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Supplemental Irrigation with Stream Water Contaminated by Acid Mine Drainage
Author(s) -
Terkeltoub Richard W.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr007i003p00704
Subject(s) - acid mine drainage , drainage , environmental science , irrigation , water quality , lime , streams , coal mining , soil water , environmental engineering , environmental chemistry , agronomy , waste management , geology , chemistry , coal , soil science , ecology , biology , paleontology , computer network , engineering , computer science
Many streams in the Appalachian coal producing region, which could furnish supplemental irrigation water, are polluted with acid mine drainage. They consequently contain much greater trace metal concentrations and have lower p H than do nearby streams that carry only agricultural drainage. Nevertheless, supplemental irrigation of barley plants grown in a greenhouse with acid mine water was as beneficial to plant growth as supplemental irrigation with deionized water. The capacity of the soil to buffer p H and adsorb trace metals apparently counteracts the properties of acid mine water, which are detrimental to plant growth. Furthermore, the agricultural quality of a field often flooded with acid mine water has been maintained by adding lime to offset the reduced p H. Thus under certain soil conditions and management practices, acid mine water can be used for supplemental irrigation.