A Multidisciplinary Study of an Old Mine Waste Site in Sweden Using Geophysical, Geological and Geochemical Methods

Abstract

A multidisciplinary study has been carried out at an old mine site in the central part of Sweden. The mine dumps at smaller and medium sized old mines in Sweden can still pose a local threat to the surrounding environment as the waste is oxidised, which leads to the formation of acid water solutions and release of heavy metals. The main objective of the study is to characterize the acid mine drainage in order to predict future problems and if necessary find efficient remediation methods, which also preserves the historical value of the site. The preliminary results from one of the investigated mine areas show that the local environment is clearly affected by the waste rock from the mining activities. Both soil and water samples collected from the stream draining the deposit are characterised by low pH and high metal concentrations. The extension of the contaminated area could be mapped by electromagnetic and electric methods and the results from the geophysical measurements correlate very well with the geochemical data.