Mine Environment

G. Robb and J. Robiason, Mining Environ. Manage. 19—21 (Sept. 1995). 

Cooper, J.A., P.0. Jackson, J.C. Langford, M.R. Peterson and B.O. Stuart, Characteristics of Attached Rn-222 Daughters under both Laboratory and Field Conditions with Particular Emphasis upon Underground Uranium Mine Environments, Batelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories, 1973. 

Grandjean P, White RF, Nielsen A, Cleary D, Santos ECD (1999) Methylmercury neurotoxicity in Amazonian children downstream from gold mining. Environ Health Perspect 107 587-591... 

Roberts, R.D., M.S. Johnson, and M. Hutton. 1978. Lead contamination of small mammals from abandoned metalliferous mines. Environ. Pollut. 15 61-69. 

The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of chemical elements uptake by rock rose (a well adapted plant to mine environments) in natural attenuation by phytostabilization of soils polluted during different periods of mining activity and abandon. 

Keywords Ireland, dosed mines, environment, risk categorization... 

Sram RJ, Dobias L, Rossner P, et al Monitoring genotoxic exposure in uranium mines. Environ Health Perspect 101(suppl 3) 155-158, 1993... 

Use consumer products, industry, dental amalgams, switches, thermometers Source mining, environment, workplace Recommended daily intake none (not essential)... 

Asphyxiating mine gases. As was noted above, many of the minerals found in coal mine environments oxidize briskly when in contact with atmospheric O2 ... 

Daniels, W. L., Stewart, B., Haering, K. Zipper, C. 2002. The Potential for Beneficial Reuse of Coal Fly Ash in Southwest Virginia Mining Environments. Virginia Cooperative Extension Virginia Tech, Publication number 460-134. 

In order to preclude this problem and the necessary frequent regeneration of the anion system s suppressor column, an ion chromatography exclusion scheme was utilized. Samples collected in a mine environment were reliably concentrated by freeze-drying and then analyzed on an ICE system with dilute hydrochloric acid eluent. The precision of the ICE method was experimentally determined to be 2.5% in a concentration range of 1 to 10 yg/mL. The accuracy was not independently determined but good precision and recovery yield confidence that measured values are within 5% of the true value. No interferences were observed in the ICE system due to strong acids, carbonic acid or other water soluble species present in mine air subject to diesel emissions. 

Hayward DG, Nortrup D, Gardner A, Clower Jr. M (1999) Elevated TCDD in Chicken Eggs and Farm-Raised Catfish Fed a Diet with Ball Clay from a Southern United States Mine. Environ Res Sec A 81 248... 

Lengke, M.F. and Tempel, R.N. (2005) Geochemical modeling of arsenic sulfide oxidation kinetics in a mining environment. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 69(2), 341-56. 

Finally, it must be noted that the evolution of tolerance is a necessary condition for the evolution of a population able to colonize a mine, but it may not be sufficient. Mines differ from normal habitats in many ways apart from mere metal contamination the soil structure is usually worse, and the organic content less, so that the soils dry out quickly the soils are frequently very deficient in nitrogen and phosphorus and other essential elements and wind and water erosion may mean that seedling establishment is very difficult (Baker and Proctor, 1990). The result is that plants have to be able to adapt to all these conditions as well as to the metal contamination in practice, only those species which show at least some preadaptation to these harsh conditions are going to be able to evolve tolerant races. It may well be that it is this factor, rather than the evolution of tolerance per se, that is most important in determining which species are able to evolve tolerant races. Such arguments may be relevant when comparing the evolution of tolerance in mine environments and aerially-contaminated sites such as those around smelters, where soil conditions and selective forces are markedly different (Baker, 1987). 

The evolution of the tolerant ecotype is conceptually easy. As described above, first tolerance evolves, and then further adaptations to the other features of the mine environment can be expected to spread. Other genes that enhance the tolerance produced by the initial gene(s) (modifiers) increase the adaptation (Macnair, 1983 Schat and ten Bookum, 1992 a). The problem is, how does an ecotype evolve into a full species Kruckeberg (1984) points out that on the California serpentines there are about 250 endemic taxa, but a further 1000 species that are found both on and off the serpentine (bodenvag species), most of which can be expected to have evolved serpentine-tolerant taxa. What is the difference between a bodenvag species and a species that has evolved into an edaphic endemic ... 

S. Sharmasarkar, G. F. Vance, F. Cassel-Sharmasarkar, Analysis and speciation of selenium ions in mine environments, Environ. Geol., 34 (1998), 31-38. 

Kleinmann, R. L. P. and D. A. Crerar. 1979. Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and the formation of acidity in simulated coal mine environments. Geomicrobiol. J. 1 373-388. 

Hayward, D.G., Norfrup, D., Gardner, A. et al. (1999). Elevated TCDD in chicken eggs and farm-raised catfish fed a diet with ball clay from a southern United States mine. Environ. Res. 81 248-56. 

Alpers C. N. and Nordstrom D. K. (1999) Geochemical modelling of water-rock interactions in mining environments. In Reviews in Economic Geology, vol. 6A, The Environmental Geochemistry of Mineral Deposits Part A. Processes, Methods and Health Issues, (eds. G. S. Plumlee and M. J. Logsdon). Soc. Econ. GeoL, Littleton, CO, pp. 289-324. 

Bennett J. W., Comarmond M. J., Clark N. R., Carras J. N., and Day S. (1999) Intrinsic oxidation rates of coal reject measured in the laboratory. Proc. Sudbury 99 Mining Environ. 1, 9-17. 

Feasby D. G., Blanchette M., and Tremblay G. (1991) The mine environment neutral drainage program. In 2nd Int. Conf Abatement of Acidic Drainage. MEND Secretariat, Tome, vol. 1, pp. 1-26. 

Georgopoulou Z. J., Fytas K., Soto H., and Evangelou B. (1995) Pyrrhotite coating to prevent oxidation. Proc. Sudbury 95 Mining Environ. 1, 7-17. 

Stichbury M., Bechard G., Lortie L., and Gould W. D. (1995) Use of inhibitors to prevent acid mine drainage. Proc. Sudbury 95 Mining Environ. 2, 613-622. 

Berthelot D., Leudc L. G., and Ferroni G. D. (1997) Iron-oxidizing autotrophs and acidophilic heterotrophs from uranium mine environments. Geomicrobiol. J. 14, 317-324. 

M. Farago, Arsenic Contamination in South West England—A Legacy of Mining, Environ. Chem. Group Newsletter, Roy. Soc. Ghent. 10, 5-6, July (1999). 

Faulds AJ, Waszczylo Z, Westaway KC. 1981. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in the underground mine environment. CIM Bull 74 84-90. 

---