Abstract
This study investigates the geochemical characteristics of the acid mine drainage discharged from the abandoned mine adits and tailing piles in the vicinity of the Lousal mine and evaluates the extent of pollution on water and on the stream sediments of the Corona stream. Atmospheric precipitation interacting with sulphide minerals in exposed tailings produces runoff water with pH values as low as 1.9–2.9 and high concentrations of \( {\text{SO}}^{{{\text{2}} - }}_{{\text{4}}}\)(9,249–20,700 mg l−1), Fe (959–4,830 mg l−1) and Al (136–624 mg l−1). The acidic effluents and mixed stream water carry elevated Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and As concentrations that exceed the water quality standards. However, the severity of contamination generally decreases 4 km downstream of the source due to mixing with fresh waters, which causes the dilution of dissolved toxic metals and neutralization of acidity. Some natural attenuation of the contaminants also occurs due to the general reduced solubility of most trace metals, which may be removed from solution, by either co-precipitation or adsorption to the iron and aluminium precipitates.
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Acknowledgments
This study was made possible with the financial support provided by IAPMEI (Instituto de Apoio ás Pequenas e Médias Empresas e ao Investimento – Ministério da Economia). Particular acknowledgments are addressed to Instituto Geológico e Mineiro (presently INETI Inovação) for authorizing the use and the publishing of the geochemical and hydrochemical data from the Project “Estudo do Controle Ambiental nas áreas mineiras abandonadas de Lousal e Caveira). The anonymous reviewers are thanked for their comments and suggestions on the manuscript, which helped to improve this paper.
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da Silva, E.F., Patinha, C., Reis, P. et al. Interaction of acid mine drainage with waters and sediments at the Corona stream, Lousal mine (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Southern Portugal). Environ Geol 50, 1001–1013 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-006-0273-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-006-0273-6