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Influence of Water Chemistry on Suspended Solids in Coal‐Mine Sedimentation Ponds
Author(s) -
Evangelou V. P.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1990.00472425001900030013x
Subject(s) - suspended solids , sedimentation , volatile suspended solids , total dissolved solids , settling , total suspended solids , distilled water , coal , water quality , chemistry , environmental chemistry , environmental engineering , coal mining , environmental science , sediment , geology , wastewater , ecology , chromatography , chemical oxygen demand , paleontology , organic chemistry , biology
Abstract In Kentucky, water quality in coal‐mine sedimentation ponds is lowered by high concentrations of suspended solids. Spoil samples from surface mine sites in eastern and western Kentucky were equilibrated with distilled water to evaluate their effects on suspended solids. The results demonstrate that small changes in salt concentration have large effects on suspended solid concentration. Furthermore, it was determined that for the ranges of water chemistry encountered in such environments, there is a linear relationship between the repulsive index [RI = (0.014 EC) −1/2 ] and suspended solids. Increasing the electrical conductivity (EC) reduces RI and increases the rate of settling.