Effects of acid mine drainage on groundwater quality: a case study from an open-pit copper mine in eastern Turkey
- PDF / 926,511 Bytes
- 9 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 12 Downloads / 226 Views
ORIGINAL PAPER
Effects of acid mine drainage on groundwater quality: a case study from an open-pit copper mine in eastern Turkey M. Irfan Yesilnacar • Zekiye Kadiragagil
Received: 7 June 2012 / Accepted: 7 August 2013 / Published online: 16 November 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Abstract This study was undertaken to determine the variation in groundwater quality of an open-pit copper mine in Maden (eastern Turkey) which has been in operation since 2000 BC, and with modern methods since 1939. Physical and chemical parameters (including pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, concentrations of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, HCO3, SO4, NO3, Fe, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Al, Cd, and Pb) of the groundwater and spring water samples from the study area were measured on a seasonal basis between October 2009 and July 2010. The groundwater quality was hydrochemically assessed in order to determine its suitability for human consumption and agricultural use. The measured and analyzed parameters in all the water samples were below the maximum admissible concentrations set out in international and national standards, guidelines, directives, and regulations for human consumption and for agricultural purposes. In addition, the results of previous studies on the possible effects of the mine site on soil, stream sediment, plants, and surface water in the same area are discussed. Keywords Acid mine drainage Groundwater contamination Drinking water Irrigation water Maden Turkey
Introduction Metal-containing acid mine drainage (AMD) is created by the interaction of air and water with sulfides such as pyrite M. I. Yesilnacar (&) Z. Kadiragagil Department of Environmental Engineering, Harran University, Osmanbey Campus, 63190 S¸ anlıurfa, Turkey e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
(FeS2) found in overburden piles and also in mine shafts consisting of sub-commercial grade mining material left over from mining operations. Other sulfide minerals are oxidized in a similar way as pyrite, releasing metals and sulfate in solution and, therefore, AMD may contain several metals such as Cu, Fe, Zn, Al, Pb, As, and Cd in high concentrations. AMD is acidic in nature and generally has low organic carbon content. If uncontrolled, AMD flows into local streams, lakes, and rivers, contaminating soil and groundwater and destroying plant and animal biota (Szczepanska and Twardowska 1999; Equeenuddin et al. 2010). Furthermore, some effluents generated by the metal mining industry contain large quantities of toxic substances such as cyanides and heavy metals, which have serious human health and ecological implications (Akcil and Koldas 2006). The formation of acidic wastewater can continue even tens and hundreds of years after mine closure if the conditions remain favorable (Sahinkaya et al. 2011). The adverse effects of AMD on groundwater are more profound compared to surface water (Paschke et al. 2001; Eary et al. 2003). Significant concentrations of sulfate, metals, metalloids, and other contaminants have been found in g
Data Loading...
