Evaluating metal behaviour and mine water treatment benefits in abandoned mine catchments with variable pollutant load inputs

摘要

The results of three synoptic survey investigations of the importance of diffuse mining pollution are reported. The three watersheds range in size from 10-3 000 km2. In all three of them diffuse pollution - from a combination of groundwater inputs, waste rock runoff and sediment immobilisation - becomes increasingly important at higher river flow-rates. Whilst point source remediation is predicted to result in substantial improvements in downstream water quality during low flow conditions, at higher flows reductions in downstream metal concentrations maybe less than 30%.