Sean Burke

Hydrogeochemistry of coal mine drainage and other ferruginous waters in north Derbyshire and south Yorkshire, UK

Abstract Fifteen coal mine drainage waters from the Millstone Grit and Coal Measures of Derbyshire and Yorkshire have been compared hydrochemically with other iron-rich waters from spoil tips, natural springs and lead mine soughs in the area. The coal mine waters typically contained several tens of mg/l iron, with a range from 0.1 to 101 mg/l, and sulphate from 60 to over 1000 mg/l. The waters are undersaturated with respect to siderite. There is a strong linear correlation between iron and sulphate indicating that pyrite weathering is the dominant source of these parameters, although iron appears to be preferentially removed by precipitation or adsorption within the mines. The pH values of coal mine water are typically c. 6, although one water has a pH of 3.6, contains some 17 mg/l aluminium and lacks the saturation relative to gibbsite and kaolinite present in the other waters. The coal mine waters may be net acidic or net alkaline: there is some evidence to suggest that the former are typically derived from unsaturated, underdrained (i.e. drained from underneath the workings) shallow workings and the latter from saturated, overflowing workings. The spoil tip waters are neutral to alkaline and saline. A possible explanation for this is the leaching of residual pore-water brines from the deep (several hundred metres) mined strata. The spoil tip leachates are poor in iron, which may be retained as iron hydroxides, sulphates or even siderite within the spoil.

Changing climate and nutrient transfers: Evidence from high temporal resolution concentration-flow dynamics in headwater catchments

We hypothesise that climate change, together with intensive agricultural systems, will increase the transfer of pollutants from land to water and impact on stream health. This study builds, for the first time, an integrated assessment of nutrient transfers, bringing together a) high-frequency data from the outlets of two surface water-dominated, headwater (~10km(2)) agricultural catchments, b) event-by-event analysis of nutrient transfers, c) concentration duration curves for comparison with EU Water Framework Directive water quality targets, d) event analysis of location-specific, sub-daily rainfall projections (UKCP, 2009), and e) a linear model relating storm rainfall to phosphorus load. These components, in combination, bring innovation and new insight into the estimation of future phosphorus transfers, which was not available from individual components. The data demonstrated two features of particular concern for climate change impacts. Firstly, the bulk of the suspended sediment and total phosphorus (TP) load (greater than 90% and 80% respectively) was transferred during the highest discharge events. The linear model of rainfall-driven TP transfers estimated that, with the projected increase in winter rainfall (+8% to +17% in the catchments by 2050s), annual event loads might increase by around 9% on average, if agricultural practices remain unchanged. Secondly, events following dry periods of several weeks, particularly in summer, were responsible for high concentrations of phosphorus, but relatively low loads. The high concentrations, associated with low flow, could become more frequent or last longer in the future, with a corresponding increase in the length of time that threshold concentrations (e.g. for water quality status) are exceeded. The results suggest that in order to build resilience in stream health and help mitigate potential increases in diffuse agricultural water pollution due to climate change, land management practices should target controllable risk factors, such as soil nutrient status, soil condition and crop cover.

A multi-scale framework for strategic management of diffuse pollution

A multi-scale framework for decision support is presented that uses a combination of experiments, models, communication, education and decision support tools to arrive at a realistic strategy to minimise diffuse pollution. Effective partnerships between researchers and stakeholders play a key part in successful implementation of this strategy. The Decision Support Matrix (DSM) is introduced as a set of visualisations that can be used at all scales, both to inform decision making and as a communication tool in stakeholder workshops. A demonstration farm is presented and one of its fields is taken as a case study. Hydrological and nutrient flow path models are used for event based simulation (TOPCAT), catchment scale modelling (INCA) and field scale flow visualisation (TopManage). One of the DSMs; The Phosphorus Export Risk Matrix (PERM) is discussed in detail. The PERM was developed iteratively as a point of discussion in stakeholder workshops, as a decision support and education tool. The resulting interactive PERM contains a set of questions and proposed remediation measures that reflect both expert and local knowledge. Education and visualisation tools such as GIS, risk indicators, TopManage and the PERM are found to be invaluable in communicating improved farming practice to stakeholders.

A geochemical model for removal of iron(II)(aq) from mine water discharges

Abstract A steady state geochemical model has been developed to assist in understanding surface-catalysed oxidation of aqueous Fe(II) by O2(aq), which occurs rapidly at circumneutral pH. The model has been applied to assess the possible abiotic removal of Fe(II)(aq) from alkaline ferruginous mine water discharges using engineered reactors with high specific-surface area filter media. The model includes solution and surface speciation equilibrium, oxidation kinetics of dissolved and adsorbed Fe(II) species and mass transfer of O2(g). Limited field data for such treatment of a mine water discharge were available for model development and assessment of possible parameter values. Model results indicate that an adsorption capacity between 10−6 and 10−5 mol l−1 is sufficient for complete removal, by oxidation, of the Fe(II)(aq) load at the discharge. This capacity corresponds approximately to that afforded by surface precipitation of Fe(III) oxide onto plastic trickling filter media typically used for biological treatment of wastewater. Extrapolated literature values for microbial oxidation of Fe(II)(aq) by neutrophilic microbial populations to the simulated reactor conditions suggested that the microbially-mediated rate may be several orders-of-magnitude slower than the surface-catalysed oxidation. Application of the model across a range of mine water discharge qualities shows that high Fe(II)(aq) loadings can be removed if the discharge is sufficiently alkaline. Additional reactor simulations indicate that reactor efficiency decreases dramatically with pH in the near acid region, coinciding with the adsorption edge for Fe2+ on Fe oxyhydroxide. Alkaline discharges thus buffer pH within the range where Fe(II)(aq) adsorbs onto the accreting Fe hydroxide mineral surface, and undergoes rapid catalytic oxidation. The results suggest that the proposed treatment technology may be appropriate for highly ferruginous alkaline discharges, typically associated with abandoned deep coal mines.

Dominant mechanisms for the delivery of fine sediment and phosphorus to fluvial networks draining grassland dominated headwater catchments

Recent advances in monitoring technology have enabled high frequency, in-situ measurements of total phosphorus and total reactive phosphorus to be undertaken with high precision, whilst turbidity can provide an excellent surrogate for suspended sediment. Despite these measurements being fundamental to understanding the mechanisms and flow paths that deliver these constituents to river networks, there is a paucity of such data for headwater agricultural catchments. The aim of this paper is to deduce the dominant mechanisms for the delivery of fine sediment and phosphorus to an upland river network in the UK through characterisation of the temporal variability of hydrological fluxes, and associated soluble and particulate concentrations for the period spanning March 2012-February 2013. An assessment of the factors producing constituent hysteresis is undertaken following factor analysis (FA) on a suite of measured environmental variables representing the fluvial and wider catchment conditions prior to, and during catchment-wide hydrological events. Analysis indicates that suspended sediment is delivered to the fluvial system predominantly via rapidly responding pathways driven by event hydrology. However, evidence of complex, figure-of-eight hysteresis is observed following periods of hydrological quiescence, highlighting the importance of preparatory processes. Sediment delivery via a slow moving, probably sub-surface pathway does occur, albeit infrequently and during low magnitude events at the catchment outlet. Phosphorus is revealed to have a distinct hysteretic response to that of suspended sediment, with sub-surface pathways dominating. However, high magnitude events were observed to exhibit threshold-like behaviour, whereby activation and connection of usually disconnected depositional zones to the fluvial networks results in the movement of vast phosphorus fluxes. Multiple pathways are observed for particulate and soluble constituents, highlighting the challenges faced in mitigating the delivery of contaminant fluxes to headwater river systems.

Groundwater rebound in the South Yorkshire coalfield: a first approximation using the GRAM model

The closures of three deep coal mines in the Rotherham area (South Yorkshire, UK), and the cessation of associated dewatering, have given rise to concerns over possible future pollution of ground‐ and/or surface‐water resources once groundwater rebound is complete. An assessment of the legitimacy of these concerns has been made by applying the recently developed, semi‐distributed computer model GRAM (Groundwater Rebound in Abandoned Mineworkings). The extent of workings and subsurface inter‐connections relating to the three principal collieries in the Rotherham area have been identified from mine plans, augmented by testimonies of former underground workers, and assessed in terms of their hydrogeological importance. GRAM was used to predict the rate of groundwater recovery in the workings, and the timing and flow‐rates of future surface discharges. The simulations predict that major surface discharges can be expected no sooner than the year 2005, and will eventually amount to around 3.9 Ml d−1. It is also predicted that around 0.4 Ml d−1 of water will flow from the abandoned mine‐workings into nearby workings of Maltby Colliery. By analogy with discharges elsewhere associated with seams of similar sulphur content, it is considered that the ‘first flush’ water will contain around 200 mg/l total iron (maximum estimate 600 mg/l), declining eventually to around 20 mg/l total iron.

Major agricultural changes required to mitigate phosphorus losses under climate change

Phosphorus losses from land to water will be impacted by climate change and land management for food production, with detrimental impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Here we use a unique combination of methods to evaluate the impact of projected climate change on future phosphorus transfers, and to assess what scale of agricultural change would be needed to mitigate these transfers. We combine novel high-frequency phosphorus flux data from three representative catchments across the UK, a new high-spatial resolution climate model, uncertainty estimates from an ensemble of future climate simulations, two phosphorus transfer models of contrasting complexity and a simplified representation of the potential intensification of agriculture based on expert elicitation from land managers. We show that the effect of climate change on average winter phosphorus loads (predicted increase up to 30% by 2050s) will be limited only by large-scale agricultural changes (e.g., 20–80% reduction in phosphorus inputs).The impact of climate change on phosphorus (P) loss from land to water is unclear. Here, the authors use P flux data, climate simulations and P transfer models to show that only large scale agricultural change will limit the effect of climate change on average winter P loads in three catchments across the UK.