak lead mine, Isfahan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Ali Jazi

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Nakhlak lead mine is located at the Nakhlak mountain 55 km NE of Anarak town in Isfahan province. The mineralogy is simple; galena and barite are the main primary minerals and cerussite is the main secondary mineral. Sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite-tennantite and acanthite occur as minor and trace mineral inclusions in galena. Secondary minerals are anglesite, plattnerite, wulfenite and malachite. The host rock has undergone a pre-mineralization dolomitization process. Four types of dolomite have been identified which saddle dolomite is the most distinguished. Open space filling textures occur in the form of breccia, cockade, crustification and colloform. Analysis of the galena samples indicates presence of many trace elements in galena among which silver is the most important. Element pairs such as Ag-As, Zn-Cd, As-Cu and As-Sb are highly correlated. This correlation may be explained by the presence of inclusions. Ag-Sb-Bi ternary diagram indicates that galena samples from Nakhlak are rich in Ag and Sb and poor in Bi. Sb/Bi (3773 ratio in galena is suggestive of a low temperature of formation for the deposit. The Upper Cretaceous carbonate host rocks and their dolomitization, the stratabound and epigenetic mineralization, the absence of igneous activity, the open space filling texture, the simple mineralogy and geochemistry all point to a Mississippi valley type model for the Nakhlak Pb deposit.

A novel understanding of land use characteristics caused by mining activities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Jianjun; Rao, Yongheng; Geng, Yuhuan

2017-01-01

An idea that which zones are the main disturbed areas in mining cities and what are the exact impacts in space concerns re-use and optimal allocation of land. Current research mostly concludes that mining activities impact land use greatly, but there is no definite spatial range of disturbance. T...

Integrated approach to assess the environmental impact of mining activities: estimation of the spatial distribution of soil contamination (Panasqueira mining area, Central Portugal).

Science.gov (United States)

Candeias, Carla; Ávila, Paula F; Ferreira da Silva, Eduardo; Teixeira, João Paulo

2015-03-01

Through the years, mining and beneficiation processes in Panasqueira Sn-W mine (Central Portugal) produced large amounts of As-rich mine wastes laid up in huge tailings and open-air impoundments (Barroca Grande and Rio tailings) that are the main source of pollution in the surrounding area once they are exposed to the weathering conditions leading to the formation of acid mine drainage (AMD) and consequently to the contamination of the surrounding environments, particularly soils. The active mine started the exploration during the nineteenth century. This study aims to look at the extension of the soil pollution due to mining activities and tailing erosion by combining data on the degree of soil contamination that allows a better understanding of the dynamics inherent to leaching, transport, and accumulation of some potential toxic elements in soil and their environmental relevance. Soil samples were collected in the surrounding soils of the mine, were digested in aqua regia, and were analyzed for 36 elements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Selected results are that (a) an association of elements like Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cu, W, and Zn strongly correlated and controlled by the local sulfide mineralization geochemical signature was revealed; (b) the global area discloses significant concentrations of As, Bi, Cd, and W linked to the exchangeable and acid-soluble bearing phases; and (c) wind promotes the mechanical dispersion of the rejected materials, from the milled waste rocks and the mineral processing plant, with subsequent deposition on soils and waters. Arsenic- and sulfide-related heavy metals (such as Cu and Cd) are associated to the fine materials that are transported in suspension by surface waters or associated to the acidic waters, draining these sites and contaminating the local soils. Part of this fraction, especially for As, Cd, and Cu, is temporally retained in solid phases by precipitation of soluble secondary minerals (through

Metals in riparian wildlife of the lead mining district of southeastern Missouri. [Rana catesbeiana, Ondatra zibethicus; Butorides striatus; Nerodia sipedon; Stelgidopteryx serripennis, Riparia riparia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niethammer, K.R.; Atkinson, R.D.; Baskett, T.S.; Samson, F.B.

1985-03-01

Five species of riparian vertebrates (425 individuals) primarily representing upper trophic levels were collected from the Big River and Black River drainages in two lead mining districts of southeastern Missouri, 1981-82. Big River is subject to metal pollution via erosion and seepage from large tailings piles from inactive lead mines. Black River drains part of a currently mined area. Bull-frogs (Rana catesbeiana), muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus), and green-backed herons (Butorides striatus) collected downstream from the source of metal contamination to Big River had significantly higher lead and cadmium levels than specimens collected at either an uncontaminated upstream site or on Black River. Northern water snakes (Nerodia sipedon) had elevated lead levels below the tailings source, but did not seem to accumulate cadmium. Levels of lead, cadmium, or zinc in northern rough-winged swallows (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) were not related to collecting locality. Carcasses of ten bank swallows (Riparia riparia) collected from a colony nesting in a tailings pile along the Big River had lead concentrations of 2.0-39 ppm wet weight. Differences between zinc concentrations in vertebrates collected from contaminated and uncontaminated sites were less apparent than differences in lead and cadmium. There was little relationship between metal concentrations in the animals studied and their trophic levels. Bull-frogs are the most promising species examined for monitoring environmental levels of lead, cadmium, and zinc.

Human Activity Recognition Using Hierarchically-Mined Feature Constellations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oikonomopoulos, A.; Pantic, Maja

In this paper we address the problem of human activity modelling and recognition by means of a hierarchical representation of mined dense spatiotemporal features. At each level of the hierarchy, the proposed method selects feature constellations that are increasingly discriminative and

Hydrochemical evaluation of the influences of mining activities on river water chemistry in central northern Mongolia.

Science.gov (United States)

Batsaikhan, Bayartungalag; Kwon, Jang-Soon; Kim, Kyoung-Ho; Lee, Young-Joon; Lee, Jeong-Ho; Badarch, Mendbayar; Yun, Seong-Taek

2017-01-01

Although metallic mineral resources are most important in the economy of Mongolia, mining activities with improper management may result in the pollution of stream waters, posing a threat to aquatic ecosystems and humans. In this study, aiming to evaluate potential impacts of metallic mining activities on the quality of a transboundary river (Selenge) in central northern Mongolia, we performed hydrochemical investigations of rivers (Tuul, Khangal, Orkhon, Haraa, and Selenge). Hydrochemical analysis of river waters indicates that, while major dissolved ions originate from natural weathering (especially, dissolution of carbonate minerals) within watersheds, they are also influenced by mining activities. The water quality problem arising from very high turbidity is one of the major environmental concerns and is caused by suspended particles (mainly, sediment and soil particles) from diverse erosion processes, including erosion of river banks along the meandering river system, erosion of soils owing to overgrazing by livestock, and erosion by human activities, such as mining and agriculture. In particular, after passing through the Zaamar gold mining area, due to the disturbance of sediments and soils by placer gold mining, the Tuul River water becomes very turbid (up to 742 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU)). The Zaamar area is also the contamination source of the Tuul and Orkhon rivers by Al, Fe, and Mn, especially during the mining season. The hydrochemistry of the Khangal River is influenced by heavy metal (especially, Mn, Al, Cd, and As)-loaded mine drainage that originates from a huge tailing dam of the Erdenet porphyry Cu-Mo mine, as evidenced by δ 34 S values of dissolved sulfate (0.2 to 3.8 ‰). These two contaminated rivers (Tuul and Khangal) merge into the Orkhon River that flows to the Selenge River near the boundary between Mongolia and Russia and then eventually flows into Lake Baikal. Because water quality problems due to mining can be critical

The optimum lead thickness for lead-activation detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Si Fenni; Hu Qingyuan

2009-01-01

The optimum lead thickness for lead-activation detectors has been studied in this paper. First existence of the optimum lead thickness is explained theoretically. Then the optimum lead thickness is obtained by two methods, MCNP5 calculation and mathematical estimation. At last factors which affect the optimum lead thickness are discussed. It turns out that the optimum lead thickness is irrelevant to incident neutron energies. It is recommended 2.5 cm generally.

Responsible Development of Areva's Mining Activities. Report 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-09-01

This annual report, prepared by the Corporate Social Responsibility Department of Areva Mines, is the result of the mobilization of all our teams present at Areva's mining sites as well as those in Areva corporate support functions (compliance, sustainable development, etc). The data given cover the assets for which Areva acts as operator in uranium mining activities: exploration, project development, production and rehabilitation. The consolidated data target activities in France, Canada, Niger, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Gabon and Namibia. Activities in the Central African Republic and those linked to La Mancha no longer fall within the scope of this report (sale of assets in 2012). By defining Areva's strategy and policies, this report aims to demonstrate Areva's performance in the key areas of mining activity responsibility: ethics and governance, social report, the environment, occupational health and safety, community involvement, commitments to stakeholders. This report is the third edition of this annual exercise. The results for Areva's main performance indicators are shown for the last three years (2010 to 2012). Some important information relates to the first half of 2013. Areva is a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM). In this context, Areva's policies and commitments in terms of social responsibility are based on the ten sustainable development principles defined by the ICMM, as well as the associated 'position statement' documents. To this end, Areva's specialists are involved in the different working groups that bring together ICMM members to discuss the various sustainable development issues encountered in the extractive sector. Members of our top-level management form part of the Council of this organization. More generally, Areva has made a large number of commitments and works with professional organizations and international institutions. A file listing these various commitments is

Proceedings of the Sudbury 2003 Mining and the Environment Conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spiers, G.; Beckett, P.; Conroy, H.

2003-01-01

Sudbury is considered to be the centre of the Canadian mining industry and has gained a reputation for environmentally sound mining practices that are being met through mine site rehabilitation and regional land reclamation. This international conference provided a forum to exchange ideas and information pertinent to mine reclamation activities. More than 400 delegates, including leading scientists and technical experts from around the world participated at the conference. Approximately 150 papers were presented on a wide range of topics related to mine site rehabilitation issues and environmental protection methods associated with mining. Both current and future challenges faced by the mining industry were discussed with particular reference to the long-term sustainability of the mining process. Topics of discussion included issues pertaining to reclamation and rehabilitation of disturbed lands and waterways as well as specific site reclamation challenges associated with the oil industry. Reclamation activities include a wide range of expertise including plant ecology, forestry, soil science, land use planning, civil and mine engineering, wildlife biology, and reclamation. Six papers from the conference have been processed separately for inclusion in this database. refs., tabs., figs

Environmental Remediation to Address Childhood Lead Poisoning Epidemic due to Artisanal Gold Mining in Zamfara, Nigeria

OpenAIRE

Tirima, Simba; Bartrem, Casey; von Lindern, Ian; von Braun, Margrit; Lind, Douglas; Anka, Shehu Mohammed; Abdullahi, Aishat

2016-01-01

Background: From 2010 through 2013, integrated health and environmental responses addressed an unprecedented epidemic lead poisoning in Zamfara State, northern Nigeria. Artisanal gold mining caused widespread contamination resulting in the deaths of > 400 children. Socioeconomic, logistic, and security challenges required remediation and medical protocols within the context of local resources, labor practices, and cultural traditions. Objectives: Our aim was to implement emergency environ...

A REIA Study of Marble Mining Activities in District- Nagaur (Rajasthan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Arif

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Conventional and unscientific mining poses severe threat to life, public property and continuation of mining in the area. Incompatible land uses, huge waste dumps and large scale land transformation have resulted in land degradation, ponding, flooding, water contamination and health hazards in Makrana mining area. Segregation of dumps, compatible land use, research and development activity for use of marble slurry are suggested measures for reclamation and restoration of the degraded land. While for the purpose of development and economic upliftment of people, there is a need for establishment of industrial project, but these have to be environmentally friendly. Therefore it is essential to assess the impacts of mining on different environmental parameters, before starting the mining operations, so that abatement measures could be planned in advance for eco-friendly mining in the area. Environmental impact assessment (EIA is a systematic process that examines the environmental consequences of development action like mining, cement, transport, river valley. EIA systematically examines booth beneficial and adverse consequences of the proposed project and ensures that these impacts are taken into account during the project design.

Application of MIKE SHE to study the impact of coal mining on river runoff in Gujiao mining area, Shanxi, China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianhua Ping

Full Text Available Coal mining is one of the core industries that contribute to the economic development of a country but deteriorate the environment. Being the primary source of energy, coal has become essential to meet the energy demand of a country. It is excavated by both opencast and underground mining methods and affects the environment, especially hydrological cycle, by discharging huge amounts of mine water. Natural hydrological processes have been well known to be vulnerable to human activities, especially large scale mining activities, which inevitably generate surface cracks and subsidence. It is therefore valuable to assess the impact of mining on river runoff for the sustainable development of regional economy. In this paper, the impact of coal mining on river runoff is assessed in one of the national key coal mining sites, Gujiao mining area, Shanxi Province, China. The characteristics of water cycle are described, the similarities and differences of runoff formation are analyzed in both coal mining and pre-mining periods. The integrated distributed hydrological model named MIKE SHE is employed to simulate and evaluate the influence of coal mining on river runoff. The study shows that mining one ton of raw coal leads to the reduction of river runoff by 2.87 m3 between 1981 and 2008, of which the surface runoff decreases by 0.24 m3 and the baseflow by 2.63 m3. The reduction degree of river runoff for mining one ton of raw coal shows an increasing trend over years. The current study also reveals that large scale coal mining initiates the formation of surface cracks and subsidence, which intercepts overland flow and enhances precipitation infiltration. Together with mine drainage, the natural hydrological processes and the stream flows have been altered and the river run off has been greatly reduced.

Application of MIKE SHE to study the impact of coal mining on river runoff in Gujiao mining area, Shanxi, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Ping, Jianhua; Yan, Shiyan; Gu, Pan; Wu, Zening; Hu, Caihong

2017-01-01

Coal mining is one of the core industries that contribute to the economic development of a country but deteriorate the environment. Being the primary source of energy, coal has become essential to meet the energy demand of a country. It is excavated by both opencast and underground mining methods and affects the environment, especially hydrological cycle, by discharging huge amounts of mine water. Natural hydrological processes have been well known to be vulnerable to human activities, especially large scale mining activities, which inevitably generate surface cracks and subsidence. It is therefore valuable to assess the impact of mining on river runoff for the sustainable development of regional economy. In this paper, the impact of coal mining on river runoff is assessed in one of the national key coal mining sites, Gujiao mining area, Shanxi Province, China. The characteristics of water cycle are described, the similarities and differences of runoff formation are analyzed in both coal mining and pre-mining periods. The integrated distributed hydrological model named MIKE SHE is employed to simulate and evaluate the influence of coal mining on river runoff. The study shows that mining one ton of raw coal leads to the reduction of river runoff by 2.87 m3 between 1981 and 2008, of which the surface runoff decreases by 0.24 m3 and the baseflow by 2.63 m3. The reduction degree of river runoff for mining one ton of raw coal shows an increasing trend over years. The current study also reveals that large scale coal mining initiates the formation of surface cracks and subsidence, which intercepts overland flow and enhances precipitation infiltration. Together with mine drainage, the natural hydrological processes and the stream flows have been altered and the river run off has been greatly reduced.

30 CFR 77.1200 - Mine map.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... SAFETY STANDARDS, SURFACE COAL MINES AND SURFACE WORK AREAS OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Maps § 77.1200 Mine...) The location of railroad tracks and public highways leading to the mine, and mine buildings of a permanent nature with identifying names shown; (k) Underground mine workings underlying and within 1,000...

Heavy metal pollution caused by small-scale metal ore mining activities: A case study from a polymetallic mine in South China.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Zehang; Xie, Xiande; Wang, Ping; Hu, Yuanan; Cheng, Hefa

2018-05-19

Although metal ore mining activities are well known as an important source of heavy metals, soil pollution caused by small-scale mining activities has long been overlooked. This study investigated the pollution of surface soils in an area surrounding a recently abandoned small-scale polymetallic mining district in Guangdong province of south China. A total of 13 tailing samples, 145 surface soil samples, and 29 water samples were collected, and the concentrations of major heavy metals, including Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, and Se, were determined. The results show that the tailings contained high levels of heavy metals, with Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb occurring in the ranges of 739-4.15 × 10 3 , 1.81 × 10 3 -5.00 × 10 3 , 118-1.26 × 10 3 , 8.14-57.7, and 1.23 × 10 3 -6.99 × 10 3  mg/kg, respectively. Heavy metals also occurred at high concentrations in the mine drainages (15.4-17.9 mg/L for Cu, 21.1-29.3 mg/L for Zn, 0.553-0.770 mg/L for Cd, and 1.17-2.57 mg/L for Pb), particularly those with pH below 3. The mean contents of Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb in the surface soils of local farmlands were up to 7 times higher than the corresponding background values, and results of multivariate statistical analysis clearly indicate that Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were largely contributed by the mining activities. The surface soils from farmlands surrounding the mining district were moderately to seriously polluted, while the potential ecological risk of heavy metal pollution was extremely high. It was estimated that the input fluxes from the mining district to the surrounding farmlands were approximately 17.1, 59.2, 0.311, and 93.8 kg/ha/yr for Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb, respectively, which probably occurred through transport of fine tailings by wind and runoff, and mine drainage as well. These findings indicate the significant need for proper containment of the mine tailings at small-scale metal ore mines. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier

Geodetic monitoring (TLS of a steel transport trestle bridge located in an active mining exploitation site

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Skoczylas Arkadiusz

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Underground mining exploitation causes, in general, irregular vertical and horizontal shifts in the superficial layer of the rock mass. In the case of construction objects seated on this layer, a deformation of the object’s foundation can be observed. This leads to additional loads and deformations. Identification of surface geometry changes in construction objects located within the premises of underground mining exploitation areas is an important task as far as safety of mining sites is concerned. Surveys targeting shifts and deformations in engineering objects preformed with the use of classic methods are of a selective nature and do not provide the full image of the phenomenon being the subject of the observation. This paper presents possibilities of terrestrial laser scanning technology application in the monitoring of engineering objects that allows for a complete spatial documentation of an object subjected to the influence of an active mining exploitation. This paper describes an observation of a 100 m section of a steel transport trestle bridge located on the premises of hard coal mine Lubelski Węgiel “Bogdanka” S.A. carried out in 2015. Measurements were carried out using a Z+F Imager 5010C scanner at an interval of 3.5 months. Changes in the structure’s geometry were determined by comparing the point clouds recorded during the two measurement periods. The results of the analyses showed shifts in the trestle bridge towards the exploited coal wall accompanied by object deformation. The obtained results indicate the possibility of of terrestrial laser scanning application in studying the aftereffects of underground mining exploitation on surface engineering objects.

Pb isotopes as tracers of mining-related Pb in lichens, seaweed and mussels near a former Pb-Zn mine in West Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, Jens; Asmund, Gert; Johansen, Poul

2010-01-01

Identification of mining-related contaminants is important in order to assess the spreading of contaminants from mining as well as for site remediation purposes. This study focuses on lead (Pb) contamination in biota near the abandoned ‘Black Angel Mine’ in West Greenland in the period 1988–2008....... mining pollution. Lead isotopes can be used to monitor uptake of mining-related lead in lichens, seaweed and mussels.......Identification of mining-related contaminants is important in order to assess the spreading of contaminants from mining as well as for site remediation purposes. This study focuses on lead (Pb) contamination in biota near the abandoned ‘Black Angel Mine’ in West Greenland in the period 1988...

Mercury pollution by mining activities in Rayo Rojo mining district, Apolobamba (Bolivia)

Science.gov (United States)

Teran-Mita, T.; Faz Cano, A.; Muñoz, M.; Millán, R.; Salvador, F.

2009-04-01

In Bolivia, metal mining activities since historical times have been one of the most important causes of the environmental degradation. This is the case of the Natural Integrated Management Area of Apolobamba (Department of La Paz, Bolivia), where intense gold mining activities have been carried out from former times to present days, with very little gold extraction and very scarce mineral processing technology. In Apolobamba mercury is still being used in the amalgam processes and this might conduct to high Hg contents. Inhabitants of this area consume fish from lakes and rivers, and use the waters for the livestock, domestic use, and irrigation. The aim of this work was to evaluate mercury impact into the soil-plant-water system. The Technical University of Cartagena, Spain, through the Research Group "Sustainable Use, Management and Reclamation of Soil and Water", carried out a research, in the most intense affected gold extraction zones in Apolobamba, among them Rayo Rojo, where mining activity is mainly gold extraction, although the extracted mineral volume and technology used is low. Rayo Rojo is located in the central part of ANMI - Apolobamba (in the andean region), inside of Pelechuco municipality; the area belongs biogeographically to the Altoandina and Puna. This district, located in Apolobamba mountain-range, where altitudes above 5.000 m.a.s.l are reached. Water, soil, sediment and plant samples were taken around the operations mining sites and total mercury analysed. Mercury content was determined by AMA-254 model, based on the thermal decomposition of the sample and collection of the Hg vapour on a gold amalgamator. The analysis is performed from solid samples without any further preparation. Samples are initially dried at 125°C and then thermally decomposed at the temperature of 550°C. Mercury vapour is then trapped on the gold amalgamator. AMA-254 method certificated standards were BCR 62-BCR 281. Preliminary results show high Hg concentrations

Radiological characterization of a uranium mine with no mining activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lozano, J.C.; Vera Tome, F.; Gomez Escobar, V.; Blanco Rodriguez, P.

2000-01-01

We report a radiological study of a uranium mine located in Extremadura, in the south-west of Spain, in which mining work had ceased. One interest in the work is that the results can be used as a reference for the future evaluation of the effects produced by the restoration program. The radiological parameters selected to estimate the impact of the inactive mine were: 222 Rn in air and water, 222 Rn exhalation, effective 226 Ra in soils and sediments, and natural uranium and 226 Ra in water. Chemical analyses of water samples and measurements of meteorological variables were also made. Average values of these radiological parameters are presented. We characterize the zone radiologically and estimate the influence of the mine on the basis of some of these parameters, while others are used to reflect the status of the installation, information which could be very useful in the near future when restoration is complete

Assessment of blood lead level declines in an area of historical mining with a holistic remediation and abatement program.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoof, Rosalind A; Johnson, Dina L; Handziuk, Emma R; Landingham, Cynthia Van; Feldpausch, Alma M; Gallagher, Alexa E; Dell, Linda D; Kephart, Amy

2016-10-01

", located at higher elevation atop historical mine workings, and "the Flats", at lower elevation and more recently developed. Significant declines in BLLs were observed over time in both areas, though Uptown had slightly higher BLLs than the Flats (2003-2004: 3.57vs. 3.45µg/dL, p=0.7; 2005-2006: 2.84vs. 2.52µg/dL, p=0.1; 2007-2008: 2.58vs. 1.99µg/dL, p=0.001; 2009-2010: 1.71vs. 1.44µg/dL, p=0.02). BLLs were higher when tested in summer/fall than in winter/spring for both neighborhoods, and statistically higher BLLs were found for children in Uptown living in properties built before 1940. Neighborhood differences and the persistence of a greater percentage of high BLLs (>5µg/dL) in Butte vs. the reference dataset support continuation of the home lead abatement program. Butte BLL declines likely reflect the cumulative effectiveness of screening efforts, community-wide remediation, and the ongoing metals abatement program in Butte in addition to other factors not accounted for by this study. As evidenced in Butte, abatement programs that include home evaluations and assistance in addressing multiple sources of lead exposure can be an important complement to community-wide soil remediation activities. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Shifts in microbial community composition and function in the acidification of a lead/zinc mine tailings.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lin-Xing; Li, Jin-Tian; Chen, Ya-Ting; Huang, Li-Nan; Hua, Zheng-Shuang; Hu, Min; Shu, Wen-Sheng

2013-09-01

In an attempt to link the microbial community composition and function in mine tailings to the generation of acid mine drainage, we simultaneously explored the geochemistry and microbiology of six tailings collected from a lead/zinc mine, i.e. primary tailings (T1), slightly acidic tailings (T2), extremely acidic tailings (T3, T4 and T5) and orange-coloured oxidized tailings (T6). Geochemical results showed that the six tailings (from T1 to T6) likely represented sequential stages of the acidification process of the mine tailings. 16S rRNA pyrosequencing revealed a contrasting microbial composition between the six tailings: Proteobacteria-related sequences dominated T1-T3 with relative abundance ranging from 56 to 93%, whereas Ferroplasma-related sequences dominated T4-T6 with relative abundance ranging from 28 to 58%. Furthermore, metagenomic analysis of the microbial communities of T2 and T6 indicated that the genes encoding key enzymes for microbial carbon fixation, nitrogen fixation and sulfur oxidation in T2 were largely from Thiobacillus and Acidithiobacillus, Methylococcus capsulatus, and Thiobacillus denitrificans respectively; while those in T6 were mostly identified in Acidithiobacillus and Leptospirillum, Acidithiobacillus and Leptospirillum, and Acidithiobacillus respectively. The microbial communities in T2 and T6 harboured more genes suggesting diverse metabolic capacities for sulfur oxidation/heavy metal detoxification and tolerating low pH respectively. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Mine waste disposal and managements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheong, Young Wook; Min, Jeong Sik; Kwon, Kwang Soo; Kim, Ok Hwan; Kim, In Kee; Song, Won Kyong; Lee, Hyun Joo [Korea Institute of Geology Mining and Materials, Taejon (Korea)

1998-12-01

Acid Rock Drainage (ARD) is the product formed by the atmospheric oxidation of the relatively common pyrite and pyrrhotite. Waste rock dumps and tailings containing sulfide mineral have been reported at toxic materials producing ARD. Mining in sulphide bearing rock is one of activity which may lead to generation and release of ARD. ARD has had some major detrimental affects on mining areas. The purpose of this study was carried out to develop disposal method for preventing contamination of water and soil environment by waste rocks dump and tailings, which could discharge the acid drainage with high level of metals. Scope of this study was as following: environmental impacts by mine wastes, geochemical characteristics such as metal speciation, acid potential and paste pH of mine wastes, interpretation of occurrence of ARD underneath tailings impoundment, analysis of slope stability of tailings dam etc. The following procedures were used as part of ARD evaluation and prediction to determine the nature and quantities of soluble constituents that may be washed from mine wastes under natural precipitation: analysis of water and mine wastes, Acid-Base accounting, sequential extraction technique and measurement of lime requirement etc. In addition, computer modelling was applied for interpretation of slope stability od tailings dam. (author). 44 refs., 33 tabs., 86 figs.

[Evaluation of environmental conditions: air, water and soil in areas of mining activity in Boyacá, Colombia].

Science.gov (United States)

Agudelo-Calderón, Carlos A; Quiroz-Arcentales, Leonardo; García-Ubaque, Juan C; Robledo-Martínez, Rocío; García-Ubaque, Cesar A

2016-02-01

Objectives To determine concentrations of PM10, mercury and lead in indoor air of homes, water sources and soil in municipalities near mining operations. Method 6 points were evaluated in areas of influence and 2 in control areas. For measurements of indoor air, we used the NIOSH 600 method (PM10), NIOSH 6009 (mercury) and NIOSH 7300 (lead). For water analysis we used the IDEAM Guide for monitoring discharges. For soil analysis, we used the cold vapor technique (mercury) and atomic absorption (lead). Results In almost all selected households, the average PM10 and mercury concentrations in indoor air exceeded applicable air quality standards. Concentrations of lead were below standard levels. In all water sources, high concentrations of lead were found and in some places within the mining areas, high levels of iron, aluminum and mercury were also found. In soil, mercury concentrations were below the detection level and for lead, differences between the monitored points were observed. Conclusions The results do not establish causal relationships between mining and concentration of these pollutants in the evaluated areas because of the multiplicity of sources in the area. However, such studies provide important information, useful to agents of the environmental health system and researchers. Installation of networks for environmental monitoring to obtain continuous reports is suggested.

The Strengthening of Geological Infrastructure, Research and Data Acquisition - Using Gis in Ivory Coast Gold Mines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kouame Kouame Joseph Arthur

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The artisanal gold mining in Ivory Coast has become a key problem in the mining sector. A diverse group of people in Ivory Coast, including the young and the old, are all engaged in these activities that are reportedly better than agricultural inputs. However, it is still a high-risk activity that leads to pollution, environmental degradation and the loss of human life. About ten people die each year in the gold mines. This paper focuses on gold mine safety by using the Geographic Information System (GIS as a major solution to solve the artisanal gold mines problem, and also seeks to promote the mining industry in Ivory Coast.

Prospecting history leading to the discovery of Botswana's diamond mines: from artefacts to Lesedi La Rona

Science.gov (United States)

de Wit, Michiel C. J.

2018-02-01

Bechuanaland/Botswana has a long and colourful history in exploration and mining. Here these activities are subdivided into three phases: pre-historic, historic and modern. Quarrying stone in Botswana was ongoing 500,000 years ago during the Early Stone Age (ESA). Actual mining of stones probably only started during the Middle Stone Age (MSA) i.e. post 250,000 BP, and the first prehistoric hard rock mining of specularite and limonite, likely started during the Late Stone Age (LSA) 20,000 to 2,000 BP. In east Botswana iron and copper were mined from AD 800 onwards; the mining of gold started in the thirteenth century. Historic mining started with the re-discovery of gold close to Francistown in 1865 and lasted until the 1950s. Rumours of diamonds in Bechuanaland had already surfaced in the 1880s, and it was Ngamiland, in the northwest, that was first explored systematically for diamonds and gold between 1896 and 1899. A joint initiative between Anglo American and De Beers started serious prospecting parts of eastern Bechuanaland between 1932 and 1938; and in 1938 the first diamond finds in Bechuanaland were reported. Modern mining and exploration started with the signing of an agreement in 1959, allowing Consolidated African Selection Trust Ltd (CAST) into the Bamangwato Tribal Reserve. CAST found a few diamonds in the Motloutse River, but concluded that these were reworked and dropped the exploration rights. De Beers believed that these diamonds had come from west of the Motloutse headwaters, across the watershed in the Kalahari. This ultimately led to the discovery of the Orapa kimberlite field in 1967, a year after Botswana became independent. This discovery triggered a major exploration boom across Botswana adding important diamond-bearing kimberlites such as at Letlhakane (1968), Jwaneng (1973), Gope (1981) and Lerala (1991).

Impact of former uranium mining activities on the floodplains of the Mulde River, Saxony, Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bister, S.; Birkhan, J.; Lüllau, T.; Bunka, M.; Solle, A.; Stieghorst, C.; Riebe, B.; Michel, R.; Walther, C.

2015-01-01

The Mulde River drains the former uranium mining areas in Saxony (Germany), which has led to a large-scale contamination of the river and the adjacent floodplain soils with radionuclides of the uranium decay series. The objective of the investigation is to quantify the long-term effect of former uranium mining activities on a river system. All of the investigated environmental compartments (water, sediment, soil) still reveal an impact from the former uranium mining and milling activities. The contamination of water has decreased considerably during the last 20 years due to the operation of water treatment facilities. The uranium content of the sediments decreased as well (on average by a factor of 5.6), most likely caused by displacement of contaminated material during flood events. Currently, the impact of the mining activities is most obvious in soils. For some of the plots activity concentrations of >200 Bq/kg of soil were detected for uranium-238. Alluvial soils used as grassland were found to be contaminated to a higher degree than those used as cropland. - Highlights: • Water, sediments, and soils affected by uranium mining were investigated. • All environmental compartments still reveal an impact of former uranium mining. • Contamination of water and sediment has decreased over the past 20 years. • Alluvial soils under pasture are higher contaminated than those from cropland

Groundwater quality in a mining activity area (The Bierzo Basin-Leon)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Losa, A. de la; Moreno, L.; Nunez, I.

2010-01-01

The Bierzo Basin presents large coal mining structures without restore where the air exposition of metallic sulphurs could become a source of heavy metal pollution and acification of waters. This paper presents the results of a research focused on groundwater quality affected by the mining activity. A sampling campaign of both ground and surface waters was carried out. Altogether, 37 sampling points has been selected including 26 springs, 7 shallow wells for agricultural use and 4 river water samples, all of them directly or indirectly connected to groundwater. The interpretation of results is based on the multivariate analysis application. Sulphate is the dominant anion in both water types, and it is related, in most cases, to oxidation of sulphurs, widely represented in the study area. However, the main conclusion is that surface water and groundwater samples have no high abnormal contents of heavy metals due to the induced alteration by mining activity. (Author) 15 refs.

Use of compost for the restoration of mine wastes and mine soils; Utilizacion de materiales compostados en la rehabilitacion potencial de espacios afectados por residuos mineros y suelos de mina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paradelo, R.

2013-09-01

One of the main limitations for the successful restoration of the environmental damages produced by quarrying and mining activities is that mine waste and mine soils are largely devoid of organic matter. For this reason, amelioration with organic materials such as sewage sludge, manure or compost is gaining attention as a desirable strategy that may render good results in restoration. In this paper, recent experiences on the use of composted materials for the amelioration of mine wastes and mine soils are reviewed. The benefits obtained from the use of compost in restoration studies include improvement of the unfavourable physical, chemical and biological properties of mine waste and mine soils. The increase in the organic matter concentrations produces an improvement of the structure which leads to reduced bulk density and increased porosity, thus decreasing the risks of compaction, sealing and erosion. Correction of extreme pH is usually observed. N and P, two elements that are usually lacking in mine waste, are also added with compost in plant-available forms. The introduction of microbial populations leads to the reactivation of biogeochemical cycles which are essential for the long-term fertility and sustainability of new ecosystems. (Author)

SELENIUM TREATMENT/REMOVAL ALTERNATIVES DEMONSTRATION PROJECT - MINE WASTE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM ACTIVITY III, PROJECT 20

Science.gov (United States)

This document is the final report for EPA's Mine WAste Technology Program (MWTP) Activity III, Project 20--Selenium Treatment/Removal Alternatives Demonstration project. Selenium contamination originates from many sources including mining operations, mineral processing, abandoned...

Survey of active and inactive mines for possible use as in situ test facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-09-01

A survey of active and inactive mines which might be useful for radioactive waste storage in situ test experiments was conducted. It was performed for Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Office of Waste Isolation. The report covers available information gathered from literature, U.S. Bureau of Mines, the Mining Enforcement and Safety Agency, and a limited number of personal contacts with constructors or operators of facilities. This survey is preliminary in nature and the objective is to develop potential candidate facilities for in situ experiments which warrant further investigation. Included are descriptions of 244 facilities, with all the data about each one which was available within the time restraint of the study. These facility descriptions are additionally indexed by depth of mine, nature of the country rock, mineral mined, and type of entry. A total of 14 inactive mines and 34 active mines has been selected as those most worthy of further investigation for possible service as nuclear waste isolation test facilities. This investigation, being preliminary and having been performed in a very short time period, must be qualified, and the description of the qualification is presented in the body of this report. Qualifications deal primarily with the hazard of having omitted facilities and having incomplete data in some instances. Results indicate sedimentary rock mines of minerals of evaporite origin as a first ranking of preference for in situ testing, followed by other sedimentary rocks and then by mines producing minerals from any type rock where the mine is above the local water table. These are general rules and of course there can be exceptions to them

Salt mine Asse II. Status of the retrieval activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-02-01

The booklet on the status of retrieval activities in the salt mine Asse II includes information on the background of medium-level radioactive waste disposal during 1967 to 1978 on behalf of the Federal government. Since 2009 the former mine is operated by the BfS with the assignment of decommissioning. The potential risk for stability and safety due to problems of water ingress were known before beginning of the disposals. The retrieval of the radioactive waste will require many decades; the costs are financed by tax money. The planning of the retrieval is currently on the way, details of the concept are described.

Phytoremediation potential of transplanted bare-root seedlings of trees for lead/zinc and copper mine tailings.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Xiang; Chen, Yi-Tai; Wang, Shu-Feng; Pan, Hong-Wei; Sun, Hai-Jing; Liu, Cai-Xia; Liu, Jian-Feng; Jiang, Ze-Ping

2016-11-01

Selecting plant species that can overcome unfavorable conditions and increase the recovery of degraded mined lands remains a challenge. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using transplanted tree seedlings for the phytoremediation of lead/zinc and copper mine tailings. One-year-old bare-root of woody species (Rhus chinensis Mill, Quercus acutissima Carruth, Liquidambar formosana Hance, Vitex trifolia Linn. var. simplicifolia Cham, Lespedeza cuneata and Amorpha fruticosa Linn) were transplanted into pots with mine tailings and tested as potential metal-tolerant plants. Seedling survival, plant growth, root trait, nutrient uptake, and metal accumulation and translocation were assessed. The six species grew in both tailings and showed different tolerance level. A. fruticosa was highly tolerant of Zn, Pb and Cu, and grew normally in both tailings. Metal concentrations were higher in the roots than in the shoots of the six species. All of the species had low bioconcentration and translocation factor values. However, R. chinensis and L. formosana had significantly higher translocation factor values for Pb (0.88) and Zn (1.78) than the other species. The nitrogen-fixing species, A. fruticosa, had the highest tolerance and biomass production, implying that it has great potential in the phytoremediation of tailing areas in southern China.

Cadmium, lead, and zinc mobility and plant uptake in a mine soil amended with sugarcane straw biochar.

Science.gov (United States)

Puga, A P; Abreu, C A; Melo, L C A; Paz-Ferreiro, J; Beesley, L

2015-11-01

Accumulation of heavy metals in unconsolidated soils can prove toxic to proximal environments, if measures are not taken to stabilize soils. One way to minimize the toxicity of metals in soils is the use of materials capable of immobilizing these contaminants by sorption. Biochar (BC) can retain large amounts of heavy metals due to, among other characteristics, its large surface area. In the current experiment, sugarcane-straw-derived biochar, produced at 700 °C, was applied to a heavy-metal-contaminated mine soil at 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0% (w/w). Jack bean and Mucuna aterrima were grown in pots containing a mine contaminated soil and soil mixed with BC. Pore water was sampled to assess the effects of biochar on zinc solubility, while soils were analyzed by DTPA extraction to confirm available metal concentrations. The application of BC decreased the available concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Zn in the mine contaminated soil leading to a consistent reduction in the concentration of Zn in the pore water. Amendment with BC reduced plant uptake of Cd, Pb, and Zn with the jack bean uptaking higher amounts of Cd and Pb than M. aterrima. This study indicates that biochar application during mine soil remediation could reduce plant concentrations of heavy metals. Coupled with this, symptoms of heavy metal toxicity were absent only in plants growing in pots amended with biochar. The reduction in metal bioavailability and other modifications to the substrate induced by the application of biochar may be beneficial to the establishment of a green cover on top of mine soil to aid remediation and reduce risks.

Synchrotron-based X-Ray Spectroscopy Studies for Redox-based Remediation of Lead, Zinc, and Cadmium in Mine Waste Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Karna, Ranju R; Hettiarachchi, Ganga M; Newville, Matthew; Sun, ChengJun; Ma, Qing

2016-11-01

Several studies have examined the effect of submergence on the mobility of metals present in mine waste materials. This study examines the effect of organic carbon (OC) and sulfur (S) additions and submergence time on redox-induced biogeochemical transformations of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) present in mine waste materials collected from the Tri-State mining district located in southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri, and northeastern Oklahoma. A completely randomized design, with a two-way treatment structure, was used for conducting a series of column experiments. Two replicates were used for each treatment combination. Effluent samples were collected at several time points, and soil samples were collected at the end of each column experiment. Because these samples are highly heterogeneous, we used a variety of synchrotron-based techniques to identify Pb, Zn, and Cd speciation at both micro- and bulk-scale. Spectroscopic analysis results from the study revealed that the addition of OC, with and without S, promoted metal-sulfide formation, whereas metal carbonates dominated in the nonamended flooded materials and in mine waste materials only amended with S. Therefore, the synergistic effect of OC and S may be more promising for managing mine waste materials disposed of in flooded subsidence mine pits instead of individual S or OC treatments. The mechanistic understanding gained in this study is also relevant for remediation of waste materials using natural or constructed wetland systems. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Lead-elevated activity of xanthine oxidase in lead-exposed workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sławomir Kasperczyk

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Background: The aim of the present study was to explore the connection between lead toxicity and the activity of xanthine oxidase (XO. In addition, we indicated the uric acid (UA and creatinine levels and concentration of erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MDA to estimate oxidative stress intensity. Materials and Methods: The examined group consisted of 125 healthy male employees of zinc and lead works. The examined group was divided into tertiles according to blood lead levels. In the collected blood samples, concentrations of lead-exposure indices, UA, creatinine, and MDA as well as activity of XO were measured concomitantly. The control group consisted of 32 healthy male administrative workers who were exposed to lead only environmentally. Results: XO activity and MDA level were significantly elevated in all tertiles compared to the control group. Creatinine level was significantly elevated in the medium and high tertiles. However, the level of UA was significantly elevated in the high tertile, while in the low and medium tertile only a tendency toward higher values was observed. Conclusions: Occupational exposure to lead induces activity of XO. This induction may contribute to the observed simultaneously increased oxidative stress, measured as MDA level, and the increased level of UA. Med Pr 2013;64(2:175–180

Osteoporosis in lambs in a lead mining area. I. A study of the naturally occurring disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Butler, E J; Nisbet, D I; Robertson, J M

1957-01-01

An osteoporotic condition of young lambs which has occurred regularly for many years in an old lead mining area in Southern Scotland is described. The principal feature of the disease is an excessive fragility of the bones due to osteoporosis. This is responsible for a variety of locomotor disturbances ranging from a stiff gait to complete posterior paralysis. The lead content of the soil and pasture and the blood, liver, kidneys and bones was unusually high. Unusually high values were also obtained for the zinc content of the blood and tissues of affected lambs. The possible involvement of these elements and chelating metabolites in the etiology of the disease is discussed. 59 references, 4 tables.

Solution mining economics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunkin, G.G.

1980-01-01

The field of application of in-situ solution mining of uranium is described and areas of competition with open pit and underground mining identified. The influence of high interest rates and dollar inflation on present values and rate of return is shown to be minimized by low capitalization and short construction lead times typical of in-situ leaching ventures. A scheme of three major project account divisions is presented and basic parameters necessary for mine planning are listed. 1979 cost ranges and useful methods of estimation of capital and operating costs are given for the in-situ uranium mining method

Blood Pb and δ-ALAD inhibition in cattle and sheep from a Pb-polluted mining area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodríguez-Estival, Jaime; Barasona, José A.; Mateo, Rafael

2012-01-01

The effects of Pb pollution on cattle and sheep raised in an ancient mining area were studied through the use of blood Pb (PbB) levels and δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD) activity. Lead levels in livestock blood from the mining area (n = 110) were significantly elevated when compared to the controls (n = 79). In 91.4% of cattle (n = 58) and 13.5% of sheep (n = 52) sampled in the mining area, PbB levels corresponded to subclinical exposure (6–35 μg/dl). Two young cattle ( 35 μg/dl). Elevated PbB was also accompanied by δ-ALAD activity inhibition in blood, which confirms that measurable effects of Pb poisoning were taking place. Observed PbB levels suggest that a potential risk to human consumers of beef from the Pb polluted areas may also exist, as has been shown previously for game meat from the same mining area. - Highlights: ► We studied effects of Pb pollution on livestock raised in an old mining area. ► Livestock from the mining area had higher blood Pb levels than the controls. ► Pb levels were higher in cattle than in sheep. ► Pb exposure inhibited δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, especially in cattle. ► Lead uptake in livestock reared in this area poses a risk to human consumers. - Lead from an ancient mining area still affects livestock health and compromises the safety of derived food products.

Lead toxicosis in tundra swans near a mining and smelting complex in northern Idaho

Science.gov (United States)

Blus, L.J.; Henny, C.J.; Hoffman, D.J.; Grove, R.A.

1991-01-01

Die-offs of waterfowl have occurred in the Coeur d`Alene River system in northern Idaho since at least the early 1900`s. We investigated causes of mortality and lead and cadmium contamination of 46 tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) from 1987 to 1989; an additional 22 swans found dead in 1990 were not examined. We necropsied 43 of the 46 birds found from 1987 to 1989; 38 of these were from the Coeur d`Alene River system, which has been contaminated with mining and smelting wastes for a century, and the other 5 were from a nearby, relatively uncontaminated area. Of the 36 livers of swans from the contaminated area that were analyzed, 32 contained lethal levels of lead (6 to 40 micrograms/g, wet weight) and all birds exhibited several symptoms of lead poisoning, notably enlarged gall bladders containing viscous, darkgreen bile. Only 13% of the lead-poisoned birds (10% when data were included from other studies of swans in the area) contained shot, compared to 95% of lead-poisoning swans in studies outside northern Idaho. Lead concentrations in blood samples from 16 apparently healthy swans (0.5 to 2.3 micrograms/g, and 4 leadpoisoned birds found moribund (1.3 to 9.6 micrograms/g) indicating that tundra swans accumulated high levels of lead from ingestion of sediment that contained up to 8,700 micrograms/g of lead and plants that contained up to 400 micrograms/g. The swans spend only a few weeks in the area staging during the spring migration. The five tundra swans from the uncontaminated area had low levels of lead and essentially no symptoms of lead poisoning.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Artisanal and small scale mining in India: selected studies and an overview of the issues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mihir Deb; Garima Tiwari; Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt [University of Delhi, Delhi (India). School of Environmental Studies

2008-09-15

In India, mining is one of the main economic activities since time immemorial, giving rise to a long historical tradition of artisanal mining. As modern mining rose during the colonial occupation, artisanal mining activities began to be overlooked and this great tradition became obscure. This invisibility, added with confusion with regard to legally accepted definitions has enhanced the negligence of the artisanal mining sector in India. This study draws attention to the contemporary artisanal mining practices in India - both traditional and non-traditional ones - with regard to four commodities, gold, tin, coal and lignite, and gemstones. It briefly discusses the occurrences of such mining, their salient features and concludes with four specific recommendations. Recommendations primarily deal with the need for creation of a broader information base, delineating a responsible body to deal with this kind of mining, legal reforms leading to definitional changes and finally, the recognition of the poverty alleviation potential of this sector in view of the Millennium Development Goals.

Environmental remediation activities at the Ningyo-toge Uranium Mine, Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Hiroshi; Taki, Tomohiro

2011-01-01

Ningyo-toge Uranium Mine is subject to the environmental remediation. The main purposes are to take measures to ensure the radiation protection from the exposure pathways to humans in future, and to prevent the occurrence of mining pollution. The Mill Tailings Pond in the Ningyo-toge Uranium Mine has deposited mining waste and impounded water as a buffer reservoir before it is transferred to the Water Treatment Facility. It is located at the upstream of the water-source river, and therefore, for the environmental remediation, the highest priority has been put to it among many facilities in the Mine. So far, basic concept has been examined and planning has been carried out for the remediation. Also, a great number of data has been acquired, and using the data, some remediation activities have already begun, including designing for the upstream part of the Mill Tailings Pond. According to the current plan, the Mill Tailings Pond will be covered by capping following dewatering and compressing of mill tailings. The capping is composed of 'radon barrier' for lowering radon-gas dissipation and dose rate, and its protection layer. Natural materials are planned to be used for the capping to alleviate the future maintenance. After capping, data will be accumulated to verify the effectiveness of the capping, and if proved effective, it will be utilized for the capping of the downstream part. (author)

Lead Toxicity

Science.gov (United States)

... o Do not use glazed ceramics, home remedies, cosmetics, or leaded-crystal glassware unless you know that they are lead safe. o If you live near an industry, mine, or waste site that may have contaminated ...

Passive remediation of acid mine drainage using cryptocrystalline magnesite: a batch experimental and geochemical modelling approach

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Masindi, Vhahangwele

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Acid mine drainage is generated when mining activities expose sulphidic rock to water and oxygen leading to generation of sulphuric acid effluents rich in Fe, Al, SO (Sup4) and Mn with minor concentrations of Zn, Cu, Mg, Ca, Pb depending...

Impact of former uranium mining activities on the floodplains of the Mulde River, Saxony, Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Bister, S; Birkhan, J; Lüllau, T; Bunka, M; Solle, A; Stieghorst, C; Riebe, B; Michel, R; Walther, C

2015-06-01

The Mulde River drains the former uranium mining areas in Saxony (Germany), which has led to a large-scale contamination of the river and the adjacent floodplain soils with radionuclides of the uranium decay series. The objective of the investigation is to quantify the long-term effect of former uranium mining activities on a river system. All of the investigated environmental compartments (water, sediment, soil) still reveal an impact from the former uranium mining and milling activities. The contamination of water has decreased considerably during the last 20 years due to the operation of water treatment facilities. The uranium content of the sediments decreased as well (on average by a factor of 5.6), most likely caused by displacement of contaminated material during flood events. Currently, the impact of the mining activities is most obvious in soils. For some of the plots activity concentrations of >200 Bq/kg of soil were detected for uranium-238. Alluvial soils used as grassland were found to be contaminated to a higher degree than those used as cropland. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Uranium mining in Saskatchewan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scales, M.

2006-01-01

The mines of northern Saskatchewan make Canada the worlds leading uranium producer in Canada supplied 29% of global demand, or 11.60 million tonnes of the metal in 2004. Here are two bright ideas - how to mine an orebody by neither pit nor underground method, and how to mine high-grade ore without miners - that Cogema and Cameco are pursuing in the Athabasca Basin

Post-mining in France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

This plentifully illustrated book aims at showing how new equilibria are building up during the transition between mining activity and post-mining, and at stressing on the necessity to keep up the cultural elements, the competencies and knowledge of mining works. The first chapter - mine and men - shows the importance of mineral substances in the objects of the everyday life, illustrates the importance of the mining tradition in France and describes the technical and administrative organisation of the end of the mining activity (works, rehabilitation, regulation, monitoring..). Chapter two - exploitation methods - presents the surface and underground facilities and their impact on the environment (extraction machines, workshops, ore processing plants, decantation ponds..). The third chapter deals with the rehabilitation and monitoring aspects: impact of mining activity stoppage on underground and surface waters, land stability, soils cleansing.. The last chapter summarizes the history of French mining region by region: Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Lorraine-Alsace, Massif central, Bretagne-Normandie, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur and Pyrenees

Sustainable Mining Environment: Technical Review of Post-mining Plans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Restu Juniah

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The mining industry exists because humans need mining commodities to meet their daily needs such as motor vehicles, mobile phones, electronic equipment and others. Mining commodities as mentioned in Government Regulation No. 23 of 2010 on Implementation of Mineral and Coal Mining Business Activities are radioactive minerals, metal minerals, nonmetallic minerals, rocks and coal. Mineral and coal mining is conducted to obtain the mining commodities through production operations. Mining and coal mining companies have an obligation to ensure that the mining environment in particular after the post production operation or post mining continues. The survey research aims to examine technically the post-mining plan in coal mining of PT Samantaka Batubara in Indragiri Hulu Regency of Riau Province towards the sustainability of the mining environment. The results indicate that the post-mining plan of PT Samantaka Batubara has met the technical aspects required in post mining planning for a sustainable mining environment. Postponement of post-mining land of PT Samantaka Batubara for garden and forest zone. The results of this study are expected to be useful and can be used by stakeholders, academics, researchers, practitioners and associations of mining, and the environment.

Coal mining activities change plant community structure due to air pollution and soil degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, Bhanu; Agrawal, Madhoolika; Singh, Siddharth

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of coal mining activities on the community structures of woody and herbaceous plants. The response of individual plants of community to defilement caused by coal mining was also assessed. Air monitoring, soil physico-chemical and phytosociological analyses were carried around Jharia coalfield (JCF) and Raniganj coalfield. The importance value index of sensitive species minified and those of tolerant species enhanced with increasing pollution load and altered soil quality around coal mining areas. Although the species richness of woody and herbaceous plants decreased with higher pollution load, a large number of species acclimatized to the stress caused by the coal mining activities. Woody plant community at JCF was more affected by coal mining than herbaceous community. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that structure of herbaceous community was mainly driven by soil total organic carbon, soil nitrogen, whereas woody layer community was influenced by sulphur dioxide in ambient air, soil sulphate and soil phosphorus. The changes in species diversity observed at mining areas indicated an increase in the proportion of resistant herbs and grasses showing a tendency towards a definite selection strategy of ecosystem in response to air pollution and altered soil characteristics.

Particle size distributions, size concentration relationships, and adherence to hands of selected geologic media derived from mining, smelting, and quarrying activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergstrom, Carolyn; Shirai, Jeffry; Kissel, John, E-mail: jkissel@uw.edu

2011-09-15

Hand-to-mouth activity, especially in children, is a potentially significant pathway of exposure to soil contaminants. Hand-mouthing behavior is of particular concern in areas impacted by mining, smelting, and quarrying activities as these activities may lead to elevated levels of heavy metals in soil. In order to estimate potential exposures to contaminated geologic media attributable to hand-to-mouth contact, it is useful to characterize adherence of those media to skin, as contaminant concentrations in adhered media may differ greatly from unfractionated, whole media concentrations. Such an investigation has been undertaken to aid estimation of exposures to arsenic, cadmium, lead, and zinc in nine different geologic media collected in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. After establishing the particle size distribution of each medium (fractions < 63 {mu}m, 63-150 {mu}m, 150-250 {mu}m, and 250 {mu}m-2 mm were determined) and target elemental concentrations within each particle size fraction, an active handling protocol involving six volunteers was conducted. Wet media always adhered to a greater extent than dry media and adhered media generally had higher elemental concentrations than bulk media. Regression analyses suggest smaller particle fractions may have higher elemental concentrations. Results of application of a maximum likelihood estimation technique generally indicate that handling of dry media leads to preferential adherence of smaller particle sizes, while handling of wet media does not. Because adhered material can differ greatly in particle size distribution from that found in bulk material, use of bulk concentrations in exposure calculations may lead to poor estimation of actual exposures. Since lead has historically been a metal of particular concern, EPA's Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic (IEUBK) Model was used to examine the potential consequences of evaluating ingestion of the selected media assuming concentrations in

The Pollution Detectives: Part II. Lead and Zinc Mining.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanderson, P. L.

1988-01-01

Describes a field trip taken to an old mining area to study water pollution. Discussed are methods for silt analysis, reagent preparation, color charts, techniques, fieldwork, field results, and a laboratory study. (CW)

Managing Environmental and Health Impacts of Uranium Mining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vance, Robert; ); Hinton, Nicole; Huffman, Dale; Harris, Frank; Arnold, Nikolas; Ruokonen, Eeva; Jakubick, Alexander; Tyulyubayev, Zekail; Till, William von; Woods, Peter; ); Hall, Susan; Da Silva, Felipe; Vostarek, Pavel

2014-01-01

Uranium is the raw material used to produce fuel for nuclear power plants that generate significant amounts of electricity with life cycle carbon emissions that are as low as renewable energy sources. However, the mining of this valuable energy commodity remains controversial, principally because of environmental and health impacts associated with the early years of uranium mining. Maximising production in the face of rapidly rising demand was the principal goal of uranium mining at the time, with little concern given to properly managing environmental and health impacts. Today, societal expectations and regulation of the industry are directed much more towards radiation protection, environmental stewardship, health and safety. With over 430 operational reactors in the world, nuclear fuel will be required for many decades in order to meet requirements to fuel the existing fleet and demand created by new reactors, given the projected growth in nuclear generating capacity, particularly in the developing world. New mines will in turn be needed. As a result, enhancing awareness of leading practices in uranium mining is increasingly important. This report aims to dispel some of the myths, fears and misconceptions about uranium mining by providing an overview of how leading practice mining can significantly reduce all impacts compared to the early strategic period. It also provides a non-technical overview of leading practices, the regulatory environment in which mining companies operate and the outcomes of implementing such practices. Societal expectations related to environmental protection and the safety of workers and the public evolved considerably as the outcomes of the early era of mining became apparent, driving changes in regulatory oversight and mining practices. Uranium mining is now conducted under significantly different circumstances, with leading practice mining the most regulated and one of the safest and environmentally responsible forms of mining in the

METHODICAL SUPPORT OF IMPROVING THE ORGANIZATION OF MARKETING ACTIVITY OF THE COAL-MINING ENTERPRISES OF UKRAINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuliia Zaloznova

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the paper is to develop scientific and methodical approaches and proposals for improving the organization of marketing activity of the coal-mining enterprises of Ukraine in the conditions of instability in demand. Methodology. To achieve this goal used methods: statistical analysis, synthesis, comparison, structural and logical, expert evaluation, ranking. Results. Factors affecting the organization of the processes of sales activity of coal mining enterprises are revealed. Trends of the modern development of the domestic coal market in Ukraine are determined. The dynamics of marketing performance of coal mining enterprises is analysed. Proposals for improving the organization of marketing activity of the coal-mining enterprises are developed, principal among which are the formation and development of a system of contractual relationships with various categories of consumers of coal products; rationale for the creation of the syndicate as the organizational-economic mechanism of management of marketing activity of the coal-mining enterprises of various forms of ownership; formation of the methodical approach to the selection of an effective channel of coal sales; information support. Practical implications. The expected economic effect of the implementation of measures to improve the organization of marketing activity of the coal-mining enterprise is designed. It consists of cost savings on marketing by increasing the level of coherence between the enterprise and the loading and transport management at the conclusion of contracts for the provision of transport services; formation of optimal schedules of wagon movement; rational use of cars on duty; reducing maintenance time consumers of coal products. The introduction of a set of measures to improve the organization of marketing activity of enterprise through improving a service of various categories of consumers and improve the contractual relationships will contribute to the

Implementation of Paste Backfill Mining Technology in Chinese Coal Mines

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Qingliang; Zhou, Huaqiang; Bai, Jianbiao

2014-01-01

Implementation of clean mining technology at coal mines is crucial to protect the environment and maintain balance among energy resources, consumption, and ecology. After reviewing present coal clean mining technology, we introduce the technology principles and technological process of paste backfill mining in coal mines and discuss the components and features of backfill materials, the constitution of the backfill system, and the backfill process. Specific implementation of this technology and its application are analyzed for paste backfill mining in Daizhuang Coal Mine; a practical implementation shows that paste backfill mining can improve the safety and excavation rate of coal mining, which can effectively resolve surface subsidence problems caused by underground mining activities, by utilizing solid waste such as coal gangues as a resource. Therefore, paste backfill mining is an effective clean coal mining technology, which has widespread application. PMID:25258737

Technologies for treatment of water polluted by mining activities - GIS, geoscientific applications and developments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merkel, B.; Schaeben, H.; Wolkersdorfer, C.; Hasche, A.

2005-01-01

Mining of coal, petroleum and natural gas pollutes groundwater. Acid mine drainage is a well-known issue. Recently, the INAP (International Network of Acid Prevention) coined the new term of acid/alkaline mine drainage/metal leachate. Apart from low pH and high iron and sulfate concentrations, there is also the problem of higher concentrations of toxic trace elements like arsenic, lead, cadmium, selenium, uranium and others. Although there has been much research in this field during the past few decades, there is still need for further research on classic and alternative water purification technologies and stimulation methods in the sense of enhanced natural attenuation (ENA). The contributions present experience and research findings of the application of geo-information systems and the resulting further requirements on new geoscientific information systems. (orig.)

Abandoned Smolník mine (Slovakia – a catchment area affected by mining activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lintnerová, Otília

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Smolník is a historical Cu-mining area that was exploited from the 14th century to 1990. The Smolník mine was definitively closed and flooded in 1990–1994. Acid mine drainage discharging from the flooded mine (pH = 3.83, Fe = 542 mg/l, SO42– = 3642 mg/l, Cu = 1880 µg/l, Zn = 9599 µg/l, As = 108 mg/l acidified and contaminated the Smolník Creek water, which transported pollution into the Hnilec River catchment. The Smolník mine waste area has been used as a model area to document pollution of waters, stream sediments, and soils by metals and other toxic elements. Major goals of this complex study were to document creek water transport of the main pollutants (Fe, sulphates, Cu, Al, As, etc. in the form of suspended solids, to investigate elements mobility in common mine waste (rock and processing waste heaps and tailing impoundment and in the soil on the basis of neutralization and leach experiments. Different methodologies and techniques for sampling and chemical and mineralogical characterization of samples were used and checked to evaluate environmental risk of this abandoned mine area.

Leaching characteristics, ecotoxicity, and risk assessment based management of mine wastes

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, J.; Ju, W. J.; Jho, E. H.; Nam, K.; Hong, J. K.

2016-12-01

Mine wastes generated during mining activities in metal mines generally contain high concentrations of metals that may impose toxic effects to surrounding environment. Thus, it is necessary to properly assess the mining-impacted landscapes for management. The study investigated leaching characteristics, potential environmental effects, and human health risk of mine wastes from three different metal mines in South Korea (molybdenum mine, lead-zinc mine, and magnetite mine). The heavy metal concentrations in the leachates obtained by using the Korean Standard Test Method for Solid Wastes (STM), Toxicity Characteristics Leaching Procedure (TCLP), and Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure (SPLP) met the Korea Waste Control Act and the USEPA region 3 regulatory levels accordingly, even though the mine wastes contained high concentrations of metals. Assuming that the leachates may get into nearby water sources, the leachate toxicity was tested using Daphnia Magna. The toxic unit (TU) values after 24 h and 48 h exposure of all the mine wastes tested met the Korea Allowable Effluent Water Quality Standards (TUwaste may have long-term toxic effects (TU>1 for the eluent at L/S of 30) implying that the long-term effect of mine wastes left in mining areas need to be assessed. Considering reuse of mine wastes as a way of managing mine wastes, the human health risk assessment of reusing the lead-zinc mine waste in industrial areas was carried out using the bioavailable fraction of the heavy metals contained in the mine wastes, which was determined by using the Solubility/Bioavailability Research Consortium method. There may be potential carcinogenic risk (9.7E-05) and non-carcinogenic risk (HI, Hazard Index of 1.0E+00) as CR≧1.0E-05 has carcinogenic risk and HI≧1.0E+00 has non-carcinogenic risk. Overall, this study shows that not only the concentration-based assessment but ecological toxic effect and human health risk based assessments can be utilized for mining

Radioecological challenges for mining

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vesterbacka, P.; Ikaeheimonen, T.K.; Solatie, D. [Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (Finland)

2014-07-01

In Finland, mining became popular in the mid-1990's when the mining amendments to the law made the mining activities easier for foreign companies. Also the price of the minerals rose and mining in Finland became economically profitable. Expanding mining industry brought new challenges to radiation safety aspect since radioactive substances occur in nearly all minerals. In Finnish soil and bedrock the average crystal abundance of uranium and thorium are 2.8 ppm and 10 ppm, respectively. It cannot be predicted beforehand how radionuclides behave in the mining processes which why they need to be taken into account in mining activities. Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) has given a national guide ST 12.1 based on the Finnish Radiation Act. The guide sets the limits for radiation doses to the public also from mining activities. In general, no measures to limit the radiation exposure are needed, if the dose from the operation liable to cause exposure to natural radiation is no greater than 0.1 mSv per year above the natural background radiation dose. If the exposure of the public may be higher than 0.1 mSv per year, the responsible party must provide STUK a plan describing the measures by which the radiation exposure is to be kept as low as is reasonably achievable. In that case the mining company responsible company has to make a radiological baseline study. The baseline study must focus on the environment that the mining activities may impact. The study describes the occurrence of natural radioactivity in the environment before any mining activities are started. The baseline study lasts usually for two to three years in natural circumstances. Based on the baseline study measurements, detailed information of the existing levels of radioactivity in the environment can be attained. Once the mining activities begin, it is important that the limits are set for the wastewater discharges to the environment and environmental surveillance in the vicinity of

Heavy metals contamination characteristics in soil of different mining activity zones

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIAO Guo-li; LIAO Da-xue; LI Quan-ming

2008-01-01

Depending upon the polluted features of various mining activities in a typical nonferrous metal mine, the contaminated soil area was divided into four zones which were polluted by tailings, mine drainage, dust deposition in wind and spreading minerals during vehicle transportation, respectively. In each zone, soil samples were collected. Total 28 soil samples were dug and analyzed by ICP-AES and other relevant methods. The results indicate that the average contents of Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu and As in soils are 508.6, 384.8, 7.53, 356 and 44.6 mg/kg, respectively. But the contents of heavy metals in different zone have distinct differences. The proportion of oxidizing association with organic substance is small. Difference of the association of heavy metals is small in different polluted zones.

Ototoxicity in the South African mining industry: a position paper

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Edwards, AL

2013-02-01

Full Text Available This position paper asserts that exposure to chemicals in certain occupations and work activities in the mining industry can lead to ototoxicity which accentuates the problem of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Increased awareness of all factors...

Mine-hoist active fault tolerant control system and strategy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Z.; Wang, Y.; Meng, J.; Zhao, P.; Chang, Y. [China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou (China)] wzjsdstu@163.com

2005-06-01

Based on fault diagnosis and fault tolerant technologies, the mine-hoist active fault-tolerant control system (MAFCS) is presented with corresponding strategies, which includes the fault diagnosis module (FDM), the dynamic library (DL) and the fault-tolerant control model (FCM). When a fault is judged from some sensor by the FDM, FCM reconfigures the state of the MAFCS by calling the parameters from all sub libraries in DL, in order to ensure the reliability and safety of the mine hoist. The simulating result shows that MAFCS is of certain intelligence, which can adopt the corresponding control strategies according to different fault modes, even when there is quite a difference between the real data and the prior fault modes. 7 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

High utility-itemset mining and privacy-preserving utility mining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerry Chun-Wei Lin

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In recent decades, high-utility itemset mining (HUIM has emerging a critical research topic since the quantity and profit factors are both concerned to mine the high-utility itemsets (HUIs. Generally, data mining is commonly used to discover interesting and useful knowledge from massive data. It may, however, lead to privacy threats if private or secure information (e.g., HUIs are published in the public place or misused. In this paper, we focus on the issues of HUIM and privacy-preserving utility mining (PPUM, and present two evolutionary algorithms to respectively mine HUIs and hide the sensitive high-utility itemsets in PPUM. Extensive experiments showed that the two proposed models for the applications of HUIM and PPUM can not only generate the high quality profitable itemsets according to the user-specified minimum utility threshold, but also enable the capability of privacy preserving for private or secure information (e.g., HUIs in real-word applications.

Ecotoxicological evaluation of areas polluted by mining activities

Science.gov (United States)

García-Lorenzo, M. L.; Martínez-Sánchez, M. J.; Pérez-Sirvent, C.; Molina, J.

2009-04-01

Determination of the contaminant content is not enough to evaluate the toxic effects or to characterise contaminated sites, because such a measure does not reflect the ecotoxicological danger in the environment and does not provide information on the effects of the chemical compounds. To estimate the risk of contaminants, chemical methods need to be complemented with biological methods. Therefore, ecotoxicological testing may be a useful approach for assessing the toxicity as a complement to chemical analysis. The aim of this study was to develop a battery of bioassays for the ecotoxicological screening of areas polluted by mining activities. Particularly, the toxicity of water samples, sediments and their pore-water extracts was evaluated by using three assays: bacteria, plants and ostracods. Moreover, the possible relationship between observed toxicity and results of chemical analysis was studied. The studied area, Sierra Minera, is close to the mining region of La Uni

TSCA Chemical Data Reporting Fact Sheet: Reporting Manufactured Chemical Substances from Metal Mining and Related Activities

Science.gov (United States)

This fact sheet provides guidance on the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule requirements related to the reporting of mined metals, intermediates, and byproducts manufactured during metal mining and related activities.

A stable lead isotopic investigation of the use of sycamore tree rings as a historical biomonitor of environmental lead contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patrick, Gavin J.; Farmer, John G.

2006-01-01

The validity of the use of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) tree-rings for the reconstruction of atmospheric lead pollution histories was investigated. Tree cores spanning 1892-2003 were collected from several sycamores from the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, Scotland, an area with no local point sources of lead emission. The lead concentration and 206 Pb/ 207 Pb profiles of the Loch Lomond region cores were compared with corresponding data for the 21 Pb-dated loch sediment, and also with data for moss of known age from a Scottish herbarium collection. Two of the seven sycamore cores showed the same lead concentration trend as the lead flux to the loch, the rest having no similarity to either each other or the loch sediment record. Two further sycamore cores showed some similarity in their temporal 206 Pb/ 207 Pb trends to those seen in the sediment and moss records, but only in part of their profiles, whilst the 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratios of the other sycamore cores remained relatively unchanged for the majority of the time covered, or exhibited an opposite trend. The 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratios of the tree cores were also mostly higher than those of the previously established records for any given time period. Tree cores covering 1878-2002 were also collected along transects from Wanlockhead and Tyndrum, two areas of former lead mining and smelting associated with distinct 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratios of 1.170 and 1.144, respectively. The Wanlockhead tree cores exhibited a generally decreasing trend in lead concentration with both time and distance from the lead mine. The characteristic 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratio of 1.170 was observed in samples close to the mine but a decrease in the influence of the mine-derived lead was observed in more distant samples. The tree sampled at Tyndrum showed elevated lead concentrations, which decreased with time, and a fairly constant 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ratio of ∼ 1.15 reflecting input from the mine, features not observed in any other trees along the

Environmental impact assessment for surface coal mine - a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sen, P.; Chakraborty, K.

1994-01-01

Surface coal mines being the largest contributor to the national coal production, the study of environmental impacts due to this becomes mandatory as it will help in proper planning and safe operations of the mine in an environmentally compatible manner. Within the scope of this paper, a model for preparation of comprehensive environmental impact assessment (EIA) by utilising a new evaluation methodology leading to determination of Environmental Quality Designation an index has been developed and this model has been validated by using data from a running surface coal mine in Wardha Valley Coalfield. Based on this exercise, the overall impact of the surface coal mine under consideration on environment indicates a medium level and accordingly the control measures have to be planned. Thus repair to the environment has to be made a concurrent activity with mining i.e. to say we have to design with nature not against it

IDENTIFYING RECENT SURFACE MINING ACTIVITIES USING A NORMALIZED DIFFERENCE VEGETATION INDEX (NDVI) CHANGE DETECTION METHOD

Science.gov (United States)

Coal mining is a major resource extraction activity on the Appalachian Mountains. The increased size and frequency of a specific type of surface mining, known as mountain top removal-valley fill, has in recent years raised various environmental concerns. During mountainto...

Bioaccumulation of thallium and other trace metals in Biscutella laevigata nearby a decommissioned zinc-lead mine (Northeastern Italian Alps).

Science.gov (United States)

Pavoni, Elena; Petranich, Elisa; Adami, Gianpiero; Baracchini, Elena; Crosera, Matteo; Emili, Andrea; Lenaz, Davide; Higueras, Pablo; Covelli, Stefano

2017-01-15

The mineral body exploited in Salafossa (Eastern Dolomites) was one of the largest lead/zinc-containing mineral deposits in Europe. Both metals were mainly present as sulphides (sphalerite, ZnS and galena, PbS). Mining activity started around 1550, but it was only around 1960 that the richest veins of the minerals were discovered. The mine closed in 1985, and concentrations of several trace metals, such as thallium (Tl), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn), were detected in the soils and plant samples (Biscutella laevigata L.) that were collected from eighteen sites selected outside the mine. B. laevigata is a pseudometallophyta species, and it often grows near mining areas where the soil's metal concentrations are significantly higher than those of soil with a natural geochemical background. The total metal concentrations in the plant tissue (roots and leaves of Biscutella laevigata) and in the soil samples - both bulk-soil and the B. laevigata root system (rhizo-soil) - were determined through Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The metal extractability and leachability of the soil samples were estimated using soil extractions with DTPA (Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid). In addition, metal mobility caused by rainwater runoff was estimated by using a leaching test with a dilute solution of H 2 SO 4 and HNO 3 . The results showed that metals were present in a chemical form available for uptake by the plants' roots. In fact, high concentrations of the metals were also found in the plant tissue (roots and leaves) of B. laevigata, and these concentrations were higher than those whose soils present natural geochemical background levels in the corresponding rhizo-soil. Thus, B. laevigata has shown a marked ability to bioaccumulate trace metals, especially Tl and, to a lesser extent, Zn, Pb, Fe and Mn, and it can influence metal mobility in the rhizo-soil. To assess the uptake and translocation processes of the trace

Review : Pollution due to Coal Mining Activity and its Impact on Environment

OpenAIRE

Andi Arif Setiawan; Dedik Budianta; Dwi Putro Priadi; Suheryanto

2018-01-01

Utilization of natural resources in the form of coal mines has a positive impact on economic and energy development, in addition to coal mining activities have a negative impact on the environment that result in environmental pollution in soil, water, and air. Pollution begins when clearing land, taking exploitation, transporting, stockpile and when the coal is burned. When land clearing causes damage to forest ecosystems. At the time of exploitation impact on air pollution by coal dust parti...

Health assessment of mining activities on concession communities in the nimba county: Republic of Liberia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farngalo, Eddie Marway

2014-09-01

Globally, nearly 13 million people are presently involved in iron ore and other mining activities while 80-100 million are indirectly affected by these activities. Iron ore mining alone produces about one billion tonnes in 2013 worldwide. Currently, the world had discovered an iron ore reserved of about 230 billion tons (Bt) that may be available for nearly 50 years. Small scale mining serves as a source of employment for more youth where mineral deposits originate. Despite its environmental, health and social challenges, it is established that the adverse effects of mining activities on communities in close proximity are mixed with both positive and negative consequences. The main objective was to assess the public health adverse effects in the mining communities in terms of their health characteristic, levels of heavy metals in water sources, and on affected communities. The study was conducted from July to September, 2014. The number of sample from each community was calculated using probability proportional to size (PPS), while purposive and simple random sampling were employed in selecting the affected communities and household heads respectively. A structured questionnaire was administered to households’ heads that had lived in the studied areas for two or more years and were 18 years and above, and has consented to participate in the research. Water samples were analysed at the Nuclear Chemistry and Environmental Research Centre, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission in Accra for heavy metals (Cd, As, Hg, Pb), total dissolved solids, and pH. Reference standards used were those of the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking water, which was used to determine the level of heavy metals in water bodies. Logistic regression statistical analysis was employed in drawing inferences on the probably health effects of the mining activities on the ten communities. Twenty nine per cent of the respondents was within the age group of 41-50 years while 24.7% falls

Environmental significance of copper, lead, manganese, uranium and zinc speciation in the event of contaminated waters release from the Ranger Uranium Mining Complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noller, B.N.; Currey, N.A.

1983-01-01

The likely impact of the accidental release of tailings dam water during the dry season at the Ranger Uranium Mining Complex was examined. A speciation scheme utilising sizing by filtration and ion-exchange with Chelex 100 has given an insight into the likely partitioning of zinc, copper, lead, manganese and uranium following the addition of tailings dam water to samples from waterbodies in the vicinity of the uranium mining/milling complex. The speciation findings are discussed in terms of likely toxic effects on fish

Biochar application to hardrock mine tailings: Soil quality, microbial activity, and toxic element sorption

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Charlene N.; Peltz, Christopher D.; Stanton, Mark R.; Rutherford, David W.; Rostad, Colleen E.

2014-01-01

Waste rock piles from historic mining activities remain unvegetated as a result of metal toxicity and high acidity. Biochar has been proposed as a low-cost remediation strategy to increase soil pH and reduce leaching of toxic elements, and improve plant establishment. In this laboratory column study, biochar made from beetle-killed pine wood was assessed for utility as a soil amendment by mixing soil material from two mine sites collected near Silverton, Colorado, USA with four application rates of biochar (0%, 10%, 20%, 30% vol:vol). Columns were leached seven times over 65 days and leachate pH and concentration of toxic elements and base cations were measured at each leaching. Nutrient availability and soil physical and biological parameters were determined following the incubation period. We investigated the hypotheses that biochar incorporation into acidic mine materials will (1) reduce toxic element concentrations in leaching solution, (2) improve soil parameters (i.e. increase nutrient and water holding capacity and pH, and decrease compaction), and (3) increase microbial populations and activity. Biochar directly increased soil pH (from 3.33 to 3.63 and from 4.07 to 4.77 in the two materials) and organic matter content, and decreased bulk density and extractable salt content in both mine materials, and increased nitrate availability in one material. No changes in microbial population or activity were detected in either mine material upon biochar application. In leachate solution, biochar increased base cations from both materials and reduced the concentrations of Al, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in leachate solution from one material. However, in the material with greater toxic element content, biochar did not reduce concentrations of any measured dissolved toxic elements in leachate and resulted in a potentially detrimental release of Cd and Zn into solution at concentrations above that of the pure mine material. The length of time of effectiveness and specific

Hydrogeochemistry and microbiology of mine drainage: An update

Science.gov (United States)

Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Blowes, D.W; Ptacek, C.J.

2015-01-01

The extraction of mineral resources requires access through underground workings, or open pit operations, or through drillholes for solution mining. Additionally, mineral processing can generate large quantities of waste, including mill tailings, waste rock and refinery wastes, heap leach pads, and slag. Thus, through mining and mineral processing activities, large surface areas of sulfide minerals can be exposed to oxygen, water, and microbes, resulting in accelerated oxidation of sulfide and other minerals and the potential for the generation of low-quality drainage. The oxidation of sulfide minerals in mine wastes is accelerated by microbial catalysis of the oxidation of aqueous ferrous iron and sulfide. These reactions, particularly when combined with evaporation, can lead to extremely acidic drainage and very high concentrations of dissolved constituents. Although acid mine drainage is the most prevalent and damaging environmental concern associated with mining activities, generation of saline, basic and neutral drainage containing elevated concentrations of dissolved metals, non-metals, and metalloids has recently been recognized as a potential environmental concern. Acid neutralization reactions through the dissolution of carbonate, hydroxide, and silicate minerals and formation of secondary aluminum and ferric hydroxide phases can moderate the effects of acid generation and enhance the formation of secondary hydrated iron and aluminum minerals which may lessen the concentration of dissolved metals. Numerical models provide powerful tools for assessing impacts of these reactions on water quality.

Methyl Mercury Production In Tropical Hydromorphic Soils: Impact Of Gold Mining.

Science.gov (United States)

Guedron, S.; Charlet, L.; Harris, J.; Grimaldi, M.; Cossa, D.

2007-12-01

Artisanal alluvial gold mining is important in many tropical developing countries and several million people are involved worldwide. The dominant use of mercury for gold amalgamation in this activity leads to mercury accumulation in soils, to sediment contamination and to methyl mercury (MMHg) bioaccumulation along the food chain. In this presentation we will present recent data on methyl mercury production in hydromorphic soils and tailing ponds from a former gold mining area located in French Guiana (South America). Comparison of specific fluxes between a pristine sub watershed and the contaminated watershed shows that former mining activities lead to a large enhancement of dissolved and particulate MMHg emissions at least by a factor of 4 and 6, respectively. MMHg production was identified in sediments from tailing ponds and in surrounding hydromorphic soils. Moreover, interstitial soil water and tailing pond water profiles sampled in an experimental tailing pond demonstrate the presence of a large MMHg production in the suboxic areas. Both tailing ponds and hydromorphic soils present geochemical conditions that are favorable to bacterial mercury methylation (high soil Hg content, high aqueous ferric iron and dissolved organic carbon concentrations). Although sulfate-reducing bacteria have been described as being the principal mercury methylating bacteria, the positive correlation between dissolved MMHg and ferrous iron concentrations argue for a significant role of iron-reducing bacteria. Identifications by sequencing fragments of 16S rRNA from total soil DNA support these interpretations. This study demonstrates that current and past artisanal gold mining in the tropics lead to methyl mercury production in contaminated areas. As artisanal activities are increasing with increasing gold prices, the bio- magnification of methyl mercury in fish presents an increasing threat to local populations whose diet relies on fish consumption.

Implementation of the Additional Protocol: Verification activities at uranium mines and mills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bragin, V.; Carlson, J.; Leslie, R.

2001-01-01

Full text: The mining and milling of uranium is the first in a long chain of processes required to produce nuclear materials in a form suitable for use in nuclear weapons. Misuse of a declared uranium mining/milling facility, in the form of understatement of production, would be hard to detect with the same high level of confidence as afforded by classical safeguards on other parts of the nuclear fuel cycle. For these reasons, it would not be cost-effective to apply verification techniques based on classical safeguards concepts to a mining/milling facility in order to derive assurance of the absence of misuse. Indeed, these observations have been recognised in the Model Protocol (INFCIRC/540): 'the Agency shall not mechanistically or systematically seek to verify' information provided to it by States (Article 4.a.). Nevertheless, complementary access to uranium mining/milling sites 'on a selective basis in order to assure the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities' (Article 4.a.(i)) is provided for. On this basis, therefore, this paper will focus predominantly on options other than site access, which are available to the Agency for deriving assurance that declared mining/milling operations are not misused. Such options entail the interpretation and analysis of information provided to the Agency including, for example, from declarations, monitoring import/export data, open source reports, commercial satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and information provided by Member States. Uranium mining techniques are diverse, and the inventories, flows and uranium assays which arise at various points in the process will vary considerably between mines, and over the operating cycle of an individual mine. Thus it is essentially impossible to infer any information, which can be used precisely to confirm, or otherwise, declared production by measuring or estimating any of those parameters at points within the mining/milling process. The task of attempting to

Disposal of radioactive waste from mining and processing of mineral sands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartley, B.M.

1993-01-01

All mineral sands products contain the naturally radioactive elements uranium and thorium and their daughters. The activity levels in the different minerals can vary widely and in the un mined state are frequently widely dispersed and add to the natural background radiation levels. Following mining, the minerals are concentrated to a stage where radiation levels can present an occupational hazard and disposal of waste can result in radiation doses in excess of the public limit. Chemical processing can release radioactive daughters, particularly radium, leading to the possibility of dispersal and resulting in widespread exposure of the public. The activity concentration in the waste can vary widely and different disposal options appropriate to the level of activity in the waste are needed. Disposal methods can range from dilution and dispersal of the material into the mine site, for untreated mine tailings, to off site disposal in custom built and engineered waste disposal facilities, for waste with high radionuclide content. The range of options for disposal of radioactive waste from mineral sands mining and processing is examined and the principles for deciding on the appropriate disposal option are discussed. The range of activities of waste from different downstream processing paths are identified and a simplified method of identifying potential waste disposal paths is suggested. 15 refs., 4 tabs

Predicting rock bursts in mines

Science.gov (United States)

Spall, H.

1979-01-01

In terms of lives lost, rock bursts in underground mines can be as hazardous as earthquakes on the surface. So it is not surprising that fo the last 40 years the U.S Bureau of Mines has been using seismic methods for detecting areas in underground mines where there is a high differential stress which could lead to structural instability of the rock mass being excavated.

[Effects of Different Reclaimed Scenarios on Soil Microbe and Enzyme Activities in Mining Areas].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jun-jian; Liu, Feng; Zhou, Xiao-mei

2015-05-01

Abstract: Ecological degradation in the mining areas is greatly aggravated in recent several decades, and ecological restoration has become the primary measure for the sustainable development. Soil microbe and enzyme activity are sensitive indices to evaluate soil quality. Ecological reconstruction was initiated in Antaibao mining area, and we tested soil physicochemical properties, microbial populations of azotobacteria, nitrifying-bacteria and denitrifying-bacteria, and enzyme activities (including sucrose, polyphenol oxidase, dehydrogenase and urease) under different regeneration scenarios. Regeneration scenarios had significant effects on soil physicochemical properties, microbial population and enzyme activities. Total nitrogen was strongly correlated with azotobacteria and nitrifying-bacteria, however, total nitrogen was not correlated with denitrifying-bacteria. Phenol oxidase activity was negatively correlated with soil organic carbon and total nitrogen, but other enzyme activities were positively correlated with soil organic carbon and total nitrogen. Principal Component Analysis ( PCA) was applied to analyze the integrated fertility index (IFI). The highest and lowest IFIs were in Robinia pseudoacacia-Pinus tabuliformis mixed forests and un-reclaimed area, respectively. R. pseudoacacia-P. tabuliformis mixed forests were feasible for reclaimed mining areas in semi-arid region Northwest Shanxi.

Pb isotopes as tracers of mining-related Pb in lichens, seaweed and mussels near a former Pb-Zn mine in West Greenland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sondergaard, Jens, E-mail: jens@dmu.d [Department of Arctic Environment, National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Asmund, Gert; Johansen, Poul [Department of Arctic Environment, National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Elberling, Bo [Institute of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen, Oster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K (Denmark); University Centre in Svalbard, NO-9171 Longyearbyen (Norway)

2010-05-15

Identification of mining-related contaminants is important in order to assess the spreading of contaminants from mining as well as for site remediation purposes. This study focuses on lead (Pb) contamination in biota near the abandoned 'Black Angel Mine' in West Greenland in the period 1988-2008. Stable Pb isotope ratios and total Pb concentrations were determined in lichens, seaweed and mussels as well as in marine sediments. The results show that natural background Pb ({sup 207}Pb/{sup 206}Pb: 0.704-0.767) and Pb originating from the mine ore ({sup 207}Pb/{sup 206}Pb: 0.955) have distinct isotopic fingerprints. Total Pb in lichens, seaweed, and mussels was measured at values up to 633, 19 and 1536 mg kg{sup -1} dry weight, respectively, and is shown to be a mixture of natural Pb and ore-Pb. This enables quantification of mining-related Pb and shows that application of Pb isotope data is a valuable tool for monitoring mining pollution. - Lead isotopes can be used to monitor uptake of mining-related lead in lichens, seaweed and mussels.

Characterization of Activated Carbon from Coal and Its Application as Adsorbent on Mine Acid Water Treatment

OpenAIRE

Siti Hardianti; Susila Arita Rachman; Harminuke E.H.

2017-01-01

Anthracite and Sub-bituminous as activated carbon raw material had been utilized especially in mining field as adsorbent of dangerous heavy metal compound resulted in mining activity. Carbon from coal was activated physically and chemically in various temperature and particle sizes. Characterization was carried out in order to determine the adsorbent specification produced hence can be used and applied accordingly. Proximate and ultimate analysis concluded anthracite has fixed carbon 88.91% w...

Realizatinon of “zero emission” of mining water effluents from Sasa mine

OpenAIRE

Mirakovski, Dejan; Doneva, Nikolinka; Hadzi-Nikolova, Marija; Gocevski, Borce

2015-01-01

Sasa mine continuously takes actions to minimize the environmental impact of mining activities, in order to fulfill the national legislation in the field of environmental protection which comply with European legislation. This paper shows the drainage system of the horizon 830, which is performed in order to prevent free leakage of mining groundwater, as a part of these actions. This system provides a zero emission of mining water in the environment from Sasa mine. Key words: mining water...

Ion activity and distribution of heavy metals in acid mine drainage polluted subtropical soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yongtao; Becquer, Thierry; Dai Jun; Quantin, Cecile; Benedetti, Marc F.

2009-01-01

The oxidative dissolution of mine wastes gives rise to acidic, metal-enriched mine drainage (AMD) and has typically posed an additional risk to the environment. The poly-metallic mine Dabaoshan in South China is an excellent test site to understand the processes affecting the surrounding polluted agricultural fields. Our objectives were firstly to investigate metal ion activity in soil solution, distribution in solid constituents, and spatial distribution in samples, secondly to determine dominant environment factors controlling metal activity in the long-term AMD-polluted subtropical soils. Soil Column Donnan Membrane Technology (SC-DMT) combined with sequential extraction shows that unusually large proportion of the metal ions are present as free ion in the soil solutions. The narrow range of low pH values prevents any pH effects during the binding onto oxides or organic matter. The differences in speciation of the soil solutions may explain the different soil degradation observed between paddy and non-paddy soils. - First evidence of the real free metal ion concentrations in acid mine drainage context in tropical systems

Use of lidar point cloud data to support estimation of residual trace metals stored in mine chat piles in the Old Lead Belt of southeastern, Missouri

Science.gov (United States)

Witt, Emitt C.

2016-01-01

Historic lead and zinc (Pb-Zn) mining in southeast Missouri’s ―Old Lead Belt‖ has left large chat piles dominating the landscape where prior to 1972 mining was the major industry of the region. As a result of variable beneficiation methods over the history of mining activity, these piles remain with large quantities of unrecovered Pb and Zn and to a lesser extent cadmium (Cd). Quantifying the residual content of trace metals in chat piles is problematic because of the extensive field effort that must go into collecting elevation points for volumetric analysis. This investigation demonstrates that publicly available lidar point data from the U.S. Geological Survey 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) can be used to effectively calculate chat pile volumes as a method of more accurately estimating the total residual trace metal content in these mining wastes. Five chat piles located in St. Francois County, Missouri, were quantified for residual trace metal content. Utilizing lidar point cloud data collected in 2011 and existing trace metal concentration data obtained during remedial investigations, residual content of these chat piles ranged from 9247 to 88,579 metric tons Pb, 1925 to 52,306 metric tons Zn, and 51 to 1107 metric tons Cd. Development of new beneficiation methods for recovering these constituents from chat piles would need to achieve current Federal soil screening standards. To achieve this for the five chat piles investigated, 42 to 72% of residual Pb would require mitigation to the 1200 mg/kg Federal non-playground standard, 88 to 98% of residual Zn would require mitigation to the Ecological Soil Screening level (ESSL) for plant life, and 70% to 98% of Cd would require mitigation to achieve the ESSL. Achieving these goals through an existing or future beneficiation method(s) would remediate chat to a trace metal concentration level that would support its use as a safe agricultural soil amendment.

Australian mining yearbook 79/80

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barret, P [ed.

1980-01-01

The present state of affairs in mining the following metals and minerals is described: aluminium, coal, diamonds, iron ore, lead and zinc, mineral sands, oil and gas, oil shale, tin, and uranium. Equipment, finance, mining methods, resources, safety, and taxation are all discussed. Then there is a directory of mining companies and directors, a Who's Who, and a buyers guide consisting of a product index and a suppliers index. Lists of consultants, drilling contractors, ore buyers, mining industry and research organisations and government departments are also given.

Spatio-Temporal Rule Mining

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gidofalvi, Gyozo; Pedersen, Torben Bach

2005-01-01

Recent advances in communication and information technology, such as the increasing accuracy of GPS technology and the miniaturization of wireless communication devices pave the road for Location-Based Services (LBS). To achieve high quality for such services, spatio-temporal data mining techniques...... are needed. In this paper, we describe experiences with spatio-temporal rule mining in a Danish data mining company. First, a number of real world spatio-temporal data sets are described, leading to a taxonomy of spatio-temporal data. Second, the paper describes a general methodology that transforms...... the spatio-temporal rule mining task to the traditional market basket analysis task and applies it to the described data sets, enabling traditional association rule mining methods to discover spatio-temporal rules for LBS. Finally, unique issues in spatio-temporal rule mining are identified and discussed....

Deposition of airborne metals around the lead-zinc mine in Maarmorilik monitored by lichens and mosses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilegaard, K.

1994-01-01

The deposition of heavy metals around the Pb-Zn mine in Maarmorilik (Greenland) was monitored during the year 1979-1990 by analyses of concentrations in in situ lichens (Cetraria nivalis and Umbilicaria Lyngei) and higher plants (rhododendron lapponicum). Concentrations of the metals Ag, As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, S b and Zn decreased with increasing distance from the mining and milling complex according to the model: y = ax b + C where y = concentrations, x = distance, c = background concentration, a and b = constants. The spread was most pronounced west of Maarmorilik. Exposed Pb-Zn mineralizations in the area were found not to influence the overall deposition pattern. The transport of pollutants to higher altitudes was little. Airborne pollution with Cd, Pb and Zn was monitored with suspended Sphagnumbags during a period with ship-loading of concentrates and compared to a period without this activity. There was a strongly increased deposition of airborne Cd, Pb and Zn during periods of ship-loading. The primary sources of pollution were the concentrate conveyor and the ship-loader. Sphagnum-bags were also used to monitor the effects of remedial actions carried out in the mining town. Analyses of the concentrations of Pb in Cetraria during the years 1979 to 1990 showed that pollution during the last years was only about half as large as during the early years. This decrease is attributed to the pollution abatement carried out at the mining complex. (au) (23 refs.)

MONITORING OF MINING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berislav Šebečić

1996-12-01

Full Text Available The way mining was monitored in the past depended on knowledge, interest and the existing legal regulations. Documentary evidence about this work can be found in archives, libraries and museums. In particular, there is the rich archival material (papers and books concerning the work of the one-time Imperial and Royal Mining Captaincies in Zagreb, Zadar, Klagenfurt and Split, A minor part of the documentation has not yet been transferred to Croatia. From mining handbooks and books we can also find out about mining in Croatia. In the context of Austro-Hungary. For example, we can find out that the first governorships in Zagreb and Zadar headed the Ban, Count Jelacic and Baron Mamula were also the top mining authorities, though this, probably from political motives, was suppressed in the guides and inventories or the Mining Captaincies. At the end of the 1850s, Croatia produced 92-94% of sea salt, up to 8.5% of sulphur, 19.5% of asphalt and 100% of oil for the Austro-Hungarian empire. From data about mining in the Split Mining Captaincy, prepared for the Philadephia Exhibition, it can be seen that in the exploratory mining operations in which there were 33,372 independent mines declared in 1925 they were looking mainly for bauxite (60,0%, then dark coal (19,0%, asphalts (10.3% and lignites (62%. In 1931, within the area covered by the same captaincy, of 74 declared mines, only 9 were working. There were five coal mines, three bauxite mines and one for asphalt. I suggest that within state institution, the Mining Captaincy or Authority be renewed, or that a Mining and Geological Authority be set ap, which would lead to the more complete affirmation of Croatian mining (the paper is published in Croatian.

Dehydrogenase activity and quality of leachates in Technosols with gossan and sulfide materials from the São Domingos mine

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Erika; Abreu, Manuela; Macías, Felipe; de Varennes, Amarílis

2014-05-01

fact, for sulfide materials (assays 1 and 3), the amendments did not lead to increases in DHA (µg TPF g dry weight 16 h-1, Control: 0.87-2.72; Amended treatments: 0.23-2.11, depending on assay/sampling period/treatment). In assay 3, the DHA of each mine waste presented, in general, smaller enzymatic activity compared to the same treatments from the other assays. The amendments reduced the electrical condutivity (35-60 %) in the leachates from Technosols with sulfide materials but the pH of leachates increased in all cases between 0.5 and 1.5 units, depending on assay/treatment/sampling period.

Silver and lead in high-altitude lake sediments: Proxies for climate changes and human activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garçon, Marion; Chauvel, Catherine; Chapron, Emmanuel; Faïn, Xavier; Lin, Mingfang; Campillo, Sylvain; Bureau, Sarah; Desmet, Marc; Bailly-Maître, Marie-Christine; Charlet, Laurent

2012-01-01

High-altitude lake sediments are often used as archives for environmental changes and their chemical and isotopic compositions provide significant constraints on natural and anthropogenic long-term changes that have occurred in their catchment area. Here, trace-element concentrations and Pb isotopes are presented for two sedimentary cores from Lake Blanc Huez in the French Alps, to trace the impact of climate changes and human activities over the Holocene. Lead and Ag contents are very high and clearly dominated by input from a Pb–Ag vein located a few meters from the lakeshore, a vein that also buffers the Pb isotopes. Mining of this vein in medieval times is recorded in the corresponding lake sediments with high Ag content coupled with high Pb/U ratio. These chemical characteristics can be used to constrain the major Holocene climate changes. Significant advances of glaciers next to the lake produced sediments with Ag and Pb concentration peaks and high Pb/U ratios due to accelerated erosion of the Pb–Ag vein, similar to the effects of the medieval mining. In contrast, reduced glacier activity led to the formation of organic-rich sediments with high U and As contents and low Pb/U ratios. More generally, the observed combination of chemical changes could be used elsewhere to decipher environmental changes over long periods of time.

Long-range downstream effects of urban runoff and acid mine drainage in the Debed River, Armenia: insights from lead isotope modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurkjian, Robert; Dunlap, Charles; Flegal, A. Russell

2004-01-01

Lead concentrations and isotopic compositions measured along 80 km of the Debed River in the Republic of Armenia provide new insights into the geochemical and physical controls on riparian Pb transport by allowing comparison of the long-range, downstream impacts of acid mine drainage with runoff from an industrialized city. The modern background Pb concentration in Armenian surface waters is estimated to be ∼0.01 μg/L, based on analyses of remote alpine rivers in Armenia. The lead concentration in the Debed River is 8 μg/L (800 times background) after passing through Vanadzor, the second largest industrial city in Armenia; it then decreases to 1 μg/L before the Debed River flows into the Alaverdi mining district. There, the Debed River receives waters from two mining drainage streams with Pb concentrations >3000 μg/L, but those concentrations decrease 3 orders of magnitude to ∼3 μg/L by the time the river exits Armenia and flows into the Republic of Georgia. Isotope mixing plots show shifts in Pb isotope composition as the river flows out of Vanadzor, evidencing the mixture of an average terrestrial Pb composition ( 206 Pb/ 207 Pb ∼ 1.17; 208 Pb/ 207 Pb ∼ 2.45) with past leaded gasoline and other industrial Pb emissions retained in the river's sediments within that region ( 208 Pb/ 207 Pb ≤ 2.45). The isotopic composition again shifts (e.g., 208 Pb/ 207 Pb ≥ 2.46) as the river passes through the Alaverdi mining district, where isotopic ratios in the water are characteristic of Pb in the area's massive sulfide deposits. Modeling both downstream elemental concentrations and Pb isotopic compositions further resolves the physical and chemical behavior of the contaminants in the river system. A multi-element model of concentration gradients in the acid mine drainage streams indicates Pb is attenuated by Al(OH) 3 precipitation (54% of the loss) and by adsorption onto other particles settling out of the water column (46% of the loss). Modeling of Pb

False alarms and mine seismicity: An example from the Gentry Mountain mining region, Utah

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, S.R.

1992-01-01

Mining regions are a cause of concern for monitoring of nuclear test ban treaties because they present the opportunity for clandestine nuclear tests (i.e. decoupled explosions). Mining operations are often characterized by high seismicity rates and can provide the cover for excavating voids for decoupling. Chemical explosions (seemingly as part of normal mining activities) can be used to complicate the signals from a simultaneous decoupled nuclear explosion. Thus, most concern about mines has dealt with the issue of missed violations to a test ban treaty. In this study, we raise the diplomatic concern of false alarms associated with mining activities. Numerous reports and papers have been published about anomalous seismicity associated with mining activities. As part of a large discrimination study in the western US (Taylor et al., 1989), we had one earthquake that was consistently classified as an explosion. The magnitude 3.5 disturbance occurred on May 14, 1981 and was conspicuous in its lack of Love waves, relative lack of high- frequency energy, low Lg/Pg ratio, and high m b - M s . A moment-tensor solution by Patton and Zandt (1991) indicated the event had a large implosional component. The event occurred in the Gentry Mountain coal mining region in the eastern Wasatch Plateau, Utah. Using a simple source representation, we modeled the event as a tabular excavation collapse that occurred as a result of normal mining activities. This study raises the importance of having a good catalogue of seismic data and information about mining activities from potential proliferant nations

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF MINE WATER, CONSIDERING EUROPEAN WATER LEGISLATION. CASE STUDY OF MEGALOPOLIS MINES

OpenAIRE

Dimitrakopoulos, D.; Vassiliou, E.; Tsangaratos, P.; Ilia, I.

2017-01-01

Mining activities causes many environmental problems to the surrounding areas, as other industrial activities do also. However mine water pollution, is considered a tough task to handle, as it requires specific regulations, quite distinct from those applicable to most other industrial processes. Even though there are several federal laws and regulations in Greece and in the European Union that influences the mining industry and mine water management, still certain factors complicates their im...

Recovery, restoration, and development of an enhancement plan for the Leading Creek watershed after dewatering of the Meigs number-sign 31 coal mine in Ohio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cherry, D.S.; Hassel, J.H. Van; Yeager, M.M.; Babendreier, J.E.; Currie, R.J.; Astin, L.E.; Lynde, S.R.

1995-01-01

Following the flooding of the Meigs number-sign 31 deep coal mine in Meigs County, Ohio, a proactive plan was developed to evaluate effects of initial dewatering, recovery, and development of a watershed enhancement plan. Approximately half of the 31-mile Leading Creek mainstem received coal mine discharge of high conductivity, low pH, high metals and total suspended solids loading. Most forms of aquatic life were depleted in the impacted areas of the creek. After three years since the incident, many forms of benthic macroinvertebrates and fish have returned to the creek, and sediments have been purged of metal loading by storm water events. The enhancement plan involves a reconnaissance of the creek and tributaries pinpointing areas of agricultural sedimentation and abandoned mined land (AML) influences in the lower half. Research activities involved sampling water and sediment in 10 stations of the creek and 17 major tributaries. The tributaries were addressed as point source discharges with water/sediment toxicity testing conducted. In-situ testing included growth impairment evaluation of Asian clams at 27 stations in the watershed. Several tributaries were intermittently toxic depending upon rainfall and the degree of AML input. Benthic macroinvertebrate assembles in most tributaries were stressed and comprised 0--3 taxa. Erosion/sedimentation loading was being addressed by hydrological modeling of the creek, land use management/habitat assessment, and data management by geographic information systems

Perceptions and Realities in Modern Uranium Mining - Extended Summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

Uranium mining and milling has evolved significantly over the years. By comparing currently leading approaches with outdated practices, the report demonstrates how uranium mining can be conducted in a way that protects workers, the public and the environment. Innovative, modern mining practices combined with strictly enforced regulatory standards are geared towards avoiding past mistakes made primarily during the early history of the industry when maximising uranium production was the principal operating consideration. Today's leading practices in uranium mining aim at producing uranium in an efficient and safe manner that limits environmental impacts to acceptable standards. As indicated in the report, the collection of baseline environmental data, environmental monitoring and public consultation throughout the life cycle of the mine enables verification that the facility is operating as planned, provides early warning of any potentially adverse impacts on the environment and keeps stakeholders informed of developments. Leading practice also supports planning for mine closure before mine production is licensed to ensure that the mining lease area is returned to an environmentally acceptable condition. The report highlights the importance of mine workers being properly trained and well equipped, as well as that of ensuring that their work environment is well ventilated so as to curtail exposure to radiation and hazardous materials and thereby minimise health impacts. (authors)

Potential for exposure to radon in non-uranium mines and other activities in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, D.W.; Gooding, T.D.

1996-01-01

Radon levels in UK mines have been investigated in several surveys over the last decade and have shown that greatest potential for exposure in in mines other than coal mines ('non-coal mines' for brevity). These and associated studies have also shown that there is is potential for significant exposure in mines even after mineral extraction has ceased, for example, during their use for secondary commercial purposes, such as tourism of storage. Even after all work has been abandoned, mines can be a focus for some leisure activities such as industrial archaeology or mineral collecting. A key element of protection for employees and members of the public who enter mines is a programme of area monitoring. The diverse range of conditions from continuous occupancy and forces ventilation, to sporadic entry into naturally ventilated systems, places stringent demands on monitoring programmes and methods of dose estimation. In particular, the use of intermittent ventilation can have unexpected and adverse effects on radon levels and the implications of such phenomena for dose limitation and monitoring programmes are considered for the various stages in the life of a mine. (author). 13 refs, 4 figs, 1 tab

High contamination in the areas surrounding abandoned mines and mining activities: An impact assessment of the Dilala, Luilu and Mpingiri Rivers, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Science.gov (United States)

Atibu, Emmanuel K; Lacroix, Pierre; Sivalingam, Periyasamy; Ray, Nicolas; Giuliani, Gregory; Mulaji, Crispin K; Otamonga, Jean-Paul; Mpiana, Pius T; Slaveykova, Vera I; Poté, John

2018-01-01

Abandoned mines and mining activities constitute important sources of toxic metals and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) affecting surrounding environmental compartments and biota. This study investigates the contamination degree and distribution of toxic metals and REEs in contrasting sediment, soil and plant samples surrounding rivers in the African copperbelt area characterized by the presence of numerous abandoned mines, artisanal and industrial mining activities. ICP-MS results highlighted the highest concentration of Cu, Co and Pb in sediments reaching values of 146,801, 18,434 and 899 mg kg -1 , respectively. In soil, the values of 175,859, 21,134 and 1164 mg kg -1 were found for Cu, Co and Pb, respectively. These values are much higher than the sediment guidelines for the protection of aquatic life and international soil clean-up standards. Enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index results indicated important contribution of mining activities to the study sites pollution in addition to natural background. Highest metal accumulation in leaves of Phalaris arundinacea L., was observed, reaching values of 34,061, 5050 and 230 mg kg -1 for Cu, Co, and Pb, respectively. The ∑REE concentration reached values of 2306, 733, 2796 mg kg -1 in sediment, soil and plant samples, respectively. The above results were combined with geographical information including satellite imagery, hydrography and mining concessions. Maps were produced to present the results in a comprehensive and compelling visual format. The results will be disseminated through an innovative mapping online platform to simplify access to data and to facilitate dialogue between stakeholders. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Size-resolved dust and aerosol contaminants associated with copper and lead smelting emissions: Implications for emission management and human health

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Csavina, Janae [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Taylor, Mark P. [Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109 (Australia); Félix, Omar [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Rine, Kyle P. [Department of Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Eduardo Sáez, A., E-mail: esaez@email.arizona.edu [Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Betterton, Eric A., E-mail: betterton@atmo.arizona.edu [Department of Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2014-09-15

Mining operations, including crushing, grinding, smelting, refining, and tailings management, are a significant source of airborne metal and metalloid contaminants such as As, Pb and other potentially toxic elements. In this work, we show that size-resolved concentrations of As and Pb generally follow a bimodal distribution with the majority of contaminants in the fine size fraction (< 1 μm) around mining activities that include smelting operations at various sites in Australia and Arizona. This evidence suggests that contaminated fine particles (< 1 μm) are the result of vapor condensation and coagulation from smelting operations while coarse particles are most likely the result of windblown dust from contaminated mine tailings and fugitive emissions from crushing and grinding activities. These results on the size distribution of contaminants around mining operations are reported to demonstrate the ubiquitous nature of this phenomenon so that more effective emission management and practices that minimize health risks associated with metal extraction and processing can be developed. - Highlights: • Lead and copper smelting produce significant atmospheric concentrations of lead and arsenic. • Atmospheric lead and arsenic concentrations depend on particle size. • Lead isotopic analysis can be used to assess source of atmospheric contamination from smelters.

A stable lead isotopic investigation of the use of sycamore tree rings as a historical biomonitor of environmental lead contamination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patrick, Gavin J. [School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JJ, Scotland (United Kingdom); Farmer, John G. [School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JJ, Scotland (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: J.G.Farmer@ed.ac.uk

2006-06-01

from the mine, features not observed in any other trees along the transect. Overall the data suggest that sycamore tree-ring analysis is an unsuitable method for obtaining records of historical lead deposition in areas with no large local lead input, although it can reveal some information about the temporal and spatial influence of point source emitters. The unsuitability probably arises from the number of active annual rings in a single year, the post-uptake radial translocation of elements, the relative importance of the different routes of uptake, and the soil depth(s) from which trees draw nutrients.

Potential for mine water reuse in an abandoned coal mine in northern Spain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marques, A.; Garcia-Ordiales, E.; Loredo, J. [Oviedo Univ., Asturias (Spain)

2010-07-01

This paper investigated the potential re-utilization of mine water in industrial activities. Mine water characterization studies were conducted to evaluate mine waters from the abandoned La Camocha Mine in northwestern Spain. Hydrochemical studies have indicated that the water is bicarbonated with a low sulphate and iron content, and a neutral pH. The concentrations of trace metals are below water legislation for human consumption levels. The water can economically be transported for use in the irrigation of a botanical garden and sports centre located in the same region as the mine. Use of the water will help to preserve rivers and other waterways in the region, and may also minimize the environmental impacts of pumping activities at the mine. Fluid properties for various water samples were provided. 6 refs., 1 tab., 3 figs.

Mining and representing recommendations in actively evolving recommender systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Assent, Ira

2010-01-01

Recommender systems provide an automatic means of filtering out interesting items, usually based on past similarity of user ratings. In previous work, we have suggested a model that allows users to actively build a recommender network. Users express trust, obtain transparency, and grow (anonymous......) recommender connections. In this work, we propose mining such active systems to generate easily understandable representations of the recommender network. Users may review these representations to provide active feedback. This approach further enhances the quality of recommendations, especially as topics...... of interest change over time. Most notably, it extends the amount of control users have over the model that the recommender network builds of their interests....

Second-Generation Thermal Neutron Activation Sensor for Confirmatory Land-Mine Detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edward Clifford; Harry Ing; John McFee; H. Robert Andrews; Tom Cousins

2000-01-01

This paper describes the development of the Improved Land-Mine Detector System (ILDS), a vehicle-mounted nonmetallic land-mine detector. The ILDS consists of a custom teleoperated vehicle carrying an infrared imager, an electromagnetic induction detector, and a ground probing radar-which scan the ground in front of the vehicle. Custom navigation and data fusion software combine information from scanning sensors and navigation systems to detect and automatically track suspect targets until the confirmation detector at the rear of the system is positioned to within 30 cm of the target location. The confirmation detector, using thermal neutron activation (TNA) to detect bulk nitrogen in explosives, then dwells over the target for 10 to 120 s. In U.S. government tests (summer 1998), the ILDS advanced development model (ADM) placed first or second out of five competitors on every test. The construction of the second-generation TNA detector and preliminary testing should be complete by March 2000. Testing on real mines is expected to start in summer 2000

Management of mining-related damages in abandoned underground coal mine areas using GIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, U.J.; Kim, J.A.; Kim, S.S.; Kim, W.K.; Yoon, S.H.; Choi, J.K.

2005-01-01

The mining-related damages such as ground subsidence, acid mine drainage (AMD), and deforestation in the abandoned underground coal mine areas become an object of public concern. Therefore, the system to manage the mining-related damages is needed for the effective drive of rehabilitation activities. The management system for Abandoned Underground Coal Mine using GIS includes the database about mining record and information associated with the mining-related damages and application programs to support mine damage prevention business. Also, this system would support decision-making policy for rehabilitation and provide basic geological data for regional construction works in abandoned underground coal mine areas. (authors)

Copper, zinc and lead biogeochemistry in aquatic and land plants from the Iberian Pyrite Belt (Portugal) and north of Morocco mining areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Durães, Nuno; Bobos, Iuliu; Ferreira da Silva, Eduardo; Dekayir, Abdelilah

2015-02-01

The ability of aquatic (Juncus effusus L., Scirpus holoschoenus L., Thypha latifolia L. and Juncus sp.) and land (Cistus ladanifer L., Erica andevalensis C.-R., Nerium oleander L., Isatis tinctoria L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Cynodon dactylon L. and Hordeum murinum L.) plants from Portugal (Aljustrel, Lousal and São Domingos) and Morocco (Tighza and Zeida) mining areas to uptake, translocate and tolerate heavy metals (Cu, Zn and Pb) was evaluated. The soils (rhizosphere) of the first mining area are characterized by high acidity conditions (pH 2-5), whereas from the second area, by alkaline conditions (pH 7.0-8.5). Physicochemical parameters and mineralogy of the rhizosphere were determined from both areas. Chemical analysis of plants and the rhizosphere was carried out by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. The sequential chemical extraction procedure was applied for rhizosphere samples collected from both mining areas. In the acid conditions, the aquatic plants show a high capacity for Zn bioaccumulation and translocation and less for Pb, reflecting the following metal mobility sequence: Zn > Cu > Pb. Kaolinite detected in the roots by infrared spectroscopy (IR) contributed to metal fixation (i.e. Cu), reducing its translocation to the aerial parts. Lead identified in the roots of land plants (e.g. E. andevalensis) was probably adsorbed by C-H functional groups identified by IR, being easily translocated to the aerial parts. It was found that aquatic plants are more efficient for phytostabilization than bioaccumulation. Lead is more bioavailable in the rhizosphere from Morocco mining areas due to scarcity of minerals with high adsorption ability, being absorbed and translocated by both aquatic and land plants.

The mining methods at the Fraisse mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heurley, P.; Vervialle, J.P.

1985-01-01

The Fraisse mine is one of the four underground mines of the La Crouzille mining divisions of Cogema. Faced with the necessity to mechanize its workings, this mine also had to satisfy a certain number of stringent demands. This has led to concept of four different mining methods for the four workings at present in active operation at this pit, which nevertheless preserve the basic ideas of the methods of top slicing under concrete slabs (TSS) or horizontal cut-and-fill stopes (CFS). An electric scooptram is utilized. With this type of vehicle the stringent demands for the introduction of means for fire fighting and prevention are reduced to a minimum. Finally, the dimensions of the vehicles and the operation of these methods result in a net-to-gross tonnages of close to 1, i.e. a maximum output, combined with a minimum of contamination [fr

Review : Pollution due to Coal Mining Activity and its Impact on Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andi Arif Setiawan

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Utilization of natural resources in the form of coal mines has a positive impact on economic and energy development, in addition to coal mining activities have a negative impact on the environment that result in environmental pollution in soil, water, and air. Pollution begins when clearing land, taking exploitation, transporting, stockpile and when the coal is burned. When land clearing causes damage to forest ecosystems. At the time of exploitation impact on air pollution by coal dust particles, the erosion, siltation of the river, the pollution of heavy metals and the formation of acid mine drainage (AMD. The high acid conditions cause the faster heavy metals such as Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn and Ni present in the coal dissolved and carried to the waters. Coal stockpile activity also causes pollution in the air, soil, and water. At the time the coal is burned as an energy source causes the emission of hazardous materials into the air of Hg, As, Se and CO2 gas, NOx, SO2. This condition has an impact on the environment and ultimately on human health.

Examining health and well-being outcomes associated with mining activity in rural communities of high-income countries: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mactaggart, Fiona; McDermott, Liane; Tynan, Anna; Gericke, Christian

2016-08-01

It is recognised internationally that rural communities often experience greater barriers to accessing services and have poorer health outcomes compared to urban communities. In some settings, health disparities may be further exacerbated by mining activity, which can affect the social, physical and economic environment in which rural communities reside. Direct environmental health impacts are often associated with mining activity and are frequently investigated. However, there is evidence of broader, indirect health and well-being implications emerging in the literature. This systematic review examines these health and well-being outcomes in communities living in proximity to mining in high-income countries, and, in doing so, discusses their possible determinants. Four databases were systematically searched. Articles were selected if adult residents in mining communities were studied and outcomes were related to health or individual or community-level well-being. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Sixteen publications were included. Evidence of increased prevalence of chronic diseases and poor self-reported health status was reported in the mining communities. Relationship breakdown and poor family health, lack of social connectedness and decreased access to health services were also reported. Changes to the physical landscape; risky health behaviours; shift work of partners in the mine industry; social isolation and cyclical nature of 'boom and bust' activity contributed to poorer outcomes in the communities. This review highlights the broader health and well-being outcomes associated with mining activity that should be monitored and addressed in addition to environmental health impacts to support co-existence of mining activities and rural communities. © 2016 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

The use of alkali-activated fly ash grouts for the remediation of AMD from underground mines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eaker, C.A.; Longley, R.D.; Michaud, L.H.; Silsbee, M.R.

1996-01-01

In preparation for a field demonstration, laboratory studies were conducted using several fly ash grout formulations to determine the optimum grout for an underground mine environment. This paper discusses the portion of the overall project designed to examine grout-acid mine drainage (AMD) interactions including neutralization, leaching and armoring of the grouts. Leaching tests were performed to study the effects of fly ash grout on AMD, including the effects of armoring. The goal of this project is to study the feasibility of in-situ acid mine drainage treatment by injecting alkali-activated fly ash grout into an underground mine

Department of Mining and Geotechnics – 50 th Anniversary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ïurove Juraj

2002-12-01

Full Text Available The Mining faculty of the Technical High School in Košice (now BERG Faculty of the Technical University of Košice was found in 1952. In the first years this school consisted only of three Faculties, namely the Faculty of Mining, Faculty of Metallurgy and Faculty of Mechanical Engineering with few of Departments. Teaching and research activities at the Mining Faculty from begining has been based on the staff members of the Mining Department (now Department of Mining and Geotechnics. During the last 50 years Department of Mining has been growing in terms of the number of subject, laboratories, staff members, students etc., and finished their diploma in total 1101 mining engineers At the begin of this period Department was ment to meet the needs of the Slovak mineral industry relating to the education of engineers and research works in the following areas:,underground mining of mineral deposits, open pit mine, stability problems , rock mechanics, design and construction of mines, but now also in computing and information technologies. At present the Department offers courses in various fields of mining and geotechnics, which cover a very wide range of technical problems arising in mining industry and geotechnical praxis, including rescue, fire and safety course. Full-time study at the Department takes five years and leads to a Master´s degree of mining engineering. The study program comprises also an obligatory practical work. The students´practical training is usually divided into 2 terms each of 2-3 weeks duration. In the last semester the students are preparing their Master´s degree thesis.

Water management methodologies from mining and milling activities in Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asenjo, A.

2006-01-01

Mining and Milling activities have been developed in Argentina in several provinces, in order to obtain uranium concentrate. As a result of milling process and mining exploitation, contaminated water remain accumulated in several sites. Methodologies to treat the contaminated water from the different places has been evaluated, at laboratory scale. At Los Gigantes Site, effluents from process containing U, Ra, Mn and NH 4 + , are accumulated in a dam. Precipitation using lime and barium chloride was tested to remove impurities in the effluent. From the same place, contaminated liquid from seepage of tailing containing U and Ra was treated using different permeable reactive barriers (PRB). Some materials, such as zeolite, montmorillonite and iron fine grained (Fe 0 ), to be study as a permeable reactive barrier (PRB), were tested to treat seepage. Glass column 100 cc of capacity, were used to performed the tests. At Sierra Pintada Site, water from mine containing U, Ra and As, are accumulated in a open pit. Anionic resin Amberlite IR 400 to remove uranium, and precipitation using barium chloride and iron sulphate to remove radium and arsenic, were tested to treat water from the open pits. Glass column resin 1000 cc of capacity, and a agitated tank 25 liter of capacity for precipitation, were used to performed the test. Cationic resin, Amberlite IR 120, was tested too, in order to remove radium from water from mine. (author)

Occupational exposure to natural radionuclides due to mining activities in Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ademola, J.A.; Okpalaonwuka, N.E.

2010-01-01

The activity concentrations of potassium, uranium and thorium in minerals and soil samples from a mining site in Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria were measured using gamma ray spectroscopy method. Effective dose per annum has been calculated from the activity concentrations of dominant gamma-emitting natural radionuclides, potassium, uranium and thorium. Samples collected include minerals (beryl, quartz and feldspar), soil samples from the mining pits, heaps and undisturbed land around the mining site. The activity concentrations of 40 K, 238 U and 232 Th, respectively in Bq kg-1 in the mineral samples were as follows: 1985 ± 16, 4.8 ± 0.9 and 11.8 ± 5.8 for beryl sample, 115.1 ± 27.9, 5.0 ± 1.3 and 6.3 ± 5.0 for feldspar samples and 1421 ± 122, 40 K, 238 U and 232 Th, respectively, were 314.2 ± 5.7, 27.7 ± 2.6 and 11.5 ± 5.9 Bq kg-1 for soil samples from the pits and 278.1 ± 5.4, 21.1 ± 2.0 and 15.3 ± 7.5 Bq kg-1 for soil samples from heaps. The mean activity concentrations of soil samples from the undisturbed land around the mining site were 194.3 ± 25.2, 14.5 ± 5.1 and 13.3 ± 5.9 Bq kg-1 for 40 K, 238 U and 232 Th, respectively. The effective dose to which the miners are exposed according to exposure scenarios were calculated as 89.9 μSv y-1 for digging and handling of soil and mineral samples in the pit and 63.6 μSv y-1 for handling of soil and mineral samples at the heaps. (authors)

Tailings From Mining Activities, Impact on Groundwater, and Remediation

OpenAIRE

Khalid Al-Rawahy

2001-01-01

Effluent wastes from mining operations and beneficiation processes are comprized mostly of the following pollutants: total suspended solids (TTS), alkalinity or acidity (pH), settleable solids, iron in ferrous mining, and dissolved metals in nonferrous mining. Suspended solids consist of small particles of solid pollutants that resist separation by conventional means. A number of dissolved metals are considered toxic pollutants. The major metal pollutants present in ore mining and beneficiati...

Correlation between heavy metal contents and antioxidant activities in medicinal plants grown in copper mining areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maharia, R.S.; Dutta, R.K.; Acharya, R.; Reddy, A.V.R.

2012-01-01

Three commonly used medicinal plants, e.g., Adhatoda vasica, Cassia fistula, and Withania somnifera grown in two contrasting environmental conditions, namely from copper mining site and from control site corresponding to soil not contaminated with Cu, to understand correlations between high Cu bioaccumulation in medicinal plants on their antioxidant activities. Concentrations of some essential metals, e.g., Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Se in the leaves of these plants were measured by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The Cu levels in the samples from mining site were in the range of 32.6 to 57.2 mg/kg, which were 5-7 folds higher than the control samples, while Cr levels were about 2-folds higher in the mining site. Speciation studies of Cr revealed negligible content of toxic hexavalent Cr. Antioxidant assay of these plants from both the sampling sites, measured as total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, free radical scavenging ability, and chelating ability with ferrous ions exhibited maximum activity for A. vasica, while that of W. somnifera was minimum. However, the variations in the antioxidant activities for each medicinal plant species from mining site and control site did not reveal significant differences. (author)

MINING LAKES OF THE AGHIREŞ AREA: GENESIS, EVOLUTION AND MORPHOMETRIC ASPECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. MĂCICĂŞAN

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Mining lakes of the Aghireş area: Genesis, evolution and morphometric aspects. Mining activities are heavily influencing and destroying the landscape worldwide. In Aghireş mining perimeter, exploitation workings have led to extreme and irreversible environmental damages, especially regarding the geomorphologic and hydrological situation. After cessation of underground mining and initiation of quarry exploitation, certain mining galleries collapsed and were afterwards flooded by precipitation and re-ascending groundwater, leading to the formation of lacustrine units. Later, the abandoned quarries have undergone the same flooding process. In this paper, we report on the genesis, evolution and the current characteristics of these bodies of water, referred to as mining lakes. In addition, using the GIS technology, the morphometry of the mining lakes is presented in this paper. Due to their predominant current use, as for recreational purposes, the sustainable management of the mining lakes is an important ecological and socio-economical factor for the Aghireş area. For the majority of mining lakes, restoration measures may be necessary due to the demands of the European legislation as well as to the demands of a specific socio-economic use in the future (e.g. bathing lakes or fishing lakes. These aspects of investigation will constitute a prerequisite for effective environmental management and rehabilitation strategies.

Numerical modelling approach for mine backfill

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Muhammad Zaka Emad

2017-07-24

Jul 24, 2017 ... conditions. This paper discusses a numerical modelling strategy for modelling mine backfill material. The .... placed in an ore pass that leads the ore to the ore bin and crusher, from ... 1 year, depending on the mine plan.

The Effect of Mining Activity on the Surface in the Safety Shaft Pillar Area of Mayrau Mine

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Živor, Roman; Klos, Pavel; Pechoč, Jiří; Brož, Milan

M-24(340) (2002), s. 227-235 ISSN 0138-015X. [Polish-Czech-Slovakian Symposium on Mining Geophysics /28./. Niedzica, 11.06.2001-13.06.2001] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IBS3086005 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z3046908 Keywords : shaft pillar * mining * surface subsidence Subject RIV: DH - Mining, incl. Coal Mining

Effects of mining-associated lead and zinc soil contamination on native floristic quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Struckhoff, Matthew A; Stroh, Esther D; Grabner, Keith W

2013-04-15

We assessed the quality of plant communities across a range of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) soil concentrations at a variety of sites associated with Pb mining in southeast Missouri, USA. In a novel application, two standard floristic quality measures, Mean Coefficient of Conservatism (Mean C) and Floristic Quality Index (FQI), were examined in relation to concentrations of Pb and Zn, soil nutrients, and other soil characteristics. Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling and Regression Tree Analyses identified soil Pb and Zn concentrations as primary explanatory variables for plant community composition and indicated negative relationships between soil metals concentrations and both Mean C and FQI. Univariate regression also demonstrated significant negative relationships between metals concentrations and floristic quality. The negative effects of metals in native soils with otherwise relatively undisturbed conditions indicate that elevated soil metals concentrations adversely affect native floristic quality where no other human disturbance is evident. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Radon exposure in abandoned metalliferous mines of South America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, A.A.R. da; Umisedo, N.; Yoshimura, E.M.; Anjos, R.M.; Valladares, D.L.; Velasco, H.; Rizzotto, M.

2011-01-01

Since the days of the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, South America has been closely associated with the metalliferous ore mining. Gold, silver, tin, lead, tungsten, nickel, copper, and palladium ores have been explored over the last centuries. In addition, there has also been the development and promotion of other economic activities related to mining, as the underground mine tourism. A few works have been published on radon levels in the South American mining. In this study, we investigated the radon transport process and its health hazard in two exhausted and abandoned mines in San Luis Province, Argentina. These mines were chosen because they have different physical configurations in their cavities, features which can affect the air flow patterns and radon concentrations. La Carolina gold mine (32 deg 48' 0'' S, 66 deg 60' 0'' W) is currently a blind end system, corresponding to a horizontal excavation into the side of a mountain, with only a main adit. Los Condores wolfram mine (32 deg 33' 25'' S, 65 deg 15' 20'' W) is also a horizontal excavation into the side of a mountain, but has a vertical output (a shaft) at the end of the main gallery. Three different experimental methodologies were used. Radon concentration measurements were performed by CR-39 nuclear track detectors. The distribution of natural radionuclide activities ( 40 K, 232 Th and 238 U) was determined from rock samples collected along their main adits, using in laboratory gamma-ray spectrometry. The external gamma dose rate was evaluated using thermoluminescent dosimeters and a portable survey meter. The values for the 222 Rn concentration ranged from 0.43 ± 0.04 to 1.48 ± 0.12 kBq/m 3 in the Los Condores wolfram mine and from 1.8 ± 0.1 to 6.0±0.5 kBq/m 3 in the La Carolina gold mine, indicating that, in this mine, the radon levels exceed up to four times the action level of 1.5 kBq/m 3 recommended by the ICRP. The patterns of the radon transport process revealed that the La Carolina

Microbial communities, processes and functions in acid mine drainage ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Lin-xing; Huang, Li-nan; Méndez-García, Celia; Kuang, Jia-liang; Hua, Zheng-shuang; Liu, Jun; Shu, Wen-sheng

2016-04-01

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is generated from the oxidative dissolution of metal sulfides when water and oxygen are available largely due to human mining activities. This process can be accelerated by indigenous microorganisms. In the last several decades, culture-dependent researches have uncovered and validated the roles of AMD microorganisms in metal sulfides oxidation and acid generation processes, and culture-independent studies have largely revealed the diversity and metabolic potentials and activities of AMD communities, leading towards a full understanding of the microbial diversity, functions and interactions in AMD ecosystems. This review describes the diversity of microorganisms and their functions in AMD ecosystems, and discusses their biotechnological applications in biomining and AMD bioremediation according to their capabilities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mining in Australia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimada, S

1986-01-01

Statistics are given on: 1) Australian dependence on imported raw materials in 1980; 2) production levels in the different mining fields in 1981; 3) trends in the production of minerals over the years 1961-1981. The role of the mining industry in the Australian economy is outlined, and brief details given of its structure. Further statistics are given regarding trends in the production of coal, iron, salt, lead and zinc during the period 1961-1981, together with details of the number of people employed in these industries. Operations at some of the principal mines (coal, iron ore and salt) are outlined and 1983 production figures for all mineral resources are given. 18 refs., 21 figs., 5 tabs.

Impaired microbial activity caused by metal pollution: A field study in a deactivated uranium mining area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antunes, Sara Cristina; Pereira, Ruth; Marques, Sérgio Miguel; Castro, Bruno Branco; Gonçalves, Fernando

2011-01-01

European frameworks for the ecological risk assessment (ERA) of contaminated sites integrate information from three lines of evidence: chemical, ecotoxicological, and ecological. Regarding the last one, field observations at the contaminated sites are compared to reference site(s) and the differences recorded are analysed at the light of a cause-effect relationship, taking into account the site-specific contamination. Thus, included in the tier 2 of a site-specific risk assessment that is being carried out in an deactivated uranium mining area, a battery of soil enzyme activities (dehydrogenases, urease, arysulphatase, cellulase, acid phosphate) and potential nitrification were assessed in seven sampling sites (A–D–E–F–G–H–I) at different distances from the mine pit. These parameters have been considered good indicators of impacts on soil microbial communities and, subsequently, on soil functions. Soil enzyme activities were impaired in the most contaminated site (A, near the mine pit), for which a higher degree of risk was determined in the tier 1 of ERA. Three other sites within the mining area (F, G, and D) were discriminated on the basis of their low microbial activity, using uni- and multivariate approaches, and validating what had been previously found with chemical and ecotoxicological lines of evidence. We observed considerable among-site heterogeneity in terms of soil physical and chemical properties, combined with seasonal differences in enzyme activities. Still, the correlation between microbial parameters and soil general physical and chemical parameters was weak. In opposition, significant and negative correlations were found between soil enzyme activities and several metallic elements (Al, Be, Cu, U). These findings suggest a clear correlation between compromised soil function (nutrient recycling) and metal contamination. Such information reinforces the evidence of risks for some sites within the mining area and is an important

Aided phytostabilisation reduces metal toxicity, improves soil fertility and enhances microbial activity in Cu-rich mine tailings.

Science.gov (United States)

Touceda-González, M; Álvarez-López, V; Prieto-Fernández, Á; Rodríguez-Garrido, B; Trasar-Cepeda, C; Mench, M; Puschenreiter, M; Quintela-Sabarís, C; Macías-García, F; Kidd, P S

2017-01-15

(Aided) phytostabilisation has been proposed as a suitable technique to decrease the environmental risks associated with metal(loid)-enriched mine tailings. Field scale evaluations are needed for demonstrating their effectiveness in the medium- to long-term. A field trial was implemented in spring 2011 in Cu-rich mine tailings in the NW of Spain. The tailings were amended with composted municipal solid wastes and planted with Salix spp., Populus nigra L. or Agrostis capillaris L. cv. Highland. Plant growth, nutritive status and metal accumulation, and soil physico- and bio-chemical properties, were monitored over three years (four years for plant growth). The total bacterial community, α- and β-Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Streptomycetaceae were studied by DGGE of 16s rDNA fragments. Compost amendment improved soil properties such as pH, CEC and fertility, and decreased soil Cu availability, leading to the establishment of a healthy vegetation cover. Both compost-amendment and plant root activity stimulated soil enzyme activities and induced important shifts in the bacterial community structure over time. The woody plant, S. viminalis, and the grassy species, A. capillaris, showed the best results in terms of plant growth and biomass production. The beneficial effects of the phytostabilisation process were maintained at least three years after treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mercury Speciation in Contaminated Soils from Old Mining Activities in Mexico Using a Chemical Selective Extraction

OpenAIRE

Gavilán-García, Irma; Santos-Santos, Elvira; Tovar-Gálvez, Luis R.; Gavilán-García, Arturo; Suárez, Sara; Olmos, Jesús

2008-01-01

Amalgamation was heavily used in mining since 1557 in Spanish Colonies. In Mexico and other parts of Latin-America, this process generated tailings which were left aside in the mine backyards. In the valley of Zacatecas, tailings were carried out of the mines due to the run-off from the mountains and contaminated most of the Zacatecan Valley which most important economic activity is agricultural (crop and livestock raising). The main concern in this area is the high level of total mercury fou...

Microbes from mined sites: Harnessing their potential for reclamation of derelict mine sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thavamani, Palanisami; Samkumar, R. Amos; Satheesh, Viswanathan; Subashchandrabose, Suresh R.; Ramadass, Kavitha; Naidu, Ravi; Venkateswarlu, Kadiyala; Megharaj, Mallavarapu

2017-01-01

Derelict mines pose potential risks to environmental health. Several factors such as soil structure, organic matter, and nutrient content are the greatly affected qualities in mined soils. Soil microbial communities are an important element for successful reclamation because of their major role in nutrient cycling, plant establishment, geochemical transformations, and soil formation. Yet, microorganisms generally remain an undervalued asset in mined sites. The microbial diversity in derelict mine sites consists of diverse species belonging to four key phyla: Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. The activity of plant symbiotic microorganisms including root-colonizing rhizobacteria and ectomycorrhizal fungi of existing vegetation in the mined sites is very high since most of these microbes are extremophiles. This review outlines the importance of microorganisms to soil health and the rehabilitation of derelict mines and how microbial activity and diversity can be exploited to better plan the soil rehabilitation. Besides highlighting the major breakthroughs in the application of microorganisms for mined site reclamation, we provide a critical view on plant−microbiome interactions to improve revegetation at the mined sites. Also, the need has been emphasized for deciphering the molecular mechanisms of adaptation and resistance of rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere microbes in abandoned mine sites, understanding their role in remediation, and subsequent harnessing of their potential to pave the way in future rehabilitation strategies for mined sites. - Highlights: • Abandoned mines pose potential risks to human and environmental health. • Re-establishment of a self-sustaining vegetative cover at derelict mines is a major challenge. • Soil microbial communities are very important for successful reclamation of mined sites. • Role of microorganisms in soil function in derelict mines needs to be understood.

Lead isotopes as indicators of environmental contamination from the uranium mining and milling industry in the Grants Mineral Belt, New Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curtis, D.B.; Gancarz, A.J.

1978-01-01

The unique isotopic composition of lead from uranium ores can be useful in studying the impact of ore processing effluents on the environment. Common lead on the earth's surface is composed of 1.4% 204 Pb, 24.1% 206 Pb, 22.1% 207 Pb, and 52.4% 208 Pb. In contrast, lead associated with young uranium ores may contain as much as 95% 206 Pb. These extreme differences provide the means to quantitatively evaluate the amount of lead introduced into the environment from the mining and milling of uranium ores by measuring variations of the isotopic composition of lead in environmental samples. The use of Pb isotopes as diagnostic tools in studying the hydrologic transport of materials from U ore dressing plants in the Grants Mineral Belt, New Mexico, is discussed. Preliminary measurements on effluents intimately associated with processing wastes are consistent with a simple model in which radiogenic lead from the ores is mixed with common lead from the uncontaminated environments

TENDENCY OF APPLYING LHD MEHANIZATION IN MINING WORKINGS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Rendulić

1995-12-01

Full Text Available Changed working conditions in deep mining workings (underground rooms of a mine havc lead, by application of diesel driven mechanization to the tendency of introducing the eleetric LHD machines in mines. However, although the flexibilily of electric mining machines has been improved due to the efforts of factories producing mining machines, the diesel units are still more flexible in application, although their maintenance in pit drives is more exspensive (the paper is published in Croatian.

The Hazards of Data Mining in Healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Househ, Mowafa; Aldosari, Bakheet

2017-01-01

From the mid-1990s, data mining methods have been used to explore and find patterns and relationships in healthcare data. During the 1990s and early 2000's, data mining was a topic of great interest to healthcare researchers, as data mining showed some promise in the use of its predictive techniques to help model the healthcare system and improve the delivery of healthcare services. However, it was soon discovered that mining healthcare data had many challenges relating to the veracity of healthcare data and limitations around predictive modelling leading to failures of data mining projects. As the Big Data movement has gained momentum over the past few years, there has been a reemergence of interest in the use of data mining techniques and methods to analyze healthcare generated Big Data. Much has been written on the positive impacts of data mining on healthcare practice relating to issues of best practice, fraud detection, chronic disease management, and general healthcare decision making. Little has been written about the limitations and challenges of data mining use in healthcare. In this review paper, we explore some of the limitations and challenges in the use of data mining techniques in healthcare. Our results show that the limitations of data mining in healthcare include reliability of medical data, data sharing between healthcare organizations, inappropriate modelling leading to inaccurate predictions. We conclude that there are many pitfalls in the use of data mining in healthcare and more work is needed to show evidence of its utility in facilitating healthcare decision-making for healthcare providers, managers, and policy makers and more evidence is needed on data mining's overall impact on healthcare services and patient care.

Concentrations of cadmium, Cobalt, Lead, Nickel, and Zinc in Blood and Fillets of Northern Hog Sucker (Hypentelium nigricans) from streams contaminated by lead-Zinc mining: Implications for monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitt, C.J.; Brumbaugh, W.G.; May, T.W.

2009-01-01

Lead (Pb) and other metals can accumulate in northern hog sucker (Hypentelium nigricans) and other suckers (Catostomidae), which are harvested in large numbers from Ozark streams by recreational fishers. Suckers are also important in the diets of piscivorous wildlife and fishes. Suckers from streams contaminated by historic Pb-zinc (Zn) mining in southeastern Missouri are presently identified in a consumption advisory because of Pb concentrations. We evaluated blood sampling as a potentially nonlethal alternative to fillet sampling for Pb and other metals in northern hog sucker. Scaled, skin-on, bone-in "fillet" and blood samples were obtained from northern hog suckers (n = 75) collected at nine sites representing a wide range of conditions relative to Pb-Zn mining in southeastern Missouri. All samples were analyzed for cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), Pb, nickel (Ni), and Zn. Fillets were also analyzed for calcium as an indicator of the amount of bone, skin, and mucus included in the samples. Pb, Cd, Co, and Ni concentrations were typically higher in blood than in fillets, but Zn concentrations were similar in both sample types. Concentrations of all metals except Zn were typically higher at sites located downstream from active and historic Pb-Zn mines and related facilities than at nonmining sites. Blood concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Co were highly correlated with corresponding fillet concentrations; log-log linear regressions between concentrations in the two sample types explained 94% of the variation for Pb, 73-83% of the variation for Co, and 61% of the variation for Cd. In contrast, relations for Ni and Zn explained Fillet Pb and calcium concentrations were correlated (r = 0.83), but only in the 12 fish from the most contaminated site; concentrations were not significantly correlated across all sites. Conversely, fillet Cd and calcium were correlated across the range of sites (r = 0.78), and the inclusion of calcium in the fillet-to-blood relation explained an

Lead poisoning: The invisible disease

Science.gov (United States)

Friend, Milton

1989-01-01

Lead poisoning is an intoxication resulting from absorption of hazardous levels of lead into body tissues. Lead pellets from shot shells, when ingested, are the most common source of lead poisoning in migratory birds. Other far less common sources include lead fishing sinkers, mine wastes, paint pigments, bullets, and other lead objects that are swallowed.

The Effect of Mercury Mining Activities on Oak Forest in the Almaden Area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villadoniga, M.; Sierra, M. J.; Millan, R.

2009-01-01

This scientific-technical report is the result of the research work carried out by Maite Villadoniga Garcia, to obtain the Master's Final Project, this has been developed at the Unit of Soil Degradation in the Department of Environment at CIEMAT. Two main reasons are important for the study of the vegetation in Almaden, firstly to ascertain the state in which they find the different landscapes surrounding the mine and secondly, it would be interesting to know the potential applications for recovery areas, degraded by this type of mining. This report presents the initial analysis of a natural area where there has not been activity related to mining of mercury, but their lithologic conditions and proximity to the mine of Almaden (within 3 km) make it a space in which they are both elevated mercury concentrations in soil (1.25 to 35.55 mg kg - 1) and plant species (Quercus ilex: 0.10-2.29 mg kg - 1; Pseudovernia sp. 1.10-21.06 mg kg - 1). We can conclude after this study that the natural vegetation of the area if they had been affected by years of mining, although not find any obvious signs of damage to these ecosystems and that different factors affect the uptake of mercury by of different species. (Author) 37 refs.

Ground fissures in the area of Mavropigi Village (N. Greece): Seismotectonics or mining activity?

Science.gov (United States)

Kalogirou, Eleni; Tsapanos, Theodoros; Karakostas, Vassilios; Marinos, Vassilios; Chatzipetros, Alexandros

2014-12-01

In the beginning of July 2010, a ground fissure was observed in the field near the village of Mavropigi (Northern Greece) and specifically in its NW side. Later on (early September), a second ground fissure was perceived, close and almost parallel to the first one and very close to the limits of the lignite exploitation mine (by the Public Power Corporation, PPC). It was observed that the village of Mavropigi slides away slowly towards the PPC lignite mine. Geological, seismological, as well as geotechnical survey in the field indicated that the phenomenon is related to the coal mining exploitation in the near vicinity of the village rather than to any seismotectonic activity in the surrounding area.

The effect of electro-activation and eggshell powder on the neutralization of acid mine drainage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexey Kastyuchik

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Acid mine drainage (AMD production by sulfide mine tailing (SMT is a major environmental preoccupation because it can degrade water surface quality on account of its strong acidity and advanced content of sulfide, iron (Fe and other metals and metalloids. Acid neutralization and the precipitation of metals present in AMD were carried out by electro-activation with ion-exchange membranes, which is based on the self-generation of necessary conditions for acid neutralization and metal precipitation. The treatment of SMT was carried out by using an electro-activation cell generated alkaline solution in the cathode compartment. After 60 min of electro-activation, a pHcatholyte of 7.9–9.6, depending on the experimental conditions, was obtained. The absence of Fe and other trace metal ions in the catholyte provide evidence that the electro-activation of SMT promotes the precipitation of insoluble trace metals in the cathode compartment. This approach can be applied to real conditions in combination with a pretreatment of SMT neutralization, in which biological calcareous amendments are available. Finally, the electro-activation technology of acid mine drainage may be a feasible, cost-effective approach for SMT neutralization because it focuses on sustainable development.

Lead-210 analyses of sediment accumulation rates in five Southern Illinois surface mine lakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brugam, R.B.; Carlson, M.A.

1981-01-01

210 Pb is a naturally occurring radionuclide with a short half-life (22 yrs) which can be used to determine sedimentation rates in lakes. The technique was applied in 5 Southern Illinois surface mine lakes where it revealed past sedimentation rates to have been extremely variable. In some of the lakes there was evidence for extensive slumping immediately after mining ceased followed by a more regular sedimentary regime that continued until the present. In others there have been one or more changes in sediment accumulation rates since lacustrine sedimentation began. These results suggest that simply measuring the amount of sediment that has accumulated in a surface mine lake since mining ceased is inadequate to determine filling rates. Sedimentation rates in the 5 lakes varied from .60 +- .19 to 1.46 +- .19 cm/y. These rates are similar to natural lakes with moderately disturbed watersheds

Data Mining for CRM

Science.gov (United States)

Thearling, Kurt

Data Mining technology allows marketing organizations to better understand their customers and respond to their needs. This chapter describes how Data Mining can be combined with customer relationship management to help drive improved interactions with customers. An example showing how to use Data Mining to drive customer acquisition activities is presented.

Mercury dispersion in soils of an abandoned lead-zinc-silver mine, San Quintín (Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

Esbrí, José Maria; Martín-Crespo, T.; Gómez-Ortiz, D.; Monescillo, C. I.; Lorenzo, S.; Higueras, P.

2010-05-01

The mine considered on this work, namely San Quintín, is a filonian field with hydrothermal ores exploited during almost fifty years (1887-1934), producing 550.000Tm of galena, 550Tm of silver and 5.000 of sphalerite. Some rewashing works of tailings muds was achieved in recent times (1973-1985), including flotation tests of cinnabar ore from Almadén mines. The main problems remaining on the site are an active acid mine drainage (with pH ~ 2) and heavy metal dispersion on soils including gaseous mercury emissions. We present here results of a survey including soils sampling with mercury analysis and other pedological parameters, as well as determinations of mercury inmission in the atmosphere, using a common sampling grid. Analysis of soils samples has been carried out using an atomic absorption spectrometer AMA254, while air determinations were made by the same technique, using a Lumex RA-915+. The maps have been obtained by means of SURFER 8 software, as well as by ArcGIS software, and puts forward dispersion of mercury from cinnabar ore dump (108 ?g×g-1) to nearby soils (0.3 ?g×g-1 at 700 m of distance). The dispersion of mercury vapor exceed WHO level for chronic exposure (200 ng×m-3) in a small area (250 meters from cinnabar dump).

Loads from Compressive Strain Caused by Mining Activity Illustrated with the Example of Two Buildings in Silesia

Science.gov (United States)

Kadela, Marta; Chomacki, Leszek

2017-10-01

The soil’s load on retention walls or underground elements of engineering structures consists of three basic types of pressure: active pressure (p a ), passive pressure (p b ) and at-rest pressure (p 0 ). In undisturbed areas without any mining, due to lack of activity in the soil, specific forces from the soil are stable and unchanging throughout the structure’s life. Mining activity performed at a certain depth activates the soil. Displacements take place in the surface layer of the rock mass, which begins to act on the structure embedded in it, significantly changing the original stress distribution. Deformation of the subgrade, mainly horizontal strains, becomes a source of significant additional actions in the contact zone between the structure and the soil, constituting an additional load for the structure. In order to monitor the mining influence in the form of compressive load on building walls, an observation line was set up in front of two buildings located in Silesia (in Mysłowice). In 2013, some mining activity took place directly under those buildings, with expected horizontal strains of εx = -5.8 mm/m. The measurement results discussed in this paper showed that, as predicted, the buildings were subjected only to horizontal compressive strains with the values parallel to the analysed wall being less than -4.0 ‰ for first building and -1.5‰ for second building, and values perpendicular to the analysed wall being less than -6.0‰ for first building and -4.0‰ for second building (the only exception was the measurement in line 8-13, where εx = -17.04‰ for first building and -4.57‰ for second building). The horizontal displacement indicate that the impact of mining activity was greater on first building. This is also confirmed by inspections of the damage.

Assessment of Water Quality Index and Heavy Metal Contamination in Active and Abandoned Iron Ore Mining Sites in Pahang, Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madzin Zafira

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The composition of heavy metals in water and surface soils of iron ore mining sites were investigated to evaluate on the potential occurrence of heavy metal contamination. Physico-chemical characteristics of the waters were also investigated to determine the current status of water quality index (WQI of the sites. Samples of water and surface soils of active mine (Kuala Lipis and abandoned mine (Bukit Ibam in Pahang were collected at four locations, respectively. The physico-chemical parameters measured for WQI were pH, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand (BOD, chemical oxygen demand (COD, suspended solids (SS, and ammoniacal nitrogen (AN. The water quality parameters were classified according to the Department of Environment (DOE water quality classification. The study revealed that most of the sites in Bukit Ibam and Kuala Lipis were categorized as clean to slightly polluted. On the other hand, heavy metal analysis in water showed that aluminium and manganese level in both sites have exceeded the allowable limits for raw and treated water standards by the Ministry of Health. For heavy metal compositions in soils showed most of the heavy metal concentrations were below the recommended guideline values except for lead, arsenic, zinc and copper.

Entomopathogenic nematode food webs in an ancient, mining pollution gradient in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Campos-Herrera, Raquel; Rodríguez Martín, José Antonio; Escuer, Miguel; García-González, María Teresa; Duncan, Larry W; Gutiérrez, Carmen

2016-12-01

Mining activities pollute the environment with by-products that cause unpredictable impacts in surrounding areas. Cartagena-La Unión mine (Southeastern-Spain) was active for >2500years. Despite its closure in 1991, high concentrations of metals and waste residues remain in this area. A previous study using nematodes suggested that high lead content diminished soil biodiversity. However, the effects of mine pollution on specific ecosystem services remain unknown. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) play a major role in the biocontrol of insect pests. Because EPNs are widespread throughout the world, we speculated that EPNs would be present in the mined areas, but at increased incidence with distance from the pollution focus. We predicted that the natural enemies of nematodes would follow a similar spatial pattern. We used qPCR techniques to measure abundance of five EPN species, five nematophagous fungi species, two bacterial ectoparasites of EPNs and one group of free-living nematodes that compete for the insect-cadaver. The study comprised 193 soil samples taken from mining sites, natural areas and agricultural fields. The highest concentrations of iron and zinc were detected in the mined area as was previously described for lead, cadmium and nickel. Molecular tools detected very low numbers of EPNs in samples found to be negative by insect-baiting, demonstrating the importance of the approach. EPNs were detected at low numbers in 13% of the localities, without relationship to heavy-metal concentrations. Only Acrobeloides-group nematodes were inversely related to the pollution gradient. Factors associated with agricultural areas explained 98.35% of the biotic variability, including EPN association with agricultural areas. Our study suggests that EPNs have adapted to polluted habitats that might support arthropod hosts. By contrast, the relationship between abundance of Acrobeloides-group and heavy-metal levels, revealed these taxa as especially well suited bio

Impaired microbial activity caused by metal pollution: A field study in a deactivated uranium mining area.

Science.gov (United States)

Antunes, Sara Cristina; Pereira, Ruth; Marques, Sérgio Miguel; Castro, Bruno Branco; Gonçalves, Fernando

2011-12-01

European frameworks for the ecological risk assessment (ERA) of contaminated sites integrate information from three lines of evidence: chemical, ecotoxicological, and ecological. Regarding the last one, field observations at the contaminated sites are compared to reference site(s) and the differences recorded are analysed at the light of a cause-effect relationship, taking into account the site-specific contamination. Thus, included in the tier 2 of a site-specific risk assessment that is being carried out in an deactivated uranium mining area, a battery of soil enzyme activities (dehydrogenases, urease, arysulphatase, cellulase, acid phosphate) and potential nitrification were assessed in seven sampling sites (A-D-E-F-G-H-I) at different distances from the mine pit. These parameters have been considered good indicators of impacts on soil microbial communities and, subsequently, on soil functions. Soil enzyme activities were impaired in the most contaminated site (A, near the mine pit), for which a higher degree of risk was determined in the tier 1 of ERA. Three other sites within the mining area (F, G, and D) were discriminated on the basis of their low microbial activity, using uni- and multivariate approaches, and validating what had been previously found with chemical and ecotoxicological lines of evidence. We observed considerable among-site heterogeneity in terms of soil physical and chemical properties, combined with seasonal differences in enzyme activities. Still, the correlation between microbial parameters and soil general physical and chemical parameters was weak. In opposition, significant and negative correlations were found between soil enzyme activities and several metallic elements (Al, Be, Cu, U). These findings suggest a clear correlation between compromised soil function (nutrient recycling) and metal contamination. Such information reinforces the evidence of risks for some sites within the mining area and is an important contribution for the

Tracing sources of pollution in soils from the Jinding Pb–Zn mining district in China using cadmium and lead isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, Hanjie; Zhang, Yuxu; Cloquet, Christophe; Zhu, Chuanwei; Fan, Haifeng; Luo, Chongguang

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Cd isotopes can provide information on the emission, sources, and deposition of Cd. • Binary mixing model is established to trace pollution sources. • Dust transport is major pathway to transfer pollution in Jinding mine. - Abstract: Systematic variations in the Cd and Pb isotope ratios in polluted topsoils surrounding the Jinding Pb–Zn mine in China were measured so that the sources of the metals could be traced. The average δ 114/110 Cd value and 206 Pb/ 207 Pb isotope ratio in background soils from the region were +0.41‰ and 1.1902, respectively, whereas the contaminated soil samples had different values, with the δ 114/110 Cd values varying between −0.59‰ and +0.33‰ and the 206 Pb/ 207 Pb isotope ratios varying between 1.1764 and 1.1896. We also measured the Cd and Pb isotopic compositions in oxide ores, sulfide ores, and slags, and found that binary mixing between ores and background soils could explain almost all of the variations in the Cd and Pb isotope ratios in the contaminated soils. This suggests that Cd and Pb pollution in the soils was mainly caused by the deposition of dust emitted during anthropogenic activities (mining and refining). The Pb and Cd isotope ratios clearly showed that contamination in soils in the northeastern part of the area was caused by surface mines and zinc smelters and their slagheaps, while contamination in soils in the southwestern part of the area also came from tailing ponds and underground mines. The main area of soil polluted by dust from Pb–Zn mining processes roughly extended for up to 5 km from the mine itself

Impacts of manganese mining activity on the environment: interactions among soil, plants, and arbuscular mycorrhiza.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivera-Becerril, Facundo; Juárez-Vázquez, Lucía V; Hernández-Cervantes, Saúl C; Acevedo-Sandoval, Otilio A; Vela-Correa, Gilberto; Cruz-Chávez, Enrique; Moreno-Espíndola, Iván P; Esquivel-Herrera, Alfonso; de León-González, Fernando

2013-02-01

The mining district of Molango in the Hidalgo State, Mexico, possesses one of the largest deposits of manganese (Mn) ore in the world. This research assessed the impacts of Mn mining activity on the environment, particularly the interactions among soil, plants, and arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) at a location under the influence of an open Mn mine. Soils and plants from three sites (soil under maize, soil under native vegetation, and mine wastes with some vegetation) were analyzed. Available Mn in both soil types and mine wastes did not reach toxic levels. Samples of the two soil types were similar regarding physical, chemical, and biological properties; mine wastes were characterized by poor physical structure, nutrient deficiencies, and a decreased number of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spores. Tissues of six plant species accumulated Mn at normal levels. AM was absent in the five plant species (Ambrosia psilostachya, Chenopodium ambrosoides, Cynodon dactylon, Polygonum hydropiperoides, and Wigandia urens) established in mine wastes, which was consistent with the significantly lower number of AMF spores compared with both soil types. A. psilostachya (native vegetation) and Zea mays showed mycorrhizal colonization in their root systems; in the former, AM significantly decreased Mn uptake. The following was concluded: (1) soils, mine wastes, and plant tissues did not accumulate Mn at toxic levels; (2) despite its poor physical structure and nutrient deficiencies, the mine waste site was colonized by at least five plant species; (3) plants growing in both soil types interacted with AMF; and (4) mycorrhizal colonization of A. psilostachya influenced low uptake of Mn by plant tissues.

Efficacy assessment of acid mine drainage treatment with coal mining waste using Allium cepa L. as a bioindicator.

Science.gov (United States)

Geremias, Reginaldo; Bortolotto, Tiago; Wilhelm-Filho, Danilo; Pedrosa, Rozangela Curi; de Fávere, Valfredo Tadeu

2012-05-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD) with calcinated coal mining waste using Allium cepa L. as a bioindicator. The pH values and the concentrations of aluminum, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, lead and sulfate were determined before and after the treatment of the AMD with calcinated coal mining waste. Allium cepa L. was exposed to untreated and treated AMD, as well as to mineral water as a negative control (NC). At the end of the exposure period, the inhibition of root growth was measured and the mean effective concentration (EC(50)) was determined. Oxidative stress biomarkers such as lipid peroxidation (TBARS), protein carbonyls (PC), catalase activity (CAT) and reduced glutathione levels (GSH) in the fleshy leaves of the bulb, as well as the DNA damage index (ID) in meristematic cells, were evaluated. The results indicated that the AMD treatment with calcinated coal mining waste resulted in an increase in the pH and an expressive removal of aluminum, iron, manganese and zinc. A high sub-chronic toxicity was observed when Allium cepa L. was exposed to the untreated AMD. However, after the treatment no toxicity was detected. Levels of TBARS and PC, CAT activity and the DNA damage index were significantly increased (P<0.05) in Allium cepa L. exposed to untreated AMD when compared to treated AMD and also to negative controls. No significant alteration in the GSH content was observed. In conclusion, the use of calcinated coal mining waste associated with toxicological tests on Allium cepa L. represents an alternative system for the treatment and biomonitoring of these types of environmental contaminants. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

30 CFR 75.1200-1 - Additional information on mine map.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... SAFETY AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Maps § 75.1200-1 Additional... symbols; (g) The location of railroad tracks and public highways leading to the mine, and mine buildings... permanent base line points coordinated with the underground and surface mine traverses, and the location and...

Source and impact of lead contamination on {delta}-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in several marine bivalve species along the Gulf of Cadiz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Company, R.; Serafim, A.; Lopes, B.; Cravo, A. [CIMA, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro (Portugal); Kalman, J.; Riba, I.; DelValls, T.A. [Catedra UNESCO/UNITWIN/WiCop, Department of Physical-Chemistry, Faculty Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); Blasco, J. [Instituto Ciencias Marinas Andalucia (CSIC), Campus Rio San Pedro, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); Delgado, J. [Department of Geology, University of Huelva, Avda Fuerzas Armadas s/n, 21071 Huelva (Spain); Sarmiento, A.M. [Catedra UNESCO/UNITWIN/WiCop, Department of Physical-Chemistry, Faculty Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cadiz (Spain); Department of Geology, University of Huelva, Avda Fuerzas Armadas s/n, 21071 Huelva (Spain); Nieto, J.M. [Department of Geology, University of Huelva, Avda Fuerzas Armadas s/n, 21071 Huelva (Spain); Shepherd, T.J.; Nowell, G. [Department of Earth Sciences, University of Durham, Science Laboratories, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom); Bebianno, M.J., E-mail: mbebian@ualg.pt [CIMA, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro (Portugal)

2011-01-17

Coastal areas and estuaries are particularly sensitive to metal contamination from anthropogenic sources and in the last few decades the study of space-time distribution and variation of metals has been extensively researched. The Gulf of Cadiz is no exception, with several rivers draining one of the largest concentrations of sulphide deposits in the world, the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). Of these rivers, the Guadiana, one of the most important in the Iberian Peninsula, together with smaller rivers like the Tinto and Odiel, delivers a very high metal load to the adjacent coastal areas. The purpose of this work was to study the source and impact of lead (Pb) drained from historical or active mining areas in the IPB on the activity of a Pb inhibited enzyme ({delta}-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, ALAD) in several bivalve species along the Gulf of Cadiz. Seven marine species (Chamelea gallina, Mactra corallina, Donax trunculus, Cerastoderma edule, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Scrobicularia plana and Crassostrea angulata) were collected at 12 sites from Mazagon, near the mouth of the rivers Tinto and Odiel (Spain), to Cacela Velha (Ria Formosa lagoon system, Portugal). Lead concentrations, ALAD activity and lead isotope ratios ({sup 206}Pb/{sup 204}Pb, {sup 207}Pb/{sup 204}Pb and {sup 208}Pb/{sup 204}Pb) were determined in the whole soft tissues. The highest Pb concentrations were determined in S. plana (3.50 {+-} 1.09 {mu}g g{sup -1} Pb d.w.) and D. trunculus (1.95 {+-} 0.10 {mu}g g{sup -1} Pb d.w.), while M. galloprovincialis and C. angulata showed the lowest Pb levels (<0.38 {mu}g g{sup -1} Pb d.w.). In general, ALAD activity is negatively correlated with total Pb concentration. However this relationship is species dependent (e.g. linear for C. gallina ALAD = -0.36[Pb] + 0.79; r = 0.837; or exponential for M. galloprovincialis ALAD = 2.48e{sup -8.3[Pb]}; r = 0.911). This indicates that ALAD activity has considerable potential as a biomarker of Pb and moreover, in

Source and impact of lead contamination on δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in several marine bivalve species along the Gulf of Cadiz

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Company, R.; Serafim, A.; Lopes, B.; Cravo, A.; Kalman, J.; Riba, I.; DelValls, T.A.; Blasco, J.; Delgado, J.; Sarmiento, A.M.; Nieto, J.M.; Shepherd, T.J.; Nowell, G.; Bebianno, M.J.

2011-01-01

Coastal areas and estuaries are particularly sensitive to metal contamination from anthropogenic sources and in the last few decades the study of space-time distribution and variation of metals has been extensively researched. The Gulf of Cadiz is no exception, with several rivers draining one of the largest concentrations of sulphide deposits in the world, the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). Of these rivers, the Guadiana, one of the most important in the Iberian Peninsula, together with smaller rivers like the Tinto and Odiel, delivers a very high metal load to the adjacent coastal areas. The purpose of this work was to study the source and impact of lead (Pb) drained from historical or active mining areas in the IPB on the activity of a Pb inhibited enzyme (δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase, ALAD) in several bivalve species along the Gulf of Cadiz. Seven marine species (Chamelea gallina, Mactra corallina, Donax trunculus, Cerastoderma edule, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Scrobicularia plana and Crassostrea angulata) were collected at 12 sites from Mazagon, near the mouth of the rivers Tinto and Odiel (Spain), to Cacela Velha (Ria Formosa lagoon system, Portugal). Lead concentrations, ALAD activity and lead isotope ratios ( 206 Pb/ 204 Pb, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb and 208 Pb/ 204 Pb) were determined in the whole soft tissues. The highest Pb concentrations were determined in S. plana (3.50 ± 1.09 μg g -1 Pb d.w.) and D. trunculus (1.95 ± 0.10 μg g -1 Pb d.w.), while M. galloprovincialis and C. angulata showed the lowest Pb levels ( -1 Pb d.w.). In general, ALAD activity is negatively correlated with total Pb concentration. However this relationship is species dependent (e.g. linear for C. gallina ALAD = -0.36[Pb] + 0.79; r = 0.837; or exponential for M. galloprovincialis ALAD = 2.48e -8.3[Pb] ; r = 0.911). This indicates that ALAD activity has considerable potential as a biomarker of Pb and moreover, in marine bivalve species with different feeding habits. Lead isotope data

Uranium mining: Environmental and health impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vance, Robert

2014-01-01

Producing uranium in a safe and environmentally responsible manner is important not only to the producers and consumers of the product, but also to society at large. Given expectations of growth in nuclear generating capacity in the coming decades - particularly in the developing world - enhancing awareness of leading practice in uranium mining is important. This was the objective of a recent NEA report entitled Managing Environmental and Health Impacts of Uranium Mining, providing a non-technical overview of the significant evolution of uranium mining practices from the time that it was first mined for military purposes until today. (author)

Radon exposure in abandoned metalliferous mines of South America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, A.A.R. da; Umisedo, N.; Yoshimura, E.M. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (IF/USP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica. Lab. de Dosimetria; Anjos, R.M. [Universidade Federal Fluminense (LARA/UFF), Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica. Lab. de Radioecologia; Valladares, D.L.; Velasco, H.; Rizzotto, M. [Universidad Nacional de San Luis (UNSL) (Argentina). Inst. de Matematica Aplicada San Luis

2011-07-01

Since the days of the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, South America has been closely associated with the metalliferous ore mining. Gold, silver, tin, lead, tungsten, nickel, copper, and palladium ores have been explored over the last centuries. In addition, there has also been the development and promotion of other economic activities related to mining, as the underground mine tourism. A few works have been published on radon levels in the South American mining. In this study, we investigated the radon transport process and its health hazard in two exhausted and abandoned mines in San Luis Province, Argentina. These mines were chosen because they have different physical configurations in their cavities, features which can affect the air flow patterns and radon concentrations. La Carolina gold mine (32 deg 48' 0'' S, 66 deg 60' 0'' W) is currently a blind end system, corresponding to a horizontal excavation into the side of a mountain, with only a main adit. Los Condores wolfram mine (32 deg 33' 25'' S, 65 deg 15' 20'' W) is also a horizontal excavation into the side of a mountain, but has a vertical output (a shaft) at the end of the main gallery. Three different experimental methodologies were used. Radon concentration measurements were performed by CR-39 nuclear track detectors. The distribution of natural radionuclide activities ({sup 40}K, {sup 232}Th and {sup 238}U) was determined from rock samples collected along their main adits, using in laboratory gamma-ray spectrometry. The external gamma dose rate was evaluated using thermoluminescent dosimeters and a portable survey meter. The values for the {sup 222}Rn concentration ranged from 0.43 {+-} 0.04 to 1.48 {+-} 0.12 kBq/m{sup 3} in the Los Condores wolfram mine and from 1.8 {+-} 0.1 to 6.0{+-}0.5 kBq/m{sup 3} in the La Carolina gold mine, indicating that, in this mine, the radon levels exceed up to four times the action level of 1.5 kBq/m{sup 3

Spatial database of mining-related features in 2001 at selected phosphate mines, Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, and Caribou Counties, Idaho

Science.gov (United States)

Moyle, Phillip R.; Kayser, Helen Z.

2006-01-01

This report describes the spatial database, PHOSMINE01, and the processes used to delineate mining-related features (active and inactive/historical) in the core of the southeastern Idaho phosphate resource area. The spatial data have varying degrees of accuracy and attribution detail. Classification of areas by type of mining-related activity at active mines is generally detailed; however, for many of the closed or inactive mines the spatial coverage does not differentiate mining-related surface disturbance features. Nineteen phosphate mine sites are included in the study, three active phosphate mines - Enoch Valley (nearing closure), Rasmussen Ridge, and Smoky Canyon - and 16 inactive (or historical) phosphate mines - Ballard, Champ, Conda, Diamond Gulch, Dry Valley, Gay, Georgetown Canyon, Henry, Home Canyon, Lanes Creek, Maybe Canyon, Mountain Fuel, Trail Canyon, Rattlesnake, Waterloo, and Wooley Valley. Approximately 6,000 hc (15,000 ac), or 60 km2 (23 mi2) of phosphate mining-related surface disturbance are documented in the spatial coverage. Spatial data for the inactive mines is current because no major changes have occurred; however, the spatial data for active mines were derived from digital maps prepared in early 2001 and therefore recent activity is not included. The inactive Gay Mine has the largest total area of disturbance, 1,900 hc (4,700 ac) or about 19 km2 (7.4 mi2). It encompasses over three times the disturbance area of the next largest mine, the Conda Mine with 610 hc (1,500 ac), and it is nearly four times the area of the Smoky Canyon Mine, the largest of the active mines with about 550 hc (1,400 ac). The wide range of phosphate mining-related surface disturbance features (141) from various industry maps were reduced to 15 types or features based on a generic classification system used for this study: mine pit; backfilled mine pit; waste rock dump; adit and waste rock dump; ore stockpile; topsoil stockpile; tailings or tailings pond; sediment

Reuse and Securing of Mining Waste : Need of the hour

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Neha; Dino, Giovanna; Ajmone-Marsan, Franco; De Luca, Domenico Antonio

2016-04-01

With recent advancements in technology and rising standards of living the demand for minerals has increased drastically. Increased reliance on mining industry has led to unmanageable challenges of Mining waste generated out of Mining and Quarrying activities. According to Statistics from EuroStat Mining and Quarrying generated 734 million Tons in Europe in 2012 which accounted for 29.19 % of the total waste, becoming second most important sector in terms of waste generation after Construction Industry. Mining waste can be voluminous and/ or chemically active and can cause environmental threats like groundwater pollution due to leaching of pollutants, surface water pollution due to runoffs during rainy season, river and ocean pollution due to intentional dumping of tailings by mining companies. Most of the big mining companies have not adopted policies against dumping of tailings in rivers and oceans. Deep Sea Tailings Placement (DSTP) is creating havoc in remote and pristine environment of deep-sea beds e.g. Bismarck Sea. Furthermore, mining waste is contaminating soil in nearby areas by disturbing soil microbial activity and other physio-chemical and biological properties of soil (e.g. Barruecopardo village - Spain). Mining waste stored in heaps and dams has led to many accidents and on an average, worldwide, there is one major accident in a year involving tailings dams (e.g. Myanmar, Brazil, 2015). Pollution due to tailings is causing local residents to relocate and become 'ecological migrants'. The above issues linked to mining waste makes reuse and securing of mining waste one of the urgent challenge to deal with. The studies done previously on mining show that most of the researches linked with mining waste reuse and securing are very site specific. For instance, the type of recovery method should not only provide environmental clean-up but also economic benefits to promise sustainability of the method. Environmental risk assessment of using mining waste as

Lead contamination in soil and vegetation of areas surrounding ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

H

2012-09-25

Sep 25, 2012 ... mine, Tarz lead mine, Shahid Bahonar Copper Industries Company (CSP), Industrial zone No.1 and ... world-wide, mining remains one of the main sources of heavy metal pollution. ..... 24-26 November Bangkok, Thailand.

Fluorescent halite from Bochnia salt mine, Poland

Science.gov (United States)

Waluś, Edyta; Głąbińska, Dobrochna; Puławska, Aleksandra; Flasza, Michał; Manecki, Maciej

2016-04-01

The photoluminescence of selected halite crystals from Bochnia Salt Mine (Bochnia, Poland) were discovered in 2014. This is a result of contemporary precipitation from percolating waters. In most cases the fluorescence is observed in whole crystals or in zones of crystals. Only clear parts of transparent crystals are orange-red fluorescent in short UV light (320 nm). Chemical microanalysis by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy SEM/EDS indicates that this is activated by Mn and Pb. The concentration of Mn is similar in fluorescent and inactive salt and equals to 0.13 - 0.27 wt.%. The concentration of Pb, however, averages to 3.8 wt.% in fluorescent parts reaching only 1.9 wt.% elsewhere. There is no difference in the unit cell parameters determined by powder X-ray diffraction. The percolating waters contain some Mn (ca. 3.9 ppm) but the concentration of Pb is below the detection limits. The experiments of precipitation of halite from the solutions containing various concentrations of Mn and Pb were performed to simulate this fenomenon using solutions containing: 1 mg Pb/L and 80 mg Mn/L; 1 mg Pb/L and 0.8 mg Mn/L; 1 mg Pb/L and 0.6 mg Mn/L; and 0 mg Pb/L and 80 mg Mn/L. The results indicate that fluorescence is apparent when halite forms from solutions containing more than 0.8 mg Mn/L and more than 1 mg Pb/L. The presence of lead as co-activator is necessary requirement: Mn alone does not activate the fluorescence of halite. This is in accordance with the results of previous work (Murata et al., 1946; Sidike et al., 2002). Rock salt in the mine does not show fluorescence at all. Fluorescence of contemporary salt in Bochnia salt mine is a result of mining activity and slight, sporadic contamination with traces of Mn and Pb. This work is partially funded by AGH research grant no 11.11.140.319. Murata K. J., Smith R. L., 1946. Manganese and lead as coactivators of red fluorescence in halite, American Mineralogist, Volume 31, pages 527

Cd pollution and ecological risk assessment for mining activity zone in Karst Area

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, B.; He, J. L.; Wen, X. M.; Tan, H.

2017-08-01

The monitored soil samples were collected from farmland in the area with mining activity in Karst area in Liupanshui. In this article, moss bag technology and TSP were used simultaneously for Cd transportation and deposition in the study area. Geostatistics and GIS were then used for the spatial distribution of Cd in the soil. Afterwards, Cd pollution to the soil environment and human health was studied by using the geo-accumulation index and potential ecological risk index methods. The results indicated that atmospheric deposition is the major route of Cd pollution. A moderate to strong pollution of Cd in the area and the degree of potential ecological risk was in a high level in the study area. Furthermore, Cd pollution in Liupanshui may originate from mining activity and atmospheric deposition.

Investigation of environmental activity levels of bone-coal mining area in five provinces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Jida; Wu Zongmei; Kong Lingli; Shi Jinhua; Li Ying; Jiang Shan; Zhang Liang

2005-01-01

During 1991-1993, the activity levels of the bone-coal mines were investigated in Zhejiang, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui Province, respectively, where the reserve of bone-coal is about 90% of our country's total reserve. The average of γ radiation dose rate level measured for bone-coal, bone-coal cinder (BCC) and bone-coal cinder brick (BCCB) in these provinces is about 500 nGy/h, 400 nGy/h and 700 nGy/h respectively, while that for fields, roads and houses made of BCCB in corresponding regions of these provinces is about 200 nGy/h, 260 nGy/h and 300 nGy/h respectively. It is shown that the environmental activity level of bone-coal mining area is about 3 times higher than the reference spots. (authors)

Lead action on activity of some enzymes of plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korolyov, A.N.; Koshkaryova, A.I.

2008-01-01

Lead action on activity of some enzymes of young plants of barley double-row (Hordeum distichon L.) families of cereals (Grominea). It is established that activity urease, catalase, ascorbatoxidase is in dependence as from a lead dose in a nutritious solution, and term ontogenesis. At later stages ontogenesis the increase in concentration of lead in an inhabitancy leads to sharp decrease in activity ascorbatoxidase. In the same conditions activity urease and catalase raises.

Heavy metals content in acid mine drainage at abandoned and active mining area

Science.gov (United States)

Hatar, Hazirah; Rahim, Sahibin Abd; Razi, Wan Mohd; Sahrani, Fathul Karim

2013-11-01

This study was conducted at former Barite Mine, Tasik Chini and former iron mine Sungai Lembing in Pahang, and also active gold mine at Lubuk Mandi, Terengganu. This study was conducted to determine heavy metals content in acid mine drainage (AMD) at the study areas. Fourteen water sampling stations within the study area were chosen for this purpose. In situ water characteristic determinations were carried out for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), redox potential (ORP) and total dissolved solid (TDS) using multi parameter YSI 556. Water samples were collected and analysed in the laboratory for sulfate, total acidity and heavy metals which follow the standard methods of APHA (1999) and HACH (2003). Heavy metals in the water samples were determined directly using Inductive Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Data obtained showed a highly acidic mean of pH values with pH ranged from 2.6 ± 0.3 to 3.2 ± 0.2. Mean of electrical conductivity ranged from 0.57 ± 0.25 to 1.01 ± 0.70 mS/cm. Redox potential mean ranged from 487.40 ± 13.68 to 579.9 ± 80.46 mV. Mean of total dissolved solids (TDS) in AMD ranged from 306.50 ± 125.16 to 608.14 ± 411.64 mg/L. Mean of sulfate concentration in AMD ranged from 32.33 ± 1.41 to 207.08 ± 85.06 mg/L, whereas the mean of total acidity ranged from 69.17 ± 5.89 to 205.12 ± 170.83 mgCaCO3/L. Heavy metals content in AMD is dominated by Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn with mean concentrations range from 2.16 ± 1.61 to 36.31 ± 41.02 mg/L, 0.17 ± 0.13 to 11.06 ± 2.85 mg/L, 1.12 ± 0.65 to 7.17 ± 6.05 mg/L and 0.62 ± 0.21 to 6.56 ± 4.11 mg/L, respectively. Mean concentrations of Ni, Co, As, Cd and Pb were less than 0.21, 0.51, 0.24, 0.05 and 0.45 mg/L, respectively. Significant correlation occurred between Fe and Mn, Cu, Zn, Co and Cd. Water pH correlated negatively with all the heavy metals, whereas total acidity, sulfate, total dissolved solid, and redox potential correlated positively. The concentration of heavy metals in the AMD

A survey of temporal data mining

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Data mining is concerned with analysing large volumes of (often unstructured) data to automatically discover interesting regularities or relationships which in turn lead to better understanding of the underlying processes. The field of temporal data mining is concerned with such analysis in the case of ordered data streams ...

Translating Message Sequence Charts to other Process Languages using Process Mining

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lassen, Kristian Bisgaard; van Dongen, Boudewijn; van der Aalst, Wil M. P.

stakeholders. Often such discussions lead to more complete behavioral models described by e.g.\\ Event-driven Process Chains (EPCs), UML activity diagrams, BPMN models, Petri nets, etc. The contribution of this paper is to present a method that uses process mining to translate a set of MSCs that represent...

Application of EREP imagery to fracture-related mine safety hazards and environmental problems in mining

Science.gov (United States)

Wier, C. E.; Wobber, F. J.; Amato, R. V.; Russell, O. R. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Numerous fracture traces were detected on both the color transparencies and black and white spectral bands. Fracture traces of value to mining hazards analysis were noted on the EREP imagery which could not be detected on either the ERTS-1 or high altitude aircraft color infrared photography. Several areas of mine subsidence occurring in the Busseron Creek area near Sullivan, Indiana were successfully identified using color photography. Skylab photography affords an increase over comparable scale ERTS-1 imagery in level of information obtained in mined lands inventory and reclamation analysis. A review of EREP color photography permitted the identification of a substantial number of non-fuel mines within the Southern Indiana test area. A new mine was detected on the EREP photography without prior data. EREP has definite value for estimating areal changes in active mines and for detecting new non-fuel mines. Gob piles and slurry ponds of several acres could be detected on the S-190B color photography when observed in association with large scale mining operations. Apparent degradation of water quality resulting from acid mine drainage and/or siltation was noted in several ponds or small lakes and appear to be related to intensive mining activity near Sullivan, Indiana.

Lead concentration in blood of school children from copper mining area and the level of somatic development at birth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teresa Sławińska-Ochla

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Background. The aim of the study was to assess the relations between lead intoxication in children at younger school age and the level of somatic development at birth. Materials and Methods. The research includes 717 children and adolescents 7–15 years old from LegnickoGłogowski copper mining region, which live in the vincity of „Głogów”, „Legnica” copper industrial plants and flotation tank reservoir „Żelazny most”. The analysis contained measures such as birth height, birth weight, Apgar score points, and blood lead level in 2007 and 2008. The whole blood lead level (Pb-B was indicated using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS with electrothermic atomization by certified The Foundation for Children From The Copper Basin laboratory. Results.Rural childrenwere noted forsignificantly higher blood lead levelsthan urban peers. Also boysin comparison to girls had higher blood lead levels. Regardless of gender and place of residence there were no significant correlation between blood lead level and body mass at birth. Conclusion. The biological state of the organism at the moment of birth has no connection with the susceptibility to absorption of lead in the later phases of ontogenesis: the earlier school age and adlescence.

Investigation of the effect of lead on plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hooper, M C

1937-01-01

Lead pollution, due to the presence of old lead mines has for many years affected the fauna and flora of many of the rivers in Cardiganshire, Great Britain. Experiments were conducted on plants (dwarf green beans) to determine the degree of toxicity of lead sulfate. It was hoped that the experiments would determine whether the direct effect of lead on plants made colonization of the mine dumps impossible or whether the barren nature of the area was due to the physical character of the substratum and its paucity in food material. The lead occurs in the mine dumps in the form of sulfide which is only soluble to the extent of 2.5 ppm of lead, but undergoes slow oxidation to form the more soluble sulfate. A saturated solution of lead sulfate contains 30 ppm of lead. Results indicate that the presence of lead in solution, even up to a concentration of 30 ppm, has a very small toxic effect on the beans in the presence of nutrient salts. From concentrations of 10-30 ppm there seems to be no increased deleterious effect with increasing concentrations of lead, as has been shown by chemical analyses of the plants.

Effects of historical lead–zinc mining on riffle-dwelling benthic fish and crayfish in the Big River of southeastern Missouri, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Allert, A.L.; DiStefano, R.J.; Fairchild, J.F.; Schmitt, C.J.; McKee, M.J.; Girondo, J.A.; Brumbaugh, W.G.; May, T.W.

2013-01-01

The Big River (BGR) drains much of the Old Lead Belt mining district (OLB) in southeastern Missouri, USA, which was historically among the largest producers of lead–zinc (Pb–Zn) ore in the world. We sampled benthic fish and crayfish in riffle habitats at eight sites in the BGR and conducted 56-day in situ exposures to the woodland crayfish (Orconectes hylas) and golden crayfish (Orconectes luteus) in cages at four sites affected to differing degrees by mining. Densities of fish and crayfish, physical habitat and water quality, and the survival and growth of caged crayfish were examined at sites with no known upstream mining activities (i.e., reference sites) and at sites downstream of mining areas (i.e., mining and downstream sites). Lead, zinc, and cadmium were analyzed in surface and pore water, sediment, detritus, fish, crayfish, and other benthic macro-invertebrates. Metals concentrations in all materials analyzed were greater at mining and downstream sites than at reference sites. Ten species of fish and four species of crayfish were collected. Fish and crayfish densities were significantly greater at reference than mining or downstream sites, and densities were greater at downstream than mining sites. Survival of caged crayfish was significantly lower at mining sites than reference sites; downstream sites were not tested. Chronic toxic-unit scores and sediment probable effects quotients indicated significant risk of toxicity to fish and crayfish, and metals concentrations in crayfish were sufficiently high to represent a risk to wildlife at mining and downstream sites. Collectively, the results provided direct evidence that metals associated with historical mining activities in the OLB continue to affect aquatic life in the BGR.

Restoration and revitalization of areas of the Severoceske doly a.s. Chomutov company damaged by mining activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ondracek, V.; Brabenec, J. [North Bohemian Mines, Chomutov (Czech Republic); Rehor, M. [Brown Coal Research Inst., Most (Czech Republic)

2010-07-01

Brown coal is of significant importance as a raw material to the Czech Republic as a result of increasing energy demands. It is the primary fossil fuel of homes in the Czech Republic, without which it would become fully dependent on energy source imports. Founded in 1994, the Severoceske doly a.s. company is the greatest mining company of the Czech Republic. The Severoceske doly, a.s. Chomutov joint stock company mining is drawn up in open pit mines and uses continual technology with excavators, long distance conveyers, and stackers. Large area external and internal dumps remain after the final stages of mining and quarrying. This paper summarized the basic facts about Severoceske doly a.s mining company, with particular reference to revitalization and restoration activities. The paper focused on restoration efforts in the Bilina Mines localities and Nastup Tusimice Mines, and on modern restoration methodology, and the application of research and science. It was concluded that a solution can be found that would fundamentally limit negative impacts to the landscape of brown coal areas using knowledge of rock characteristics relocated by mining and all the relationships in the area's surroundings. 4 refs., 2 tabs., 2 figs.

Remediation of acid mine drainage from the Santa Fe tin mine, Bolivia

Science.gov (United States)

Calvo, Daniel; Zamora Echenique, Gerardo; Alfonso, Pura; Casado, Jordi; Trujillo, Elvys; Jiménez-Franco, Abigail; Garcia-Valles, Maite

2015-04-01

The Santa Fe mine, department of Oruro, is located in the Andean Tin belt, is exploited for tin, zinc, lead and silver. This in an underground mine mined up to the -108 level. Today it is only mined up to the -50 level. Under this level the table water covers the mine. Water reaches the surface with a very acidic composition, with a high content in potentially toxic elements. This water drains directly to the Santa Fe River and contribute to the pollution present in this river that directly affect to the aquatic communities. In addition, population of this area have problems in the supply of drinking water, so remediation by obtaining cleaning water is a priority for this area. This study presents a neutralization-precipitation treatment with lime to the acid water inside the mine. The ore mineralogy of the Santa Fe mined deposit consists mainly in cassiterite, pyrite, sphalerite, galena, arsenopyrite argentite and sulphosalts. The host mineral is mainly quartz, with a minor content in feldspars and tourmaline. Alteration minerals as alunite, goethite and pumbojarosite are abundant and indicate the occurrence of reactions that lead to the formation of acid mine drainage. The mean pH of water drained from the Santa Fe mine is 2.2 and chemical analyses show high contents in potentially toxic elements: 27-295 ppm Zn, 0.05-0.2 ppm Pb, 0.06-0.09 ppm Cd, 04-0.12 ppm Cu, 113-165 ppm Fe, 4 ppm Mn and 564-664 ppm S. As and Sb were under 0.5 ppm. A settler tank inside the mine was designed by means of seal a selected gallery to clean the mine water. The function of this gallery is to sediment the sludge resulting from the neutralization - precipitation treatment process to obtain a clear water overflow continuously to the outside. The neutralization tests indicate that 0.65g/L of lime and 2ml of flocculant should be added to neutralize water up to pH 6-7. A flow rate of 80 L /s was considered. After a geotechnical study, a chamber located in the mine was selected to locate

Current Activities of the Ministry of Mines, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Science.gov (United States)

Adel, M.

2008-12-01

Beginning in late 2001, the Afghanistan government started developing plans for the revitalization of the Natural Resources sector. This revitalization included the rebuilding and reorganization of the capabilities of the Ministry of Mines and Industries (now the Ministry of Mines) and the Afghan Geological Survey and several other Afghan ministries. The initial focus was on the development of new mining and hydrocarbon laws, which were supported by the World Bank. Concurrent with these activities was the recognized need to identify, organize and compile existing data and information on the natural resources of the country. This has been followed by the use of these data and information to provide preliminary assessments of the oil and gas resources, mineral resources, water resources, coal resources, and earthquake hazards, all based on existing data. A large part of these assessment efforts required the development of a geospatial infrastructure through the use of satellite imagery and other remote sensing technologies. Institutional and capacity building were integral parts of all efforts. With the assessment and law activities ongoing, the Ministry of Mine has now turned to the development of a leasing framework, which address the critical need of transparency of leasing, lease management, and royalty collection. This new leasing system was implemented in spring 2008 with the leasing of the Aynak Copper Deposit, which is located about 25 miles south of Kabul. At the moment, a second world class mineral deposit is being considered for leasing within the next year. Oil and gas lease tracts are also under development in the northern oil and gas basins of Afghanistan. With the support of the Afghan government, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has recently completed the gathering of new data and information in support of the Natural Resources Sector. These data gathering missions include gravity, magnetics, radar, and hyperspectral data, which were gathered through

Investigation for closedown activities in the uranium mine Zirovski vrh

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadez, F.; Likar, B.; Logar, Z.

1995-01-01

The uranium mine Zirovski vrh was temporarily shut down by order of Government of the Republic of Slovenia in the second half of the year 1990. After the Slovenian parliament passed the law on definite closing down of the uranium mine exploitation and on rehabilitation the effect of mining on the environment in July 1992 was starting to make the Programme of the Permanent Closing down of the Uranium ore Exploitation and Permanent Protection of the Environment in Uranium Mine that is in final phase. In the meantime the studies that would define necessary parameters for elaborating the projects of closure have been done. Two essential studies for the realization of closure of mine are working out: 1. Previous dewatering of the deposit by boreholes for diminishing of pollution of mine water by uranium; 2. Filling of partially collapsed stops by hydromettallurgical waste to assure permanent stability above the mine spaces. The aim of the first study is to reduce percolation of mine water through the mineralized parts of the deposit by drilling boreholes in the footwall and in the hanging wall. Pollution of mine water which outflows from the lowest tunnel in the local creek Brebovscica should be diminished. Tests of stability and lixiviation on the cubes that are made of hydrometallurgical waste are the topic of the second study. Cement and different additives are added in the cubes and testings have been made in situ. (author). 3 refs, 3 figs, 2 tabs

78 FR 45051 - Small Business Size Standards; Support Activities for Mining; Correction

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-26

... Regulations by increasing small business size standards for three of the four industries in North American... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 13 CFR Part 121 RIN 3245-AG44 Small Business Size Standards; Support Activities for Mining; Correction AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Final rule; correction...

Forgotten constructions erected for mining and salt-works activities in Zlatá Baňa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ján Brehuv

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Village Zlatá Baňa is known for the mining activities for gold, silver, mercury and antimony in the past. This article is devoted notto mining activities but to forgotten 2 dams, which were erected on the Delňa brook. The first was constructed above Zlatá Baňa fromwood in 1691 and does not exist presently. The second one was erected beneath Zlatá Baňa between 1802 – 1807 from stone and cementmortar. It exists up to this day but it is not working. The mentioned dams enabled to create water reservoirs. The first one enabled the water transport of wood trunksfrom Žlatá Baňa to Soľná Baňa in 1691 for a mining output of a salt-stone (or stone-salt. In the years 1807-1917, water from the second reservoir enabled the water transport of wood by a wooden flume 18,9 km long from Zlatá Baňa to the salt-works in Solivar. The mentioned dams and their water reservoirs enabled the high economical effectivity of the mining output of salt and salt-production of the salt-works in Solivar.

The Impact of Mining Activity upon the Aquatic Environment in the Southern Apuseni Mountains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SIGISMUND DUMA

2009-01-01

Full Text Available In the Southern Apuseni Mountains, mining activities have taken place since Antiquity, leaving their marks upon the natural environment, the aquatic one inclusively. If the traditional technologies had a low impact upon the aquatic environment, the ones in the modern period have affected it up to the “dead water” level. It is about the disorganization of the hydrographical basins and especially about aggressive pollution of surface waters with some of the most toxic chemical substances such as cyanides, as well as by an increase in the contents of metallic ions, chlorides, sulphides, sulphates, suspensions and fixed residuum. The decrease in pH, and implicitly the acidification of waters, is also remarkable. It must be mentioned that no systematic studies of the impact of mining activities upon the aquatic environment have been conducted in the area in the last years. In these conditions, the data about water quality have been taken over from the studies conducted by author between 1996 and 1998. The cause of the lack of concern in the field is no other but the cease in ore valorization activities in the majority of the mining objectives in the area. As none of the tailings settling ponds has guard canals, the direct pluvial waters and the ones drained from the slopes transport tailings with noxes which they subsequently discharge in the local pluvial network. In these conditions, both the quality of the mine waters which run freely into the emissary and of the ones that flow from the waste dumps remain mainly in the qualitative parameters analyzed and presented in the study.

Assessment of radiation hazards associated with tailing and sediment from an abandoned gold mine in Ilesa and an active tantalite mine in Ijero, southwest Nigeria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isinkaye, O. [Ekiti State University (Nigeria)

2014-07-01

The implication of indiscriminate or unregulated mining activities has been pointed out as a major risk to human health and the environment. In order to assess the potential radiological hazards pose to the environment due to mining activities in southwest Nigeria, the activity concentrations of {sup 40}K, {sup 226}Ra and {sup 232}Th was determined in tailing and sediment from two mines within the study area. The samples were analysed by gamma spectrometry with low background NaI(Tl) detector. The activity concentrations of {sup 40}K, {sup 226}Ra and {sup 232}Th in all the measured samples ranged from 249.66-1459.25 BqKg{sup -1}, 7.62-50.31 Bqkg{sup -1} and 12.68-234.18 Bqkg{sup -1}, respectively in soil while in sediment samples, the values ranged from 241.86-1590.40 Bqkg{sup -1}, 9.86-74.8 Bqkg{sup -1} and 15.47-145.46 Bqkg{sup -1} for {sup 40}K, {sup 226}Ra and {sup 232}Th, respectively. In order to evaluate the radiological hazards due to the concentrations of natural radionuclides in the samples, the radium equivalent activity, external hazard index, absorbed gamma dose rates and the annual effective dose rates were determined. All these hazard indexes have mean values which are higher than the world average values but are all within their acceptable limits. Document available in abstract form only. (authors)

Economical Recovery of By-products in the Mining Industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berry, J.B.

2001-12-05

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Industrial Technologies, Mining Industry of the Future Program, works with the mining industry to further the industry's advances toward environmental and economic goals. Two of these goals are (1) responsible emission and by-product management and (2) low-cost and efficient production (DOE 1998). DOE formed an alliance with the National Mining Association (NMA) to strengthen the basis for research projects conducted to benefit the mining industry. NMA and industry representatives actively participate in this alliance by evaluating project proposals and by recommending research project selection to DOE. Similarly, the National Research Council (NRC) has recently and independently recommended research and technology development opportunities in the mining industry (NRC 2001). The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Colorado School of Mines engineers conducted one such project for DOE regarding by -product recovery from mining process residue. The results of this project include this report on mining industry process residue and waste with opportunity for by-product recovery. The U.S. mineral processing industry produces over 30,000,000 metric tons per year of process residue and waste that may contain hazardous species as well as valuable by-products. This study evaluates the copper, lead, and zinc commodity sectors which generate between 23,300,000 and 24,000,000 metric tons per year. The distribution of residual elements in process residues and wastes varies over wide ranges* because of variations in the original ore content as it is extracted from the earth's crust. In the earth's crust, the elements of interest to mining fall into two general geochemical classifications, lithophiles and chalcophiles** (Cox 1997). Groups of elements are almost always present together in a given geochemical classification, but the relative amounts of each element are unique to a particular ore body. This paper

Characterization of Activated Carbon from Coal and Its Application as Adsorbent on Mine Acid Water Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siti Hardianti

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Anthracite and Sub-bituminous as activated carbon raw material had been utilized especially in mining field as adsorbent of dangerous heavy metal compound resulted in mining activity. Carbon from coal was activated physically and chemically in various temperature and particle sizes. Characterization was carried out in order to determine the adsorbent specification produced hence can be used and applied accordingly. Proximate and ultimate analysis concluded anthracite has fixed carbon 88.91% while sub-bituminous 49.05%. NaOH was used in chemical activation while heated at 400-500°C whereas physical activation was conducted at 800-1000°C. Activated carbon has high activity in adsorbing indicated by high iodine number resulted from analysis. SEM-EDS result confirmed that activated carbon made from coal has the quality in accordance to SNI and can be used as adsorbent in acid water treatment.

[Effects of bio-crust on soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities in copper mine tailings].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zheng; Yang, Gui-de; Sun, Qing-ye

2009-09-01

Bio-crust is the initial stage of natural primary succession in copper mine tailings. With the Yangshanchong and Tongguanshan copper mine tailings in Tongling City of Anhui Province as test objects, this paper studied the soil microbial biomass C and N and the activities of dehydrogenase, catalase, alkaline phosphatase, and urease under different types of bio-crust. The bio-crusts improved the soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities in the upper layer of the tailings markedly. Algal crust had the best effect in improving soil microbial biomass C and N, followed by moss-algal crust, and moss crust. Soil microflora also varied with the type of bio-crust. No'significant difference was observed in the soil enzyme activities under the three types of bio-crust. Soil alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly positively correlated with soil microbial biomass and dehydrogenase and urease activities, but negatively correlated with soil pH. In addition, moss rhizoid could markedly enhance the soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities in moss crust rhizoid.

Method of handling of scrap lead from lead-acid batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sytschev, A P; Kim, G V; Larin, V F; Sidorova, G D; Vicharev, I G; Kuur, V P; Achmetov, R S; Moiseev, G L; Maslov, V I; Kabatschek, V G

1979-12-13

Scrap lead and the casings of accumulators are mined and molten together in oxidixing atmosphere at a temperature of 1300 to 1500/sup 0/C. The lead oxide contained in the melt is then reduced to blue lead. Due to the combustion of the accumulator casings consisting of organic substances the fuel consumption in the melting process is reduced in accordance. The oxidizing atmosphere in the melting process is produced by use of air or oxygen.

State Mines Inspectorate of Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz, Mines InspectorateSaarbruecken/ Mines Inspectorate Rheinland-Pfalz. Annual report 2000. Economic and technical aspects, industrial safety and enviromental protection, statistics, activities of the mining authorities; Oberbergamt fuer das Saarland und das Land Rheinland-Pfalz, Bergamt Saarbruecken/Bergamt Rheinland-Pfalz. Jahresbericht 2000. Bergwirtschaft, Bergtechnik, Arbeitsschutz, Umweltschutz, Statistiken, Taetigkeiten der Bergbehoerden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boettcher, R.; Hugo, K.H.; Kuhn, M.; Strauch, T. (comps.)

2001-07-01

The annual report of the Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz State Mines Inspectorate and the Mines Inspectorates of the two states provide an insight into the many activities of mines inspectorates and of the current trends in mining engineering. The importance of mining and regional raw materials management is stressed. [German] Der vorliegende Jahresbericht des Oberbergamtes fuer das Saarland und das Land Rheinland-Pfalz sowie der Bergaemter in beiden Bundeslaendern gibt einen Einblick in das vielfaeltige Arbeitsgebiet der Bergbehoerden. Gleichzeitig vermittelt er einen Ueberblick ueber die bergtechnische Entwicklung und unterstreicht die volkswirtschaftliche Bedeutung des Bergbaus und der standortgebundenen Rohstoffwirtschaft. (orig.)

State Mines Inspectorate of Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz, Mines Inspectorate Saarbruecken / Mines Inspectorate Rheinland-Pfalz. Annual report 2001. Economic and technical aspects, industrial safety and environmental protection, statistics, activities of the mining authorities; Oberbergamt fuer das Saarland und das Land Rheinland-Pfalz, Bergamt Saarbruecken / Bergamt Rheinland-Pfalz. Jahresbericht 2001. Bergwirtschaft, Bergtechnik, Arbeitsschutz, Umweltschutz, Statistiken, Taetigkeiten der Bergbehoerden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boettcher, R.; Hugo, K.H.; Kuhn, M.; Strauch, T. (comps.)

2002-07-01

The annual report of the Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz State Mines Inspectorate and the Mines Inspectorates of the two states provide an insight into the many activities of mines inspectorates and of the current trends in mining engineering. The importance of mining and regional raw materials management is stressed. [German] Der vorliegende Jahresbericht des Oberbergamtes fuer das Saarland und das Land Rheinland-Pfalz sowie der Bergaemter in beiden Bundeslaendern gibt einen Einblick in das vielfaeltige Arbeitsgebiet der Bergbehoerden. Gleichzeitig vermittelt er einen Ueberblick ueber die bergtechnische Entwicklung und unterstreicht die volkswirtschaftliche Bedeutung des Bergbaus und der standortgebundenen Rohstoffwirtschaft.

Effects of mining activities on the release of heavy metals(HMs) in the head water regions of the Heihe River.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, W., Sr.; Ma, R.; Sun, Z.; Bu, J.; Chang, Q.

2017-12-01

The head water regions of Heihe River were located in the Qilian orogenic belt, where belongs to the Qilian Mountains National Ecological Nature Protection and has fragile ecosystem. Previous surveys show that the regions were rich in various metal ores, and the mining activities have been intense.The environmental effect of mining activities will be going on several years, while Our field investigation show that there were 23 mines, of which 18 have been historical. This study collected water samples in main Heihe river and its tributaries, groundwaters and soil water, and the sediment samples near the ores. The concentration of HMs in both waters and sediments was measured for characterizing the spatial distribution of HMs, and determining the origin of the HMs in the river waters. Results of water quality assessment show that 67% of water samples failed to reach the Grade II environmental quality standard for surface water in China (GB3838-2002).The spatial distribution of HMs (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) is highly correlated with the geographical distribution of local mines, suggesting that various heavy metals(HMs) were released into the Heihe River via mining activities. The Be, Co, Sn, Bi, Th, U were mainly derived from aluminosilicate weathering crusts. And the acid mine wastewater was the main source for Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd. The Serpentine wreathing was the main source for Cr and Ni. Mn and Cs were enriched by agricultural activities.

Acid production potentials of massive sulfide minerals and lead-zinc mine tailings: a medium-term study.

Science.gov (United States)

Çelebi, Emin Ender; Öncel, Mehmet Salim; Kobya, Mehmet

2018-01-01

Weathering of sulfide minerals is a principal source of acid generation. To determine acid-forming potentials of sulfide-bearing materials, two basic approaches named static and kinetic tests are available. Static tests are short-term, and easily undertaken within a few days and in a laboratory. In contrast, kinetic tests are long-term procedures and mostly carried out on site. In this study, experiments were conducted over a medium-term period of 2 months, not as short as static tests and also not as long as kinetic tests. As a result, pH and electrical conductivity oscillations as a function of time, acid-forming potentials and elemental contents of synthetically prepared rainwater leachates of massive sulfides and sulfide-bearing lead-zinc tailings from abandoned and currently used deposition areas have been determined. Although the lowest final pH of 2.70 was obtained in massive pyrite leachate, massive chalcopyrite leachate showed the highest titrable acidity of 1.764 g H 2 SO 4 /L. On the other hand, a composite of currently deposited mine tailings showed no acidic characteristic with a final pH of 7.77. The composite abandoned mine tailing leachate had a final pH of 6.70, close to the final pH of massive galena and sphalerite leachates, and produced a slight titrable acidity of 0.130 g H 2 SO 4 /L.

Environment managing all along the mining cycle: implementing an integrated and pro-active approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2017-01-01

Uranium mining is a niche business because of its production volume and the size of its market that have nothing to do with coal market or iron ore business. It is a very concentrated business with only a few players. New AREVA is one of them with an output of 11.186 tons of uranium representing 15% of the world production in 2016. New AREVA has committed oneself to preserve the environment during the exploitation phase of a mine. Environment samples (soil, water, plants...) are collected to draw an initial picture of a site before mining activities begin in order to minimize the environmental impact. In some sites, for instance in Mongolia, water is scarce and has to be spared, a recycling technology for the sludge recovered from drilling operations, has been tested with success. Another challenge is the adaptation to the climate warming as both a player and a victim because most sites are in zones that are very sensitive to climate change and because mining can release greenhouse effect gases. The final challenge that faces New AREVA at the end of a mining cycle is to succeed the remediation of the site, it does not mean a come back to the initial situation which is impossible to reach but to get an environmental state that is safe and durable. In 2011 AREVA joined the International Counsel for mines and metals (ICMM) in order to share a code of practice for a sustainable development. (A.C.)

Tanzania. A developing mining country; Tansania. Bergbauland im Aufbruch

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elsner, Harald [Bundesanstalt fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR), Hannover (Germany). Fachbereich Wirtschaftsgeologie der mineralischen Rohstoffe

2009-03-19

Tanzania is the rising country in East Africa, to which not least of all the booming mining sector contributes. Many large gold mines, two precious stone mines, three cement works and smaller facilities for extraction of salt, phosphates, gypsum, pozzolana, coal and coloured gemstones currently characterise the mining sector. The high mineral potential of the country combined with the mining legislation favouring investment will also lead in future to the development of further deposits in particular, nickel, gold, coal and graphite. (orig.)

Palaeo-pollution from mining activities in the Vosges Mountains: 1000 years and still bioavailable.

Science.gov (United States)

Mariet, Anne-Lise; de Vaufleury, Annette; Bégeot, Carole; Walter-Simonnet, Anne-Véronique; Gimbert, Frédéric

2016-07-01

Mining and smelting activities have contaminated the environment with trace metals (TMs) at a worldwide scale for at least two millennia. A combination of chemical approaches and active biomonitoring was performed to analyse the environmental availability and bioavailability of TM palaeo-pollution in a former PbAg mining district in the Vosges Mountains, France. Along a soil TM contamination gradient that covered eight stations, including two archaeological mining sites, the toxicokinetics of six TMs (Pb, Cd, As, Ag, Co, Sb) in the snail Cantareus aspersus revealed that palaeo-pollution from the studied sites remains bioavailable. This study provides the first data on the accumulation kinetics of Ag and Co for C. aspersus. The environmental availability of the TMs was estimated with three chemical extraction methods (aqua regia, EDTA 50 mM, CaCl2 10 mM). Univariate regression analyses showed that EDTA extraction is the best method for estimating the bioavailability of Pb, As, Ag, Co and Sb to snails. None of the three extractants was efficient for Cd. A multivariate analysis of bioaccumulation data revealed that TM bioavailability and transfer were modulated by exposure sources (soil, humus and vegetation) rather than by soil physico-chemical characteristics. Hence, although the deposition of mining wastes dates back several centuries, these wastes still represent a source of contamination that must be considered to develop relevant site management and environmental risk assessment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metal contamination of soils and crops affected by the Chenzhou lead/zinc mine spill (Hunan, China).

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hongyu; Probst, Anne; Liao, Bohan

2005-03-01

In 1985, the collapse of the tailing dam in Chenzhou lead/zinc mine (Hunan, southern China) led to the spread of mining waste spills on the farmland along the Dong River. After the accident, an urgent soil cleaning up was carried out in some places. Seventeen years later, cereal (rice, maize, and sorghum), pulses (soybean, Adzuki bean, mung bean and peanut), vegetables (ipomoea, capsicum, taro and string bean) and the rooted soils were sampled at four sites: (1) the mining area (SZY), (2) the area still covered with the mining tailing spills (GYB), (3) the cleaned area from mining tailing spills (JTC), and (4) a background site (REF). Metal concentrations in the crops and soils were analyzed to evaluate the long-term effects of the spilled waste on the soil and the potential human exposure through food chains. The results showed that the physical-chemical properties of the soils obviously changed due to the different farming styles used by each individual farmer. Leaching effects and plant extraction of metals from some soils were quite weak. Certain soils were still heavily polluted with As, Cd, Zn, Pb and Cu. The contamination levels were in the order of GYB>SZY>JTC showing that the clean-up treatment was effective. The maximum allowable concentration (MAC) levels for Chinese agricultural soils were still highly exceeded, particularly for As and Cd (followed by Zn, Pb and Cu), with mean concentrations of 709 and 7.6 mg kg(-1), respectively. These concentrations exceed the MAC levels by 24 times for As and 13 times for Cd at GYB. Generally, the edible leaves or stems of crops were more heavily contaminated than seeds or fruits. Ipomoea was the most severely contaminated crop. The concentrations of Cd and Pb were 3.30 and 76.9 mg kg(-1) in ipomoea leaves at GYB, which exceeded the maximum permit levels (0.5 mg kg(-1) for Cd and 9 mg kg(-1) for Pb) by 6.6 and 8.5 times, respectively. Taro (+skin) could accumulate high concentrations of Zn and Cd in the edible stem

Data Mining Mining Data: MSHA Enforcement Efforts, Underground Coal Mine Safety, and New Health Implications

OpenAIRE

Kniesner, Thomas J.; Leeth, John D.

2003-01-01

Studies of industrial safety regulations, OSHA in particular, often find little effect on worker safety. Critics of the regulatory approach argue that safety standards have little to do with industrial injuries, and defenders of the regulatory approach cite infrequent inspections and low penalties for violating safety standards. We use recently assembled data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) concerning underground coal mine production, safety regulatory activities, and wo...

Radiation exposure levels in phosphate mining activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman, I.; Al-Hushari, M.; Raja, G.

1992-01-01

Radon, radon daughter concentration and gamma ray exposure rate were measured at different places in the phosphate mining areas of Syria. The grab sampling method was used. For radon measurements, discrete air samples without progeny were collected over short periods of time, whereas daughters were collected on filter paper. A three-count procedure was used for the measurement of radon daughter concentrations to improve accuracy. The measurements were carried out at 37 locations selected in the mines, factories, offices and homes in the mining area. The sampling was repeated monthly for a full calendar year. Workers and their families were classified in different categories according to the nature of their jobs. The doses were estimated using proper occupancy factors. The dose equivalent from radon daughters varies from 1 mSv.y -1 to a maximum of 10 mSv.y -1 . Radon concentrations vary from 100 Bq.m -3 to several hundreds. (author)

Hydrologic analysis for ecological risk assessment of watersheds with abandoned mine lands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallagher, D.; Babendreier, J.; Cherry, D.

1999-01-01

As part of on-going study of acid mine drainage (AMD), a comprehensive ecological risk assessment was conducted in the Leading Creek Watershed in southeast Ohio. The watershed is influenced by agriculture and active and abandoned coal-mining operations. This work presents a broad overview of several quantitative measures of hydrology and hydraulic watershed properties available for in risk assessment and evaluates their relation to metrics of ecology. Data analysis included statistical comparisons of metrics of ecology, ecotoxicology, water quality, and physically based parameters describing land use, geomorphology, flow, velocity, and particle size. A multiple regression analysis indicated that abandoned mining operations dominated impacts upon aquatic ecology. It also indicated low flow velocity measurements and a ratio of maximum velocity to average velocity at low flow where helpful in describing variation in macroinvertebrate Total Taxa scores. Other key parameters also identified strong impact relationships with biodiversity trends and included pH, simple knowledge of any mining upstream, calculated % of the subshed covered by strip mines, and the measured depth of streambed sediments from site to site

Recovery and reuse of sludge from active and passive treatment of mine drainage-impacted waters: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rakotonimaro, Tsiverihasina V; Neculita, Carmen Mihaela; Bussière, Bruno; Benzaazoua, Mostafa; Zagury, Gérald J

2017-01-01

The treatment of mine drainage-impacted waters generates considerable amounts of sludge, which raises several concerns, such as storage and disposal, stability, and potential social and environmental impacts. To alleviate the storage and management costs, as well as to give the mine sludge a second life, recovery and reuse have recently become interesting options. In this review, different recovery and reuse options of sludge originating from active and passive treatment of mine drainage are identified and thoroughly discussed, based on available laboratory and field studies. The most valuable products presently recovered from the mine sludge are the iron oxy-hydroxides (ochre). Other by-products include metals, elemental sulfur, and calcium carbonate. Mine sludge reuse includes the removal of contaminants, such as As, P, dye, and rare earth elements. Mine sludge can also be reused as stabilizer for contaminated soil, as fertilizer in agriculture/horticulture, as substitute material in construction, as cover over tailings for acid mine drainage prevention and control, as material to sequester carbon dioxide, and in cement and pigment industries. The review also stresses out some of the current challenges and research needs. Finally, in order to move forward, studies are needed to better estimate the contribution of sludge recovery/reuse to the overall costs of mine water treatment.

Understanding the mobilisation of metal pollution associated with historical mining in a carboniferous upland catchment.

Science.gov (United States)

Valencia-Avellan, Magaly; Slack, Rebecca; Stockdale, Anthony; Mortimer, Robert John George

2017-08-16

Point and diffuse pollution from metal mining has led to severe environmental damage worldwide. Mine drainage is a significant problem for riverine ecosystems, it is commonly acidic (AMD), but neutral mine drainage (NMD) can also occur. A representative environment for studying metal pollution from NMD is provided by carboniferous catchments characterised by a circumneutral pH and high concentrations of carbonates, supporting the formation of secondary metal-minerals as potential sinks of metals. The present study focuses on understanding the mobility of metal pollution associated with historical mining in a carboniferous upland catchment. In the uplands of the UK, river water, sediments and spoil wastes were collected over a period of fourteen months, samples were chemically analysed to identify the main metal sources and their relationships with geological and hydrological factors. Correlation tests and principal component analysis suggest that the underlying limestone bedrock controls pH and weathering reactions. Significant metal concentrations from mining activities were measured for zinc (4.3 mg l -1 ), and lead (0.3 mg l -1 ), attributed to processes such as oxidation of mined ores (e.g. sphalerite, galena) or dissolution of precipitated secondary metal-minerals (e.g. cerussite, smithsonite). Zinc and lead mobility indicated strong dependence on biogeochemistry and hydrological conditions (e.g. pH and flow) at specific locations in the catchment. Annual loads of zinc and lead (2.9 and 0.2 tonnes per year) demonstrate a significant source of both metals to downstream river reaches. Metal pollution results in a large area of catchment having a depleted chemical status with likely effects on the aquatic ecology. This study provides an improved understanding of geological and hydrological processes controlling water chemistry, which is critical to assessing metal sources and mobilization, especially in neutral mine drainage areas.

30 CFR 282.24 - Mining Plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Mining Plan. 282.24 Section 282.24 Mineral... § 282.24 Mining Plan. All OCS mineral development and production activities shall be conducted in accordance with a Mining Plan submitted by the lessee and approved by the Director. A Mining Plan shall...

Study of the radiological impact of small-scale mining activities at Dunkwa-On-Offin in the Central Region, Ghana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marfo, E.

2014-07-01

Small-scale (and artisanal) mining has been defined differently around the world. However, in Ghana, small-scale (gold) mining is defined as mining (gold) by any method not involving substantial expenditure by an individual or group of persons not exceeding nine in number or by a co-operative society made up of ten or more persons. The activities in the mining sector have increased in recent times and as at 2008, a total of 212 mining companies were awarded mining leases and exploration rights. These mining operations consequently turn out large volumes of solid and liquid wastes in the form of waste dams; slime dams, tailings dams, which could contain elevated levels of NORM. Small-scale mining activities pollute rivers and streams nearby that serve as sources of drinking water for communities downstream. These activities are common in the study area. The general aim of the studies is to assess the radiological exposure to members of the general public living in Dunkwa community and its surrounding communities due to NORMS as a result of the small-scale mining activities. Direct gamma spectrometry and iMatic P-F Gas-less Automatic Gross Alpha/Beta counter was used to determine the concentration of naturally occurring radionuclides 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K, and gross alpha and gross beta activity concentration respectively in the soil and 0water samples. The mean values of the gross-α and gross-β activity concentrations in the water sources were 0.002±0.001 Bq/L and 0.029±0.0I6 Bq/L respectively which are also below the WHO recommended guideline values for drinking water. The gross-α and gross-β activity concentrations of most soil samples in the study area are below the activity concentration of the control sample. The mean activity concentrations measured for 226 Ra ( 238 U) 232 Th and 40 K in the soil sample were 25.4±11.1, 29.4±15.6 and 225.9±93.8 Bq/kg respectively. For the water samples the mean activity concentrations were 4.7±1.5, 2.7 ±0.4, 53.9�

Data Mining Activities for Bone Discipline - Current Status

Science.gov (United States)

Sibonga, J. D.; Pietrzyk, R. A.; Johnston, S. L.; Arnaud, S. B.

2008-01-01

The disciplinary goals of the Human Research Program are broadly discussed. There is a critical need to identify gaps in the evidence that would substantiate a skeletal health risk during and after spaceflight missions. As a result, data mining activities will be engaged to gather reviews of medical data and flight analog data and to propose additional measures and specific analyses. Several studies are briefly reviewed which have topics that partially address these gaps in knowledge, including bone strength recovery with recovery of bone mass density, current renal stone formation knowledge, herniated discs, and a review of bed rest studies conducted at Ames Human Research Facility.

WIRELESS MINE-WIDE TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zvi H. Meiksin

2004-03-01

A comprehensive mine-wide, two-way wireless voice and data communication system for the underground mining industry was developed. The system achieves energy savings through increased productivity and greater energy efficiency in meeting safety requirements within mines. The mine-wide system is comprised of two interfaced subsystems: a through-the-earth communications system and an in-mine communications system. The mine-wide system permits two-way communication among underground personnel and between underground and surface personnel. The system was designed, built, and commercialized. Several systems are in operation in underground mines in the United States. The use of these systems has proven they result in considerable energy savings. A system for tracking the location of vehicles and people within the mine was also developed, built and tested successfully. Transtek's systems are being used by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in their underground mine rescue team training program. This project also resulted in a spin-off rescue team lifeline and communications system. Furthermore, the project points the way to further developments that can lead to a GPS-like system for underground mines allowing the use of autonomous machines in underground mining operations, greatly reducing the amount of energy used in these operations. Some products developed under this program are transferable to applications in fields other than mining. The rescue team system is applicable to use by first responders to natural, accidental, or terrorist-caused building collapses. The in-mine communications system can be installed in high-rise buildings providing in-building communications to security and maintenance personnel as well as to first responders.

False alarms and mine seismicity: An example from the Gentry Mountain mining region, Utah. Los Alamos Source Region Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, S.R.

1992-09-23

Mining regions are a cause of concern for monitoring of nuclear test ban treaties because they present the opportunity for clandestine nuclear tests (i.e. decoupled explosions). Mining operations are often characterized by high seismicity rates and can provide the cover for excavating voids for decoupling. Chemical explosions (seemingly as part of normal mining activities) can be used to complicate the signals from a simultaneous decoupled nuclear explosion. Thus, most concern about mines has dealt with the issue of missed violations to a test ban treaty. In this study, we raise the diplomatic concern of false alarms associated with mining activities. Numerous reports and papers have been published about anomalous seismicity associated with mining activities. As part of a large discrimination study in the western US (Taylor et al., 1989), we had one earthquake that was consistently classified as an explosion. The magnitude 3.5 disturbance occurred on May 14, 1981 and was conspicuous in its lack of Love waves, relative lack of high- frequency energy, low Lg/Pg ratio, and high m{sub b} {minus} M{sub s}. A moment-tensor solution by Patton and Zandt (1991) indicated the event had a large implosional component. The event occurred in the Gentry Mountain coal mining region in the eastern Wasatch Plateau, Utah. Using a simple source representation, we modeled the event as a tabular excavation collapse that occurred as a result of normal mining activities. This study raises the importance of having a good catalogue of seismic data and information about mining activities from potential proliferant nations.

Lead exposure of the child population in Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Maravelias, C; Athanaselis, S; Poulos, L; Alevisopoulos, G; Ewers, U; Koutselinis, A

1994-12-18

Lead exposure of the child population was studied in three different areas in Greece: Kalamata which is a rural area of Southern Greece; Tavros, a district of Athens with a considerable industrial activity; and Lavrion, a small city near Athens where a lead-zinc mining and smelting industrial complex has existed for more than 90 years. The results were evaluated with respect to a number of individual, social and environmental variables (i.e. smelter, occupation of the father) especially those concerning the area of Lavrion which is the most heavily polluted area in Greece. The results of this study can be considered as an index for the extent of the lead pollution problem in the named areas of Greece.

Background outdoor radiation dose to inhabitants around Narwapahar mine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srivastava, V.S.; Jha, V.N.; Topno, R.; Dandpat, B.L.; Patnaik, R.I.; Kumar, R.; Tripathi, R.M.; Puranik, V.D.

2012-01-01

Mining of uranium ore due to their inherent radiological characteristics may lead to release radionuclides into the environment. Monitoring of radiological parameters in the villages surrounding the mining areas are of significant concern for the evaluation of public exposure. The monitoring objectives will include the natural distribution of radionuclides in the environment as well as contribution of the source (mine), if any. Radon and its short lived progeny present in the environment contributes maximum natural background radiation dose due to inhalation. Apart from this, terrestrial radionuclides ( 238 U, 232 Th series and 40 K) present in trace level in earth crust are significant contributor of external exposure in the environment. The variation in the levels of these radionuclides depends on the geological strata of the area. Measured radiological parameters are comparable to the global average variation of exposure level due to these natural sources. Statistical treatment of the database reveals that the variation in radon and gamma level is natural and contribution of mining activities at the site is insignificant. The same is attributed to natural uranium mineralization of Singhbhum shear zone. Apart from this, seasonal variation in radon profile is globally reported

Near-line Archive Data Mining at the Goddard Distributed Active Archive Center

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, L.; Mack, R.; Eng, E.; Lynnes, C.

2002-12-01

NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) is generating immense volumes of data, in some cases too much to provide to users with data-intensive needs. As an alternative to moving the data to the user and his/her research algorithms, we are providing a means to move the algorithms to the data. The Near-line Archive Data Mining (NADM) system is the Goddard Earth Sciences Distributed Active Archive Center's (GES DAAC) web data mining portal to the EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS) data pool, a 50-TB online disk cache. The NADM web portal enables registered users to submit and execute data mining algorithm codes on the data in the EOSDIS data pool. A web interface allows the user to access the NADM system. The users first develops personalized data mining code on their home platform and then uploads them to the NADM system. The C, FORTRAN and IDL languages are currently supported. The user developed code is automatically audited for any potential security problems before it is installed within the NADM system and made available to the user. Once the code has been installed the user is provided a test environment where he/she can test the execution of the software against data sets of the user's choosing. When the user is satisfied with the results, he/she can promote their code to the "operational" environment. From here the user can interactively run his/her code on the data available in the EOSDIS data pool. The user can also set up a processing subscription. The subscription will automatically process new data as it becomes available in the EOSDIS data pool. The generated mined data products are then made available for FTP pickup. The NADM system uses the GES DAAC-developed Simple Scalable Script-based Science Processor (S4P) to automate tasks and perform the actual data processing. Users will also have the option of selecting a DAAC-provided data mining algorithm and using it to process the data of their choice.

Coal mine site reclamation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2013-02-15

Coal mine sites can have significant effects on local environments. In addition to the physical disruption of land forms and ecosystems, mining can also leave behind a legacy of secondary detrimental effects due to leaching of acid and trace elements from discarded materials. This report looks at the remediation of both deep mine and opencast mine sites, covering reclamation methods, back-filling issues, drainage and restoration. Examples of national variations in the applicable legislation and in the definition of rehabilitation are compared. Ultimately, mine site rehabilitation should return sites to conditions where land forms, soils, hydrology, and flora and fauna are self-sustaining and compatible with surrounding land uses. Case studies are given to show what can be achieved and how some landscapes can actually be improved as a result of mining activity.

GIS-based Analysis of LS Factor under Coal Mining Subsidence Impacts in Sandy Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Xiao

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Coal deposits in the adjacent regions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia province (SSI account for approximately two-thirds of coal in China; therefore, the SSI region has become the frontier of coal mining and its westward movement. Numerous adverse impacts to land and environment have arisen in these sandy, arid, and ecologically fragile areas. Underground coal mining activities cause land to subside and subsequent soil erosion, with slope length and slope steepness (LS as the key influential factor. In this investigation, an SSI mining site was chosen as a case study area, and 1 the pre-mining LS factor was obtained using a digital elevation model (DEM dataset; 2 a mining subsidence prediction was implemented with revised subsidence prediction factors; and 3 the post-mining LS factor was calculated by integrating the pre-mining DEM dataset and coal mining subsidence prediction data. The results revealed that the LS factor leads to some changes in the bottom of subsidence basin and considerable alterations at the basin’s edges of basin. Moreover, the LS factor became larger in the steeper terrain under subsidence impacts. This integrated method could quantitatively analyse LS changes and spatial distribution under mining impacts, which will benefit and provide references for soil erosion evaluations in this region

Uranium mining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

Full text: The economic and environmental sustainability of uranium mining has been analysed by Monash University researcher Dr Gavin Mudd in a paper that challenges the perception that uranium mining is an 'infinite quality source' that provides solutions to the world's demand for energy. Dr Mudd says information on the uranium industry touted by politicians and mining companies is not necessarily inaccurate, but it does not tell the whole story, being often just an average snapshot of the costs of uranium mining today without reflecting the escalating costs associated with the process in years to come. 'From a sustainability perspective, it is critical to evaluate accurately the true lifecycle costs of all forms of electricity production, especially with respect to greenhouse emissions, ' he says. 'For nuclear power, a significant proportion of greenhouse emissions are derived from the fuel supply, including uranium mining, milling, enrichment and fuel manufacture.' Dr Mudd found that financial and environmental costs escalate dramatically as the uranium ore is used. The deeper the mining process required to extract the ore, the higher the cost for mining companies, the greater the impact on the environment and the more resources needed to obtain the product. I t is clear that there is a strong sensitivity of energy and water consumption and greenhouse emissions to ore grade, and that ore grades are likely to continue to decline gradually in the medium to long term. These issues are critical to the current debate over nuclear power and greenhouse emissions, especially with respect to ascribing sustainability to such activities as uranium mining and milling. For example, mining at Roxby Downs is responsible for the emission of over one million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year and this could increase to four million tonnes if the mine is expanded.'

Mining drives extensive deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.

Science.gov (United States)

Sonter, Laura J; Herrera, Diego; Barrett, Damian J; Galford, Gillian L; Moran, Chris J; Soares-Filho, Britaldo S

2017-10-18

Mining poses significant and potentially underestimated risks to tropical forests worldwide. In Brazil's Amazon, mining drives deforestation far beyond operational lease boundaries, yet the full extent of these impacts is unknown and thus neglected in environmental licensing. Here we quantify mining-induced deforestation and investigate the aspects of mining operations, which most likely contribute. We find mining significantly increased Amazon forest loss up to 70 km beyond mining lease boundaries, causing 11,670 km 2 of deforestation between 2005 and 2015. This extent represents 9% of all Amazon forest loss during this time and 12 times more deforestation than occurred within mining leases alone. Pathways leading to such impacts include mining infrastructure establishment, urban expansion to support a growing workforce, and development of mineral commodity supply chains. Mining-induced deforestation is not unique to Brazil; to mitigate adverse impacts of mining and conserve tropical forests globally, environmental assessments and licensing must considered both on- and off-lease sources of deforestation.

Underground measurements of aerosol in radon and thoron progeny activity distributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, A.; Bandi, F.; Phillips, C.R.; Duport, P.

1990-01-01

Aerosol and activity distributions of 218 Polonium, 214 Lead, 214 Bismuth, and 212 Lead were determined in two different underground mining environments by means of an optimized time-delay counting scheme and diffusion batteries. In one environment, diesel equipment was operating; and in the other, electrically powered equipment. The two environments differed significantly in total aerosol concentration. In the diesel environment, in particular, aerosol concentrations were unsteady, and fluctuated with vehicular traffic and mining activities. As measured by radon progeny disequilibrium, the age of the air ranged from about 25 to 60 minutes. Thoron working levels were of the same order as radon working levels. In this paper, comparisons are made between the aerosol and activity size distributions in both the diesel and electric mine

The Effect of Mining Activity on the Occurrence of Mining Tremors in the Safety Shaft Pillar of the Kladno-Mayrau Coal Mine

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Živor, Roman; Buben, Jiří

16(118) (2000), s. 203-214 ISSN 1211-1910 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA105/96/1065 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z3046908 Keywords : tremor s * drifting * extraction Subject RIV: DH - Mining, incl. Coal Mining

Data mining in Cloud Computing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruxandra-Ştefania PETRE

2012-10-01

Full Text Available This paper describes how data mining is used in cloud computing. Data Mining is used for extracting potentially useful information from raw data. The integration of data mining techniques into normal day-to-day activities has become common place. Every day people are confronted with targeted advertising, and data mining techniques help businesses to become more efficient by reducing costs.Data mining techniques and applications are very much needed in the cloud computing paradigm. The implementation of data mining techniques through Cloud computing will allow the users to retrieve meaningful information from virtually integrated data warehouse that reduces the costs of infrastructure and storage.

Impact of uranium mining activity on cave deposit (stalagmite) and pine trees (S-Hungary)

Science.gov (United States)

Siklosy, Z.; Kern, Z.; Demeny, A.; Pilet, S.; Leel-Ossy, Sz.; Lin, K.; Shen, C.-C.; Szeles, E.

2009-04-01

Speleothems are well known paleoclimate archives but their potential for monitoring environmental pollution has not been fully explored. This study deals with an actively growing stalagmite whose trace-element concentration suggests anthropogenic contamination, rather then natural forcing. Paralell, as a potential independent chemo-enviromental archive, living pine (Pinus sylvestis) trees were also involved into investigation. U production in S-Hungary started in 1957 and was expanded closer to the cave site in 1965, covering a mining plot area of ca. 65 km2. The deep-level ore production ended in 1997 and remediation of the mine site has since been completed. Our objective was to determine the possible effect of the four-decade-long uranium (U) ore mining activity on the environment, as recorded by a cave deposit and the pine trees. The Trio Cave is located in the Mecsek Mts (S-Hungary), ca. 1.5-3 km east from the nearest air-shaft and entrance of the uranium mine. A stalagmite located about 150 m away from the cave entrance was drilled and the core investigated for stable isotope and trace element compositions. Pine trees were sampled by increment borer. Continuous flow mass spectrometry was applied on carbonate samples and laser ablation ICP-MS was applied for trace element analysis of both stalagmite (Siklosy et al., 2009) and pine samples. The youngest 1 cm of the drill core was selected for this study that may represent the last cca. 100 years (based on MC-ICP-MS age dating of older parts of the core) that covers the uranium mining period. The pre-mining period is characterized by systematic co-variations of trace elements (U, P, Si, Al, Ba, Mg, etc.) that can be related to soil activity and precipitation amount. The youngest 1.3 mm, however, records a sudden change in U content uncorrelated with any other variables. Starting from a background value of 0.2-0.3 ppm, the concentration gradually increases to about 2 ppm (within about 1 mm), remains constant for

Mine waste management legislation. Gold mining areas in Romania

Science.gov (United States)

Maftei, Raluca-Mihaela; Filipciuc, Constantina; Tudor, Elena

2014-05-01

Problems in the post-mining regions of Eastern Europe range from degraded land and landscapes, huge insecure dumps, surface cracks, soil pollution, lowering groundwater table, deforestation, and damaged cultural potentials to socio economic problems like unemployment or population decline. There is no common prescription for tackling the development of post-mining regions after mine closure nor is there a common definition of good practices or policy in this field. Key words : waste management, legislation, EU Directive, post mining Rosia Montana is a common oh 16 villages; one of them is also called Rosia Montana, a traditional mining Community, located in the Apuseni Mountains in the North-Western Romania. Beneath part of the village area lays one of the largest gold and silver deposits in Europe. In the Rosia Montana area mining had begun ever since the height of the Roman Empire. While the modern approach to mining demands careful remediation of environmental impacts, historically disused mines in this region have been abandoned, leaving widespread environmental damage. General legislative framework Strict regulations and procedures govern modern mining activity, including mitigation of all environmental impacts. Precious metals exploitation is put under GO no. 190/2000 re-published in 2004. The institutional framework was established and organized based on specific regulations, being represented by the following bodies: • The Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC), a public institution which develops the Government policy in the mining area, also provides the management of the public property in the mineral resources area; • The National Agency for the development and implementation of the mining Regions Reconstruction Programs (NAD), responsible with promotion of social mitigation measures and actions; • The Office for Industry Privatization, within the Education Ministry, responsible with privatization of companies under the CEM; • The National

Baseline and premining geochemical characterization of mined sites

Science.gov (United States)

Nordstrom, D. Kirk

2015-01-01

A rational goal for environmental restoration of new, active, or inactive mine sites would be ‘natural background’ or the environmental conditions that existed before any mining activities or other related anthropogenic activities. In a strictly technical sense, there is no such thing as natural background (or entirely non-anthropogenic) existing today because there is no part of the planet earth that has not had at least some chemical disturbance from anthropogenic activities. Hence, the terms ‘baseline’ and ‘pre-mining’ are preferred to describe these conditions. Baseline conditions are those that existed at the time of the characterization which could be pre-mining, during mining, or post-mining. Protocols for geochemically characterizing pre-mining conditions are not well-documented for sites already mined but there are two approaches that seem most direct and least ambiguous. One is characterization of analog sites along with judicious application of geochemical modeling. The other is reactive-transport modeling (based on careful synoptic sampling with tracer-injection) and subtracting inputs from known mining and mineral processing. Several examples of acidic drainage are described from around the world documenting the range of water compositions produced from pyrite oxidation in the absence of mining. These analog sites provide insight to the processes forming mineralized waters in areas untouched by mining. Natural analog water-chemistry data is compared with the higher metal concentrations, metal fluxes, and weathering rates found in mined areas in the few places where comparisons are possible. The differences are generally 1–3 orders of magnitude higher for acid mine drainage.

Arsenic distribution in a pasture area impacted by past mining activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Abad-Valle, P; Álvarez-Ayuso, E; Murciego, A; Muñoz-Centeno, L M; Alonso-Rojo, P; Villar-Alonso, P

2018-01-01

Former mine exploitations entail a serious threat to surrounding ecosystems as after closure of mining activities their unmanaged wastes can be a continuous source of toxic trace elements. Quite often these mine sites are found within agricultural farming areas, involving serious hazards as regards product (feed/food) quality. In this work a grazing land impacted by the abandoned mine exploitation of an arsenical deposit was studied so as to evaluate the fate of arsenic (As) and other trace elements and the potential risks involved. With this aim, profile soil samples (0-50cm) and pasture plant species (Agrostis truncatula, Holcus annus and Leontodon longirostris) were collected at different distances (0-100m) from the mine waste dump and analyzed for their trace element content and distribution. Likewise, plant trace element accumulation from impacted grazing soils and plant trace element translocation were assessed. The exposure of livestock grazing animals to As was also evaluated, establishing its acceptability regarding food safety and animal health. International soil guideline values for As in grazing land soils (50mgkg -1 ) resulted greatly exceeded (up to about 20-fold) in the studied mining-affected soils. Moreover, As showed a high mobilization potential under circumstances such as phosphate application or establishment of reducing conditions. Arsenic exhibited relatively high translocation factor (TF) values (up to 0.32-0.89) in pasture plant species, reaching unsafe concentrations in their above-ground tissues (up to 32.9, 16.9 and 9.0mgkg -1 in Agrostis truncatula, Leontodon longirostris and Holcus annus, respectively). Such concentrations represent an elevated risk of As transfer to the high trophic-chain levels as established by international legislation. The limited fraction of arsenite found in plant roots should play an important role in the relatively high As root-to-shoot translocation shown by these plant species. Both soil ingestion and

Biodiversity loss from deep-sea mining

OpenAIRE

C. L. Van Dover; J. A. Ardron; E. Escobar; M. Gianni; K. M. Gjerde; A. Jaeckel; D. O. B. Jones; L. A. Levin; H. Niner; L. Pendleton; C. R. Smith; T. Thiele; P. J. Turner; L. Watling; P. P. E. Weaver

2017-01-01

The emerging deep-sea mining industry is seen by some to be an engine for economic development in the maritime sector. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) – the body that regulates mining activities on the seabed beyond national jurisdiction – must also protect the marine environment from harmful effects that arise from mining. The ISA is currently drafting a regulatory framework for deep-sea mining that includes measures for environmental protection. Responsible mining increasingly stri...

Distribution, speciation and availability of antimony (Sb) in soils and terrestrial plants from an active Sb mining area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okkenhaug, Gudny; Zhu Yongguan; Luo Lei; Lei Ming; Li Xi; Mulder, Jan

2011-01-01

Here, we present one of the first studies investigating the mobility, solubility and the speciation-dependent in-situ bioaccumulation of antimony (Sb) in an active Sb mining area (Xikuangshan, China). Total Sb concentrations in soils are high (527-11,798 mg kg -1 ), and all soils, including those taken from a paddy field and a vegetable garden, show a high bioavailable Sb fraction (6.3-748 mg kg -1 ), dominated by Sb(V). Elevated concentrations in native plant species (109-4029 mg kg -1 ) underpin this. Both chemical equilibrium studies and XANES data suggest the presence of Ca[Sb(OH) 6 ] 2 , controlling Sb solubility. A very close relationship was found between the citric acid extractable Sb in plants and water or sulfate extractable Sb in soil, indicating that citric acid extractable Sb content in plants may be a better predictor for bioavailable Sb in soil than total acid digestible Sb plant content. - Highlights: → Antimony (Sb) in soils from an active Sb mining area is highly bioavailable. → Sb occurs mainly as Sb(V) in Sb mining impacted soils and plants. → Sb solubility in Sb mining impacted soils is governed by Ca[Sb(OH) 6 ] 2 . → Citric acid extractable Sb in plants and bioavailable Sb in soils are strongly correlated. - Antimony (Sb) in soils from an active Sb mining area is highly bioavailable and controlled by the solubility of calcium antimonate.

Atmospheric particulate matter size distribution and concentration in West Virginia coal mining and non-mining areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurth, Laura M; McCawley, Michael; Hendryx, Michael; Lusk, Stephanie

2014-07-01

People who live in Appalachian areas where coal mining is prominent have increased health problems compared with people in non-mining areas of Appalachia. Coal mines and related mining activities result in the production of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) that is associated with human health effects. There is a gap in research regarding particle size concentration and distribution to determine respiratory dose around coal mining and non-mining areas. Mass- and number-based size distributions were determined with an Aerodynamic Particle Size and Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer to calculate lung deposition around mining and non-mining areas of West Virginia. Particle number concentrations and deposited lung dose were significantly greater around mining areas compared with non-mining areas, demonstrating elevated risks to humans. The greater dose was correlated with elevated disease rates in the West Virginia mining areas. Number concentrations in the mining areas were comparable to a previously documented urban area where number concentration was associated with respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

Pollution by Arsenic, Mercury and other Heavy Metals in Sunchulli mining district of Apolobamba (Bolivia)

Science.gov (United States)

Terán Mita, Tania; Faz Cano, Angel; Muñoz, Maria Angeles; Millán Gómez, Rocio; Chincheros Paniagua, Jaime

2010-05-01

In Bolivia, metal mining activities since historical times have been one of the most important sources of environmental pollution. This is the case of the National Area of Apolobamba Integrated Management (ANMIN of Apolobamba) in La Paz, Bolivia, where intense gold mining activities have been carried out from former times to the present, with very little gold extraction and very primitive mineral processing technology; in fact, mercury is still being used in the amalgam processes of the gold concentration, which is burned outdoors to recover the gold. Sunchullí is a representative mining district in ANMIN of Apolobamba where mining activity is mainly gold extraction and its water effluents go to the Amazonian basin; in this mining district the productivity of extracted mineral is very low but the processes can result in heavy-metal contamination of the air, water, soils and plants. Due to its high toxicity, the contamination by arsenic and mercury create the most critical environmental problems. In addition, some other heavy metals may also be present such as lead, copper, zinc and cadmium. These heavy metals could be incorporated in the trophic chain, through the flora and the fauna, in their bio-available and soluble forms. Inhabitants of this area consume foodcrops, fish from lakes and rivers and use the waters for the livestock, domestic use, and irrigation. The aim of this work was to evaluate the heavy metals pollution by gold mining activities in Sunchullí area. In Sunchullí two representative zones were distinguished and sampled. Zone near the mining operation site was considered as affected by mineral extraction processes, while far away zones represented the non affected ones by the mining operation. In each zone, 3 plots were established; in each plot, 3 soil sampling points were selected in a random manner and analysed separately. In each sampling point, two samples were taken, one at the surface, from 0-5 cm depth (topsoil), and the other between 5

Evaluation of particle dispersal from mining and milling operations using lead isotopic fingerprinting techniques, Rio Pilcomayo Basin, Bolivia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, Jerry R.; Lechler, Paul J.; Mackin, Gail; Germanoski, Dru; Villarroel, Lionel F.

2007-01-01

Mining and milling of ores from the Cerro Rico de Potosi precious metal-polymetallic tin deposits of Bolivia have led to severe contamination of water and sediments of the Rio Pilcomayo drainage system. Lead (Pb) isotopic data were used in this study to first document downstream dispersal patterns of Pb contaminated sediment within the channel of the Rio Pilcomayo, and then to determine the relative contribution of Pb from Cerro Rico within alluvial terrace soils that are used for agriculture. The concentration and isotopic composition of Pb within channel bed sediments differed significantly between 2000, 2002, and 2004. These differences presumably reflect changes in the type of ore mined and milled at Cerro Rico, and alterations in dispersal and grain-size dilution mechanisms associated with interannual variations in rainfall and runoff. Within agricultural terrace soils, both Pb concentrations and the percentage of Pb from Cerro Rico: (1) semi-systematically decrease downstream, (2) were found to decrease with terrace height above the channel, and (3) reflect the use of contaminated irrigation water. In upstream reaches (within 30 km of the mills), Pb from mining represents the most significant Pb source, accounting for more than 80% of Pb in the examined agricultural fields. At Sotomayor, located approximately 170 km from the mills, the relative contribution of Pb from Cerro Rico is highly variable between fields, but can be significant, ranging from approximately 15% to 35%. The analysis demonstrates that Pb isotopic ratios can be used to effectively trace contaminated particles through river systems and into adjacent alluvial soils, even where multiple Pb sources exist and Pb concentrations are similar to background values

Mining and environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pimiento, Elkin Vargas

1998-01-01

In order to obtain the best social and environmental results from mining activities, different solutions, which involve a variety of perspectives, have been proposed. These include the worldwide perspective based in the economy globalization paradigms; the regional perspective, focused in the integration of countries; the national perspective, which emphasizes the natural assets and development options, and finally a local perspective is incorporated to account for the participation of directly affected communities. Within this framework, the mining industry is requested to develop both technological and managerial tools appropriate to evaluate, optimize and communicate the social and environmental performance and output of its related activities, mainly in the developing countries. On the other hand, the governments have been committed to implement regulatory actions, of command and control type, based on an environmental legislation in line with the above mentioned perspectives and also to use economical instruments as a mean to accomplish environmental objectives. In Colombia the direct regulation methods have been traditionally used to prevent the environmental deterioration produced by mining activities, however, since the 1991 political constitution and the law 99 of 1993, the communities' participation and economical instruments were incorporated. A historic summary of the environmental legislation in our country from the early 70's up to now, showing its implications in mining is presented. Then a favorable tendency is indicated in the environmental improvement of the national extractive industry, accomplished as a result of the implementation of new strategies to minimize the impact of mining on the environment and to improve the well being of local communities

Mining-Related Sediment and Soil Contamination in a Large Superfund Site: Characterization, Habitat Implications, and Remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Juracek, K E; Drake, K D

2016-10-01

Historical mining activity (1850-1970) in the now inactive Tri-State Mining District provided an ongoing source of lead and zinc to the environment including the US Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site located in Cherokee County, southeast Kansas, USA. The resultant contamination adversely affected biota and caused human health problems and risks. Remediation in the Superfund site requires an understanding of the magnitude and extent of contamination. To provide some of the required information, a series of sediment and soil investigations were conducted in and near the Superfund site to characterize lead and zinc contamination in the aquatic and floodplain environments along the main-stem Spring River and its major tributaries. In the Superfund site, the most pronounced lead and zinc contamination, with concentrations that far exceed sediment quality guidelines associated with potential adverse biological effects, was measured for streambed sediments and floodplain soils located within or downstream from the most intensive mining-affected areas. Tributary streambeds and floodplains in affected areas are heavily contaminated with some sites having lead and zinc concentrations that are an order of magnitude (or more) greater than the sediment quality guidelines. For the main-stem Spring River, the streambed is contaminated but the floodplain is mostly uncontaminated. Measured lead and zinc concentrations in streambed sediments, lakebed sediments, and floodplain soils documented a persistence of the post-mining contamination on a decadal timescale. These results provide a basis for the prioritization, development, and implementation of plans to remediate contamination in the affected aquatic and floodplain environments within the Superfund site.

Mining-related sediment and soil contamination in a large Superfund site: Characterization, habitat implications, and remediation

Science.gov (United States)

Juracek, Kyle E.; Drake, K. D.

2016-01-01

Historical mining activity (1850–1970) in the now inactive Tri-State Mining District provided an ongoing source of lead and zinc to the environment including the US Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site located in Cherokee County, southeast Kansas, USA. The resultant contamination adversely affected biota and caused human health problems and risks. Remediation in the Superfund site requires an understanding of the magnitude and extent of contamination. To provide some of the required information, a series of sediment and soil investigations were conducted in and near the Superfund site to characterize lead and zinc contamination in the aquatic and floodplain environments along the main-stem Spring River and its major tributaries. In the Superfund site, the most pronounced lead and zinc contamination, with concentrations that far exceed sediment quality guidelines associated with potential adverse biological effects, was measured for streambed sediments and floodplain soils located within or downstream from the most intensive mining-affected areas. Tributary streambeds and floodplains in affected areas are heavily contaminated with some sites having lead and zinc concentrations that are an order of magnitude (or more) greater than the sediment quality guidelines. For the main-stem Spring River, the streambed is contaminated but the floodplain is mostly uncontaminated. Measured lead and zinc concentrations in streambed sediments, lakebed sediments, and floodplain soils documented a persistence of the post-mining contamination on a decadal timescale. These results provide a basis for the prioritization, development, and implementation of plans to remediate contamination in the affected aquatic and floodplain environments within the Superfund site.

Natural radionuclides in plants, soils and sediments affected by U-rich coal mining activities in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Galhardi, Juliana Aparecida; García-Tenorio, Rafael; Bonotto, Daniel Marcos; Díaz Francés, Inmaculada; Motta, João Gabriel

2017-10-01

Mining activities can increase the mobility of metals by accelerating the dissolution and leaching of minerals from the rocks and tailing piles to the environment and, consequently, their availability for plants and subsequent transfer to the food chain. The weathering of minerals and the disposal of coal waste in tailing piles can accelerate the generation of acid mine drainage (AMD), which is responsible for the higher dissolution of metals in mining areas. In this context, the behavior of U, Th and K in soils and sediment, and the transfer factor (TF) of 238 U, 234 U and 210 Po for soybean, wheat, pine and eucalyptus cultivated around a coal mine in southern Brazil was evaluated. Alpha and gamma spectrometry were used for the measurements of the activity concentration of the radioelements. 210 Po was the radionuclide that is most accumulated in the plants, especially in the leaves. When comparing the plant species, pine showed the highest TF values for 234 U (0.311 ± 0.420) for leaves, while eucalyptus showed the highest TF for 238 U (0.344 ± 0.414) for leaves. In general, TF were higher for the leaves of soybean and wheat when compared to the grains, and grains of wheat showed higher TF for 210 Po and 238 U than grains of soybean. Deviations from the natural U isotopic ratio were recorded at all investigated areas, indicating possible industrial and mining sources of U for the vegetables. A safety assessment of transport routes and accumulation of radionuclides in soils with a potential for cultivation is important, mainly in tropical areas contaminated with solid waste and effluents from mines and industry. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MINE WASTE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM: A SUCCESS STORY

Science.gov (United States)

Mining Waste generated by active and inactive mining operations is a growing problem for the mining industry, local governments, and Native American communities because of its impact on human health and the environment. In the US, the reported volume of mine waste is immense: 2 b...

SOLUTION MINING IN SALT DOMES OF THE GULF COAST EMBAYMENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Griswold, G. B.

1981-02-01

Following a description of salt resources in the salt domes of the gulf coast embayment, mining, particularly solution mining, is described. A scenario is constructed which could lead to release of radioactive waste stored in a salt dome via inadvertent solution mining and the consequences of this scenario are analyzed.

COMPARISON OF APATITE II™ TREATMENT SYSTEM AT TWO MINES FOR METALS REMOVAL

Science.gov (United States)

Two abandoned lead-zinc mine sites, the Nevada Stewart Mine (NSM) and Success Mine, are located within the Coeur d'Alene Mining District, in northern Idaho. An Apatite II™ Treatment System (ATS) was implemented at each site to treat metal-laden water, mainly zinc. In the ATS, f...

Activity of lead deposited in the tissues in conditions of occupational lead exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1974-01-01

The author measured urinary excretion of delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), coproporphyrins and lead, before and after administration of chelating agents (CaEDTA and D-penicillamine) to subjects presenting clinical symptoms of lead poisoning and workers occupationally exposed to lead. He found a great increase in lead following its mobilization in subjects with lead poisoning who had previously shown a high level of haemoglobin precursors and a low urinary lead level. In these subjects ALA excretion was proportional to the duration of exposure. A correlation was found between urinary ALA and coproporphyrins, on the one hand, and lead excretion after provocation, on the other. This suggests that the lead deposited in the tissues, as well as that in circulation, retains all its activity.

Mining and the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janecka, V.; Nemec, V.; Bradka, S.; Placek, V.; Sulovsky, P.

1992-01-01

The proceedings contain 30 contributions, out of which 9 have been inputted in INIS. They are concerned with uranium mines and mills in the Czech Republic. The impacts of the mining activities and of the mill tailings on the environment and the population are assessed, and it is concluded that the radiation hazard does not exceed that from natural background. Considerable attention is paid to the monitoring of the surroundings of mines and mills and to landscaping activities. Proposed technologies for the purification of waste waters from the chemical leaching process are described. Ways to eliminate environmental damage from abandoned tailings settling ponds are suggested. (M.D.). 18 tabs., 21 figs., 43 refs

Mine drivage in hydraulic mines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ehkber, B Ya

1983-09-01

From 20 to 25% of labor cost in hydraulic coal mines falls on mine drivage. Range of mine drivage is high due to the large number of shortwalls mined by hydraulic monitors. Reducing mining cost in hydraulic mines depends on lowering drivage cost by use of new drivage systems or by increasing efficiency of drivage systems used at present. The following drivage methods used in hydraulic mines are compared: heading machines with hydraulic haulage of cut rocks and coal, hydraulic monitors with hydraulic haulage, drilling and blasting with hydraulic haulage of blasted rocks. Mining and geologic conditions which influence selection of the optimum mine drivage system are analyzed. Standardized cross sections of mine roadways driven by the 3 methods are shown in schemes. Support systems used in mine roadways are compared: timber supports, roof bolts, roof bolts with steel elements, and roadways driven in rocks without a support system. Heading machines (K-56MG, GPKG, 4PU, PK-3M) and hydraulic monitors (GMDTs-3M, 12GD-2) used for mine drivage are described. Data on mine drivage in hydraulic coal mines in the Kuzbass are discussed. From 40 to 46% of roadways are driven by heading machines with hydraulic haulage and from 12 to 15% by hydraulic monitors with hydraulic haulage.

Steam coal mines of tomorrow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCloskey, G

1986-07-01

A comprehensive review of new steam coal mines being planned or developed worldwide. It shows that at least 20 major mines with a combined annual output of 110 million tonnes per annum, could add their coal to world markets in the next 10 years. The review highlights: substantial activity in Australia with at least four major mines at advanced planning stages; a strengthening of the South American export industry with 4 major mines operating in 10 years compared with just one today; no major export mines being developed in the traditional US mining areas; and the emergence of Indonesia as a major steam coal producer/exporter. The review also shows a reduction in cost/output ratios, and also the proximity of the new mines to existing infrastructure (e.g. export terminals, rail links).

Impact of herbaceous vegetation on the enzymatic activity of coal mining wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osmanczyk, D

1980-01-01

Differences in the enzymatic activity of reclaimed and crude dump wastes after coal mining were investigated. Due to the increased activity of six investigated enzymes (dehydrogenase, catalase, saccharase, BETA-glucosidase, urease and asparaginase), a favourable impact of herbaceous vegetation on the biological activation of the breeding-ground was noticed. Particularly in the case of sacharase and BETA-glucosidase, an increase of the enzymatic activity at a rate of several times or even more than ten times speaks not only for an adequate increase of the metabolic rate of carbohydrates but also for specific properties of the habitat which favours an adsorption of these enzymes. (6 refs.) (In Polish)

Cleaning up our mining act: A north-south dialogue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labonne, B.

2000-01-01

This presentation provides an overview of historic development and economic reality of mining at large with focus on environmental and social impacts. It shows the place mining can take in sustainable development context; the mining cycle and its effects on ecosystems; the specific aspects of mining activities in developing countries. The presentation also provides some recommendations on sound management of natural resources to address the socio-economic and environmental concerns frequently raised by mining activities

Review of South American mines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1984-01-01

A general overview is presented of the mining activity and plans for South America. The countries which are presented are Columbia, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. The products of the mines include coal, bauxite, gold, iron, uranium, copper and numerous other minor materials. A discussion of current production, support and processing facilities, and mining strategies is also given

Lead activity in Pb-Sb-Bi alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. S. Kholkina

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The present work is devoted to the study of lead thermodynamic activity in the Pb-Sb-Bi alloys. The method for EMF measurements of the concentration cell: (–Pb|KCl-PbCl2¦¦KCl-PbCl2|Pb-(Sb-Bi(+ was used. The obtained concentration dependences of the galvanic cell EMF are described by linear equations. The lead activity in the ternary liquid-metal alloy demonstrates insignificant negative deviations from the behavior of ideal solutions.

The impact of small-scale mining activities on the levels of mercury in the environment. The case of Prestea and its environs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serfor-Armah, Y.; Adotey, D.K.; Nyarko, B.J.B.; Akaho, E.H.K.; Adomako, D.

2004-01-01

To obtain the baseline information of mercury pollution due to gold mining activities in Prestea and its environs total mercury (T-Hg) concentrations were measured in water and stream sediment. The samples were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). They were irradiated and counted without any preconcentration. Higher levels of T-Hg concentration were found in samples at the sites with extensive small-scale 'galamsey' gold mining activities than at the sites with low small-scale 'galamsey' activities. Concentrations varied between 6.80-19.82 mg/l for water and 28.90-84.30 mg/kg in sediment at sites with extensive small-scale mining activities. At low small-scale mining sites concentration levels for T-Hg varied between 0.50-9.10 mg/l and 1.20-22.75 mg/kg in water and sediment, respectively. The concentration levels of T-Hg in water from all the sampling sites are in excess of the WHO tolerable limit of 0.001 mg/l for drinking water. (author)

State-of-the-art study of resource characterization and planning for underground coal mining. Final technical report as of June 30, 1980

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walton, D.; Ingham, W.; Kauffman, P.

1980-06-01

With the rapid developments taking place in coal mining technology and due to high investment costs, optimization of the structure of underground coal mines is crucial to the success of the mining project. The structure of a mine, once it is developed, cannot be readily changed and has a decisive influence on the productivity, safety, economics, and production capacity of the mine. The Department of Energy desires to ensure that the resource characterization and planning activity for underground coal mining will focus on those areas that offer the most promise of being advanced. Thus, this project was undertaken by Management Engineers Incorporated to determine the status in all aspects of the resource characterization and planning activities for underground coal mining as presently performed in the industry. The study team conducted a comprehensive computerized literature search and reviewed the results. From this a selection of the particularly relevant sources were annotated and a reference list was prepared, catalogued by resource characterization and mine planning activity. From this data, and discussions with industry representatives, academia, and research groups, private and federal, an assessment and evaluation was made of the state-of-the-art of each element in the resource characterization and mine planning process. The results of this analysis lead to the identifcation of areas requiring research and, specifically, those areas where DOE research efforts may be focused.

Use of bioassays for testing soils and/or sediments contaminated by mining activities

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Sirvent, C.; Martínez-Sánchez, M. J.; García-Lorenzo, M. L.; Molina, J.

2009-04-01

Ecotoxicity tests measure the bioavailability of the contaminants and the effects of the chemically not measured toxic compounds on the members of the soil community. Therefore, ecotoxicological testing may be a useful approach for assessing the toxicity as a complement to chemical analysis. They are solid phase tests based on terrestrial methods and tests performed on water extracts using aquatic test protocols. The extent and degree of heavy metal contamination around mines may vary depending on geochemical characteristics, the mineralization of tailings, physico-chemical conditions and the processes used to extract metals. Portman Bay was subject to mining from the time of the Roman Empire to 1991 when the activity ceased. Since 1957, the wastes from mining operations were discharged directly into the sea. These wastes mainly consisted of clay, quartz, siderite, magnetite, remains of sphalerite, pyrite and galena and residues of the chemical reagents used in floatation. In our study two methods of environmental toxicological tests were compared and applied to sediments of the Portman Bay (SE, Spain): the standardized toxicological test based on inhibition of luminescence employing Microtox

The Top Ten Algorithms in Data Mining

CERN Document Server

Wu, Xindong

2009-01-01

From classification and clustering to statistical learning, association analysis, and link mining, this book covers the most important topics in data mining research. It presents the ten most influential algorithms used in the data mining community today. Each chapter provides a detailed description of the algorithm, a discussion of available software implementation, advanced topics, and exercises. With a simple data set, examples illustrate how each algorithm works and highlight the overall performance of each algorithm in a real-world application. Featuring contributions from leading researc

Adaptation of a lead-tolerant population of Agrostis tenuis to low soil fertility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jowett, D

1959-07-04

A population of Agrostis tenuis growing on lead ore grindings at Goginan was found to be tolerant of lead. The pasture populations responded to calcium and phosphate, whereas the lead mine population showed no response to calcium and a lesser response to phosphate. The lead mine population data was included. A considerable range of adaption to soil mineral levels has now been found in this species. It has populations tolerant of lead, copper, and nickel poisoning, and of low levels of calcium and phosphate. In lead mine habitats A tenuis is not replaced by A. canina as in more normal habitats. A tenuis is subject to the most extreme conditions of low fertility. 4 tables.

Measures to restore metallurgical mine wasteland using ecological restoration technologies: A case study at Longnan Rare Earth Mine

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Yunzhang; Gu, Ruizhi; Guo, Ruikai; Zhang, Xueyan

2017-01-01

Whereas mining activities produce the raw materials that are crucial to economic growth, such activities leave extensive scarring on the land, contributing to the waste of valuable land resources and upsetting the ecological environment. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate various ecological technologies to restore metallurgical mine wastelands. These technologies include measures such as soil amelioration, vegetation restoration, different vegetation planting patterns, and engineering technologies. The Longnan Rare Earth Mine in the Jiangxi Province of China is used as the case study. The ecological restoration process provides a favourable reference for the restoration of a metallurgical mine wasteland.

Challenges of safety in Indian mines during twenty-first century

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Batra, S.C. [Directorate General of Mines Safety, Dhanbad (India)

1997-12-31

Mining industry in India has been progressing steadily during the last five decades. Production of coal, limestone, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead and zinc ores has gone up several times during this period. Ambitious production targets have been set for the years to come. With depletion of easily mineable deposits, mining activities would have to be extended to difficult geo-mining locales like greater depth and geologically disturbed areas. Extension of workings to deeper horizons would give rise to problems and mechanisation would introduce hazards like accidental fires, electrocution, environmental pollution by internal combustion engines, generation of dust, noise and vibration. The mining industry will have to prepare itself right from now to meet the challenges of safety and health problems. Thus strategies will have to be evolved to solve problems of strata control including slope stability, ventilation, hazards of explosions etc. Timber supports would have to be phased out and be replaced by steel supports. Disasters and their prevention would need a fresh look. Communication, human resource development and management information system are the other areas needing attention. 10 refs., 1 tab., 2 app.

Bioleaching combined brine leaching of heavy metals from lead-zinc mine tailings: Transformations during the leaching process.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Maoyou; Yan, Pingfang; Sun, Shuiyu; Han, Dajian; Xiao, Xiao; Zheng, Li; Huang, Shaosong; Chen, Yun; Zhuang, Shengwei

2017-02-01

During the process of bioleaching, lead (Pb) recovery is low. This low recovery is caused by a problem with the bioleaching technique. This research investigated the bioleaching combination of bioleaching with brine leaching to remove heavy metals from lead-zinc mine tailings. The impact of different parameters were studied, including the effects of initial pH (1.5-3.0) and solid concentration (5-20%) for bioleaching, and the effects of sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration (10-200 g/L) and temperature (25 and 50 °C) for brine leaching. Complementary characterization experiments (Sequential extraction, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electronic microscope (SEM)) were also conducted to explore the transformation of tailings during the leaching process. The results showed that bioleaching efficiency was significantly influenced by initial pH and solid concentration. Approximately 85.45% of iron (Fe), 4.12% of Pb, and 97.85% of zinc (Zn) were recovered through bioleaching in optimum conditions. Increasing the brine concentration and temperature promoted lead recovery. Lead was recovered from the bioleaching residues at a rate of 94.70% at 25 °C and at a rate of 99.46% at 50 °C when the NaCl concentration was 150 g/L. The study showed that bioleaching significantly changed the speciation of heavy metals and the formation and surface morphology of tailings. The metals were mainly bound in stable fractions after bioleaching. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbial communities in acid water environments of two mines, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shengmu, Xiao; Xuehui, Xie [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai (China); Jianshe, Liu [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai (China); School of Resources Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha (China)], E-mail: xiaoshengmu@gmail.com

2009-03-15

To understand the compositions and structures of microbial communities in different acid-aqueous environments, a PCR-based cloning approach was used. A total of five samples were collected from two mines in China. Two samples, named as G1 and G2, were acid mine drainage (AMD) samples and from Yunfu sulfide mine in Guangdong province, China. The rest of the three samples named as D1, DY and D3, were from three sites undertaking bioleaching in Yinshan lead-zinc mine in Jiangxi province, China. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that bacteria in the five samples fell into six putative divisions, which were {alpha}-Proteobacteria, {beta}-Proteobacteria, {gamma}-Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Nitrospira. Archaea was only detected in the three samples from Yinshan lead-zinc mine, which fell into two phylogenentic divisions, Thermoplsma and Ferroplasma. In addition, the results of principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that more similar the geochemical properties in samples were, more similar microbial community structures in samples were. - Microbial community compositions in acid-aqueous environments from Chinese mines were studied, and the relationship with geochemical properties was obtained.

Microbial communities in acid water environments of two mines, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Shengmu; Xie Xuehui; Liu Jianshe

2009-01-01

To understand the compositions and structures of microbial communities in different acid-aqueous environments, a PCR-based cloning approach was used. A total of five samples were collected from two mines in China. Two samples, named as G1 and G2, were acid mine drainage (AMD) samples and from Yunfu sulfide mine in Guangdong province, China. The rest of the three samples named as D1, DY and D3, were from three sites undertaking bioleaching in Yinshan lead-zinc mine in Jiangxi province, China. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that bacteria in the five samples fell into six putative divisions, which were α-Proteobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, γ-Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Nitrospira. Archaea was only detected in the three samples from Yinshan lead-zinc mine, which fell into two phylogenentic divisions, Thermoplsma and Ferroplasma. In addition, the results of principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that more similar the geochemical properties in samples were, more similar microbial community structures in samples were. - Microbial community compositions in acid-aqueous environments from Chinese mines were studied, and the relationship with geochemical properties was obtained

Environmental Impact of the Lead-Zinc Mine at Mestersvig, East Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Poul; Asmund, Gert; Aastrup, Peter

2008-01-01

Det danske selskab Nordisk Mineselskab drev en bly-zink mine ved Mestersvig i Østgrønland fra 1956 til 1963. Minedriften fandt sted under overfladen ca. 10 km inde i landet syd for Kong Oscars Fjord. Der blev brudt 554.000 tons malm og produceret 58.000 tons blykoncentrat og 75.000 tons zinkkonce...

Synthesis report about the after-mine mission; Rapport de synthese sur la mission apres-mine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-07-01

The French ministry of economy finances and industry has assigned the mission of evaluating the after-mine management system to the general inspection of finances and the general council of mines. The after-mine management system encompasses all procedures of coal, iron and potash mines closing down, land reclamation and environmental remedial action and site rehabilitation. This document makes first a status of the problems generated by the stoppage of mining activities: technical aspects, costs, institutional, organisational and juridical aspects, conservation of competences, international benchmarking elements and good practices implemented in foreign countries. Then, in a second part, this report presents the recommendations of the after-mine mission about the mastery of after-mine costs in agreement with the respect of the technical and social goals, with the development of the after-mine institutional system with the scheduled disappearance of Charbonnages de France and Mines de Potasses d'Alsace companies, and with the conservation of competences in the framework of the post-mine operational structure proposed by the mission. (J.S.)