Selected ions and major and trace elements as contaminants in coal-waste dump water from the Lower and Upper Silesian Coal Basins(Poland)

Many temporary and permanent reservoirs of water occur on or near coal-waste dumps in the Lower-and Upper Silesian Coal Basins(Poland).Little or nothing is known of the degree to which their water chemistry might reflect(i)reservoir type,i.e.,whether permanent or temporary,(ii)level of coal-waste thermal activity,i.e.,whether inactive or self-heating or burnt-out or(iii)region,i.e.,whether the dumps are in Upper-or Lower Silesia.To provide some answers,concentrations of selected ions(NH_(4)^(+),HCO_(3)^(-),F^(-),Cl^(-),Br^(-),NO_(2)^(-),NO_(3)^(-),PO_(4)^(3-),SO_(4)^(2-))were determined by ion chromatography and of nineteen elements(Al,B,Ba,Ca,Cd,Cr,Cu,Fe,K,Li,Mg,Mn,Na,P,Pb,S,Si,Sr,Zn)by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS).The data allow a number of the following observations.When permanent reservoirs are considered,there is a clear relationship between concentrations of ions and major and trace elements and dump thermal activity.The highest concentrations occur where the thermal activity is high as inorganic components are transformed into more water-soluble forms.As dump thermal activity shows a regional pattern,it follows also that elemental and ion concentrations in the dump waters show significant regional differences.In temporary reservoirs,concentrations of ions and major and trace elements are much lower and any correlations between components less significant than in the permanent reservoirs;these reservoirs exist for too short a time for any balance between coal waste-and water components to be established.

Geochemical Characters of Water Coproduced with Coalbed Gas and Shallow Groundwater in Liulin Coalfield of China

To reveal the geochemical characters of water coproduced with coalbed gas and shallow groundwater,water samples were collected from 12 wells of coalbed methane and 7 wells of shallow groundwater.The pH,CODMn,fCO2,total dissolved solids （TDS）,total hardness,and concentrations of metasilicic acid,sodium and kalium,calcium ion,magnesium ion,ammonium iron,bicarbonate ion,carbonate,chloride,sulfate ion,nitrate ion,fluoride,lithium,zinc,nickel,manganese,iron,boron,barium,etc.of the samples were measured.Research results showed the following：（1） Concentrations of TDS,chloride,fluoride,sodium and kalium,ammonium,iron,and barium in the water coproduced with coalbed gas exceeded the national standards of China; however,physical,chemical,and biological properties of shallow groundwater could meet the national standard.（2） The water produced from coalbed contained mainly Na-Cl·HCO3,with average TDS of 4588.5 ppm,whereas shallow groundwater contained a mixture of chemicals including Na.Mg.Ca-HCO3·SO4 and Na.Mg-HCO3·SO4,with average TDS of 663.8 ppm.（3） In general,it was observed that bicarbonate and sodium accumulated in a reducing environment and deeper system,while depletion of hydrogen ions and dissolution of sulfate,calcium,and magnesium occurred in a redox environment and shallow system.（4） Sodium and kalium,ammonium,chloride,and bicarbonate ions were the main ions found in the study area.