Hydrochemical evaluation of the influences of mining activities on river water chemistry in central northern Mongolia
Hydrochemical evaluation of the influences of mining activities on river water chemistry in central northern Mongolia
复制标题
DOI：
10.1007/s11356-016-7895-3
复制
发表时间：
2017-01-01
影响因子：
5.8
通讯作者：
Yun, Seong-Taek
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Batsaikhan, Bayartungalag;Kwon, Jang-Soon;Yun, Seong-Taek
虽然金属矿产资源是蒙古经济中最重要的资源，但采矿活动如果管理不当，可能造成溪流污染，对水生生态系统和人类构成威胁。在这项研究中，为了评估金属采矿活动对蒙古中北部一条跨界河流（色楞格）水质的潜在影响，我们对河流（图勒、坎加尔、鄂尔孔、哈拉和色楞格）进行了水化学调查。河水的水化学分析表明，虽然主要溶解离子来自流域内的自然风化（特别是碳酸盐矿物的溶解），但它们也受到采矿活动的影响。高浊度引起的水质问题是主要的环境问题之一，是由各种侵蚀过程产生的悬浮颗粒（主要是沉积物和土壤颗粒）引起的，包括沿曲流河系统的河岸侵蚀、牲畜过度放牧造成的土壤侵蚀以及采矿和农业等人类活动造成的侵蚀。特别是经过Zaamar金矿矿区后，由于砂金开采对沉积物和土壤的干扰，图尔河的水变得非常浑浊（高达742浊度单位（NTU））。Zaamar地区也是Al、Fe和Mn对图勒河和鄂尔洪河的污染源，特别是在采矿季节。额尔登特斑岩型铜钼矿大型尾矿库尾矿中重金属（特别是Mn、Al、Cd和As）的富集影响了坎加尔河的水化学，溶解硫酸盐的S-34 δ值（0.2 ~ 3.8℃）证明了这一点。这两条被污染的河流（图勒河和坎加尔河）汇入额尔孔河，流入蒙古和俄罗斯边界附近的色楞格河，然后最终流入贝加尔湖。由于采矿造成的水质问题可能很严重，蒙古中北部的采矿活动应谨慎管理，以尽量减少采矿活动产生的水生污染物（特别是浑浊、溶解的有机碳、铁和铝）的跨界移动。
Although metallic mineral resources are most important in the economy of Mongolia, mining activities with improper management may result in the pollution of stream waters, posing a threat to aquatic ecosystems and humans. In this study, aiming to evaluate potential impacts of metallic mining activities on the quality of a transboundary river (Selenge) in central northern Mongolia, we performed hydrochemical investigations of rivers (Tuul, Khangal, Orkhon, Haraa, and Selenge). Hydrochemical analysis of river waters indicates that, while major dissolved ions originate from natural weathering (especially, dissolution of carbonate minerals) within watersheds, they are also influenced by mining activities. The water quality problem arising from very high turbidity is one of the major environmental concerns and is caused by suspended particles (mainly, sediment and soil particles) from diverse erosion processes, including erosion of river banks along the meandering river system, erosion of soils owing to overgrazing by livestock, and erosion by human activities, such as mining and agriculture. In particular, after passing through the Zaamar gold mining area, due to the disturbance of sediments and soils by placer gold mining, the Tuul River water becomes very turbid (up to 742 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU)). The Zaamar area is also the contamination source of the Tuul and Orkhon rivers by Al, Fe, and Mn, especially during the mining season. The hydrochemistry of the Khangal River is influenced by heavy metal (especially, Mn, Al, Cd, and As)-loaded mine drainage that originates from a huge tailing dam of the Erdenet porphyry Cu-Mo mine, as evidenced by delta S-34 values of dissolved sulfate (0.2 to 3.8 aEuro degrees). These two contaminated rivers (Tuul and Khangal) merge into the Orkhon River that flows to the Selenge River near the boundary between Mongolia and Russia and then eventually flows into Lake Baikal. Because water quality problems due to mining can be critical, mining activities in central northern Mongolia should be carefully managed to minimize the transboundary movement of aquatic contaminants (in particular, turbidity, dissolved organic carbon, Fe and Al) from mining activities.