For removal of radium from saline waters in Upper Silesian mines, several methods of purification have been developed. The most efficient one is based on application of barium chloride, which was implemented in full technical scale in two Polish coal mines several years ago. Very good results of purification have been achieved—the removal efficiency exceeding 95 % of the initial activity. Another possibility for the removal of different ions from salty waters and brines is the application of zeolites. We found that technique as a very promising method for removal of not only radium isotopes from mine waters but also other ions (barium, iron, manganese). Treatment of several various water samples has been done to assess the removal efficiency for natural radionuclides. Preliminary results show very good effects for radium isotopes as well as for barium ions. In the paper, a short description of laboratory results of the purification of mine waters with application of synthetic zeolites is presented.

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Preliminary investigation on temperature, chemistry and isotopes of mine water pumped in Bytom geological basin (USCB,Southern Poland) as a potential geothermal energy source. International Journal of Coal Geology, 164, pp. 104-114. (doi:10.1016/j.coal.2016 This is the author's final accepted version.There may be differences between this version and the published version. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it. AbstractMine water from both operating and abandoned mines can be used for individual space heating projects, district heating/cooling systems or for preheating air for mine ventilation. Examples of such applications are already known from Canada, US, Netherlands, UK, and Spain. The Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) in Poland, where 34 of 65 hard coal mines have been abandoned since 1989, represents a potentially large opportunity for mine water heating schemes. This paper describes the mines from Bytom (northern USCB) as a potential location for ground source heat extraction projects. Hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical studies of pumped waters have been carried out in order to better understand the potential of the Bytom heat resource. The monitoring program is still ongoing, but initial results compare favorably with existing mine water geothermal source systems where water temperatures are comparable or lower than those found at Bytom. Initial hydrochemical and isotope data demonstrate stability in water composition at most of the monitoring points. These data elucidate the hydrogeological cycle during active dewatering and provide a baseline for understanding the geothermal behavior of the system, which is crucial for optimizing heat extraction. Preliminary results also reveal very stable mine water temperatures in the pumped, and hydrologically connected, Szombierki system and suggest remarkable stability in the characteristics of the main hydrothermal reservoirs.

The mining of coal in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin and the relatively recent closure of many of these mines during the past two to three decades has affected surface and underground water quality. Regulations in Poland are designed to protect active mining operations rather than water quality and water environment. Dewatering mechanisms in abandoned coal mines and characteristics of water pumped (quality, temperature) are discussed.

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