Hydrogeochemistry of mine, surface and groundwaters from the Sanggok mine creek in the upper Chungju Lake, Republic of Korea |
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| Authors: | C H Lee H K Lee J C Lee |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Geology, Chungnam National University, Taejon 305-764, Republic of Korea e-mail: chanlee@cnu.ac.kr Tel: +42-821-6426 Fax: +42-823-3422, KR |
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| Abstract: | The Sanggok mine used to be one of the largest lead-zinc mines in the Hwanggangri mining district, Republic of Korea. The
present study characterizes the heavy metal contamination in the abandoned Sanggok mine creek on the basis of physico-chemical
properties of various kinds of water samples (mine, surface and groundwater). Hydrochemistry of the water samples is characterized
by the relatively significant enrichment of Ca2+, HCO3
–, NO3
– and Cl– in the surface and groundwaters, whereas the mine water is relatively enriched in Ca2+, Mg2+, heavy metals, and HCO3
– and SO4
2–. The more polluted mine water has a lower pH and higher Eh, conductivity and TDS values. The concentrations of some toxic
elements (Al, As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Se, Sr, Pb and Zn) are tens to hundreds of times higher in the mine water than in the
unpolluted surface and groundwaters. However, most immobile toxic pollutants from the mine drainage were quickly removed from
the surface water by the precipitation of Al and Fe oxyhydroxides. Geochemical modeling showed that potentially toxic heavy
metals might exist largely in the forms of MSO4
2– and M2+ in the mine water. These metals in the surface and groundwaters could form M2+, CO3
2– and OH– complex ions. Computer simulation indicates that the saturation indices of albite, alunite, anhydrite, chlorite, fluorite,
gypsum, halloysite and strontianite in the water samples are undersaturated and have progressively evolved toward the saturation
condition. However, barite, calcite, chalcedony, dolomite, gibbsite, illite and quartz were in equilibrium, and only clay
minerals were supersaturated. Ground and mine waters seemed to be in equilibrium with kaolinite field, but some surface water
were in equilibrium with gibbsite and seceded from the stability field of quartz. This indicates that surface water samples
in reaction with carbonate rocks would first equilibrate with carbonate minerals, then gibbsite to kaolinite. Investigations
on water quality and environmental improvement of the severely polluted Sanggok creek, as well as remediation methods on the
possible future pollution of the groundwater by the acid mine drainage from the abandoned metal mines, are urgently required.
Received: 4 February 2000 · Accepted: 9 May 2000 |
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| Keywords: | Geochemical modeling Physicochemical property Sanggok mine Water |
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