Environmental Pollution by Wastewater From Brown Coal Processing ¬ a Remediation Case Study in Germany

Abstract

The large scale of the contamination by the former carbo-chemical industry in Germany requires new and often interdisciplinary approaches for performing an economically sustainable remediation. For example, a highly toxic and dark-colored phenolic wastewater from a lignite pyrolysis factory was filled into a former open-cast pit, forming a large wastewater disposal pond. This caused an extensive environmental pollution, calling for an ecologically and economically acceptable strategy for remediation. Laboratory-scale investigations and pilot-scale tests were carried out. The result was the development of a strategy for an implementation of full-scale enhanced in situ natural attenuation on the basis of separate habitats in a meromictic pond. Long-term monitoring of the chemical and biological dynamics of the pond demonstrates the metamorphosis of a former highly polluted industrial waste deposition into a nature-integrated ecosystem with reduced danger for the environment, and confirmed the strategy for the chosen remediation management.

The effects of personality and intention to act toward responsible environmental behavior

“…Several previous studies have reported that the problem of environmental damage and environmental changes leads to changes in ecosystem functions (Hines, Hungerford, & Tomera, 1987;Tyagi, Garg, & Paudel, 2014). Interestingly, this problem occurs in almost all countries both in the Continent of Europe (Wiessner et al, 2014), America (Beckett & Keeling, 2019), Africa (Emeh & Igwe, 2018;Oke, 2004), and Asia (Gu et al, 2017). This situation shows that environmental issue is not only a partial problem of a particular country but rather an unresolved global problem (Sadhu, Garg, & Kumar, 2018;Thakur, 2016).…”

“…Furthermore, the study revealed that these environmental changes stem from problems in environmental objects and subjects that are responsible for the sustainability of the environment itself (Brookfield, 1999). Various factors are indicated as triggers of environmental problems such as climate change (Blennow, Persson, Tomé, & Hanewinkel, 2012;Clavero, Villero, & Brotons, 2011), changes in natural resources (Jacobs & Brown, 2014), technological change and development (Voulvoulis & Burgman, 2019), the presence of pollution (Wiessner et al, 2014), and the most crucial factor is human activities (Li & Wu, 2019). Human activities are said to be crucial factors due to their role as agents of environmental preservation (Short, 2009).…”

Ecotoxicological Evaluation the Effects of the Safe Concentration of Wastewater Containing Phenol on Aquatic Ecosystems

“…Scientific articles mainly focused on treatment of phenolic sewage, but there is a lack of such comprehensive ecotoxicological studies of wastewater, including singleand multi-species tests (Wiessner et al 2014;Pishgar et al 2014;Riauka et al 2006;Mohammadi et al 2015). The proposed research model can be used to determine and verify safe concentrations not only for wastewater with phenol, but also originating from other industrial sources, which may contribute greatly to the protection of aquatic ecosystems.…”

Trend Analysis of Water-Soluble Salts Leaching Along Surfaces of Reclaimed Mine Dumps in Western Donbass (Ukraine)

“…The need for land reclamation in Ukraine's Western Donbass region is associated with the long-term underground coal development in the Samara River floodplain. The problems associated with environmental restoration after coal mining are relevant even for such developed countries as USA, Germany, UK and others (Chugh and Behum 2014;Bellenfant et al 2013;Wiessner et al 2013;Lottermoser 2010;Bian Zhengfu et al 2010). However, the difference in the ratio of precipitation and evaporation can exclude the automatic application of known reclamation approaches and so requires the development of new technologies for application in Ukraine.…”