Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers ISSN:2288-0291(Print) 2288-2790(Online) 한국자원공학회지

This study investigated geochemical characteristics of the mine drainage discharged from the abandoned coal mine in the Hamback area. Sampling of stream waters(21) and stream sediments(13) was carried out in the area. The pH, EC, TDS, Eh and DO contents were measured in field and ions such as Na, K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Sr, Al, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ge, As, Mo, Cd, Sb, Ba, Pb, F, Cl, NO3 and SO4 were analyzed by GFAAS, AAS, ICP-AES, ICP-MS and IC. The major and trace elements contents in stream sediments were analyzed using lithium metaborate and tetraborate by ICP-MS in Canada. In stream waters, pH values increased, whereas total dissolved solids(TDS), electrical conductivity(EC) and dissolved oxygen(DO) values decreased with distance. Negative values of Eh at upstream site were found, due to the organic material in a retention pond, and these value in stream water effluent from the pond increased progressively with distance. With exception of Na, Cl, NO3 , Cu, Mo and Sb, the concentration of toxic heavy metals and major cations decreased rapidly due to the pond, but the concentration of Na, Cl, NO3 , Cu, Mo and Sb increased gradually with distance. The concentration of Na, Cl and NO3 increasing with distance, which indicate by domestic waste from the village. Quartz, montmorillonite, illite, kaolinite, muscovite vermiculite and goethite were identified in stream sediments by X-ray powder diffraction studies. The Fe2O3 content in stream sediments ranges from 8.34 wt.% to 71.26 wt.%. The content of Fe2O3 increase with decreasing all most elements in stream sediments, whereas the content of Ge(r = 0.91), Mo(r = 0.86), Sr(r = 0.7), U(r = 0.79) and Zr(r = 0.88) increase with increasing Fe2O3 contents. At the upstream site, the Au content(max. 94.2 ppb) in the stream sediments are relatively high but those contents decrease with distance. The contents of Ag(max. 0.55 ppm) were low in upstream site but those contents increase significantly with the direction to the downstream site. In comparison with stream water and stream sediment for metals, the order of enrichment in major elements from the stream sediments is Al > K > Ca > Na > Mg. Whereas heavy metals increased in the order Pb > Zn > Cu > Ba > Mn ?Cd > Mo > Sb.