TITLE:
Hyporheic Zone Hydrochemistry of the Mine-Polluted River
AUTHORS:
D. Ciszewski
KEYWORDS:
Hyporheic Zone, Groundwaters, Pollution, Water Chemistry, Metal Mining
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.3 No.10,
December
18,
2015
ABSTRACT: Intensity of stream waters
mixing with groundwaters and lateral extent of these processes in the hyporheic
zone were investigated in a near-bank sandbar and an adjacent floodplain
through the comparison of groundwaters and stream water chemistry of the Bia?a
Przemsza River in southern Poland. The stream waters were polluted by the
discharge of mine waters from “Boles?aw” lead and zinc mine. The investigated
waters were several times more mineralized than the natural spring waters of
the river valley. The concentration of: potassium, sodium, and the pH, as well
as cadmium, lead, and zinc decreased in the hyporheic zone towards the stream
bank, whereas conductance, calcium, magnesium, sulphates, as well as silica
contents were the highest on the floodplain, diminishing towards the stream.
The changes observed in the chemical composition of groundwaters were apparent
in mixing stream waters below the depth of 2 m with shallow groundwaters
draining the valley slope. Hyporheic mixing also takes place in the 10-meter-wide,
marginal zone of the sandbar, whereas in the 5-meter-wide stream-side zone of
the sandbar groundwaters represent weakly transformed stream water.