Historical Mining Research Articles

Assessment of asbestos fiber contamination in lake sediment cores of the Thetford Mines region, southern Quebec (Canada)

• Lake sediments of the Thetford Mines region contain high asbestos concentrations. • Stratigraphic asbestos concentrations vary in accordance with mining history. • Asbestos mining waste erosion still today releases high amounts of asbestos fibers. • Asbestos fibers are transported over at least 25 km by the Bécancour River. The Bécancour River in southern Quebec (Canada) has evolved under the influence of the long asbestos mining history of the Thetford Mines region (1877–2011 Common Era; CE). This river originates at the outflow of Lake Bécancour, flows through the old mining sites, and then widens to successively form Stater Pond, Trout Lake, Lake William, and Lake Joseph (25 km from the closest mine). Our objective was to assess asbestos fiber contamination in dated sediment cores retrieved at these sites by means of transmission electron microscopy. Chrysotile was the most abundant form of asbestos identified in the samples. Asbestiform actinolite and tremolite were also found. Our results revealed that precolonial sediments deposited at 4 out of the 5 study sites naturally contained asbestos fibers (up to 3.5 wt%), with mass accumulation rates historically reaching up to 1.0 mg cm −2 yr −1 . However, fiber concentrations were greatly enhanced in the anthropogenic horizon of all sediment cores. The highest concentrations (up to 6.9 wt%) were found in layers from Stater Pond and Trout Lake deposited during the maximum of regional mining activities (1945‒1980 CE). Likewise, reconstructed mass accumulation rates indicated that asbestos fiber influx peaked (up to 38.6 mg cm −2 yr −1 ) during this epoch in all water bodies located downstream from Thetford Mines at magnitudes consistent with their proximity to the mining sites. They decreased after 1980 EC (≤ 24.4 mg cm −2 yr −1 ) following the decline of regional mining activities and improvement of air quality. Modern sediments of all study sites (including upstream Lake Bécancour) were nevertheless still highly enriched in asbestos fibers (up to 4.4 wt%), which can be attributed to intensive mining waste erosion in the lake catchments. Our study highlights that asbestos fiber contamination is important and widespread in the Bécancour River basin, which raises human and ecosystem health concerns.

История золотодобычи в России: Лев Иванович Брусницын

The article analyzes the development of gold mining in Russia from a historical perspective. Historical reasons and factors of native and placer gold discovery are investigated and explained. A particular emphasis is placed on Lev Brusnitsyn, the discoverer of gold-bearing sands in Russia, and on industrial development of these sands. The global significance of this discovery is highlighted. The article presents the biography of this historical person, with account of modern historical knowledge, as well as his life assessment by his contemporaries and descendants. During the entire history of gold mining in Russia, about 18 thousand tons of gold have been recovered, three quarters of which being placer gold. It was the result of the hard work of thousands and thousands of unknown miners and mine foremen like Lev Brusnitsyn, who will be discussed in this article. It has taken Russia quite a long time to harness its golden chariot and make a historic leap into the global leaders of gold mining.

The Combined Application of Surface Floating Wetlands and Bottom Anaerobic to Remediate AMD-Contaminated Lakes

Acid mine drainage (AMD) causes environmental pollution that affects many countries with historic or current mining industries. The eco-remediation system (RW) which combined surface floating wetlands and bottom anaerobic sediments (SFW-BAS) was selected for AMD-contaminated lakes (AMDW). Meanwhile, AMDW and nature aquatic ecosystems (NW) were set as the control groups, respectively. The parameters, including pH, Eh, Fe, Mn, SO42−, and the degradation rate of the native dominant plant litter were investigated to assess the effects of remediation. The results showed that the average of pH, Eh, and EC, was 2.73, 484.08 mv, and 2395.33 μs·cm−1, respectively. The average content of SO42−, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Pb was 2190 mg·L−1, 40.2 mg·L−1, 4.6 mg·L−1, 249.2 μg·L−1, 1563 μg·L−1, and 112.9 μg·L−1, respectively. The degradation rate of plant litters in AMDW ranged from 14.5% to 22.6%. However, RW ultimately improved the water quality and the degradation of litters. RW has a good effect on buffering the acidity, ranging from 3.96 to 7.41. The pH of RW (6.14) is close to that of NW (7.41). The average content of SO42−, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Pb was 2071 mg·L−1, 3.4 mg·L−1, 2.4 mg·L−1, 85.3 μg·L−1, 607.4 μg·L−1, and 47.8 μg·L−1, respectively, which showed good pollutant removal performance. The degradation rate of plant litters in RW ranged from 27.8% to 32.6%. Therefore, RW can be used to remediate AMDW.

Mining Heritage and Mining Landscape Krušnohoří/Erzgebirge as a Part of the UNESCO Heritage

The article deals with the perception and methods of management of the mining heritage and mining the landscapes from the perspective of individual stakeholders, entities and interest groups. The first part deals with the conceptualization of heritage in general, discussing various ways of defining and looking at heritage; later, the general discussion focuses on a specific group of heritage, which is the mining heritage. The following is an introduction to the area of interest of the Jáchymov region (part of the Ore Mountains, i.e., an area characterized by a long mining history and a number of mining monuments). It is important, mainly, because it is part of the world heritage; the Mining Cultural Landscape of the Krušnohoří/Erzgebirge was added to the UNESCO list in 2019. The second part of the article is devoted to field research in the Jáchymov region. The aim of the research was to find out how the mining heritage in the Jáchymov region is treated, and how and for what purposes it is used. Representatives of the public, private and non-profit sectors from the local, regional and national levels were involved in the research. Research is a comprehensive view of the process of heritage formation and management.

ASSESSMENT OF ECOLOGICAL, PHYSICOCHEMICAL, TECHNICAL AND AESTHETIC PROPERTIES OF BASALT PAVING OF L’VIV AND HISTORY OF ITS USE

“Underrated eternal paving stones of the city of L’viv” or “Where the paving stones end, L’viv ends there...” Paving stones are not only the usual street or road surface of cities. It has become an integral part of the city of L’viv and even its symbol. It is in paintings by artists, in poetry and prose works. L’viv paving stones already live their lives and it is inseparable from the environment. This is not just a symbol, but part of the city. It is impossible to separate these things. At the modern stage, paving can be considered as one of the historic properties that attract residents and guests of the city of L’viv. It has a long history, technical features (manufacture and laying) and, as it turned out, environmental properties.The article considers the history of basalt mining and the assessment of its environmental, physical and chemical, technical and aesthetic properties and the importance of urbanized space for paving streets in order to create a comfortable habitat. Unlike artificial analogues and less stable natural varieties, basalt paving does not change its physical, mechanical and aesthetic characteristics, it is below the generally recognized, most environmentally friendly, hard road surface for which is inherent: 1) extremely high mechanical strength – the first category in the M. M. Protodyakonov’s scale: extremely strong, dense and viscous rock; 2) a very low coefficient of thermal expansion and resistance to a wide range of fluctuations in daily, seasonal or annual temperatures; 3) almost complete absence of cavities and cracks, or their disjoint to each other; 4) maintenance of hundreds and thousands of cycles of freezing and defrosting; 5) absence of water-soluble minerals in mineral composition; 6) resistance to a wide range of aggressiveness of surface and underground waters; 7) environmentally friendly – characterization of the complete absence of toxic gas emanations and freshwater of the water extract; 8) radiation safety – inherent low contents of uranium and thorium (compared to granites), as well as a very low radiation background.

Zinc isotope constraints on the formation of sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX) ore deposits: New evidence from the Franklin, NJ mining district

We report δ66Zn for the high temperature metamorphic zinc oxide and silicate minerals franklinite (Fr) (Zn2+Fe3+2O4), zincite (Zc) (ZnO) and willemite (Wlm) (Zn2SiO4) from the Franklin, NJ, historic mining district. With reference to the JMC-Lyon standard, δ66Zn franklinite ranges from −0.10 to 0.48‰ with an average of 0.20 ± 0.17‰ (n = 22). δ66Zn willemite ranges from 0.23 to 0.48‰ with an average of 0.37 ± 0.09‰ (n = 7). δ66Zn zincite ranges from 0.29 to 0.60‰ with an average of 0.47 ± 0.12‰ (n = 9). These data suggest that the analyzed phases fractionate heavy zinc in the order Fr < Wlm < Zc. Taken as a group, these minerals have an average δ66Zn of 0.30 ± 0.19‰. This is0.16‰ heavier than an estimated global mean δ66Zn for sphalerite (ZnS) of 0.12 ± 0.16‰ for seafloor zinc deposits. Our results are consistent with fractionation factors that predict that Zn oxides and silicates (protoliths of these ores) should be isotopically heavier than sphalerite when precipitated from fluids of the same temperature with similar zinc isotope compositions. Our samples from Sterling Hill are taken from two short transects across the orebody. Calcite (Cal) (CaCO3) from the same samples has δ13C from −0.54 to 1.46‰ with an average of 0.79 ± 0.51‰ (VPDB; n = 30), while δ18O ranges from 9.72 to 15.12‰ with an average of 12.42 ± 1.35‰ (VSMOW; n = 30). Results for these two isotope systems are consistent with earlier studies. δ13C decreases smoothly with distance towards the west along both transects; δ18O in contrast stays very close to its mean on the longer, southern transect but increases with distance to the west along the shorter, northern transect. There is no apparent covariation between δ66Zn and either of the other isotopic ratios measured.

Adverse Influence of Legal Surroundings of the Historical Relics of the Underground Works in the Area of Lower Silesia on Removal of the Environmental Risks Related to Them

Abstract This paper presents the complexity of issues related to removal of risks related to historical mining workings and underground structures that are located numerously in the area of the Sudetes and their Foothills (Lower Silesia). These grounds, rich in raw materials, feature complex political and economic history, the material remnants of which are i.a. different kinds of underground structures of the anthropogenic origin, predominantly scantily surveyed and constituting risks resulting both from sheer existence of incorrectly or almost completely not liquidated underground hollows and especially from various sorts of wastes that have been accumulated there—including hazardous ones. Due to incorporation after World War 2 of a part of Lower Silesia into Poland (so called “Recovered Territories”), these historical workings and underground structures were created in the area of another state (Germany), which is the cause of a number of uncertainties concerning both the legal status of these objects and determining the form its responsibility for eradication of the risks related to them will take. An excellent example of this kind of situation constitutes the issue of the cluster of the underground workings located in the area of the town of Bolków where, in the years 1943–1944, an attempt was undertaken to locate an underground factory of airplane subassemblies there. Over half a century since the end of World War 2, an accumulation of potentially hazardous substances was discovered there—probably petroleum-derived, which have never been identified correctly and their present storage place remains unknown—due to an illegal penetration of the underground places by unauthorized persons and theft of the artefacts located there (including containers with an unknown content).

THE SEGADORS OF LA RENAIXENÇA: LITERATURE SHAPING HISTORY

This article examines how nineteenth-century literary representations of the segadors of 1640 contributed to their transformation as symbols of Catalan identity associated today with the national anthem that bears their name. From the 1850s, histories, novels, and poems by Víctor Balaguer, Manuel Angelon, and Josep Anselm Clavé, among others, represented the popular rebels, not as heroes but as animal-like, bloodthirsty, and mad for revenge, in contrast to the moral beauty of the true heroes of the Guerra dels Segadors: Barcelona’s consellers and the Catalan diputats and, above all, their president, Pau Claris. However, by casting the fury of the segadors as a visceral reaction to abuses by royal officials and soldiers, these authors inadvertently set the stage for their later transformation as defenders of Catalan liberty. The story of this transformation recasts the relationship between Romantic literature and history: rather than simply mine history for dramatic stories, literature could, in fact, shape the study of history by drawing attention to subjects toward which historians had shown little interest.

Selective and efficient mercury(II) removal from water by adsorption with a cellulose citrate biopolymer

Mercury is a global pollutant, very dangerous for the aquatic ecosystems and for human health. The sources of mercury in the environment are either anthropogenic or natural. However, historical mining activities and current anthropogenic activities, have led to a significant increase of its level in the environment. Its removal by efficient and cost-effective technologies, is of the utmost importance in order to help restore it back towards natural levels. Here we show that a novel cellulose citrate biopolymer, produced by the reaction of cellulose and citric acid, is an efficient adsorbent of inorganic mercury with a distribution constant close to 105 l/g and an estimated record high maximum adsorption capacity of 1600 mg/g. Moreover, due to the large fraction of citrate moieties on its surface, its adsorption selectivity toward inorganic mercury, is the highest after that for Pb(II), among a series of divalent heavy metals, in different aqueous matrices. Finally, cellulose citrate can be reused for several adsorption cycles by a simple regeneration process without significant adsorption performance loss.

Golden Mutator Recommendation Based on Mutation Pattern Mining

Mutation testing is widely used in the research of evaluation and optimization of test set quality, and has been paid attention to the study of bug localization and fixing. But one inherent problem of mutation testing is huge computation cost. Selective mutation is an important method to reduce mutation testing cost. However, the existing selective mutation researches indicate that there is no universal selection strategy. This paper proposes a method which integrates with historical software data mining to recommend suitable mutator for program under test. The basic idea of the method is in the software version control system, any pair of nonfixed and post-fixed programs can be original program and mutant of each other. The edit performed during bug fixing contains mutators, and such mutator can guide buggy program to correct program, hence it is called Golden Mutator. The basic method is to compare the buggy files and the corresponding fixed files in the version control system, obtain historical faulty statements and their fix editing operations, thereby accumulating the bug-fix instance base, and then mining mutation patterns from it. Before mutating the target statement, we first find out faulty instances similar to the target statement, and use their fixing edits to match with the mutation pattern, so as to get the golden mutator applicable to the target statement. This paper uses Defects4j dataset in the test, verifies the accuracy of the proposed recommendation method, and further uses the method in bug localization. Compared to fixedly selected mutators, when applying the golden mutator recommended by using the proposed method, the average accuracy of bug localization is higher.

Increased Mercury and Reduced Insect Diversity in Linked Stream-Riparian Food Webs Downstream of a Historical Mercury Mine.

Historical mining left a legacy of abandoned mines and waste rock in remote headwaters of major river systems in the western United States. Understanding the influence of these legacy mines on culturally and ecologically important downstream ecosystems is not always straightforward because of elevated natural levels of mineralization in mining-impacted watersheds. To test the ecological effects of historic mining in the headwaters of the upper Salmon River watershed in Idaho (USA), we measured multiple community and chemical endpoints in downstream linked aquatic-terrestrial food webs. Mining inputs impacted downstream food webs through increased mercury accumulation and decreased insect biodiversity. Total mercury (THg) in seston, aquatic insect larvae, adult aquatic insects, riparian spiders, and fish at sites up to 7.6 km downstream of mining was found at much higher concentrations (1.3-11.3-fold) and was isotopically distinct compared with sites immediately upstream of mining inputs. Methylmercury concentrations in bull trout and riparian spiders were sufficiently high (732-918 and 347-1140 ng MeHg g-1 dry wt, respectively) to affect humans, birds, and piscivorous fish. Furthermore, the alpha-diversity of benthic insects was locally depressed by 12%-20% within 4.3-5.7 km downstream from the mine. However, because total insect biomass was not affected by mine inputs, the mass of mercury in benthic insects at a site (i.e., ng Hg m-2 ) was extremely elevated downstream (10-1778-fold) compared with directly upstream of mining inputs. Downstream adult aquatic insect-mediated fluxes of THg were also high (~16 ng THg m-2 day-1 ). Abandoned mines can have ecologically important effects on downstream communities, including reduced biodiversity and increased mercury flux to higher order consumers, including fish, birds, and humans. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1696-1710. Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Stability analysis of a closed underground hard rock metal mine using Finite Element Method

Active deep hard rock metal mines with long mining history come with inherent problems of stability and mining induced issues. These hard rock mines once closed, still pose even greater environmental risks and stability concerns. The issues of post-mining impact on environment are usually undervalued and disregarded. It is very essential to give utmost importance to these mines by following standard mine closure methods and remediations using post-mining management plans for long-term monitoring and risk assessments associated with the mine for the safety of life and structures above. The area identified for the study is Kolar Gold Fields mine located in Karnataka, India. The mine was completely closed in 2000. The underground mine has been posing post-mining induced seismicity even today. Due to the complexity of the underground mine and the inaccessibility to the mine post closure, the Finite Element Method of approach has been used. The approach is developed to simulate a model similar to actual field conditions, subjecting them to the seismic loads, varying the parameters which play a significant role, assessing the entire Kolar Gold Fields mines for vulnerable zones subjected to post-mining induced effects and finally making it possible to evaluate the stability conditions of the deep hard rock underground metal mine. The simulations were carried out for the three cases with varying the peak ground acceleration (PGA) for a low PGA of 0.06g, for an intermediate PGA of 0.1g and high value of 0.2g. It can be inferred that as the acceleration is increased from 0.06g to 0.22g, there is a corresponding increase in ground acceleration observed at the ground surface for each case. The maximum acceleration for PGA of 0.06g is 0.071g, for PGA of 0.10g, it is 0.170g and for PGA of 0.22g it is 0.266g. The results were validated with the field observations (data of seismicity from installed seismic monitoring systems). The Finite Element Method of approach has aided in quick assessment of stability of the underground closed mine.

Kinship and Community in Climate-Change Theatre: Ecodramaturgy in Practice

Abstract Ecodramaturgy, a critical framework that interrogates the implicit ecological values in any play or production, is explained here and then used to demonstrate the central tenets of climate theatre, including theatre’s potential for decolonisation, interspecies understanding, and community engagement. Burning Vision (2002) by Marie Clements employs a ceremonial performance form to unearth the hidden history of uranium mining on Dene lands as it argues for environmental justice and the authority of Indigenous oral traditions. Sila (2014) by Chantal Bilodeau foregrounds the interdependence of culture and community across species. Finally, Salmon Is Everything (2006) by Theresa J. May amplifies the voices of Indigenous communities most affected by ecological loss. Taken together, these plays and their productions underscore the potential for theatre-making to function as a democratising force in the Anthropocene.

YouTube as Historical Process

OverviewYouTube is now a common public face for archaeology and history. Professionals and amateurs alike make videos, whether it be for monetary gain, outreach, or a combination of the two. The YouTube channel Ghost Town Living is no exception. It features the town's current owner, Brent Underwood, modifying the “abandoned” mining town of Cerro Gordo into a tourist destination. During this process, as is documented in his videos, it becomes clear that Underwood is not only conserving the town but also transforming it into an amalgam of California's mining history. In doing so and by presenting it on YouTube, Underwood is sharing the heritage of Cerro Gordo with the public. Although Underwood is not an archaeologist and is not pretending to be one, some of the methods employed are far from “best practice.” Despite this, I argue that perhaps the overall goals and processes of Underwood should be encouraged to some degree, and in this case, that they do more good than harm for the “preservation” of Cerro Gordo.

Recovering Histories: Life and Labor after Heroin in Reform-Era China

Recovering Histories: Life and Labor after Heroin in Reform-Era China

Mining and Metallurgical Waste as Potential Secondary Sources of Metals—A Case Study for the West Balkan Region

The aim of this paper is to present a chemical composition and quantities of mining and processing waste landfills material developed during historical mining and smelting. After detailed inspection, it was found that approximately 2.6 gigatons of the waste had been deposited at 1650 sites, covering almost 65 km2. More than half of this material, 55%, is characterized as conventional mining waste, 37% belongs to the processing tailings, and 8% to metallurgical waste. Most of these tailing sites are unclaimed, presenting a source of contamination for nearby communities. According to the literature data collected and additional chemical analyses, in accordance with zero-waste philosophy, about 42 promising locations (c. 270 million tons) could be selected, where various advanced eco-innovative methods of recovery could possibly apply. The areas with the highest prospective recovery are Serbia and Kosovo. In accordance with the metal prices achieved in March 2022, it is estimated that the recovery of tailings could bring up to 18,100 million USD, which is much more compared to the prices of March 2020—10,600 million USD—when the commodity market was governed by the COVID-19 restrictions. In addition to the commercial value of the metals, the environmental aspect should not be forgotten after the application of reuse and recycling concepts.

Historic Underground Silver Mine Workings Detection Using 2D Electrical Resistivity Imaging (Durango, Mexico)

This paper presents an underground silver mining operation outside Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico, terminated around the 1930s, of which previous knowledge of its operations was poor. Durango’s current silver exploration campaigns are likely to overlook historic silver mining sites due to interest in specific prospect regions. A two-dimensional (2D) Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) survey coupled with reconnaissance of the area was performed at this historic silver mining site. The exploration campaign aimed to find the abandoned mineshaft, map its subsurface extent, and explore the occurrence of mineralization zones (silver ore). The ERI survey comprised five profiles measured with the extended dipole-dipole array with a consistent electrode spacing of 5 m. The smooth, robust, and damped least-squares inversion methods were used to invert the 2D data. Our field observations and ERI survey results collectively reveal the following findings: (a) reconnaissance reveals mining infrastructure consistent with historical mining activity; the infrastructure includes a complex of habitational rooms, an ore-processing pit near a concrete slab next to a dirt road, and two limestone-wall structures interpreted as the entrance of abandoned backfilled mineshafts named Mesquite and Lechuguilla; (b) high-resistivity anomalies suggest vestiges of shallow, underground mine workings including backfilled mineshafts that connect a mine gallery complex, and (c) various low-resistivity anomalies, juxtaposed against mine galleries, suggestive of unmined shallow vein-type and manto-type mineralization of hydrothermal origin. The imaging depth is estimated at ~65 m. Underground silver mining moved southwards and was limited to ~40 m depth.

PTE and multi-isotope assessment of spring water used for human consumption in the historical mining region of Taxco de Alarcón in southern Mexico

The concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTE) and the isotope compositions (87Sr/86Sr, δ34S, 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 208Pb/204Pb ratios) were determined in spring water, sulfide minerals, and rocks samples to evaluate spring water used for human consumption in the historical mining region of Taxco de Alarcón, southern Mexico. The springs samples were collected from the most representative rock units of the study area, from older to younger, to the Taxco Schist, Morelos, Mexcala, Balsas, and Tilzapotla formations. The spring water samples were classified as HCO3–Ca and HCO3–Ca–Na–Mg. The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Sb, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ba, and Al in the spring water samples were below the recommended values for human consumption according to Mexican and international agencies. However, Al, Ba, Mn, Li, Tl, and Ga concentrations may represent adverse health effects. The average concentrations in the springs followed the decreasing order Tl > Cd > Pb > Sb > Ni > Cu > Li > Zn > Ga > Mn > Ba > Al. This order is similar to that of the rocks rather than the sulfide mineralization, which suggests a major water-rock interaction, and therefore, a genetic link with the rocks. The water-rock interaction is supported by the Sr isotope data, mainly with the rocks belonging to the Tilzapotla Fm. According to the S isotope composition of the springs, two groups were identified: (1) springs characterized by lighter δ34S values, similar to those of the disseminated pyrite hosted in rocks from the Mexcala Fm; and (2) springs with heavier δ34S values, which were within the compositional range of the sulfide mineralization and Morelos Fm rocks. The Pb isotope compositions and mixing models indicated that the rock formations, particularly the Morelos Fm rocks, and the sulfide mineralization, influenced the composition of the spring water. This type of research is crucial to assess PTE contents and sources of spring water used for human consumption, particularly in developing countries, where the lack of infrastructure is common in rural areas.

Lectio praecursoria

In this lectio praecursoria, which I presented as part of my doctoral defense at the University of Eastern Finland on 5 November 2021, I delve deep into the Brazilian anti-mining movement to understand the context in which activism take place, their main strategies and course of actions, and their ability to influence the overall mining debate in Brazil in the 2010s. It sheds light on the key challenges faced by groups fighting for more environmental and social justice in mining conflictual situations. More specific, the research covers the 2013–2017 time frame, when discussions on the mining framework and a severe tailings dam failure happened. These two cases are analyzed and their effects on anti-mining activism are explored through a twofold focus on social movements and environmental justice studies. The study contributes to scientific discussions on mining and society by seeking conceptual bridges across political-ecologically oriented studies on social movements against mineral extraction. It also expands, significantly, analyses of social movements in Brazil by contributing to the international comparative literature on the social and environmental impacts of mining, Brazilian and Latin American studies, studies on mining history, sociology of mining, and mining policy.

The Impacts of Different Anthropogenic Disturbances on Macroinvertebrate Community Structure and Functional Traits of Glacier-Fed Streams in the Tianshan Mountains

Macroinvertebrates are sensitive to environmental disturbances, however, the effects of human activities on macroinvertebrate community structures and functional traits in glacier-fed streams are concerning. To elucidate the effects of horse, cattle and sheep grazing, hot spring scenic development, and historic iron ore mine development on macroinvertebrate communities, we conducted a study in three glacier-fed streams of the Tianshan Mountains in northwest China in April 2021. Our results showed that the species richness and density significantly decreased due to grazing (p &lt; 0.05). There were more taxa with resilience traits such as “small size at maturity” in the grazing stream. The EPT richness and density affected by hot spring scenic development significantly decreased compared to the undisturbed point (p &lt; 0.05). There was a significant increase in taxa with resistance traits such as “bi-or-multivoltine” in the hot spring stream. The stream affected by historic mine development is currently in the self-recovery stage following the closure of the mine ten years ago. Additionally, the species richness, EPT richness, and density at the mining site were significantly higher than the source site (p &lt; 0.05), reflecting that the habitat fragmentation caused by previous mining activities prevented the upward dispersal of macroinvertebrates. The taxa in the mining stream were also characterized by higher resistance traits such as “abundant occurrence in drift”. These results were attributed to the impacts of human disturbance on habitat stability, habitat heterogeneity, water quality, and material cycling of stream ecosystems, indicating human disturbance on the efficiency of resource utilization and functional diversification. In addition, our results showed that functional indicators of macroinvertebrate communities are helpful for monitoring and evaluating habitat conditions.