Mobility of arsenic and environmentally significant elements in mine tailings following liming

Remediation of a legacy tin-tailings site in northeast Tasmania, Australia was carried out by statutory authorities. This study evaluated the fate of As and other deleterious trace metals Cd, Cu, Fe and Zn (among others) following the application of lime and fertiliser. Arsenic concentrations in the tailings ranged from 86 mg/kg to 0.26 wt%. Surface application of lime resulted in a 100-fold reduction in dissolved As concentrations in on-site surface waters; from an average of 196 µg/L prior to lime addition, to between 2.0 and 7.4 µg/L post-amendment. The concentration of other deleterious elements, however, varied between dry and wet cycles. The concentrations of Cd, Cu and Zn in surface waters were high and similar to pre-remediation levels during dry conditions (0.4, 13.5 and 6.1 mg/L, respectively), and only below freshwater ecosystem protection values during wet conditions. Bioaccumulation of Cd was observed in the naturally occurring coloniser, Juncus pallidus, with 4–5 times more Cd in the above-ground biomass relative to the tailings. Ferric arsenate (scorodite) was the dominant source of As identified in the tailings mineralogy. Hydrous ferric oxides and Fe-bearing cassiterite were also identified as hosting As. The pH increase in the surface lime-amended tailings was inferred to result in precipitation of observed hydrous ferric oxides, hematite and goethite, providing high-surface area for adsorption of arsenate onto positively charged surfaces. Jarosite was observed in both the surface lime-amended and subsurface non-amended tailings and suggests a continued supply of acidity to the pore waters despite the application of lime. Leaching experiments showed that As was more mobile in the lime-dosed tailings than in subsurface non-amended tailings, likely owing to desorption in alkaline pH conditions. By contrast, the mobility of Cd, Cu and Zn in the surface lime-amended tailings was reduced by at least two orders of magnitude compared with subsurface non-amended tailings. Evaluation of the applied rehabilitation strategy highlights the limits of a single chemical remediation approach to a polymetallic (including metalloids) waste with complex mineralogy and large seasonal fluctuations. Rehabilitation of metalliferous mine sites requires a complete understanding of all environmentally significant elements and their pathways into local receptors.     

An Analysis of Chamber Filling Effects on the Remediation of Flooded Gypsum and Anhydrite Mines

Summary  Abandoned gypsum and anhydrite mines can be filled by underground water that progressively dissolves pillar rock. The long term stability of the mine under the weight of the overburden is therefore jeopardised. A common remedial measure consists in filling the flooded chambers with granular materials. The aim of the paper is that of investigating the effect of the mechanical characteristics of the filler on the time of mine collapse, induced subsidence and pore water pressure generation. By means of Sharp Front theory the saturation front advance and the loss of pillar bearing capacity with time is determined first. Subsequently one dimensional consolidation theory is used for the determination of the proportion of overburden weight carried by the solid skeleton of the filler and by water pressure. A parametric analysis is eventually performed for the case of an abandoned gypsum and anhydrite mine in order to determine the most appropriate mechanical characteristics of the filler material. Author’s address: Eleni Gerolymatou, Department of Applied Mathematics and Physics, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon Politechneiou Street, 15780 Athens, Greece     

Bioavailability of crops to environmental hormone Pb in soils and its remediation

Lead （Pb）, as an environmental hormone, acts as an estrogen in animal and human bodies, and its environmental pollution can result in many procreant anomalies, such as maladjustment of incretion, weakening of procreation function and descending of genital immunity. Experiments on pot-growth of paddies and corns in this study indicated that these crops did not show any macro-toxic symptoms in the observed contents of Pb added （0-4000 mg/kg） in soils. However, lead in soils can be easily absorbed by crops and accumulated in the different parts of plants. Statistical analysis showed that Pb contents in the crops are strongly positively correlated to the Pb contents in soils. In the crops, the Pb contents of roots are highest, tens to thousands of times those of straws and seeds. It is suggested that the root is a barrier of Pb absorbed by straws and seeds. Based on this fact, Pb pollution in soils can be gradually reduced by planting crops and subsequently removing the roots from the soil. This biotechnology may be used in environmental remediation, which embraces the quality of sustainable agricultural economy and a healthy environment.     

低温下固定化微生物降解水体中阿特拉津的效果

针对低浓度阿特拉津对地表水、地下水的污染,于低温(10℃)条件下(考虑其在地下水或寒冷地区地表水污染中的应用),筛选的高效降解阿特拉津的优势菌株——4株菌W2、L1、L2、N8的混合菌(1∶1∶1∶1),采用吸附固定技术对其进行固定,选取最佳微生物固体载体——活性炭,并筛选出其最佳固定化条件:活性炭粒径为0.5~1 mm、pH=8。在此条件下,对固定化与悬浮态菌体处理阿特拉津的效果进行对比。实验结果表明,固定化混合菌的降解率在6 d内即达到了99.91%。     

铬污染地下水的PRB反应介质筛选及修复试验

通过实验研究筛选出一种经济可行的用于修复Cr(Ⅵ)污染地下水的PRB反应介质。实验以Cr(Ⅵ)污染地下水为研究对象,选用MB、Fe0、粉煤灰和活性炭4种材料进行PRB介质筛选的静态实验,选取处理效果好且经济的MB作为PRB反应介质进行动态修复实验。结果表明:以MB作为PRB反应介质可以使Cr(Ⅵ)的质量浓度从0.50 mg/L降低到0.05 mg/L以下,达到地下水水质Ⅲ类标准;且MB具有吸附量大、固液分离容易、无解吸、无二次污染等优点。以MB作为PRB反应介质修复Cr(Ⅵ)污染的地下水是可行的。     

室内受控条件下对虾养殖环境综合生物修复技术研究

本研究在室内受控条件下,在虾、贝、藻的多池内循环养殖的基础上,采用残饵污染控制技术减少残饵生成量,并针对对虾养殖中产生的主要目标污染物质及其存在形态,镶嵌以相应的生物修复技术,探讨了综合生物修复技术对对虾养殖生态系统自身污染的修复效果。研究结果表明:采用虾、贝、藻及生物滤池综合生物修复技术可有效降低养殖水体中的悬浮物、溶解无机碳和溶解有机碳的含量。残饵即时修复技术可显著减少残饵生成量,但梭鱼和沙蚕对沉积物的扰动作用对综合生物修复效果产生了一定的负面影响。综合生物修复技术中大型藻类对水体中溶解无机氮的修复能力略显不足,在实际修复过程中需充分考虑大型藻类固氮速率和系统内生物排氮速率的平衡关系,并确保能满足大型藻快速生长最佳的水层空间。单靠微生物滤池对水体中有机物的修复能力并不理想,需辅助增加泡沫分离等技术,提高系统对大分子胶体的去除能力。本研究为进一步构建现场对虾养殖环境的综合生物修复技术体系奠定了基础。     

Remediation of a major acid mine drainage point source discharge restores headwater connectivity for a diadromous native fish

Rivers receiving acid mine drainage (AMD) are frequently depauperate in fish and impacts may extend long distances downstream. AMD inputs may form chemical barriers for migratory species and isolate fish in unimpacted headwaters. We investigated the response of a diadromous fish, kōaro (Galaxias brevipinnis), to remediation of an AMD tributary in a 5th order river in New Zealand. A 2005 survey indicated limited recruitment of kōaro in the river likely due to the chemical barrier of AMD. By 2010, water treatment in the contaminated tributary had raised pH from a median value of 4.3 to 6 and reduced metals in the lower river, notably aluminium from a median of 2.48 to 0.41?mg/L. In 2012, kōaro density had increased by an order of magnitude relative to 2005. Furthermore, a greater proportion of juvenile fish were present. These results indicate that large-scale remediation of discharges can reverse the impacts of AMD on fish migration.     

预应力锚索抗滑桩结构计算方法

预应力锚索抗滑桩作为一种实用有效的支挡工程措施已在地质灾害治理中得到广泛的应用.然而, 其设计与计算方法仍然是一个亟待深入研究的课题.这种技术是在抗滑桩的基础上发展起来的.相对于普通抗滑桩, 其受力状态更加合理. 从这种治理措施的地质与物理模型出发, 建立了其力学与数学模型, 并最终得到其内力分布的解析解, 为其结构设计奠定了基础.将双参数法引入到土抗力模数或地基系数的计算中, 并贯穿到整个结构计算中.分别按刚性桩和弹性桩2种物理模式, 将锚索视为弹性绞支座, 利用抗滑桩和锚索位移变形协调条件, 计算出锚索的设计拉力及桩身的内力分布.结合三峡库区秭归县水田坝乡下土地岭滑坡治理工程介绍了这种滑坡治理措施的应用, 并与原普通抗滑桩设计方案进行了技术与经济对比分析, 体现出这种抗滑结构的优越性.      

铁矿物催化氧化技术在水处理中的应用

广泛存在于地下水中的各种有机污染物严重影响着水资源的安全利用,常见的水处理工艺对持久性有机污染物去除效果不够理想。近年来,天然含铁矿物作为催化剂,催化过氧化氢的化学治理方法对各种有机污染物去除效果显著。概述近年来主要含铁矿物、负载型矿物和纳米矿物材料催化过氧化氢在地下水有机污染去除中的应用,探讨了该领域的发展现状和存在问题,并对其应用前景进行展望。认为天然矿物材料具有成本低、在地壳中含量高、环境友好等特点,可用于多种有机污染物的去除与降解。但处理过程中,天然有机质的作用、纳米矿物材料的毒性和地球化学归宿问题应该做进一步研究。     

含水介质对地下水污染曝气修复的影响

为进一步研究地下水曝气原位修复技术的影响因素,采用室内实验的方法系统地研究了含水介质对原位曝气技术修复地下水污染的影响。研究结果表明:大量水相中的柴油在曝气的开始阶段被去除,随着时间的延长,污染物去除率不断增加,但增加的幅度逐渐减小。污染物去除率与时间关系曲线符合对数曲线规律,相关方程为y=alnx+b,R2=0.802 4～0.907 1,相关性较好。含水介质的渗透系数对地下水污染修复的影响较大,渗透系数与污染物的去除率基本呈正相关关系,渗透系数越大,污染物的去除率越大;含水介质密度与污染物去除率基本呈负相关关系,含水介质密度越大,污染物的去除率越小。