Pit Lakes Affected by a River Contaminated with Brines Originated from the Coal Mining Industry: Evolution of Water Chemistry in the Zakrzówek Horst Area (Krakow, Southern Poland)
Long-term coal mining activities in the Upper Silesia significantly affect the environment in southern Poland. Discharges of brines (with TDS reaching over 110 g/L) from mines are the main source of pollution of many rivers in Poland, including the Vistula River. The Zakrzówek horst is a small geolo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/12/4382 |
| _version_ | 1797487792323821568 |
|---|---|
| author | Jacek Motyka Kajetan d’Obyrn Ondra Sracek Adam Postawa Michał Źróbek |
| author_facet | Jacek Motyka Kajetan d’Obyrn Ondra Sracek Adam Postawa Michał Źróbek |
| author_sort | Jacek Motyka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Long-term coal mining activities in the Upper Silesia significantly affect the environment in southern Poland. Discharges of brines (with TDS reaching over 110 g/L) from mines are the main source of pollution of many rivers in Poland, including the Vistula River. The Zakrzówek horst is a small geological structure composed of the Upper Jurassic limestones. These limestones were exploited in several quarries. In the largest one (the “Zakrzówek” quarry), exploitation reached the depth of 36 m below the water table, i.e., about 32 m below the average water level in Vistula River which flows 700 m from the quarry. An important part of this inflow into quarries came from the contaminated Vistula River, with a chloride concentration over 2 g/L. The exploitation ceased in 1991, and dewatering ended in 1992. In the old quarry area, pit lakes appeared, which are unique because they present an example of a post-mining site affected by the riverine water contaminated with brines. Investigations of physicochemical parameters of water in the Zakrzówek area were carried out in the period of 1990–2020. Results showed that the largest pit lake was initially meromictic with a distinct stratification. After several years, holomictic conditions developed due to the surface layer freshening and convective mixing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:52:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a09445f87ba64db8a1edcc165e15a8c6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:52:50Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-a09445f87ba64db8a1edcc165e15a8c62023-11-23T16:30:15ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732022-06-011512438210.3390/en15124382Pit Lakes Affected by a River Contaminated with Brines Originated from the Coal Mining Industry: Evolution of Water Chemistry in the Zakrzówek Horst Area (Krakow, Southern Poland)Jacek Motyka0Kajetan d’Obyrn1Ondra Sracek2Adam Postawa3Michał Źróbek4Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30 Av., 30-059 Krakow, PolandFaculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30 Av., 30-059 Krakow, PolandDepartment of Geology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech RepublicFaculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30 Av., 30-059 Krakow, PolandFaculty of Drilling, Oil and Gas, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza 30 Av., 30-059 Krakow, PolandLong-term coal mining activities in the Upper Silesia significantly affect the environment in southern Poland. Discharges of brines (with TDS reaching over 110 g/L) from mines are the main source of pollution of many rivers in Poland, including the Vistula River. The Zakrzówek horst is a small geological structure composed of the Upper Jurassic limestones. These limestones were exploited in several quarries. In the largest one (the “Zakrzówek” quarry), exploitation reached the depth of 36 m below the water table, i.e., about 32 m below the average water level in Vistula River which flows 700 m from the quarry. An important part of this inflow into quarries came from the contaminated Vistula River, with a chloride concentration over 2 g/L. The exploitation ceased in 1991, and dewatering ended in 1992. In the old quarry area, pit lakes appeared, which are unique because they present an example of a post-mining site affected by the riverine water contaminated with brines. Investigations of physicochemical parameters of water in the Zakrzówek area were carried out in the period of 1990–2020. Results showed that the largest pit lake was initially meromictic with a distinct stratification. After several years, holomictic conditions developed due to the surface layer freshening and convective mixing.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/12/4382coal mining brinespit lakeswater chemistrylimestone quarryUpper Jurassic limestones |
| spellingShingle | Jacek Motyka Kajetan d’Obyrn Ondra Sracek Adam Postawa Michał Źróbek Pit Lakes Affected by a River Contaminated with Brines Originated from the Coal Mining Industry: Evolution of Water Chemistry in the Zakrzówek Horst Area (Krakow, Southern Poland) Energies coal mining brines pit lakes water chemistry limestone quarry Upper Jurassic limestones |
| title | Pit Lakes Affected by a River Contaminated with Brines Originated from the Coal Mining Industry: Evolution of Water Chemistry in the Zakrzówek Horst Area (Krakow, Southern Poland) |
| title_full | Pit Lakes Affected by a River Contaminated with Brines Originated from the Coal Mining Industry: Evolution of Water Chemistry in the Zakrzówek Horst Area (Krakow, Southern Poland) |
| title_fullStr | Pit Lakes Affected by a River Contaminated with Brines Originated from the Coal Mining Industry: Evolution of Water Chemistry in the Zakrzówek Horst Area (Krakow, Southern Poland) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pit Lakes Affected by a River Contaminated with Brines Originated from the Coal Mining Industry: Evolution of Water Chemistry in the Zakrzówek Horst Area (Krakow, Southern Poland) |
| title_short | Pit Lakes Affected by a River Contaminated with Brines Originated from the Coal Mining Industry: Evolution of Water Chemistry in the Zakrzówek Horst Area (Krakow, Southern Poland) |
| title_sort | pit lakes affected by a river contaminated with brines originated from the coal mining industry evolution of water chemistry in the zakrzowek horst area krakow southern poland |
| topic | coal mining brines pit lakes water chemistry limestone quarry Upper Jurassic limestones |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/12/4382 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jacekmotyka pitlakesaffectedbyarivercontaminatedwithbrinesoriginatedfromthecoalminingindustryevolutionofwaterchemistryinthezakrzowekhorstareakrakowsouthernpoland AT kajetandobyrn pitlakesaffectedbyarivercontaminatedwithbrinesoriginatedfromthecoalminingindustryevolutionofwaterchemistryinthezakrzowekhorstareakrakowsouthernpoland AT ondrasracek pitlakesaffectedbyarivercontaminatedwithbrinesoriginatedfromthecoalminingindustryevolutionofwaterchemistryinthezakrzowekhorstareakrakowsouthernpoland AT adampostawa pitlakesaffectedbyarivercontaminatedwithbrinesoriginatedfromthecoalminingindustryevolutionofwaterchemistryinthezakrzowekhorstareakrakowsouthernpoland AT michałzrobek pitlakesaffectedbyarivercontaminatedwithbrinesoriginatedfromthecoalminingindustryevolutionofwaterchemistryinthezakrzowekhorstareakrakowsouthernpoland |