Groundwater contributions to metal transport in a small river affected by mining and smelting waste

The Riou Mort watershed, strongly affected by former coal mining and Zn ore treatment, has been the major source of the historical polymetallic pollution of the Lot-Garonne-Gironde fluvial-estuarine system. Two decades after the end of ore treatment, the former industrial area still contributes important amounts of metals/metalloids from various, partly unidentified, sources to the downstream river system. This study presents the high spatial variability of metal/metalloid (Cd, Zn, As, Sb, U, V) concentrations in water and suspended particulate matter (SPM) from eight observation sites during a short, intense flood event. Despite important dilution effects, the observed concentration levels at the different sites suggested additional Cd and Zn inputs, probably from polluted groundwater. This formerly unknown metal source was then localized and characterized by sampling water and SPM along two longitudinal profiles during different hydrological situations. Groundwater inputs of "truly dissolved" (<0.02 microm) Cd and Zn occurred along approximately 200 m, contributing 43% and 28% to the total annual (2004) Cd and Zn fluxes in the Riou Mort River. The estimated groundwater concentrations of Cd and Zn (2500-6700 and 83,000-170,000 microg l(-1), respectively) in the source zone were consistent with values measured in samples from the near aquifer (5400-13,000 and 200,000-400,000 microg l(-1)). The present work induced concrete remediation actions (pumping and treatment of the polluted groundwater), that are expected to strongly reduce dissolved Cd and Zn emissions into the Riou Mort River.     

Oil-contaminated soils under engineering constructions and technology of soil remediation

Oil around buildings is sucked under them. The conditions for accumulation of oil exist under engineering constructions. It is necessary to clean oil-contaminated territory, whether it is free from infrastructure or under engineering constructions. Cleaning technology with hydrocarbon-reducing micro-organisms was tested on the site of a tank farm with contaminated soils. The sorbent with micro-organisms placed at a depth of 40–60?cm below the technical buildings has cleaned the oil from the soil. The micro-organisms assimilate the n-alkanes with C₁₄ chains rather than the C₃₂–C₄₀. The oil is destroyed quicker under the constructions than in the open areas.     

Recovery of toxic metal ions from washing effluent containing excess aminopolycarboxylate chelant in solution

Aminopolycarboxylate chelants (APCs) are extremely useful for a variety of industrial applications, including the treatment of toxic metal-contaminated solid waste materials. Because non-toxic matrix elements compete with toxic metals for the binding sites of APCs, an excess of chelant is commonly added to ensure the adequate sequestration of toxic metal contaminants during waste treatment operations. The major environmental impacts of APCs are related to their ability to solubilize toxic heavy metals. If APCs are not sufficiently eliminated from the effluent, the aqueous transport of metals can occur through the introduction of APCs into the natural environment, increasing the magnitude of associated toxicity. Although several techniques that focus primarily on the degradation of APCs at the pre-release step have been proposed, methods that recycle not only the processed water, but also provide the option to recover and reuse the metals, might be economically feasible, considering the high costs involved due to the chelants used in metal ion sequestration. In this paper, we propose a separation process for the recovery of metals from effluents that contain an excess of APCs. Additionally, the option of recycling the processed water using a solid phase extraction (SPE) system with an ion-selective immobilized macrocyclic material, commonly known as a molecular recognition technology (MRT) gel, is presented. Simulated effluents containing As(V), Cd(II), Cr(III), Pb(II) or Se(IV) in the presence of APCs at molar ratios of 1:50 in H₂O were studied with a flow rate of 0.2 mL min⁻¹. The ‘captured’ ions in the SPE system were quantitatively eluted with HNO₃. The effects of solution pH, metal-chelant stability constants and matrix elements were assessed. Better separation performance for the metals was achieved with the MRT-SPE compared to other SPE materials. Our proposed technique offers the advantage of a non-destructive separation of both metal ions and chelants compared to conventional treatment options for such effluents.     

Removal of metal ions from aqueous solution by polysaccharide produced from Bacillus firmus

This paper deals with adsorption of Pb, Cu and Zn on the polysaccharide produced by Bacillus firmus. The adsorption of metal ions was significantly affected by the initial pH of solution, initial metal ion and polysaccharide concentrations, and presence of other ions in solution. At optimum pH, the uptakes of Pb, Cu and Zn were 98.3%, 74.9% and 61.8%, respectively. The metal ions removal was lower at neutral and generally the initial adsorption rate was rapid and reached equilibrium after 10 min. The process of uptake obeys both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms.     

Removal of metal ions by modified Pinus radiata bark and tannins from water solutions

Pinus radiata bark and tannins, chemically modified with an acidified formaldehyde solution were used for removing metal ions from aqueous solutions and copper mine acidic residual waters. The adsorption ability to different metal ions [V(V), Re(VII), Mo(VI), Ge(IV), As(V), Cd(II), Hg(II), Al(III), Pb(II), Fe(II), Fe(III), Cu(II)] and the factors affecting their removal from solutions were investigated. Effect of pH on the adsorption, desorption, maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbents, and selectivity experiments with metal ion solutions and waste waters from copper mine were carried out. The adsorbents considerably varied in the adsorption ability to each metal ion. The adsorption depends largely upon the pH of the solution. Modified tannins showed lower adsorption values than the modified bark. For the same adsorbent, the maximum capacity at pH 3 for the different ions were very different, ranging for modified bark from 6.8 meqg⁻¹ for V to 0.93 meqg⁻¹ for Hg. Waste waters were extracted with modified bark as adsorbent and at pH 2. The ions Cu(II) (35.2 mgL⁻¹), Fe(III) (198 mgL⁻¹), Al(III) (83.5 mgL⁻¹) and Cd(II) (0.15 mgL⁻¹) were removed in 15.6%, 46.9%, 83.7% and 3.3%, respectively, by using 1 g of adsorbent/10 mL of waste water. In general, a continuous adsorption on a packed column gave higher adsorbed values than those observed in the batchwise experiment.     

Fast and highly efficient removal of dyes under alkaline conditions using magnetic chitosan-Fe(III) hydrogel

The dyeing effluent of high alkalinity, which could not be treated efficiently by traditional wastewater technologies, highlighted the need to explore a technically feasible, highly efficient and cost effective method. Thus, a fast and highly efficient method for the removal of dyes under alkaline conditions using magnetic chitosan-Fe(III) hydrogel was proposed. Firstly, chitosan-Fe(III) hydrogel was prepared by a chelation procedure with cheap and environmentally friendly chitosan and iron salts. We characterized the sorption and desorption of C. I. Acid Red 73, a common type of anionic dye, on magnetic chitosan-Fe(III) hydrogel, to understand its availability for alkaline dyeing wastewater. Sorption of dye to chitosan-Fe(III) hydrogel was fast (adsorption could reach equilibrium in less than 10 min) in a wide pH range, and agreed well to the Langmuir-Freundlich adsorption model with a high maximum adsorption capacity of 294.5 mg/g under pH = 12. Meanwhile, 1 mol/L NaOH was used to desorb the dye efficiently (desorption efficiency 94.4%) and 0.1 mol/L HCl was applied to regenerate the chitosan-Fe(III) hydrogel. The results showed that the chitosan-Fe(III) hydrogel could retain its high efficiency after the desorption and regeneration. The common coexisting ions almost had no negative effect on the dye adsorption of chitosan-Fe(III) and the removals of a variety of anionic dyes suggest that the magnetic chitosan-Fe(III) hydrogel could efficiently adsorb both the acid and reactive dyes under alkaline condition. Overall, the results reported herein indicated that magnetic chtisoan-Fe(III) with high adsorption efficiency and strong magnetic property is very attractive and implies a potential of practical application for alkaline dyeing effluent treatment.     

Remediation of waters contaminated with ionic herbicides by sorption on polymerin

This study investigated the sorption of paraquat and 2,4-D on polymerin, the humic acid-like fraction of olive mill wastewater. Effects of pH, contact time, initial concentration and sorbent dosage on the sorption of both herbicides were studied. The sorption mechanism of paraquat on polymerin was consistent with the ion exchange of this herbicide with Ca, Mg and K natively occurring in the sorbent; in contrast, 2,4-D was bound to polymerin by hydrogen bonding. Simulated wastewaters contaminated with paraquat were purified after three sorption cycles on polymerin renewed at each cycle, at a solid/liquid ratio of 0.5, whereas those containing 2,4-D showed a maximal residue removal of 44% after two sorption cycles at the same ratio. The possible application of this model to other water-soluble herbicides, as well as the possible exploitation of polymerin as a bio-filter for the decontamination of pollution point sources is briefly discussed.     

Influence of impurity ions and magnetic field on the properties of freshly precipitated calcium carbonate

Static magnetic field (MF) effects on the properties of freshly precipitated calcium carbonate have been investigated in the presence of impurity ion Mg(2+), Fe(2+), or SO4(2-). One or both solutions, CaCl2 and Na2CO3, were exposure to MF (0.5T) for 20min at 20 degrees C. Then calcium carbonate was precipitated and zeta potential, pH and light absorbance (lambda=543.3 nm) were measured. The same parameters were also determined for the reference systems in which the solutions were not MF-treated. It was found that in all the systems tested MF effects as determined by the above mentioned parameters had appeared. They depended on the kind of the impurity ion present, as well as on which solution, CaCl2, Na2CO3 or both, MF interacted. For example, if Mg(2+) ion was present in CaCl2 solution, the largest shift in the zeta potential toward higher positive values was observed if Na2CO3 was MF-treated (e.g. from 2 to 12mV) and the same was true as for the maximum in the light absorbance and the pH increase. Interestingly, if (CaCl2 + Mg(2+)) was MF-treated pH of the slurry had decreased. Moreover, a correlation between above mentioned MF effects and the entropy of hydration of the ions has also been found. This points to the changes in the hydrating water structure caused by magnetic field.     

无机固形物对重金属的吸附去除特性研究

采用石英砂和高岭土为吸附剂,以典型重金属Cu,Zn,As,Cr为吸附质分别进行了单吸附剂单吸附质等温吸附实验,研究了无机颗粒物对重金属离子的吸附去除特性以及无机颗粒物对金属离子吸附水相化学条件影响因素,得出了一些有参考价值的结论。     

A national strategy for identification, prioritisation and management of pollution from abandoned non-coal mine sites in England and Wales. I.: Methodology development and initial results

In regions affected by historic non-coal (principally metal) mining activity, government agencies are often faced with the challenge of deploying limited remedial resources at abandoned mine sites to achieve maximum improvements in the chemical and ecological quality of impacted ground and surface waters. As such, strategies for the defensible allocation of public funds require comprehensive and systematic frameworks by which to identify and prioritise polluting sites for remediation. This paper describes the development and initial findings of such a national initiative in England and Wales which allies catchment-scale environmental impact assessments using existing public archive data, with recognition of the uncertainty in impact appraisals arising from disparities in data availability between sites and regions. The methodology identifies polluting sites and takes account not only of the chemical and ecological impacts of mine water discharges on receiving watercourses, but also of socio-economic factors such as conservation and heritage concerns, which can both impede or complement efforts to remediate mine sites. Using a Geographic Information System database and a suite of spatial analyses employing Boolean operators, both the extent of the pollution problem from abandoned non-coal mines in England and Wales (6% of 7815 surface water bodies are affected nationally) and the insight that can be gleaned from systematic analyses of existing archive data are highlighted. The results of the nationwide survey can be used as a dynamic database to inform future remedial planning, in terms of prioritising impacted river basins and abandoned non-coal mine sites themselves for either remediation or future monitoring efforts. As the assessment framework is built upon existing water quality and ecological data and mine site/geological data, there is considerable scope for the approach to be applied elsewhere where the legacy of historic mining persists through the widespread pollution of the aquatic environment.     

Longitudinal cracking of concrete slabs in composite beams with ribbed metal deck

The results of three-dimensional finite element investigation to study the longitudinal cracking phenomena in the slab of composite steel-concrete beams with ribbed metal deck are presented. The effect of eight parameters on the development of longitudinal cracking is investigated. These parameters are: type of loading, compressive strength of the concrete slab, yield stress of the steel beam, beam span to slab width ratio, steel beam size, existence of the ribbed metal deck, height of the ribbed metal deck, and percentage of transverse reinforcement in the slab. Design curves correlating the moment at which the longitudinal cracking initiates to span to width ratio, percentage of transverse reinforcement, , and degree of shear connection are also presented in this paper.     

Interaction of humic acids with metal ions in the water medium

We have investigated the mechanism of the processes of interaction of humic acids with ions of heavy metals and also features of the structure and properties of metal-and-humic complexes. Using the method of leaching of HCl we studied stability of metal-and-humic complexes in the water medium and mobility of heavy metals.     

Release of toxic metals and metalloids from Los Rueldos mercury mine (Asturias, Spain)

The abandoned mercury mining works of "Los Rueldos" are located 20 km from Oviedo, along the northwestern border of the Asturian Central Coal Basin, in an area with intense tectonization. Hg mainly appears as cinnabar, but occasionally metacinnabar and native Hg are present; associated with Hg ore appear As-rich minerals (arsenopyrite, As-rich pyrite, realgar and scorodite). In the spoil heap, Hg content ranges from 14 to 2224 mg kg(-1), and As from 4746 to 62,196 mg kg(-1). Mine drainage and spoil heap leachates show acidic conditions (pH: 2.43-2.50), 2900-4600 mg l(-1) sulphate, 1.4-9.2 mg l(-1) As, 0.03-0.48 mg l(-1) Pb, and 3.6-14 microg l(-1) Hg. According to the analytical data and characteristics of the site, the application of corrective measurements to avoid the dispersion of contaminants in the environment must be considered.     

Removal of copper ions from aqueous solution by tree fern

Tree fern, an agricultural by-product, was used for the sorptive removal of copper ions from aqueous solution. The experimental data was analysed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson isotherms. The equilibrium sorption capacity of copper ions was determined from the Langmuir equation and found to be 11.7 mg/g. A batch sorption model, based on the assumption of the pseudo-second-order mechanism, was developed to predict the rate constant of sorption, the equilibrium sorption capacity and the initial sorption rate with the effect of initial copper ion concentration and the tree fern dose. Various thermodynamic parameters, such as Delta G(0), Delta H(0) and Delta S(0), have been calculated. The thermodynamics of copper ion/tree fern system indicates spontaneous and endothermic nature of the process.     

Buffering acid precipitates,reducing soil erosion,and reclaiming toxic soil in the advent of global human carrying capacity

Over the next 2–4 generations, possibly leading to global human carrying capacity, natural organic wastes and earthworm biotechnology may be used to increase soil buffering capacity for acid precipitates, amend arable soil to reduce its tendency toward erosion, and reclaim certain portions of land presently desertified due to toxic soil conditions.     

Uptake of metal ions by chemically treated human hair

The uptake capacity of chemically treated human hair waste for the various metal ions can be arranged in the following decreasing order: Hg²⁺ (Hg⁺), Ag⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺ (Cu⁺), Cr⁶⁺, Ni²⁺, Cr³⁺.The uptake capacity is significantly affected by the presence of other metal ions. Anionic effect was found to be more pronounced for a mixed ions system than for a single ion system.     

利用磁座电钻巧取压路机高强度断螺栓

某水电站施工工地上的维修人员充分利用磁座电钻能方便可靠地吸附在钢铁等磁性材料上实现多向钻孔,该方法具有转速低、输出转矩和轴向力较大、钻孔速度快等特点,通过加钻套还可以提高钻孔精度.在磁座电钻的电磁吸盘底部加装1个抱箍并点焊,用以防止侧吸在左右侧板上的磁座电钻在钻削过程中因机械振动可能产生的移位,解决了使用普通手电钻高速旋转切削产生高温及冷却液被大量抛出、导致钻头易过热退火等难题,成功地取出在自行式振动压路机上的高强度断螺栓.     

Removal of copper ions from aqueous solutions by a steel-making by-product

A study is made of the use of a steel-making by-product (rolling mill scale) as a material for removing Cu(2+) ions from aqueous solutions. The influence of contact time, initial copper ion concentration and temperature on removal capability is considered. The removal of Cu(2+) ions from an aqueous solution involves two processes: on the one hand, the adsorption of Cu(2+) ions on the surface of mill scale due to the iron oxides present in the latter; and on the other hand, the cementation of Cu(2+) onto metallic iron contained in the mill scale. Rolling mill scale is seen to be an effective material for the removal of copper ions from aqueous solutions.     

Inventory of aquatic contaminant flux arising from historical metal mining in England and Wales

The impact of discharges from abandoned metal and ironstone mines has been a much studied form of aquatic pollution in recent decades. Few attempts however, have been made to accurately determine the overall contaminant mass flux arising from abandoned mine sites at scales above catchment level. Such assessments are critical to determine the significance of former mining to national, regional and ultimately global trace metal flux. This paper presents the most comprehensive national survey to date across England and Wales of the total pollution burden discharged at source from abandoned non-coal mine sites. 338 discharges have been identified (from 4923 known abandoned metal mines) and while concurrent flow and contaminant concentration records are only available for around 30% of these, significant quantities of metals (and As) have been quantified to be discharged. A minimum of 193 tonnes of Zn, 18.5 tonnes of Pb, 0.64 tonnes Cd, 19.1 tonnes of Cu, 551 tonnes Fe, 72 tonnes Mn and 5.1 tonnes As are released in water discharges from abandoned non-coal mines to the surface water environment of England and Wales each year. Precautionary extrapolation of mass fluxes based on the frequency distribution of measured concentration and flow data, for discharges with absent data, suggests that the actual total mass flux for these contaminants could be up to 41% higher. The mass flux of Pb released from mines exceeds that of all currently permitted discharges (e.g. active industrial sites and wastewater treatment works) to surface waters across England and Wales, while those of As, Cd and Zn are of a similar magnitude. These data put into context the enduring legacy of historic mining on the water environment, highlighting its significance relative to more highly regulated polluting sites. Comparison of the figures with estimates of global trace metal flux suggests that the national total identified here is significant on a global scale.