title: Hydrogeochemical signatures and evolution of groundwater impacted by the Bayan Obo tailing pond in northwest China.
abstract: Uncontrolled leakage from mine tailing ponds can pose a serious environmental threat. Groundwater quality in a semi-arid region with extensive worries about the leakage from one of world's largest tailing ponds is studied herein through an integrated hydrogeochemical analysis and multivariate statistical analysis. Results show that elevated concentrations of NO2(-), B, Mn, NH4(+), F(-), and SO4(2-) in groundwater were probably caused by leakage from the tailing pond and transported with the regional groundwater flow towards downstream Yellow River. While NO2(-) contamination is only limited to areas close to the pond, high B concentrations persist within the contaminated plume originating from the tailing pond. Our current study shows that there is no geochemical evidence for U and Th contamination in groundwater due to leakage from the Bayan Obo tailing pond. Combining effects which includes regional variations, pond leaking and downstream mixing, mineral precipitation and dissolution, redox processes, ion exchange processes and agricultural activities, controlled groundwater hydrogeochemical signatures in the studied area. This study demonstrate that an increase in knowledge of evolution of groundwater quality by integrating field hydrochemical data and multivariate statistical analysis will help understand major water-rock interactions and provide a scientific basis for protection and rational utilization of groundwater resources in this and other tailing-impacted areas.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Water Sciences and College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Utilization of Tailing Resources, Shangluo University, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Land and Water, Private Bag No. 5, Wembley, WA 6913, Australia. Electronic address: hailin.deng@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hailin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Water Sciences and College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, South University of Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen, China; Department of Geological Science, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA.
authors.forename: Chunmiao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Water Sciences and College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Guoliang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cao
keywords: Bayan Obo; Groundwater; Hydrogeochemistry; Multivariate statistical analysis; Tailing pond leakage