Geochemical Classification of Global Mine Water Drainage

Thisani, Sandisiwe Khanyisa; Kallon, Daramy Vandi Von; Byrne, Patrick

doi:10.3390/su122410244

Cited by 27 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 87 publications

(44 reference statements)

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“…Particularly in the mining area, anthropogenic activity such as mining and restoration is one of the most direct and important drivers of ES change [4,5]. Large-scale mining activities are widely distributed globally, mainly in the Andes mountain range, East Asia, Australia, South Africa, and Eastern Europe [6][7][8][9]. A majority of these active mines (63%) are located in high ES provisioning zones, covering 69% of the global terrestrial land surface [10,11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal Variability of Human Disturbance Impacts on Ecosystem Services in Mining Areas

Liu

et al. 2022

Sustainability

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Human activities pose significant impacts on ecosystem services (ESs) in mining areas, which will continually increase over time and space. However, the mechanism of ES change on spatiotemporal scales post-disturbance remains unclear, especially in the context of global climate change. Here, we conducted a global literature review on the impact of two of the most frequent disturbance factors (mining and restoration) on 27 different ESs, intending to synthesize the impacts of human disturbance on ESs in mining areas via a meta-analysis, and analyze the spatiotemporal variability of ESs after disturbance. We screened 3204 disturbance studies published on the Web of Science between 1950 and 2020 and reviewed 340 in detail. The results of independence test showed that human disturbance had a significant impact on ESs in the mining areas (p < 0.001). The impacts (positive and/or negative) caused by mining and restoration differed considerably among ESs (even on the same ESs). Additionally, spatiotemporal scales of human disturbance were significantly related to spatiotemporal scales of ES change (p < 0.001). We found that the positive and negative impacts of disturbances on ESs may be interconversion under specific spatiotemporal conditions. This seems to be associated with spatiotemporal variability, such as the temporal lag, spatial spillover, and cumulative spatiotemporal effects. Climate changes can lead to further spatiotemporal variability, which highlights the importance of understanding the changes in ESs post-disturbance on spatiotemporal scales. Our research presents recommendations for coping with the twofold pressure of climate change and spatiotemporal variability, to understand how ESs respond to human disturbance at spatiotemporal scales in the future, and manage disturbances to promote sustainable development in mining areas.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal Variability of Human Disturbance Impacts on Ecosystem Services in Mining Areas

Liu

et al. 2022

Sustainability

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“…The resulting AMD can cause long term impairment to biodiversity, contaminate receiving water streams and aquifers, damage natural habitats and cause other environmental degradation [1,4]. The generation of AMD is the most significant environmental problem associated with the mining industry [5] and can continue to form on mining sites centuries after commercial mining operations have ceased [2,6,7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Fixed Bed Pervious Concrete Anaerobic Bioreactor for Biological Sulphate Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage Using Simple Organic Matter

2021

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The development of low-operational-cost and low-operational-complexity active sulphate (SO4) reducing bioremediation for Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is an ongoing pursuit towards sustainable mining. This study introduces a fixed bed pervious concrete anaerobic bioreactor as a second stage AMD remediation process. The study investigated the pH self-regulation capabilities, SO4 remediation capabilities and the rate limiting parameters of the bioreactor using glucose as an organic matter source. The AMD was pre-treated using a permeable reactive barrier. A 21-day trial comprised of an increase in the SO4 loading rate while reducing the organic loading rate was undertaken to identify performance limiting conditions. A daily average SO4 concentration reduction rate of 55.2% was achieved over the initial 13 days of the experiments. The study found that a COD to SO4 ratio and VFA to alkalinity ratio below 5:1 and 0.5:1 respectively were performance limiting. The bioreactor was capable of self-regulating pH within the neutral range of 6.5 and 7.5. The study findings indicate that the bioreactor design can reduce operational costs and operational complexity of active AMD bioremediation.

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“…Mine sites can continue to generate AMD centuries after commercial mining operations have ceased [6,7]. The implementation of suitable technologies for the long-term remediation of AMD is, therefore, a critical task for local governments and organisations managing AMD streams [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Remediation Solutions for Acid Mine Drainage Using the Modified Hill Framework

2021

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This paper reviews the Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) remediation potential and operational costs of twelve existing AMD remediation methods against Class 0 and Class I AMD geochemical characteristics as defined in the Modified Hill Framework. Of the twelve remediation options reviewed in this study, eleven required additional process steps either for further treatment to achieve the discharge limits or for the safe management of hazardous waste by-products. Chemical desalination showed the greatest potential with high quality treated water and operational costs between USD 0.25 and USD 0.75 per cubic meter treated. The management of the toxic metal and sulphide by-products remains a key challenge that requires further research for sustainable mine water remediation. Further development of end-to-end methods suitable for Class 0 AMD with economical operational costs is recommended in order to effectively address the ongoing environmental challenges posed by AMD globally.

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Geochemical Classification of Global Mine Water Drainage

Cited by 27 publications

References 87 publications

Spatiotemporal Variability of Human Disturbance Impacts on Ecosystem Services in Mining Areas

Spatiotemporal Variability of Human Disturbance Impacts on Ecosystem Services in Mining Areas

A Fixed Bed Pervious Concrete Anaerobic Bioreactor for Biological Sulphate Remediation of Acid Mine Drainage Using Simple Organic Matter

Review of Remediation Solutions for Acid Mine Drainage Using the Modified Hill Framework

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