Rapid field based analytical techniques for the environmental screening of abandoned mine sites

摘要

South Africa's long mining history has left a legacy of over six thousand abandoned mine sites, many of which are the results of the mining of materials which may have a negative impact on local surface streams and aquifers A field-based screening protocol for the assessment of water quality and the potential of solid materials to pollute has been assembled using commercially available consumable water tests and procedures requiring the minimum of specialised capital equipment and optimised for implementation by relatively unskilled field workers. Where needed this can be complemented with more sophisticated field and laboratory-based methods.