English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Zendy Open

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Insights

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Zendy Tools

Zendy Plus

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

PurposeDiffuse pollution emanating from metal mining-impacted sediment could serve as a barrier to achieving European Union Water Framework Directive and US Clean Water Act requirements. UK climate projections (UKCP09) predict increases in rainfall and aridity that will influence river stage alternately exposing and submersing contaminated riverbank sediment. Research focuses on the environmental contaminant dissolved Zn and investigates patterns of release, key geochemical mechanisms controlling Zn mobilisation and the environmental risk of sediment subjected to these perturbations.Materials and methodsUsing two laboratory mesocosm experiments, metal mining-contaminated sediment was subjected to alternate wet and dry sequences of different duration and frequency. The first experiment was run to determine the influence of submersion and exposure of contaminated sediment on releases of Zn and to establish environmental risk. The second experiment utilised diffusional equilibration in thin film (DET) to observe the patterns of Zn release, with depth, in the sediment. Pore water chemical analysis at the sediment-water interface enabled elucidation of key geochemical mechanisms of control of Zn mobilisation.Results and discussionPatterns of Zn release were found to be different, depending on the length of wet and dry period. High concentrations of dissolved Zn were released at the start of a flood for runs with longer dry periods. A buildup of soluble Zn sulphate minerals over long dry periods followed by dissolution on first flood wetting was a key geochemical mechanism controlling Zn release. For longer wet runs, increases in dissolved Mn and Zn were observed over the flood period. Key geochemical mechanisms controlling Zn mobilisation for these runs were: (i) reductive dissolution of Mn (hydr)oxides and release of partitioned Zn over prolonged flood periods followed by (ii) oxidation and precipitation of Mn (hydr)oxides and sorption of Zn on exposure to atmospheric conditions.ConclusionsMesocosm experiments were a first step in understanding the effects of UK climate projections on the riverbank environment. Contaminated sediment was found to pose a significant environmental risk in response to hydrological perturbations. The ‘transient’ nature of dissolved Zn release could make identifying the exact sources of pollution a challenge; therefore, further field studies are advised to monitor contaminant releases under a range of hydrological conditions and account for complex hydrology at mining sites.

Critical control of flooding and draining sequences on the environmental risk of Zn-contaminated riverbank sediments