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Recovery of an Acid Mine Drainage-Impacted Stream Treated by Steel Slag Leach Beds

Recuperación de una corriente impactada por drenaje ácido de mina tratada por lechos de lixiviación de escoria de acero

Sanierung eines bergbaubeeinflussten Flusses unter Verwendung von Stahlschlacke

钢渣浸床污水处理对酸性矿山废水污染溪流的修复

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Abstract

The East Branch of Raccoon Creek, Ohio is highly impacted by pre-regulation coal mining and contains 10 steel slag leach beds that passively treat the low pH, and the Fe and Al-rich waters. Water chemistry, sediment chemistry, aquatic macroinvertebrate richness and diversity, habitat quality, and stream gradient were examined along the mainstem and a headwater tributary where multiple treatment systems are located. The stream gradient showed no significant relationship with sediment quality. Higher flows increased instream concentrations of Fe and the portion of suspended Fe in the water column. Macroinvertebrate richness and diversity varied from good to very poor and were negatively correlated with sediment Cu, Fe, Mn, and other water quality parameters such as specific conductivity and total dissolved solids, but were positively correlated with pH.

Resumen

La Rama Este de Raccoon Creek, Ohio, está muy afectada por la minería de carbón pre-regulada y contiene 10 lechos de lixiviación de escoria de acero que tratan de forma pasiva los bajos valores de pH y las aguas ricas en Fe y Al. Se examinaron la química del agua, la química de los sedimentos, la riqueza y diversidad de macroinvertebrados acuáticos, la calidad del hábitat y el gradiente de la corriente a lo largo del torrente principal y de un afluente de aguas de cabeza donde se ubican múltiples sistemas de tratamiento. El gradiente de la corriente no mostró una relación significativa con la calidad del sedimento. Los flujos más altos aumentaron las concentraciones de Fe en flujo continuo y la porción de Fe suspendido en la columna de agua. La riqueza y diversidad de macroinvertebrados varió de buena a muy pobre y se correlacionó negativamente con Cu, Fe, Mn del sedimento y otros parámetros de calidad del agua tales como la conductividad específica y los sólidos disueltos totales, pero se correlacionaron positivamente con el pH.

Zusammenfassung

Der östliche Nebenarm des Raccoon Creek, Ohio, ist stark durch den Kohlebergbau beeinflusst. Es wurden 10 Reinigungsstufen zur passiven Wasserbehandlung mit Stahlschlacke installiert, um den niedrigen pH-Wert anzuheben und das Fe- und Al-reiche Wasser zu behandeln. Entlang des Hauptstromes und im Oberlauf eines Nebenarms wurden die Wasserchemie, die Sedimentbeschaffenheit, die Menge und Diversität von aquatischen Makroinvertebraten, die Lebensraumqualität und der Strömungsgradient untersucht. Der Strömungsgradient zeigte keine signifikante Beziehung zur Sedimentbeschaffenheit. Höhere Durchflüsse führten zu einem Anstieg der Eisenkonzentration im Wasser und des Anteils von ungelöstem Eisen in der Wassersäule. Die Vielfalt und Diversität der Makroinvertebraten variierten von gut bis sehr schlecht und korrelierten negativ mit der Konzentration von Cu, Fe und Mn im Sediment sowie anderen Wasserparametern, wie die elektrische Leitfähigkeit und die gesamten gelösten Feststoffen. Eine positive Korrelation bestand jedoch zum pH-Wert.

抽象

俄亥俄州浣熊溪(Raccoon Creak)的东部支流受早期非规范煤炭开采的强烈影响后, 用10个钢渣浸床处理低pH值、富铁和富铝的被污染溪水。干流和源头支流布置了多个水处理系统。 检测了沿干流和源头支流的水化学、沉积物化学、水生大型无脊椎动物丰富性和多样性、生境质量和河流坡度。水力坡度与沉积物质量无显著相关。雨季高位水流使河道内铁浓度增大和溪流水体悬浮态铁比例提高。大型无脊椎动物的丰富性和多样性从好到差变化不一; 它与铜、铁、锰的沉积和其它水质参数(如比电导率和总溶解固体)负相关而与pH值正相关。

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks go to the Raccoon Creek Partnership staff members who assisted with field work. This work was funded in part by a gift from the American Electric Power Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Studies Program, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA

    Natalie Kruse & Caleb Hawkins

  2. Department of Geological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA

    Dina L. López

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA

    Kelly Johnson

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  1. Natalie Kruse
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  2. Caleb Hawkins
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  3. Dina L. López
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Correspondence to Natalie Kruse.

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Kruse, N., Hawkins, C., López, D.L. et al. Recovery of an Acid Mine Drainage-Impacted Stream Treated by Steel Slag Leach Beds. Mine Water Environ 38, 718–734 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-019-00636-y

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