Special Issue "Management and Monitoring of Water and Soils Associated with Mining Activities"

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2023 | Viewed by 5509

Special Issue Editors

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
Interests: environmental geochemistry; surface and groundwater management; environmental impact of mining activities; water and soil contamination, risk assesment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30 Av., 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Interests: environmental geochemistry; industry impact on the environment; ecological and health risk assessment; geochemistry of trace elements

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In many parts of the world, water and soil resources are at risk, mainly due to climate change, population growth, overexploitation, mining activities and agricultural practices. Ensuring aequate access to natural resources, in terms of both quantity and quality, is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Mining acitivities is one of the major environmental issues that often causes complete degradation of ecosystems during and/or after mine closure. Globally, significant amounts of potential toxic elements could pose a great threat to the populations living near to and even far away from mines, as these elements can travel across large distances.

Despite several developments in recent decades, the mineral extraction sector is facing new challenges associated with environmental geochemistry in the mining environment, from the prediction of water and soil quality to mine site reclamation/closure and monitoring.

This Special Issue aims to cover the diversity of research associated with integrated water and soil assessment and monitoring, including innovative approaches and new perspectives with practical applications related to the environmental geochemistry in the mining environment. Papers providing examples of the methodological challenges and the novel tools for monitoring and management of water and soil associated with mining areas are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Margarida Antunes 
Prof. Dr. Alicja Kicińska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • availability, mobility and dispersion of potential toxic elements in mine areas
  • space-time patterns to understand geochemical processes
  • water and soil contamination indexes
  • fingerprints of soil and water in mine areas
  • environmental risk assessment of water and soil
  • ecological and health risk assessment
  • emerging contaminants in mine water
  • acid mine drainage and metal-removal mechanisms
  • geochemical modelling and geochemistry of mining wastes
  • risks and sustainable management of mining environmental liabilities

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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Article
Groundwater Vulnerability and Potentially Toxic Elements Associated with the Iron Mining District of Ouixane (Northeast of Morocco)
Water 2023, 15(1), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15010118 - 29 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 737
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the groundwater vulnerability concerning potentially toxic elements in the vicinity of the abandoned iron mine of Ouixane (Morocco). A modified DRASTIC method (DRSTI) is proposed with satisfactory results. High vulnerability zones represent 40% of the study area, while [...] Read more.
This study aims to investigate the groundwater vulnerability concerning potentially toxic elements in the vicinity of the abandoned iron mine of Ouixane (Morocco). A modified DRASTIC method (DRSTI) is proposed with satisfactory results. High vulnerability zones represent 40% of the study area, while medium and low vulnerability represent, respectively, 42% and 18% of the study area. These results have been validated by groundwater geochemical analyses of potentially toxic elements carried out in the framework of previous studies in the same area. Thus, the superposition of the waste rock and tailings map with the vulnerability map showed that the latter is located in areas of high to medium vulnerability and therefore constitutes the main cause of the deterioration of the geochemical quality of groundwater. Otherwise, the vulnerability method showed that the main parameters that significantly affect the vulnerability are: the depth of water (D), net recharge (R), and the unsaturated zone (I), while the other parameters do not significantly affect the model used and do not have much influence on the results of the vulnerability assessment. The method used allowed us to locate the most vulnerable areas to potentially metallic toxic elements pollution resulting from the abandoned iron mine of Ouixane, and it constitutes a tool for decision support and for developing effective action plans to mitigate and monitor the effects of the transfer of potentially toxic elements pollution to groundwater. Full article
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Article
Assessment of Trace and Rare Earth Elements Pollution in Water Bodies in the Area of Rare Metal Enterprise Influence: A Case Study—Kola Subarctic
Water 2022, 14(21), 3406; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14213406 - 27 Oct 2022
Viewed by 623
Abstract
An extended study of the chemical composition of surface waters and lakes bottom sediments, which are affected to varying degrees by an enterprise that mines and processes rare metal ores in the Lovozero tundra, was carried out. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, [...] Read more.
An extended study of the chemical composition of surface waters and lakes bottom sediments, which are affected to varying degrees by an enterprise that mines and processes rare metal ores in the Lovozero tundra, was carried out. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the content of trace elements and rare earth elements was established. Elevated concentrations of trace elements and rare earth elements were revealed in samples of water and bottom sediments of lakes receiving wastewater from the enterprise and polluted due to dusting in the tailings of the processing plant. Thus, the average content of the total REEs in the surface layers of the SR Ilma and Lovozero (at the mouth of the Sergevan River) reaches 561 and 736 mg/kg, respectively, while for the SR of Lake Krivoe this indicator was 74 mg/kg. The enrichment factor (EFi), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), potential ecological risk index factor (Eir) and potential ecological hazard index (RI) were calculated. Assessing the total pollution with trace elements and rare earth elements of bottom sediments of lakes Ilma and Lovozero at the mouth of the Sergevan River, the value of potential ecological risk reaches values corresponding to the level of moderate ecological risk pollution (RIlma = 174, RILovozero = 186). The conducted correlation analysis made it possible to establish some of the main phases containing trace elements and rare earth elements in the bottom sediments of lakes Ilma and Lovozero. Full article
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Article
Human-Dominated Land Use Change in a Phosphate Mining Area and Its Impact on the Water Environment
Water 2022, 14(7), 1074; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14071074 - 29 Mar 2022
Viewed by 1241
Abstract
The Peace River is a critical water source in southwest Florida, United States. The watershed contains many phosphate mines that decrease water safety. Whether phosphate mining leads to a reduction in surface runoff and affects water quality in the Peace River Basin has [...] Read more.
The Peace River is a critical water source in southwest Florida, United States. The watershed contains many phosphate mines that decrease water safety. Whether phosphate mining leads to a reduction in surface runoff and affects water quality in the Peace River Basin has been a highly controversial subject. Thus, the environmental impacts of phosphate mining in the Peace River were assessed. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is a widely used physical-mechanism-based distributed hydrological model that uses spatial distribution data, such as topography, soil, land use, and weather, to predict water, sediment, nutrient, pesticide, and fecal bacteria production. Based on a SWAT model, runoff, total nitrogen (TN) load, and total phosphorus (TP) load at the outlet of the Peace River Basin from 2001 to 2018 were investigated. The applicability of the four uncertainty methods in the hydrological simulation of the basin was assessed. The runoff at five stations in a specified mining area was simulated to analyze the impact of human-dominated land use changes caused by phosphate mining on the water environment. The results for the pre- and post-mining periods showed that the land use transfer in the study area experienced large fluctuations and that the land use change had a significant impact on the runoff (the outlet site decreased by 44.14%), indicating that phosphate mining has a significant effect on reducing runoff in the basin. An analysis of three scenarios (pre-mining [s1], post-mining [s2], and reclamation [s3]) showed that during s1–s2–s3, the change in mining land area is large (increased by 142.86%) and that TN and TP loads increased, indicating that human activities mainly affect the water environment through phosphate mining. This is mainly because a large amount of wastewater containing high concentrations of inorganic chemicals, which is produced in the process of phosphate mining and processing, overflows directly or from the sedimentation tank into the river. In summary, the simulation results showed that the changes in runoff and pollutants were attributed to phosphate rock mining. Therefore, strengthening the management of phosphate mining and adopting effective protection measures is of substantial significance for the effective protection of water resources. By analyzing the measured data, this study can help people understand more actual situations and further evaluate the impact of phosphate mining activities on the water environment. The simulation results can also be used to predict the future trend of runoff and water quality in the Peace River Basin and provide a decision-making basis for government management departments to issue water resource protection measures. Full article
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Review

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Review
Environmental Impact Assessment of Mine Tailings Spill Considering Metallurgical Processes of Gold and Copper Mining: Case Studies in the Andean Countries of Chile and Peru
Water 2022, 14(19), 3057; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14193057 - 28 Sep 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2139
Abstract
The generation of tailings in the world today is immense, since only ounces or pounds of metals are extracted for each ton of ore processed. In 2022, it was estimated that more than 14 billion metric tons of mining tailings were produced per [...] Read more.
The generation of tailings in the world today is immense, since only ounces or pounds of metals are extracted for each ton of ore processed. In 2022, it was estimated that more than 14 billion metric tons of mining tailings were produced per year in the world. Currently, many environmental problems associated with tailings management in both Chile and Peru are related to the potential contamination of soil, water, and air. In this article, the environmental impacts caused by tailings storage facility accidents where spills have occurred are analyzed, describing and characterizing: (i) the magnitude of the impacted area, (ii) identification of the sources, i.e., exposure routes, receptors, and (iii) an interpretive analysis of the physicochemical quality of the spilled material, the soil, the water, and the air with respect to local and international regulations. The case studies analyzed in this article correspond to tailings spills derived from the extraction of precious metals (Au, Ag) and heavy metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) present in the minerals that dominate Chilean and Peruvian mining. Finally, environmental management measures are proposed aimed at mitigating the environmental impacts caused by the spill and remediation alternatives for the sites impacted. Full article
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: A model-based approach to risk evaluation and the assessment of protection provided by water intake and treatment systems
Authors: Alicja Kicińska; Ewa Wysowska
Affiliation: AGH University of Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Protection, Mickiewicza 30 av., 30–059 Krakow, Poland
Abstract: This study presents an assessment of the protection provided by water intake and treatment systems against potential health risk to water consumers. To perform the assessment a case study was conducted involving modelling and risk assessment based on scenarios of decreasing water quality at the intakes (i.e. emergency situations). The study sites were two continuously operating water treatment plants in Southern Poland (CEE). The study material were the results of tests conducted in the years 2012–2019 on samples of water taken directly at the intakes and samples of treated water. The samples were used to determine the concentration of selected metals (Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn), organic pollutants (benzo(a)pyrene, benzene, acrylamide, epichlorohydrin, vinyl chloride and 1,2-dichloroethane) and bacteriological pollutants (Coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecali and Clostridium perfringens). The non-carcinogenic (HI) and carcinogenic (CR) hazard indexes were estimated based on the quality of water at the intake using linear regression models. The risk values obtained were compared with permissible values specified in the US EPA methodology. It was demonstrated that the concentrations of the xenobiotics analysed in treated water would have to increase 11 times in the case of adults and 29 times in the case of children before the risk level related to drinking water exceeded permissible values. In the least favourable exposure scenario modelled, assuming the presence of organic xenobiotics in potable water, the total HI amounts to only 10% of the permissible value in adults and 1.5% in children. The total CR calculated for the 3-times lower water quality did not exceed permissible values, which proves that the water treatment systems are safe.

Title: Slate Quarry Pit Lakes in Abandoned Mining Areas of NW Spain: Characteristics and Potential Use
Authors: Redondo-Vega, J.M., Santos-González, J., Gómez-Villar, A., Melón-Nava, A., Peña-Pérez, S.A. (1), González-Gutiérrez, R.B.
Affiliation: Departamento de Geografía y Geología, Universidad de León. (1) Servicio de Cartografía, Universidad de León.
Abstract: Human activities play a key role in landscape evolution. Mining is one of the most important since it changes large parts of the Earth's surface. In abandoned mines and quarries, pit lakes are quite common due to water table blocking. These lakes have remarkable ecological characteristics, but they are not very well-known. Northwestern Spain has a long tradition in the use of slate for the roofs of buildings, which was extracted by hand. The industrial exploitation of slate began in the mid-20th century when the largest slate deposit in the entire Western Europe was discovered due to its abundant reserves and its high quality. Since then, its continuous extraction has been carried out to supply roofing slates to the European and North American markets. The exploitation, mostly open pit, has caused a great transformation in the landscape of those mining areas of the provinces of Orense, Lugo, and León, with the mining pit lakes being one of its hallmarks when the quarries are abandoned. Most of these pit lakes were totally unknown until now and they were not included in inventories or maps. Potential uses (water storage for several uses, recreational use, wildlife habitat, geological heritage sites) for these quarry pit lakes and their significance as a new geo-ecological environment are being discussed.

Title: Bayesian machine learning and functional data analysis as a two-fold approach for the study of acid mine drainage events
Authors: Riguera et al.
Affiliation: University of Vigo (Spain).

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