This book provides basic geochemical data on principles, criteria, methods and current practices with regard to the treatment of contaminated systems and materials, like soils, surface waters and solid residues. Main emphasis is given to the investigation, control and recovery of ecosystems contaminated by metal mining and waste disposal operations. This book will help to close the gap existing between the use of geochemical methods and their successful implementation within environmental engineering measures. It is of interest to environmental engineers, responsible authorities in industry, as well as to scientists working at universities on environmental issues.

Klappentext

It is not long ago that scientists realized, our study and understanding of most environmental problems call for a cross-sectional, more holistic view. In fact, environmental geochemistry became one of the legs to stand on for such a required interdisciplinary approach. Geochemists do not only describe the elemental composition and pro­ cesses of natural systems, such as soils, ground or surface waters, but they also establish the methodology to quantify material rates and turnover. Today, geochemical expertise has become indispensable when monitoring the fate of noxious chemicals, like-metallic pollu­ tants released to the environment. To know how trace metals will be­ have and react in complex systems under changing conditions, might provide us with a more realistic estimate of what is really acceptable in terms of quality standards. This would ease the formulation of ade­ quate environmental objectives, strategies and criteria to handle emerging pollution situations. Moreover, to take notice of geochemi­ cal principles will support our endeavor to improve the way we deal with limited and nonrenewable resources. It is exactly here, i. e. at the interface between natural elemental processes and the way we use them, that geochemical approaches meet the demand of technical at­ tempts to minimize the impact of environmentally relevant activities, like mining, waste handling, or manufacturing. The consideration to include geochemically derived concepts into the search for technical solutions is not really new, but has a long tradition during the evolution of modern societies.

Inhalt

1 Geochemical Engineering: Principles and Case Studies.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Case Studies.- 1.3 General Considerations.- 1 Criteria and Methods.- 2 Testing Metal Mobility in Soils by Elution Tests.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Methods.- 2.3 Discussion.- 2.4 Outlook.- 3 Geochemical Speciation: Does it Help to Assess and Engineer the Impact of Metals?.- 3.1 Defintions and Introduction.- 3.2 Impact Studies of Project-Associated Metal Pollutants.- 3.3 Total Concentration Versus Species Concentration.- 3.4 Assessment Approach.- 3.5 Conclusions and Recommendations.- 4 Investigations on Different Hg-Phases in Soils of a Hg-Mining Area by a Pyrolysis Technique.- 4.1 Introduction.- 4.2 Idrija.- 4.3 Methods and Materials.- 4.4 Results and Discussion.- 4.5 Conclusions.- 2 Processes in Soils and Lakes.- 5 Geochemical Control of Mining Operations in Poland.- 5.1 Introduction.- 5.2 General Processes Providing Metallic Pollution.- 5.3 Contaminated Rivers.- 5.4 Contaminated Ground Waters.- 5.5 Contaminated Soils.- 5.6 Final Remarks.- 6 Chemical Speciation and Fate of Selected Heavy Metals in Soils Strongly Polluted by Copper Smelters.- 6.1 Introduction.- 6.2 Objective of the Research Work.- 6.3 Smelters and Soils: General Characteristics.- 6.4 Material and Methods.- 6.5 Total Content and Profile Distribution of Heavy Metals in the Affected Soils.- 6.6 Chemical Speciation of Metals in the Top-soil and Subsoil Layers.- 6.7 Effect of pH and Redox Potential on Metal Speciation.- 6.8 Other Approaches to Metal Forms and Mobility.- 6.9 Conclusions.- 7 Heavy Metal Contamination of Soils: Reuse versus Disposal.- 7.1 Introduction.- 7.2 A Lead Processing Factory - The Culprit?.- 7.3 Materials and Methods.- 7.4 Results and Discussion.- 7.5 Conclusions.- 8 The Acid Lakes of Lignite Mining District of the former German Democratic Republic.- 8.1 Introduction.- 8.2 Hydro- and Geochemical Processes Leading to Lake Acidification.- 8.3 State of Mining Lakes in the former G.D.R.- 8.4 Conclusions.- 8.5 Measures and Approaches for Restoration.- 9 Metals in Lakes: Field and Modeling Results on Remedial Strategies with a Focus on Mercury and Radiocesium.- 9.1 Introduction and Aim.- 9.2 Short Background on Mercury and Cesium in Swedish Lakes.- 9.3 Project Setup.- 9.4 Remedies and Costs of Remedies.- 9.5 Results of the Remedial Measures.- 9.6 Dynamic Model-Setup.- 9.7 Results and Interpretations.- 9.8 Conclusions.- 3 Waste Treatment and Landfill Disposal.- 10 Waste Treatment: Geochemical Engineering Approach.- 10.1 Introduction.- 10.2 Critical Sites Related to Dispersion of Contaminants.- 10.3 Critical Processes for Metal Mobilization from Wastes.- 10.4 Geochemical Concepts for Metal Pollutants in Solid Wastes.- 10.5 Long-term Prognosis of Pollutants Mobility.- 10.6 Geochemical Engineering: Technological Problem Solutions.- 10.7 Outlook.- 11 Hydrogeochemical Engineering in Landfills.- 11.1 Introduction.- 11.2 Landfill Processes.- 11.3 Siting a Landfill.- 11.4 Landfill Design.- 11.5 Landfill: Transport Mechanism.- 11.6 Landfill Operational Management.- 11.7 Discussion.