CONTAMINATION AND POLLUTANT ATTENUATION DOWNSTREAM OF THE KOLONTÁR RED MUD IMPOUNDMENT FAILURE, HUNGARY

2010年10月初，匈牙利Kolontár一座含赤泥（铝土矿矿石加工生产氧化铝的副产品）的大坝决口造成的重大污染事件受到了国际媒体的广泛关注。这种类型和规模的活动在欧洲尚属首次。虽然也发生过类似的事件，即储存矿山废物的水坝失败，这些废物通常是酸性的或富含氰化物和生态有毒金属，但以前没有记录过大规模释放具有极端碱性质的废物，如Kolontár所释放的废物。现场最初的环境监测主要集中在高碱性水（pH值高达13）对接收溪流的直接影响上，这对50多英里内的溪流生物产生了重大影响。除了这种短期影响之外，由于缺乏此类事件的先例，我们对在红泥中释放的潜在污染物的长期行为知之甚少。在其他受到来自赤泥的高碱性水影响的地方（尽管规模要小得多），这类污染物包括铝、砷、钼和钒。本研究旨在对泄漏的沉积物和下游水域进行详细分析，以评估这些和其他微量污染物的性质和形式。这些信息对于以下方面至关重要：(a)描述受污染地区的空间范围和严重程度，(b)评估哪些特定污染物在具有环境意义的水平上存在于水体和沉积物中，以及(c)了解Kolontár下游河流系统中微量元素的流动性和可用性的长期前景。将在马尔卡尔河、拉巴河和莫索尼-杜纳河受影响地区对污染物的不同阶段（如悬浮、溶解、沉淀在河床上）进行详细采样。实地取样将与对污泥中污染物流动性的实验室测试相结合。总之，这些数据将帮助我们了解污染物的性质和形式的空间趋势，以及诸如pH值和释放物质的粒度分布等关键变量如何可能影响它们在环境中的长期流动性。这项工作将与匈牙利的科学家联系进行，工作的产出将直接为污染泄漏的长期管理提供信息。除了与匈牙利局势的管理直接相关之外，在这样一个重大事件发生后，对腐蚀性废物中的微量污染物如何在环境中表现的进一步了解将有助于向其他受污染场址的环境管理提供信息。

The major pollution event caused by the breach of a dam containing red mud (a by-product of bauxite ore processing for alumina manufacture) at Kolontár in Hungary received widespread international media attention in early October 2010. This is the first event of its type and scale in Europe. While there have been similar events where dams holding mine wastes have failed, which are often acidic or rich in cyanide and ecotoxic metals, there have not previously been documented large scale releases of waste material with the extremely alkaline nature such as that released at Kolontár. Initial environmental monitoring at the site was focussed on the immediate impacts of the hyperalkaline (pH up to 13) water on the receiving streams, which had a major effect on instream organisms for over 50 miles. Beyond this short-term impact and given the lack of precedent for such events, we know relatively little about the longer-term behaviour of the potential contaminants released in the red mud. At other sites affected by hyperalkaline waters from red mud (albeit on a far smaller scale), such contaminants of concern include aluminium, arsenic, molybdenum and vanadium. This study aims to undertake a detailed analysis of the sediments and waters downstream of the spill to assess the nature and form of these, and other trace contaminants. This information is crucial to (a) characterise the spatial extent and severity of the polluted area, (b) assess which specific contaminants are present in the waters and sediments at levels of environmental significance and (c) understand the long-term prospects for mobility and availability of trace elements in the river systems downstream of Kolontár. Detailed sampling of the different phases (e.g. suspended in water, dissolved in water, settled on streambed) of contaminants along the impacted areas of the Marcal, Raba and Mosoni-Duna rivers will be undertaken. The field sampling will be coupled with laboratory tests on the mobility of contaminants in the sludge. Together, these data will help us understand the spatial trends in nature and form of contaminants and how key variables such as pH and the particle size distribution of the released materials are likely to affect their long term mobility in the environment. The work will be undertaken in liaison with scientists in Hungary and the outputs of the work will directly inform long-term management of the pollution spill. Beyond the direct relevance to management of the situation in Hungary, the improved understanding on how trace contaminants from caustic waste materials behave in the environment after such a major event will be useful for informing environmental management at other polluted sites.