Some problems associated with past mining at a mine in the Witbank coalfield, South Africa

 Mining in the Witbank Coalfield commenced at the turn of the century. Initially there was little environmental degradation associated with mining activities; however, in the late 1930s and early 1940s a pillar-robbing programme commenced. At one particular mine this has had marked effects on the environment. Primary effects include subsidence, the appearance of tension cracks at the surface and crownhole development. Secondary effects include spontaneous combustion of the coal worked, as air has been provided with ready access to the mine, accelerated subsidence due to the strength of many pillars being reduced by burning, and a marked deterioration in groundwater quality in the area. Spoil heaps also form blemishes on the landscape. These contain significant amounts of coal and have undergone spontaneous combustion. The deterioration in the water quality has led to the decimation of vegetation in some areas and the eradication of aquatic flora and fauna in a nearby stream. Received: 5 March 1997 · Accepted: 1 July 1997     

Mobilisierbarkeit von hydrophoben organischen Schadstoffen in belasteten Böden und Abfällen. Teil I: Mobilisierbarkeit von PCB,PAK und n-Alkanen durch Lösungsvermittler

Mobilization Potential of Hydrophobic Organic Compounds (HOCs) in Contaminated Soils and Waste Materials. Part I: Mobilization Potential of PCBs, PAHs, and Aliphatic Hydrocarbons in the Presence of Solubilizing Substances When using an elution procedure for organic pollutants to estimate the leaching behaviour of contamined soils and waste deposits, the influence of organic matter in solids and eluates adequately has to be considered. In batch tests with a solid/liquid ratio of 1:10, various aqueous solutions were composed, the solubilizing effect of which can be attributed to ubiquitous natural compounds (e. g., phospholipids, humic and carbonic acids). These solutions were evaluated in regard to the mobilization of PAHs, PCBs, and aliphatic hydrocarbons in soil and waste samples. The results were compared with batch tests containing sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), the properties and applications of which are selected and optimized in order to simulate the chemical interactions between pollutant and solubilizing substances of natural sources. Under alkaline conditions, the part of eluated pollutants was high because of the release of humic substances indigenous to the sample. Low concentrations of phospholipids and humic acid could decrease the mobility of aliphatic hydrocarbons. The extend of HOC mobilization is affected by specific interdependences between solubilizing substances and reactive matter of the samples. For most samples, 5.0 g/L concentrated SDS solution was able to simulate the most effective natural solutizer potential in regard to the mobilization of PAHs, PCBs, and aliphatic hydrocarbons within the system of batch tests. Whereas elution with pure water caused significant deviations in pollutant composition and too low yields, the use of SDS effected à good conformity. Modified in such a manner, the elution procedure can follow DIN 38414 part 4, when loss of pollutants will be minimized; e. g., centrifugation is needed to separate phases.     

Rainwater acidity and ion concentration correlations in a midwest storm system

The pH and the concentrations of sulfate, nitrate, ammonia, and calcium in rainwater were measured for two periods of a single midwest rainstorm which occurred over a mesometeorological network in central Illinois on 24–25 July 1979. Regression analysis was used to compare ion concentrations with rainfall amount, and ion balance was used to compare cation and anion concentrations at individual sites. Only the ions SO₄ ^2- and NO₃ ^- show any significant relationship to rainfall amount, decreasing as rainwater amounts increase (r=–0.57 and –0.60, respectively). During the first period of the rainstorm, a sequential sampler measurements allowed the calculation of detailed temporal variations in SO₄ ^2-, pH, and rain rate. SO₄ ^2- decreased, and pH increased as the rate increased and the opposite temporal pattern occurred as the rain decreased at the end of the period. Reasons for these variations are discussed.Research done while a visiting scientist at the Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, Illinois, U.S.A.     

山东沿海主要城市酸雾的天气学分析

分析了山东沿海七城市及地区雾的区域性差异、季节和日变化特征雾的类型，讨论了有利于城市酸雾形成的主要天气型。结果表明，半岛南部沿海城市雾季多平流雾，半岛北部沿海城市雾季多锋面雾，整个半岛沿海城市秋冬季多平流辐射雾；有利于酸雾形成的主要天气型有海上高压后部型和低压前部型，前者由于近地面层有较强的平流逆温，持续时间长，酸雾严重，后者由于伴有降水，持续时间短，酸雾影响较小。     

青岛雾水中SO2的研究

大气的严重污染导致雾中溶入ＳＯ2。等物质而形成酸雾（ＡｃｉｄＦｏｇ）。酸雾的研究较少［１～６，８，１０］。美国加州南部酸雾ｐＨ＜３．０，最低１．６３，我国仅对贵州的梵净山及四川的峨眉山等地的酸雾进行过研究，其成分多为常量组分［４～６，１０］。ＳＯ２是大气中重要的污染物，而酸雾中ＳＯ２的研究至今未见报道。因此研究雾水中ＳＯ２及其他成分具有重要的意义。青岛的６～７月为多雾月份，此时盛行风ＳＳＥ１，雾多形成于４～８ｍ／ｓ风速时，雾以上午４～８时频率最大，最小频率出现于午后１４～１６时，青岛海雾最长持续…     

Acid mine drainage at a coal mine in the eastern Transvaal, South Africa

 Several mines in the Witbank coalfield in South Africa are affected by acid mine drainage. This has led to a deterioration in the water quality in many surface streams. The Loubert Mine is one such mine. Hence, an initial investigation was carried out to determine the source of acid mine drainage pollution and the associated hydrogeological conditions. The investigation showed that most of the acid mine drainage is emanating from old opencast workings which have been backfilled. Most of the water from the backfilled area drains into control reservoirs. Unfortunately their capacity is limited, which means that water overspills and seeps from them. This water finds its way into a nearby stream, the water of which accordingly has an unacceptably low pH value and high sulphate content. The proposals advanced to control the problem basically involve inhibiting the amount of water infiltrating the backfilled opencast area on the one hand and reducing the amount of water entering the control reservoirs on the other. Received: 5 March 1997 · Accepted: 17 June 1997     

温度和盐度对华贵栉孔扇贝免疫相关酶的联合效应

为研究温度和盐度对华贵栉孔扇贝免疫相关酶活力的联合效应,采用中心复合设计(CCD)和响应曲面分析法(RSM)进行试验,在实验室条件下研究了温度(19~31℃),盐度(22~38)对华贵栉孔扇贝酸性磷酸酶(ACP)、碱性磷酸酶(AKP)、谷胱甘肽还原酶(GR)三种免疫相关酶活性的联合效应,旨在考察温度与盐度对ACP,AKP和GR活性的影响及华贵栉孔扇贝免疫水平较高时的最佳温度和盐度组合,为华贵栉孔扇贝人工养殖所需条件提供理论基础。结果表明:温度的一次效应和二次效应对ACP,AKP和GR活力影响显著(P0.05);盐度的一次效应和二次效应对ACP,AKP和GR的活力影响显著(P0.05);温度和盐度的交互作用对ACP,AKP和GR活力的影响显著(P0.05)。采用响应曲面法,建立了温度和盐度对华贵栉孔扇贝ACP,AKP和GR活性影响的模型方程,该模型方程决定系数分别为0.986 6,0.981 3和0.957 6(P0.01),预测系数分别为0.934 5,0.888 0和0.738 4,表明该模型可以用于预测华贵栉孔扇贝ACP,AKP和GR活力变化。通过模型优化和验证实验,得到在温度24.30℃、盐度30.55时,ACP和AKP活力达到最小值,分别为170.43,181.74U/mg,而GR活力最大为0.34U/mg,满意度达0.95。     

Chemical characterization of wet precipitation events and deposition of pollutants in coal mining region,India

The present study investigated the chemical composition of wet atmospheric precipitation in India’s richest coal mining belt. Total 418 samples were collected on event basis at six sites from July to October in 2003 and May to October in 2004 and analysed for pH, EC, F⁻, Cl⁻, , , Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺ and . The average pH value (5.7) of the rainwater of the investigated area is alkaline in nature. However, the temporal pH variation showed the alkaline nature during the early phase of monsoonal rainfall but it trends towards acidic during the late and high rainfall periods. The rainwater chemistry of the region showed high contribution of Ca²⁺ (47%) and (21%) in cations and (55%) and Cl⁻ (23%) in anionic abundance. The high non seas salt fraction (nss) of Ca²⁺ (99%) and Mg²⁺ (96%) suggests crustal source of the ions, while the high nss (96%) and high ratio signifying the impact of anthropogenic sources and the source of the acidity. The ratio of varies from 0.03 to 3.23 with the average value of 0.84 suggesting that Ca²⁺ and play a major role in neutralization processes. The assessment of the wet ionic deposition rates shows no any specific trend, however Ca²⁺ deposition rate was highest followed by and _.     

Changes of cloud water chemical composition in the Western Sudety Mountains, Poland

The changing chemical composition of cloud water and precipitation in the Western Sudety Mountains are discussed against the background of air-pollution changes in the Black Triangle since the 1980s until September 2004. A marked reduction of sulphur dioxide emissions between the early 1990's and the present (from almost 2 million tons to around 0.2 million tons) has been observed, with a substantial decline of sulphate and hydrogen concentration in cloud water (SO₄²⁻ from more than 200 to around 70 μmol l^− 1; H⁺ from 150 to 50 μmol l^− 1) and precipitation (SO₄²⁻ from around 80 to 20–30 μmol l^− 1; H⁺ from around 60 to 10–15 μmol l^− 1) samples. At some sites, where fog/cloud becomes the major source of pollutants, deposition hot spots are still observed where, for example, nitrogen deposition can exceed 20 times the relevant critical load. The results show that monitoring of cloud water chemistry can be a sensitive indicator of pollutant emissions.     

江苏省2006年酸雨分布特征及其与气象条件的关系分析

统计江苏省4个酸雨监测站2006年的酸雨监测资料得到:徐州、南京的年酸雨发生频率高于常年同期,年平均pH值低于常年同期;常州、淮安的年酸雨发生频率比常年同期偏少,年平均pH值高于常年同期;各站的月酸雨发生频率呈逐月上升趋势,秋冬季酸雨发生频次均高于历史同期.结合同步的气象要素分析发现,降水强度、风、前期气候状况以及天气系统等都与酸雨的发生有密切关系.