Abstract
We investigated potential contamination of surface and ground water due to placement of fly ash in an abandoned area of an active opencast mine. Leachates from the fly ash and pond ash did not exceed the effluent discharge limits for inland surface water. Even though iron was one of the major components of the ash, it did not exceed 0.3 mg/L in the leachates. Water quality studies carried out at the coal mine indicated that fly ash disposal there, was not affecting the groundwater, but that the water discharged from the active portion of the mine contained high concentrations of total hardness, total dissolved solids (TDS), sulphate, manganese, and iron, exceeding India’s effluent discharge limits. The nearby Ajay River was not contaminated but the confluence point where the mine water met the Ajay River contained high levels of TDS, sulphate, and manganese. Groundwater in the area surrounding the mine was not significantly impacted. Multivariate statistical analysis was carried out to determine the relationships between the different water quality parameters.
Zusammenfassung
In dieser Studie wird die mögliche Belastung von Oberflächen- und Grundwasser durch die Einlagerung von Flugasche in einen abgeworfenen Teilbereich eines aktiven Tagebaus untersucht. Die Sickerwassergehalte aus der Flugasche bzw. der Asche aus Absatzbecken übersteigen nicht die Grenzwerte für Abwassereinleitungen in Oberflächengewässer. Obwohl Eisen die Hauptkomponente der Asche darstellt, weisen die Konzentrationen im Sickerwasser Werte unter 0.3 mg/L auf. Studien über die Wasserqualität des Kohlebergbaus zeigen, dass die Ascheablagerungen die Grundwasserqualität nicht beeinflussen. Jedoch weisen Abwässer des aktiven Bergbauteils hohe Konzentrationen an Härtebildnern, Gesamtkonzentrationen (TDS), Sulfat, Mangan und Eisen auf, welche die indischen Abwassergrenzwerte übersteigen. Der nahe gelegene Vorfluter Ajay ist zwar nicht betroffen, jedoch werden am Zufluss des Bergbauabwassers hohe Konzentrationen an TDS, Sulfat und Mangan gemessen. Das Grundwasser in der Umgebung wird nicht signifikant beeinflusst. Durch multivariate Statistikanalysen wird ein Zusammenhang zwischen den unterschiedlichen Wasserqualitätsparametern nachgewiesen.
Resumen
Investigamos la posible contaminación de las aguas superficiales y subterráneas debido a la presencia de cenizas volantes en un área abandonada de una mina a cielo abierto activa. Los lixiviados de la ceniza volante y la ceniza del estanque no excedieron los límites de descarga de efluentes para las aguas superficiales continentales. Aunque el hierro era uno de los principales componentes de la ceniza, no superaba los 0,3 mg / l en los lixiviados. Los estudios de calidad del agua realizados en la mina de carbón indicaron que la eliminación de cenizas volantes no afectaba las aguas subterráneas, pero que el agua descargada de la porción activa de la mina contenía altas concentraciones de dureza total, sólidos totales disueltos (TDS), sulfato, hierro y manganeso, excediendo los límites de vertido de efluentes de la India. El cercano río Ajay no estaba contaminado, pero el punto de confluencia donde el agua de la mina se encontraba con el río Ajay contenía altos niveles de TDS, sulfato y manganeso. El agua subterránea en el área que rodea la mina no fue significativamente afectada. El análisis estadístico multivariante fue llevado a cabo para determinar las relaciones entre los diferentes parámetros de calidad del agua.
研究了在生产矿井(露天)的废弃区处置粉煤灰对地表和地下水的潜在影响。粉煤灰淋滤液未超过内陆地表水排放标准。虽然铁是粉煤灰的主要成分,但是淋滤液的铁浓度并未超过0.3mg/L。煤矿水质测试表明,粉煤灰处理并未影响地下水质;但是,从煤矿生产区排放出的废水含有较高硬度、溶解总固体(TDS)、硫酸盐、锰和铁,超过了印度废水排放标准。虽然附近Ajay河也未被污染,但矿井水与Ajay河交汇入点存在高浓度TDS、硫酸盐和锰污染。矿井附近地下水未遭受显著影响。多变量统计分析法研究了不同水质参数之间的关系。
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr. Pradeep Kumar Singh, Director, CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad, for continuous support and motivation during the investigation period. The authors also thank Integrated Coal Mining Limited (ICML), Asansol, and West Bengal for providing the project and funding to carrying out the investigation. Dr. Mobin Ahmed, Senior Scientist of the CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad is duly acknowledged for his kind help in preparation of Fig. 1.
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Prasad, B., Maiti, D. & Singh, K.K.K. Impact of Fly Ash Placement in an Abandoned Opencast Mine on Surface and Ground Water Quality: A Case Study. Mine Water Environ 38, 72–80 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-018-00577-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-018-00577-y