Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Drainage at Abandoned Mine Sites: Natural Attenuation of Contaminants in Different Seasons

  • Technical Article
  • Published:
Mine Water and the Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Since 1996, hydrogeochemical surveys have been carried out in the abandoned Montevecchio Pb-Zn mining district (Sardinia, Italy), where mine drainages discharge directly into the local streams, to investigate variations in the aqueous occurrence of contaminants. Natural attenuation in dissolved contaminants occurs downstream of the abandoned mines. Iron is removed first (about 2 km downstream); lead, aluminum, and copper follow (about 4 km downstream). Other metals, such as zinc, cadmium, nickel, and rare earth elements, decrease further downstream. At high flow, natural attenuation is mainly due to dilution by rainwater. At low flow, natural attenuation processes are dominated by solid phase precipitation, efflorescent salt formation due to evaporation, and dilution by uncontaminated surface and/or groundwater inflow. Overall, concentrations of sulphate, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, and Co were less in 2010 than in 1996. The concentrations of dissolved sulphate and metals are lowest when the water is less acidic. However, despite ongoing natural attenuation, very high concentrations of toxic metals continue to be observed 15 years after the underground workings flooded. The amount of contaminants reaching the Marceddì lagoon increases as runoff increases following heavy rains.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Berger AC, Bethke CM, Krumhansl JL (2000) A process model of natural attenuation in drainage from a historic mining district. Appl Geochem 15:655–666

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biddau M (1978) Indagine chimica-idrologica sulle possibilità di utilizzazione delle acque edotte nel Sulcis-Iglesiente. La Programmazione in Sardegna 67(68):99–115 in Italian

    Google Scholar 

  • Bigham JM, Schwertmann U, Traina SJ, Winland RL, Wolf M (1996) Schwertmannite and the chemical modeling of iron in acid sulphate waters. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 60(12):2111–2121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caboi R, Cidu R, Fanfani L, Zuddas P (1996) Abandoned mine sites: implications for water quality. In: Ciccu R (ed) Proc, SWEMP 96, vol 2. DIGITA Univ of Cagliari, Italy, pp 797–805

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman BM, Jones DR, Jung RF (1983) Processes controlling metal ion attenuation in acid mine drainage stream. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 47:1957–1973

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cherry DS, Currie RJ, Soucek DJ, Latimer HA, Trent GC (2001) An integrative assessment of a watershed impacted by abandoned mined land discharges. Environ Poll 111:377–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Da Pelo S (1998) Mineralogia e geochimica ambientale di aree minerarie attive e dismesse. PhD Thesis, Univ di Cagliari (in Italian), Cagliari, Italy

  • Da Pelo S, Corsini F, Lattanzi P, Parrini P Zuddas P (1996) Mineralogia e geochimica degli sterili di flottazione nell’area mineraria di Montevecchio, Sardegna: dati preliminari. In: Tanelli G (ed) Proc, Le proprietà dei minerali e le loro applicazioni alle problematiche ambientali, culturali e industriali, 1° incontro scientifico nazionale, vol 1. University of Modena, Italy, pp 33–35 (in Italian)

  • Dold B, Fontboté L (2001) Element cycling and secondary mineralogy in porphyry copper tailings as a function of climate, primary mineralogy and mineral processing. J Geochem Explor 74:3–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gandy CJ, Younger PL (2007) Predicting groundwater rebound in the South Yorkshire Coalfield, UK. Mine Water Environ 26:70–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson-Edwards KA, Macklin M, Curtis C, Vaughan D (1996) Processes of formation and distribution of Pb-, Zn-, Cd-, and Cu-bearing minerals in the Tyne Basin, northeast England: implications for metal-contaminated river systems. Environ Sci Technol 30:72–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kimball BA, Bianchi F, Walton-Day K, Runkel RL, Nannucci M, Salvadori A (2007) Quantification of changes in metal loading from storm runoff, Merse River (Tuscany, Italy). Mine Water Environ 26:209–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lim H-S, Lee J-S, Chon H-T, Sager M (2008) Heavy metal contamination and health risk assessment in the vicinity of the abandoned Songcheon Au–Ag mine in Korea. J Geochem Explor 96:223–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLennan SM (1989) Rare earth elements in sedimentary rocks: influence of provenance and sedimentary processes. In: Lipin BR, McKay GA (eds) Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Rare Earth Elements, Rev Mineral, vol 21. Mineralogical Society of America, Washington, DC, USA, pp 169–199

  • Navarro MC, Pérez-Sirvent C, Martínez-Sánchez MJ, Vidal J, Tovar PJ, Bech J (2008) Abandoned mine sites as a source of contamination by heavy metals: a case study in a semi-arid zone. J Geochem Exploration 96:183–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nordstrom DK (2009) Acid rock drainage and climate change. J Geochem Exploration 100:97–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nordstrom DK, Alpers CN (1999) Negative pH, efflorescent mineralogy, and consequences for environmental restoration at the Iron Mountain Superfund site, California. P Natl Acad Sci USA 96:3455–3462

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parkhurst DL, Appelo CAJ (1999) User’s guide to PHREEQC (version 2)—a computer program for speciation, batch-reaction, one-dimensional transport, and in-verse geochemical calculations. USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4259, Denver, CO, USA

  • Pérez-López R, Delgado J, Nieto JM, Márquez-García B (2010) Rare earth element geochemistry of sulphide weathering in the São Domingos mine area (Iberian Pyrite Belt): a proxy for fluid–rock interaction and ancient mining pollution. Chem Geol 276:29–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ren HY, Zhuang DF, Singh AN, Pan JJ, Qiu DS, Shi RH (2009) Estimation of As and Cu contamination in agricultural soils around a mining area by reflectance spectroscopy: a case study. Pedosphere 19:719–726

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stumm W, Morgan JJ (1996) Aquatic Chemistry. 3rd Edit, John Wiley & Sons, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Verplanck PL, Nordstrom DK, Howard E, Taylor HE, Kimball BA (2004) Rare earth element partitioning between hydrous ferric oxides and acid mine water during iron oxidation. Appl Geochem 19:1339–1354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolkersdorfer C, Bowell R (eds) (2005) Contemporary reviews of mine water studies in Europe. Mine Water Environ 24: Supplement

  • Yu JY, Heo B, Choi IK, Cho JP, Chang HW (1999) Apparent solubilities of schwertmannite and ferrihydrite in natural stream waters polluted by mine drainage. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 63:3407–3416

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Authors thank the EU (Umbrella project, FP7 no. 226870), the University of Cagliari, and the Fondazione Banco di Sardegna for financial support. Thanks to Dr. D.C. “Bear” McPhail (Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia) for providing the hemimorphite solubility constant.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Cagliari University, via Trentino 51, 09127, Cagliari, Italy

    Rosa Cidu, Franco Frau & Stefania Da Pelo

Authors
  1. Rosa Cidu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Franco Frau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Stefania Da Pelo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rosa Cidu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cidu, R., Frau, F. & Da Pelo, S. Drainage at Abandoned Mine Sites: Natural Attenuation of Contaminants in Different Seasons. Mine Water Environ 30, 113–126 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-011-0146-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-011-0146-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation