Water Quality Impact of Mining in the Wolmyoung Area of Korea, and its Short-Term Changes

Abstract

The water quality of a stream affected by miningactivities was investigated on the basis of a mineralogical studyfor the related solids, and their subsequent changes weremonitored for a year, so as to clarify the impact of the acidmine drainage (AMD) to the stream. The mine-affected stream wasclassified into Ca–Mg and sulfate type, and the concentrations ofits major constituents ranged from tens to hundreds times higherthan those of the background stream. This was most likely due toacid-generating reactions involving the oxidation of sulfides inthe mineralized zone, and subsequent neutralizations involvingcalcite and chlorite as possible sources of Ca and Mg,respectively. This interpretation is consistent with thethermodynamic and mass-balance calculations. The concentrationsof the dissolved constituents changed seasonally, dependinglargely on rainfall in the mine-affected stream. However, thedramatic decrease in the ratio of Mg/Ca, independent of rainfall,indicates that some changes did occur in sources, including theheterogeneous distribution of main source materials, the changein chemical conditions, especially in pH, pe(Eh), and P_{CO 2},in the reacting fluid, and the consequential solubility changesin sources. In spite of the limitations of short-term monitoring,it does provide some meaningful information in order to constructa long-term monitoring program.