Characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus loads in peat mining wastewater.
Runoff water quality from a peat mine was studied during 1995 and 1996 in Central Finland. Water samples from three drained sub-catchments and groundwater were analysed for all the standard physio-chemical parametres including different forms of nitrogen and phosphorus. The annual leaching of phosphorus, nitrogen and suspended solids was estimated to be 16-38 kgkm(-2), 1,073-1,500 kgkm(-2), and 2-8 tkm(-2), respectively. The variation in nutrient concentrations could be best explained by the relative volumes of new water (5-day sum of rainfall), ditchwater temperature and conductivity. Heavy rainfall caused new water to infiltrate washing nitrate out of the unsaturated peat layer resulting in high concentrations in ground- and ditchwater. Ditchwater phosphorus concentrations always decreased with increased runoff and peaked, as did COD and colour, after dry spells when old groundwater dominated runoff. A large part of the suspended solids load occurred during snowmelt, whereas dissolved solids and nitrogen loads peaked during summer flows.
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Jordforsk, Norwegian Centre for Soil and Environmental Research, As. bjorn.klove@jordforsk.no
D005387:Finland; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D055593:Geological Phenomena; D005844:Geology; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis; D008906:Mining; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D012995:Solubility; D013696:Temperature; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D007220:Industrial Waste; D012987:Soil; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D010758:Phosphorus; D009584:Nitrogen