Historic metalliferous mine sites: a major source of heavy metal contamination?

Graham Merrington

Historic metalliferous mine sites are important sources of a range of heavy metals which can cause contamination of surrounding soils and adjacent waters. This contamination may manifest itself in many diverse and variable forms, from dramatic fish kills to contaminated groundwater migration.
An understanding of the processes governing the behaviour of pollutant metals at these historic sites is of major ecotoxicological and agronomic importance and is necessary for the successful implementation of land reclamation and remediation programmes. However, an understanding of the complex processes governing the behaviour of heavy metals at historic metalliferous mine sites is further confounded by both the physical and chemical diversity of the waste material, and the time span over which these processes have been operating (80–240 years – sometimes longer).
This paper briefly describes some of the major contamination problems associated with historic metalliferous mine sites, and assesses the information and guidance available in the UK to enable practical and appropriate decisions to be made on the remediation of these sites.

3 (3) 1995

Updated: 09-Jun-2005