Abandoned Lead Mine Research Articles

Impact of abandoned lead mine on water resources: a case study of Zeïda mine, Northwestern Morocco

Impact of abandoned lead mine on water resources: a case study of Zeïda mine, Northwestern Morocco

Evaluación de la tolerancia de Aspergillus terreus a metales tóxicos

Introduction: Metal pollution is one of the major environmental problems. Some metals are toxic at very low concentrations, bioaccumulate and do not decompose to non-toxic forms. Objective: To isolate a strain of microscopic fungus in a site contaminated with toxic metals and to evaluate the tolerance to these substances. Materials and methods: Fungi were isolated from the soil of an abandoned lead mine. Tolerance index of fungi to cadmium, mercury and lead was evaluated individually at concentrations of 50, 100, 250, 350 and 500 ppm; in addition, a multimetal system (mixture) with cadmium, chromium, mercury and lead was evaluated at 4, 8, 16, 64, 80, 120, 200 and 400 ppm. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was also determined. Results and discussion: The isolated fungi were identified as Aspergillus terreus, which showed high tolerance indices for lead (0.9) at all concentrations tested and indices of 0.8 at most mercury concentrations. Cadmium was the most toxic metal; tolerance indices of 0.56 and 0.2 were observed at 50 ppm and 100 ppm, respectively. High tolerance indices (0.9) were observed in the multimetal system up to 64 ppm. MIC was greater than 500 ppm with lead and mercury, less than 250 ppm with cadmium and greater than 400 ppm with the multimetal system. Conclusion: A. terreus showed high tolerance to lead at all concentrations tested. The level of tolerance is influenced by the type of metal.

Fungal Endophytes for Grass Based Bioremediation: An Endophytic Consortium Isolated from Agrostis stolonifera Stimulates the Growth of Festuca arundinacea in Lead Contaminated Soil.

Bioremediation is an ecologically-friendly approach for the restoration of heavy metal-contaminated sites and can exploit environmental microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. These microorganisms are capable of removing and/or deactivating pollutants from contaminated substrates through biological and chemical reactions. Moreover, they interact with the natural flora, protecting and stimulating plant growth in these harsh conditions. In this study, we isolated a group of endophytic fungi from Agrostis stolonifera grasses growing on toxic waste from an abandoned lead mine (up to 47,990 Pb mg/kg) and identified them using DNA sequencing (nrITS barcoding). The endophytes were then tested as a consortium of eight strains in a growth chamber experiment in association with the grass Festuca arundinacea at increasing concentrations of lead in the soil to investigate how they influenced several growth parameters. As a general trend, plants treated with endophytes performed better compared to the controls at each concentration of heavy metal, with significant improvements in growth recorded at the highest concentration of lead (800 galena mg/kg). Indeed, this set of plants germinated and tillered significantly earlier compared to the control, with greater production of foliar fresh and dry biomass. Compared with the control, endophyte treated plants germinated more than 1-day earlier and produced 35.91% more plant tillers at 35 days-after-sowing. Our results demonstrate the potential of these fungal endophytes used in a consortium for establishing grassy plant species on lead contaminated soils, which may result in practical applications for heavy metal bioremediation.

Hexavalent chromium removal from a tannery effluent by a bacterial consortium

The objective of this work concerns to exploit the power of bacteria for hexavalent chromium removal the tannery effluents. To reach this purpose, fifty bacterial isolates were isolated from abandoned lead mines soil in Morocco. Resistance of these bacteria to certain heavy metals (Cr(VI), Pb, Cd, Hg, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Mn) was tested in vitro under various concentrations (5 - 3500 mg/L). Four bacterial isolates have shown hexavalent chromium resistance up to 800 mg/L. In addition, we have observed a multi-metal resistant and no antagonistic activity between them. DNA sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene have allowed identifying these four bacteria: Bacillus subtilis, Kocuria rosea, Staphylococcus lentus and Bacillus subtilis subsp. spizizenii. These four bacteria multi-metal resistant were used at consortium for hexavalent chromium removal of tannery effluent. This elimination, is evaluated by reaction with 1,5-diphenylcarbazide (DPC). After five days of incubation at 30°C, the results show that rate of removal are 76%, 25%, 12.5% and 3.34% for the concentrations 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L, 200 mg/L and 300 mg/L respectively in the effluent.

An Application of Electrical Resistivity Tomography to Investigate Heavy Metals Pathways

The abandoned lead mine of Zeida is located at the center of the High Moulouya watershed between the Middle and the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Zeida has produced a total of 640,000 tons of concentrated lead during the 14 years of its activity (1972–1985). Three large tailings were left at the center of the mine on both sides of Moulouya River without any risk reduction measures or monitoring and there is a concern regarding heavy metal contamination of local groundwater. Samples taken from and around the tailings were found to contain average lead and zinc concentrations of 3,000 ppm and 140 ppm, respectively, primarily in the form of galena and barite. Prior studies have also found high concentrations of lead and zinc in both local wells near the town of Zeida and along the banks of Moulouya River. In this study, five electrical resistivity imaging surveys were performed to identify the risk of pollution and trace the pathways of mine-based contaminants to groundwater and to the Moulouya River. The analysis of electrical resistivity data has provided new insights showing: 1) an average tailings thickness of 15 m; 2) rounded structures with high resistivity values at the center and gradually decreasing toward their edges that are assumed to be granite, with fractures and a weathered zone; and 3) the potential pathways of heavy metal occur predominantly along these fractures and in the thick layers of the sandstone overlaying granitic bedrock.

Thermodynamic, equilibrium and kinetic studies on biosorption of Pb +2 from aqueous solution by Bacillus pumilus sp. AS1 isolated from soil at abandoned lead mine

Abstract In this study, a lead-resistant bacterium was isolated and used as an adsorbent to remove Pb+2 from aqueous solution. The strain was identified and designated as Bacillus pumilus sp. AS1 based on the morphology and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Biosorption of Pb+2 from aqueous solutions using AS1 was investigated under various experimental conditions of pH, initial metal concentration, contact time and temperature. The optimum pH value was determined to be 4.0. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model was also found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Thermodynamic parameters of the adsorption confirmed the endothermic nature of sorption process with positive heat of enthalpy, accompanied by a positive value of entropy change. The results of FTIR analysis suggested the involvement of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups during the biosorption process. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses showed that biosorption of B. pumilus sp. AS1 to Pb+2 involved surface adsorption and ion exchange. Desorption experiments by treating biomass with 0.1 M HNO3 solution resulted to more than 90% recovery of the adsorbed Pb+2 from AS1, thereby indicating that Pb+2 can be easily and quantitatively recovered from biomass.

The lead legacy: the relationship between historical mining, pollution and the post-mining landscape

ABSTRACTThe British lead mining industry peaked and declined well before environmental protection and aftercare became a statutory requirement in the post-war period, and as a consequence left in its wake pockets of barren and degraded land. Metal-rich waste tips rarely return to vegetation, and environmental pollution continues through wind erosion and adit drainage. Yet the upland and often remote situation of the mines has permitted many of these small scattered wastelands to escape extensive remediation. These abandoned mine sites have often been interpreted in terms of their historic economic and technological narratives or studied in relation to contemporary heavy metals pollution and current risks to public health. This interdisciplinary study explores the value and benefits of integrating these two approaches towards a better understanding of mining landscapes in relation to their pollution history; grounding the methodology in research questions rather than in any specific discipline. It combines the history of a small abandoned lead mine at Tyndrum, Stirlingshire, with the environmental record contained with the soil material at the site. The integration of traditional historical research with geo-scientific analysis both expands, and not only deepens, knowledge of the historic processes that have brought the specific landscape at Tyndrum to its current state of degradation but also sets the long-term environmental legacies of historic mineral exploitation in the wider British context.

Metal (Al, Mn, Pb and Zn) soils extractable reagents for available fraction assessment: Comparison using plants, and dry and moist soils from the Braçal abandoned lead mine area, Portugal

Eleven composite soil samples, developed either on schist materials or fine heterogeneous waste materials and coarse metallurgical slags, were collected in the Braçal (Portugal) abandoned lead mine. Plants growing in each sampling area were identified. A total of 49 plant samples of eight species –Acacia dealbata Link, Acacia melanoxilon R. Br., Cistus inflatus Pourr. ex Demoly, Erica arborea L., Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Pinus pinaster Aiton, Quercus robur L., and Ulex minor Roth – were collected. This study intends to evaluate the available fraction of aluminium, lead, manganese, and zinc in the soils using dry and moist samples in contact with five extractant solutions, degasified distilled water, and calcium chloride, calcium nitrate, ammonium acetate and DTPA aqueous solutions, and to compare together these results with the total elemental amounts in the aboveground part of the plant species. The available fraction is higher in moist than in the dry soil samples. The correlations between the soil available fraction of the elements and its concentration in the plants suggest that DTPA is not the best extractant for lead bioavailability evaluation. Variable results were observed for the bioavailable fraction of the elements evaluation suggesting that, in multielemental contaminated soils, calcium chloride seems to be a good extractant medium, once it correlates with the higher number of plant species.

A case study of the health impacts in an abandoned lead mining area, using children's blood lead levels

An environmental investigation was initiated following the deaths of cattle from lead poisoning in a former Irish lead and zinc mining area. A study was undertaken to determine blood lead levels (BLL) of children living in the area over a period of three years. Dust and soil samples were collected for environmental lead exposure assessment. The BLL of the children decreased by ∼10% in each of the three years of the screening programme. These levels are at, or below, findings from similar BLL studies undertaken in former mining areas worldwide. The study in this report suggests that the elevated environmental lead (Pb) levels are not currently being transferred to humans. Community awareness of environmental health issues has increased significantly in recent years, creating the need for more detailed scientific studies that can identify potential environmental health problems. The Silvermines project was one such study. The objective of this article is to report the study findings.

Heavy Metals in Tailings,Soils and Vegetation of an Abandoned Lead Mine Land in Morocco

La Haute Moulouya est une région où l’exploitation minière a été développée depuis le début du XXe siècle. De ce fait, les résidus miniers générés par l’activité minière ont été disposés en haldes. Le but de cette recherche est de déterminer la quantité de trois éléments traces métalliques (ETM) dans les haldes, dans la végétation steppique et les sols avoisinant ces dépôts. Le plomb (Pb), le cuivre (Cu) et le zinc (Zn) ont été spécifiquement considérés. Les analyses chimiques ont été faites par ICP-AES. Les résultats d’analyse ont montré la présence de Pb en concentrations élevées dans les résidus miniers et dans la végétation qui colonise les sols avoisinants. Les concentrations en Cu, Pb et Zn dans les échantillons de sols et de plantes sont minimales à 1 km des haldes. L’accumulation maximale des métaux dans la zone 50-200 m suggère que la végétation environnante forme un obstacle à l’érosion éolienne qui provoque le dépôt de la poussière métallique.

Accumulation of lead, zinc, and cadmium in a wild population of Clethrionomys glareolus from an abandoned lead mine.

Lead, zinc, and cadmium were determined in a range of tissues from wild populations of bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) trapped on an abandoned metalliferous mine site and a reference site. Estimated dietary intakes indicated that animals were exposed to elevated levels of all three metals at the mine site, and this was generally reflected in metal residues in body tissues. Lead concentrations were significantly higher in all tissues of animals from the mine compared to the reference site, while Cd was higher only in the kidney. There was evidence of age-accumulation (using total body weight as an index of age) of Cd in both the liver and kidney of mine site animals but no evidence of such accumulation of lead in bone. In contrast to Cd and Pb, Zn was lower in the tissues of mine site animals compared to the reference site. Based on critical tissue concentrations, the ecotoxicological risk to a wild population of bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus), associated with total substrate levels of 1 microg g(-1) dry weight Cd and 700 microg g(-1) dry weight Zn at this mine site is negligible, but that associated with 4000 microg g(-1) dry weight Pb may be considered significant.

Establishing Causality between Exposure to Metals and Effects on Fish

This study evaluates causal relationships between chronic exposure of fish to metals and effects at different levels of biological organization based on a weight-of-evidence approach. Criteria for evaluation of causality were strength, consistency, and specificity of the association, as well as biological gradient and plausibility. Field sampling was conducted three times between 1998 and 2000, in Furnas Stream, impacted by an abandoned lead mine, and in three other locations, including two reference and one impacted sites. Levels of Pb, Zn, Cd, and Ag in sediments from the Furnas Stream exceeded background levels, and their concentrations were above sediment quality guidelines. Residual levels of metals in fish tissue were high enough to indicate reduced growth, reproduction and/or survival according to toxicological benchmarks. Lead-induced biochemical changes (ALA-D activity depletion) were observed in two species of siluriform catfish. The condition factor of a predatory catfish was reduced, and the percentage of prey generalists was higher in Furnas than at the noncontaminated sites. Reduction in fish community diversity and density was observed. Integration of data provided supporting evidence that observed effects on fish from the Furnas Stream resulted from long-term exposure to metals, however influences from other stressors cannot be ruled out.

Regional Risk Assessment of a Brazilian Rain Forest Reserve

The objective of this study was to identify subareas inside and near an Atlantic Rain Forest reserve, the Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira (PETAR), most likely to be affected by land use in the vicinity of the area. In addition, the study aimed to compare risks per stressor source (agriculture, human settlements and mining) to both epigean (surface) and hypogean (subterranean) aquatic fauna. The methodological approach included the relative vulnerability of endpoints to the stressors (pesticides, metals, nutrients, and particles) and ranking of stressor sources and habitats (epigean and hypogean streams) based on their relative distribution in 14 subareas within the catchment areas of the main rivers that cross PETAR: Pilões, Betari and Iporanga. Four subareas presented high risk for both epigean and hypogean fauna. Three of those areas were located inside the Betari catchment area, where most of the settlements and abandoned lead mines are located. The fourth area was situated in the headwaters of the Pilões River, where agricultural activities are intense. Agriculture and human settlements were the activities most likely to cause impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Uses of risk assessment results include management of the PETAR and communication to stakeholders by the Park Administration.

Lead accumulation and location in the shoots of the aquatic liverwort Scapania undulata (L.) Dum. in stream water at greenside mine, England

Lead accumulation in the shoots of the aquatic liverwort Scapania undulata (L.) Dum. collected from a stream at an abandoned lead mine in England was studied with respect to its concentration, localization and chemical forms in the cells. The concentration of Pb in the stream water was 0.02 mg 1 −1, and that of Pb in the shoots ranged from 0.7 to 2.4% Pb on a dry weight basis, giving an enrichment ratio of 3.5×10 5-1·2×10 6, Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (XMA) of the cells showed localization of Pb in the cell wall, while Pb was not detected in the nucleus and other cell components. A study of sulphur speciation in the shoot showed that sulphide-S, which would indicate the presence of PbS, was undetectable at a distinguishable concentration ( <5 μg g −1). A insoluble sulphate-S concentration of 78 μg g −1, which may occur as PbSO 4 was equivalent to about 3% of total Pb in the shoots of S. undulata.

Some effects of century old abandoned lead mining operations on streams in Missouri, USA

Lead has been mined in the Old Lead Belt region of southeastern Missouri, USA since the early 1700s. Mining operations ceased totally in 1972. Since no other major industries were associated with the region, an investigation was initiated to study the long-term environmental effects of lead mining activities on the water quality sediments and biota otarea receiving streams. The principal study area was Flat River Creek,. which drained the major mining operations of the region.

Stable lead, 210Pb and 210Po in the liver and kidneys of cattle. II. Animals from an area near an abandoned lead mine

The concentrations of 210Pb, 210Po and stable lead in the livers and kidneys of 35 animals from an area close to an abandoned lead mine were determined. The median liver concentrations were 12·9 pCi 210Pb, 35·8 pCi 210Po and 0·58 mg stable lead/kg wet tissue, and the median kidney concentrations were 19·5 pCi 210Pb, 152·4 pCi 210Po and 1·20 mg stable lead/kg wet tissue. The specific activity of 210Pb was 20·0 nCi/g Pb in both the livers and the kidneys. The median values for the ratios of the concentrations in the kidneys to those in the livers were 1·47 for 210Pb, 4·15 for 210Po and 2·04 for stable lead. The median ratio of 210Po to 210Pb was 2·50 in the livers and 8·18 in the kidneys. Significant correlations were found between the liver and the kidney levels of 210Pb, 210Po and stable lead and between 210Po and 210Pb in the kidneys, 210Po and 210Pb in the livers, and 210Pb and stable lead in the livers. All the data and their relationships were compared with corresponding data from a control group of cattle from an area which was apparently unaffected by pollution from traffic or industry.

Myotis sodalis in Wisconsin

A specimen of Myotis sodalis taken from an abandoned lead mine in southwestern Wisconsin represents the first record of this species for that state. The bat was taken from a mine known as Atkinson's Diggings, two and a quarter miles west of Beetown, elevation 850 feet, Grant County, Wisconsin, on November 7, 1954. This individual was discovered among 274 Myotis lucifugus which the writers had gathered for banding. It was the only M. sodalis seen. The specimen, a female, has the following measurements: total length, 91 mm.; length of tail, 37; hind foot, 9.5; and ear, 14.5, The specimen is now number 7191 in the collection of the University of Illinois Museum of Natural History. The northern limits of the known range of this species in the Midwest now extend to southeastern Michigan, southern Wisconsin, and central Missouri.

Food Habits of the Raccoon in Eastern Iowa

tion of grains-a type of farming wellsuited to the food requirements of the raccoon. Corn, especially, is known to be one of the most important of raccoon foods. The seats were found in a number of places but for the most part were picked up on the higher ledges and rims of the bluffs where a large part of the defecation apparently occurred. Fully 77 per cent of the scats were found associated with these rocky prominences. Only 17.5 per cent were picked up along the streams, at the bases of trees, or on logs or piles of brush and other debris. Occasionally seats were dropped in pastures, woods, or dirt roads. Such promiscuous defecation seemed more prevalent in the spring and early in summer than later in the year and probably accounts to a certain extent for the smaller number of seats collected during the earlier months. Several of the fecal samples were taken from the passages of abandoned lead mines. These tunnels undermine several 1 Journal paper No. J 735 of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station. Project No. 566. Iowa State College, Iowa State Conservation Commission, and American Wildlife Institute cooperating with the U. S. Biological Survey--a modification of thesis material presented to the graduate faculty of Iowa State College in compliance with the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. 2 Grateful acknowledgment is made of supervision by Dr. G. O. Hendrickson, Iowa State College, and T. G. Scott, U. S. Biological Survey.