THE QUALITY OF ACIDE WATER DISCHARGED FROM MINING SECTOR

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THE QUALITY OF ACIDE WATER DISCHARGED FROM MINING
SECTOR

• Authors chem. Cristiana Cosma, chem. Margareta
  Nicolau, eng. Viorel Patroescu, chem. Mihai
  Stefanescu, eng.Lucia Popa, eng. Sevastita
  Vraciu
• INCD-ECOIND - Sos. Panduri nr. 90-92, sect.5,
  Bucuresti, Tel. [phone], e-mail
  ecoind_at_incdecoind.ro
• S.C. CEPROMIN S.A.- Deva
• INCD-ICIM Bucuresti

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THE QUALITY OF ACIDE WATER DISCHARGED FROM MINING
SECTORINCD ECOIND

• INTRODUCTION
• Mining industry generates important amounts of
  pollutants, discharged into air, water, soil, and
  large volumes of sterile, which are stored into
  dumps and settling ponds. The characteristic of
  this industry, from the environmental view, is
  pollutants discharges during both the activity
  and closure phases with a long time environmental
  impact 1.
• Mine waters are one of the most important
  environmental issues as result of minerals
  extraction and exploitation and are a consequence
  of sulphides oxidation and acid drainage. The
  sulphides (pyrite -FeS2, marcasyte FeS2,
  calcopiryte - CuFeS2, galena - PbS, blende -
  ZnS), especially the iron sulphides in different
  minerals forms are accompanying nonferrous
  minerals.
• After sulphides degradation, the mine water
  present a very low pH, the sulphates are in
  soluble phase, therefore the acid water with high
  level of heavy metals content can be a risk for
  natural water, underground water soil and
  vegetation from mining and proximity areas in
  case of inadequate management 2.
• In order to prevent and reduce/minimize surface
  water pollution into the mining areas, the first
  stage is the identification of environmental
  problems and their prioritization. In this
  context, the paper shows a real image of present
  situation of quality of mining water, discharged
  into natural receivers 3.

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THE QUALITY OF ACIDE WATER DISCHARGED FROM MINING
SECTORINCD ECOIND

• EXPERIMENTAL
• There were selected representative locations
  administrated by CNCAF MINVEST Deva in order to
  establish the quality of mining water.
• It were analysed 35 sources of mining water
  directly discharged into natural receivers from
  16 mining locations Muncelu, Iara/Masca,
  Brusturi-Luncsoara, Ruschita, Balan Central, Baia
  de Arama, Devamin, Bocsa/Ocna de Fier,
  Vorta-Vetel, Ghelari, Certej, Zlatna, Brad, Baia
  de Aries, Rosiamin.
• There were performed analytical determinations
  according to present enforced standards for the
  following parameters pH, suspended matters,
  sulphates, iron, zinc, copper, lead, cadmium,
  nickel.
• There were compared obtained values with admitted
  discharging limits for natural receivers imposed
  by G.D.352/2005 (NTPA 001).

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THE QUALITY OF ACIDE WATER DISCHARGED FROM MINING
SECTORINCD ECOIND

• REZULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
• Table 1 shows an overview of mining water
  directly discharged into natural receivers from
  the MINVEST Deva mining locations, emphasizing
  the sampling points, averages of discharging
  flows, natural receivers and indicators that were
  over the admitted limits.
• The analysis of physical-chemical
  characterization data, for all 35 samples, shows
  the following aspects
• From all analyzed sources, only 10 are in the
  range of discharging limits Brusturi,
  Ruschita/Paraul cu Raci, Ocna de Fier,
  Vetel-Vorta I, Ghelari Vest, Zlatna/Almas-Galeria
  23 August, Zlatna/Muncaceasca-Galeriile Popa si
  Ema, Baia de Arama/Ponoarele- Marasesti Adit
• For the rest of analyzed sources, there are over
  takings for one or more parameters as follows
• 1 - 4 indicators Ruschita / Complexe, Ruschita /
  Varful Boul, Balan / Antoniu Nord, Olt Adits,
  Baia de Arama/Ponoarele, Vorta I, Ghelari /
  Central East, Zlatna/Breaza
• 5-10 indicators Muncelu/East, Vest and Central,
  Bolcana, Iara/Masca, Certej/Sector I,
  Zlatna/Almas, Zlatna/Muncaceasca-Podul Ionului,
  Zlatna/Larga, Zlatna/Hanes-Cota 0 and Runcu,
  Brad, Rosiamin, Balan/Antoniu South, Baia de
  Aries, Certej/Baiaga, Certej/Coranda Pit.

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THE QUALITY OF ACIDE WATER DISCHARGED FROM MINING
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• The heavy metals over the admitted limits are as
  follows
• Mn - present in 20 sources, in the range of mg/l
  to hundreds mg/l. From all overloaded analyzed
  samples more than 50 have concentrations levels
  of tens mg/l (10-96 mg/l) and respectively over
  100 mg/l (Mn 103 mg/l Certej/Sector I).
• Fe - was detected in 15 sources in the range of
  tens-hundreds mg/l respectively g/l concentration
  levels. A half of total analyzed samples has iron
  concentrations below 80 mg/l, the rest being
  situated between 123-1035 mg/l (Fe 1035 mg/l -
  Zlatna/Runcu).
• Zn - present in 18 sources, in variable
  concentrations domains, mg/l-hundreds mg/l. From
  all analyzed samples, 70 have below 18 mg
  Zn/l, the rest having values in the range of
  42-265 mg/l (Zn 265 mg/l - Certej/Baiaga).
• Cu - detected in 17 mining waters samples, in
  variable concentrations levels from subunit
  values up to mg/l. According to investigations,
  more than 30 of samples have copper
  concentrations in the range of 1.5-9.9 mg/l (Cu
  9.9 mg/l - Certej/Baiaga).
• Pb - detected in 2 sources with subunit
  concentrations (Pb 0,37 mg/l Certej/Baiaga).
• Cd - detected in 4 mining waters samples in the
  domain of subunit to mg/l (Cd 2.3 mg/l
  Certej/Baiaga).
• Ni - detected in 4 sources, maximal concentration
  being 3 mg/l (Certej/Coranda).
• pH, suspended solids (TSS), sulphates have the
  following variation domains
• pH (pH 2,5 6) 15 samples
• SO42- (650 mg/l 5400 mg/l) 16 samples
• Suspended solids (127 mg/l 2.5 g/l) 16
  samples.

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THE QUALITY OF ACIDE WATER DISCHARGED FROM MINING
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