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Evaluation of an innovative approach based on prototype engineered wetland to control and manage boron (B) mine effluent pollution

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Abstract

A major environmental problem associated with boron (B) mining in many parts of the world is B pollution, which can become a point source of B mine effluent pollution to aquatic habitats. In this study, a cost-effective, environment-friendly, and sustainable prototype engineered wetland was evaluated and tested to prevent B mine effluent from spilling into adjoining waterways in the largest B reserve in the world. According to the results, average B concentrations in mine effluent significantly decreased from 17.5 to 5.7 mg l−1 after passing through the prototype with a hydraulic retention time of 14 days. The results of the present experiment, in which different doses of B had been introduced into the prototype, also demonstrated that Typha latifolia (selected as donor species in the prototype) showed a good resistance to alterations against B mine effluent loading rates. Moreover, we found that soil enzymes activities gradually decreased with increasing B dosages during the experiment. Boron mass balance model further showed that 60 % of total B was stored in the filtration media, and only 7 % of B was removed by plant uptake. Consequently, we suggested that application of the prototype in the vicinity of mining site may potentially become an innovative model and integral part of the overall landscape plan of B mine reserve areas worldwide.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (project number 113Y335) and Scientific Research Funds of Anadolu University, Turkey (project number 1403F098). We thank Dr. Beth Middleton in USGS (United States Geological Survey, National Wetland Research Center) for comments and language improvement on the earlier version of manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Biology, Aksaray University, Aksaray, Turkey

    Onur Can Türker

  2. Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey

    Cengiz Türe, Harun Böcük & Anıl Yakar

  3. Department of Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Science Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

    Yi Chen

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  1. Onur Can Türker
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  2. Cengiz Türe
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  3. Harun Böcük
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  4. Anıl Yakar
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Correspondence to Onur Can Türker.

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Türker, O.C., Türe, C., Böcük, H. et al. Evaluation of an innovative approach based on prototype engineered wetland to control and manage boron (B) mine effluent pollution. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 19302–19316 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7122-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7122-2

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