Arctic vegetation damage by winter-generated coal mining pollution released upon thawing
- University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen (Denmark). Institute of Geography and Geology
Acid mine drainage (known as AMD) is a well-known environmental problem resulting from the oxidation of sulfidic mine waste. In cold regions, AMD is often considered limited by low temperatures most of the year and observed environmental impact is related to pollution generated during the warm summer period. Here we show that heat generation within an oxidizing, sulfidic, coal-mining waste-rock pile in Svalbard (Arctic Norway) (78{sup o}N) is high enough to keep the pile warm (roughly 5{sup o}C throughout the year) despite mean annual air temperatures below -5{sup o}C. Consequently, weathering processes continue year-round within the waste-rock pile which is characterised as a mixture of coal and a siltstone-mudstone. During the winter, weathering products accumulate within the pile because of a frozen outer layer on the pile and are released as a flush within 2 weeks of soil thawing in the spring. Consequently, spring runoff water contains elevated concentrations of metals. Several of these metals are taken up and accumulated in plants where they reach phytotoxic levels, including aluminum and manganese. Laboratory experiments document that uptake of Al and Mn in native plant species is highly correlated with dissolved concentrations. Therefore, future remedial actions to control the adverse environmental impacts of cold region coal-mining need to pay more attention to winter processes including AMD generation and accumulation of weathering products. 34 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.
- OSTI ID:
- 20885850
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 41, Issue 7; Other Information: be@geogr.ku.dk; ISSN 0013-936X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ARCTIC REGIONS
COAL MINING
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
PLANTS
RUNOFF
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
GEOCHEMISTRY
MINERAL WASTES
COAL
SPOIL BANKS
WATER POLLUTION
ALUMINIUM
MANGANESE
PYRITE
OXIDATION
TOXICITY
THAWING
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
UPTAKE
DISSOLUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
DAMAGE
HEAVY METALS
TAILINGS
SNOW
WEATHERING
NORWAY
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
PH VALUE
GRAMINEAE
LICHENS
MOSSES
WATER TREATMENT
SILTSTONES