Evaluating Remedial Alternatives for an Acid Mine Drainage Stream: A Model Post Audit

Runkel, Robert L.; Kimball, Briant A.; Walton-Day, Katherine; Verplanck, Philip L.; Broshears, Robert E.

doi:10.1021/es2038504

Cited by 24 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…14–16, 53 Overall, jarosite is not thermodynamically stable at circumneutral pH; hence, jarosite will likely dissolve at pH values higher than 6 detected downstream of CC in the AR, 52, 53 releasing the associated metals to the environment. Spikes in Pb concentrations due to an increase in pH and oxidation of Fe(II) oxides have been predicted by a reactive transport model and measured in the MC upstream the AR, 56, 57 which support the association of Pb with a pH-dependent Fe mineral. However, there are several pathways that the released metals can follow once in the environment, among them: a) sorption into other mineral phases ( e.g .…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 55%

Post Gold King Mine Spill Investigation of Metal Stability in Water and Sediments of the Animas River Watershed

Rodríguez-Freire

Avasarala

Ali

et al. 2016

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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We applied spectroscopy, microscopy, diffraction, and aqueous chemistry methods to investigate the persistence of metals in water and sediments from the Animas River 13 days after the Gold King Mine spill (August 5, 2015). The Upper Animas River watershed, located in San Juan CO, is heavily mineralized and impacted by acid mine drainage, with low pH water and elevated metal concentrations in sediments (108.4±1.8 mg kg−1 Pb, 32.4±0.5 mg kg−1 Cu, 729.6±5.7 mg kg−1 Zn and 51,314.6±295.4 mg kg−1 Fe). Phosphate and nitrogen species were detected in water and sediment samples from Farmington, NM, an intensive agricultural area downstream from the Animas River, while metal concentrations were low compared to those observed upstream. Solid-phase analyses of sediments suggest that Pb, Cu, and Zn are associated with metal-bearing jarosite and other minerals (e.g. clays, Fe-(oxy)hydroxides). The solubility of jarosite at near-neutral pH and biogeochemical processes occurring downstream could affect the stability of metal-bearing minerals in river sediments. This study contributes relevant information about the association of metal mixtures in a heavy mineralized semi-arid region, providing a foundation to better understand long-term metal release in a public and agricultural water supply.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 55%

Post Gold King Mine Spill Investigation of Metal Stability in Water and Sediments of the Animas River Watershed

Rodríguez-Freire

Avasarala

Ali

et al. 2016

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…Mine drainage laden with high concentrations of contaminants is an important cause of environmental pollution throughout the world (Andrade et al 2012;Cánovas et al 2012;Carling et al 2013;Caruso and Bishop 2009;Meunier et al 2010;Runkel et al 2012;Sarmiento et al 2011). Extracting and processing of minerals from hard rock mines at an industrial scale can result in tremendous loading of trace elements into streams and rivers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The spatial and temporal distribution of trace elements in surface water can be affected by various hydrological, geochemical, and microbiological processes. Understanding the physical and chemical processes controlling the distribution of trace elements is a prerequisite for developing remediation strategies in watersheds contaminated by mining (Cánovas et al 2007;Kimball et al 2010;Nordstrom 2011;Runkel et al 2012). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial Distribution of As, Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn in the Water and Sediment of a River Impacted by Gold Mining

Zhang

Zhou

2013

Mine Water Environ

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Historical and active mining has adversely affected the geochemistry of the Jiehe River in the Jiaodong Peninsula, which has the largest gold ore reserves in China. Water and sediment samples were collected along the 37.8 km long river during the critical low flow season. Samples were analyzed for their geochemical properties, total concentrations of As, Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn in the sediment, and dissolved/particulate concentrations of trace elements in filtered/unfiltered water samples. Our results demonstrate that substantial amount of these elements have been released into the Jiehe River during the processes of extracting, selecting, processing, and smelting at the many historical and active gold mining sites in the watershed. High concentrations of potentially toxic elements (1.9-1,004 lg L -1 As, 4.2-210 lg L -1 Cr, 7.9-9,529 lg L -1 Pb, 2.0-855 lg L -1 Cd, 47.4-8,494 lg L -1 Cu, and 105-11,336 lg L -1 Zn) have seriously affected water quality in the region. In addition, these contaminants have accumulated in the bed sediment (7.7-181 mg kg -1 As, 24.1-726 mg kg -1 Cr, 9.9-1,100 mg kg -1 Pb, 0.1-51.8 mg kg -1 Cd, 22.1-1,524 mg kg -1 Cu, and 53.5-5,484 mg kg -1 Zn). Spatial distribution of these contaminants in water and sediment is controlled by the discharge from point and non-point sources as well as the reactive transport processes. Spatial analysis conducted on the sediment and stream concentration of As, Pb, Cd, and Zn suggests that two mining-related sources, at 4.3 and 17.6 km downstream of the headwaters, contributed most of the As, Pb, Cd, and Zn load as particulates. In contrast, high levels of Cr and Cu in the sediment are not related to the current loading pattern and may be due to historical sources. As the first comprehensive study on the pollution caused by intensive gold mining in this area, this research has provided much needed information to establish effective management and remediation strategies.

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“…In this scenario, the calculation above may lead to underestimates of constituent removal. Due to the many assumptions and unknowns surrounding remediation, additional investigations (such as reactive transport modelling) would be necessary that account for pre-mining water quality and how remediation will change mass loading and instream geochemistry (Runkel and Kimball 2002; Runkel et al 2007; Runkel 2010; Runkel et al 2012). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Synoptic sampling and principal components analysis to identify sources of water and metals to an acid mine drainage stream

Byrne

Runkel

Walton-Day

2017

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Combining the synoptic mass balance approach with principal components analysis (PCA) can be an effective method for discretising the chemistry of inflows and source areas in watersheds where contamination is diffuse in nature and/or complicated by groundwater interactions. This paper presents a field-scale study in which synoptic sampling and PCA are employed in a mineralized watershed (Lion Creek, Colorado, USA) under low flow conditions to (i) quantify the impacts of mining activity on stream water quality; (ii) quantify the spatial pattern of constituent loading; and (iii) identify inflow sources most responsible for observed changes in stream chemistry and constituent loading. Several of the constituents investigated (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) fail to meet chronic aquatic life standards along most of the study reach. The spatial pattern of constituent loading suggests four primary sources of contamination under low flow conditions. Three of these sources are associated with acidic (pH <3.1) seeps that enter along the left bank of Lion Creek. Investigation of inflow water (trace metal and major ion) chemistry using PCA suggests a hydraulic connection between many of the left bank inflows and mine water in the Minnesota Mine shaft located to the north-east of the river channel. In addition, water chemistry data during a rainfall-runoff event suggests the spatial pattern of constituent loading may be modified during rainfall due to dissolution of efflorescent salts or erosion of streamside tailings. These data point to the complexity of contaminant mobilisation processes and constituent loading in mining-affected watersheds but the combined synoptic sampling and PCA approach enables a conceptual model of contaminant dynamics to be developed to inform remediation.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-017-9038-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Evaluating Remedial Alternatives for an Acid Mine Drainage Stream: A Model Post Audit

Cited by 24 publications

References 26 publications

Post Gold King Mine Spill Investigation of Metal Stability in Water and Sediments of the Animas River Watershed

Post Gold King Mine Spill Investigation of Metal Stability in Water and Sediments of the Animas River Watershed

Spatial Distribution of As, Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn in the Water and Sediment of a River Impacted by Gold Mining

Synoptic sampling and principal components analysis to identify sources of water and metals to an acid mine drainage stream

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