College of Water Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2017 Dec 31;609:1093-1102. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.276. Epub 2017 Aug 4.
Mining activity is an increasingly important stressor for freshwater ecosystems. However, the mechanism on how sulfate-rich mine drainage affects freshwater ecosystems is largely unknown, and its potential ecological risk has not been assessed so far. During 2009-2016, water and macroinvertebrate samples from 405 sample sites were collected along the mine drainage gradient from circum-neutral to alkaline waters in Hun-Tai River, Northeastern China. Results of linear regressions showed that sulfate-rich mine drainage was significantly positively correlated with the constituents typically derived from rock weathering (Ca, Mg and HCO+CO); the diversity of intolerant stream macroinvertebrates exhibited a steep decline along the gradient of sulfate-rich mine drainage. Meanwhile, stressor-response relationships between sulfate-rich mine drainage and macroinvertebrate communities were explored by two complementary statistical approaches in tandem (Threshold Indicator Taxa Analysis and the field-based method developed by USEPA). Results revealed that once stream sulfate concentrations in mine drainage exceeded 35mg/L, significant decline in the abundance of intolerant macroinvertebrate taxa occurred. An assessment of ecological risk posed by sulfate-rich mine drainage was conducted based on a tiered approach consisting of simple deterministic method (Hazard Quotient, HQ) to probabilistic method (Joint Probability Curve, JPC). Results indicated that sulfate-rich mine drainage posed a potential risk, and 64.62-84.88% of surface waters in Hun-Tai River exist serious risk while 5% threshold (HC) and 1% threshold (HC) were set up to protect macroinvertebrates, respectively. This study provided us a better understanding on the impacts of sulfate-rich mine drainage on freshwater ecosystems, and it would be helpful for future catchment management to protect streams from mining activity.
采矿活动是淡水生态系统日益重要的胁迫因素。然而，高硫酸盐矿山排水如何影响淡水生态系统的机制在很大程度上是未知的，其潜在的生态风险迄今尚未得到评估。2009-2016 年期间，在中国东北地区浑太河流域，从中性到碱性水的矿山排水梯度沿线，从 405 个采样点采集了水样和大型无脊椎动物样本。线性回归的结果表明，富含硫酸盐的矿山排水与通常来源于岩石风化的成分（Ca、Mg 和 HCO+CO）呈显著正相关；不耐受溪流大型无脊椎动物的多样性沿着富含硫酸盐的矿山排水梯度急剧下降。同时，通过两种互补的统计方法（阈值指示种分析和美国环保署开发的基于现场的方法），探讨了富含硫酸盐的矿山排水与大型无脊椎动物群落之间的胁迫-响应关系。结果表明，一旦溪流中矿山排水的硫酸盐浓度超过 35mg/L，不耐受大型无脊椎动物类群的丰度就会显著下降。基于包含简单确定性方法（危害商数，HQ）和概率方法（联合概率曲线，JPC）的分层方法，对富含硫酸盐的矿山排水造成的生态风险进行了评估。结果表明，富含硫酸盐的矿山排水造成了潜在的风险，浑太河流域 64.62-84.88%的地表水存在严重风险，而分别设定了 5%的阈值（HC）和 1%的阈值（HC）来保护大型无脊椎动物。本研究使我们更好地了解了富含硫酸盐的矿山排水对淡水生态系统的影响，有助于未来对集水区进行管理，以保护溪流免受采矿活动的影响。
