Abstract: As the result of current and historical metal mining, river channels and floodplains in many parts of the world have become contaminated by metal-rich waste in concentrations that may pose a hazard to human livelihoods and sustainable development. Environmental and human health impacts commonly arise because of the prolonged residence time of heavy metals in river sediments and alluvial soils and their bioaccumulatory nature in plants and animals. This paper considers how an understanding of the processes of sediment-associated metal dispersion in rivers, and the space and timescales over which they operate, can be used in a practical way to help river basin managers more effectively control and remediate catchments affected by current and historical metal mining. A geomorphological approach to the management of rivers contaminated by metals is outlined and four emerging research themes are highlighted and critically reviewed. These are: (1) response and recovery of river systems following the failures of major tailings dams; (2) effects of flooding on river contamination and the sustainable use of floodplains; (3) new developments in isotopic fingerprinting, remote sensing and numerical modelling for identifying the sources of contaminant metals and for mapping the spatial distribution of contaminants in river channels and floodplains; and (4) current approaches to the remediation of river basins affected by mining, appraised in light of the European Union's Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC). Future opportunities for geomorphologically-based assessments of mining-affected catchments are also identified. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abstract: Aktuelle Entwicklungen auf dem Gebiet der aktiven Wasserbehandlung im Bergbau in den spezifischen Anwendungsgebieten • Behandlung von sauren Bergbauwässern (AMD – acidic mine drainage) mit Schwerpunkt HDS-Technologie (HDS – high-density sludge) • In-situ-Behandlung bergbaubeeinflusster Grundwasserkörper, insbesondere nach Anwendung der In-situ-Laugung (ISL) • In-situ-Behandlung von Tagebaurestseen mit Schwerpunkt In-lake-Verfahren werden hinsichtlich Machbarkeit, technologischer Kenngrößen und Effizienz bewertet und kommen-tiert. Recent developments in the field of active water treatment technologies in the mining sector are re-viewed. Application areas of interest include • Treatment of acidic mine drainage (AMD) emphasizing HDS technology (HDS – high-density sludge) • In-situ treatment of groundwater affected by mining, in particular after the application of in-situ leaching (ISL) • In-situ treatment of lakes arising in former open-pit lignite mines, in particular the application of in-lake methods The various applications are evaluated with regard to feasibility, technical characteristics and treat-ment efficiency.

Abstract: The accumulation of dichloroethenes (DCEs) as dominant products of microbial reductive dechlorination activity in soil and water represent a significant obstacle to the application of bioremediation as a remedial option for chloroethenes in many contaminated systems. In this study, the effects of biostimulation and/or bioaugmentation on the biodegradation of cis- and trans-DCE in soil and water samples collected from contaminated sites in South Africa were evaluated in order to deter-mine the possible bioremediation option for these compounds in the contaminated sites. Results from this study indicate that cis- and trans-DCE were readily degraded to varying degrees by natural microbial populations in all the soil and water samples tested, with up to 44% of cis-DCE and 41% of trans-DCE degraded in the untreated soil and water samples in two weeks. The degradation rate constants ranged significantly (P < 0.05) between 0.0938 and 0.560 wk(-1) and 0.182 and 0.401 wk(-1), for cis- and trans-DCE, respectively, for the various treatments employed. A combination of biostimulation and bioaugmentation significantly increased the biodegradation of both compounds within two weeks; 14% for cis-DCE and 18% for trans-DCE degradation, above those observed in untreated soil and water samples. These findings support the use of a combination of biostimulation and bioaugmentation for the efficient biodegradation of these compounds in contaminated soil and water. In addition, the results clearly demonstrate that while naturally occurring microorganisms are capable of aerobic biodegradation of cis- and trans-DCE, biotransformation may be affected by several factors, including isomer structure, soil type, and the amount of nutrients available in the water and soil. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.