Water Quality Blog

 

Nitrate-Nitrite Nitrogen.

 

 

 

Poorly operated wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, and sewage leaks can add nitrogen to streams. Nitrate is a primary plant nutrient. In moderate amounts, it is harmless, but in excess, it causes algal blooms which reduces water quality. Also, too much nitrate can harm aquatic life. Nitrates can produce a serious condition in fish called "brown blood disease." Nitrites may also react with hemoglobin in human blood and other warm-blooded animals to produce methemoglobin. Methemoglobin destroys the ability of red blood cells to transport oxygen. This condition is especially serious in babies under three months of age. It causes a condition known as methemoglobinemia or "blue baby" disease. "Water with nitrite levels exceeding 1.0 mg/l should not be used for feeding babies. Nitrite/nitrogen levels below 90 mg/l and nitrate levels below 0.5 mg/l seem to have no effect on warm water fish." (EPA)

 

pH

 

pH is the measure of the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is and ranges from 0 to 14. The normal range for aquatic organisms is 5.5 to 9.5. Fish and other organisms have adapted to a specific pH level and it can be fatal to the aquatic life if it changes at all. For example, the toxicity level of ammonia to fish varies tremendously within a small range of pH values.  

 

Conductivity

 

Conductivity is a measure of the ability of water to pass an electrical current. Conductivity in water is affected by the presence of inorganic dissolved solids such as chloride, nitrate, sulfate, and phosphate anions or sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and aluminum cations (ions that carry a positive charge. Organic compounds like oil, phenol, alcohol, and sugar do not conduct electrical current very well and therefore have a low conductivity when in water.  This current is measured by a conductivity meter. Conductivity is also affected by temperature: the warmer the water, the higher the conductivity. Pure water is also a poor conductor.

 

Turbidity

 Turbidity refers to how clear water is. Human activities, such as mining, can lead to high sediment levels entering water bodies during rain storm. Coal recovery can generate very high levels of turbidity from colloidal rock particles. Turbidity levels are very dangerous for both humans and aquatic life. For humans, drinking water can be very dangerous if it has a high turbidity level. People can develop multiple diseases due to this. In water bodies such as lakes and rivers, high turbidity levels can reduce the amount of light reaching lower depths, this can be harmful to aquatic plant growth and consequently affect fish that are dependent on these plants. High turbidity levels can also affect the ability of fish gills to absorb dissolved oxygen.

 

Dissolved Oxygen

 

Dissolved oxygen is a product of photosynthesis and diffusion. The warmer the water, the less oxygen it can hold. Most organisms need at least 5 or 6 ppm to survive. Temperature highly affects the ppm. The higher the temperature, the higher the ppm. This means that summer can often distress aquatic life. 

Temperature

 

The average temperature for most aquatic organisms is 0 to 32 degrees celcius. This is what organisms have adapted to and what they are used to, which means that rapid temperature changes leave aquatic life extremely distressed.

 

Alkalinity

 

 

Alkanity is the water's ability to neutralize acids. Water with low alkanity is usually more acidic than water with high alkanity. Alkanity is produced by minerals such as limestone. Alkalinity is important to aquatic organisms because it protects them against rapid changes in pH. Alkalinity is especially important in areas where acid rain is a problem.

 

E. coli

 

Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. E. coli comes from human and animal waste. EPA uses E. coli measurements to determine whether fresh water is safe for recreation. "Disease-causing bacteria, viruses and protozoans may be present in water that has elevated levels of E. coli." (EPA) Levels of E. coli can increase during flooding. E. coli is measured in number of colony forming units. The EPA water quality standard for E. coli bacteria is 394 colony forming units per 100 mL.

Link

 

Against Mountaintop Removal

Against Mountaintop Removal

 

 

Mountaintop removal coal mining is an extremely destructive form of mining that is devastating Appalachia. Mountaintop removal takes place primarily in eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, southwest Virginia, and into east central Tennessee.

 

 

Mountain top removal mining uses explosives to blast up to 400ft off the top of the mountain, exposing the desired seams, and then the desired ores are extracted. Mountain top mining essentially removes the "peak" of the mountain, and its adjacent valleys, leaving a flat contoured plain.

 

 

Mountaintop removal has resulted in many negative effects.Over 2,000 miles of streams and headwaters that provide drinking water have been permanently buried and destroyed due to mountaintop removal, an area the size of Delaware has been flattened, local coal field communities routinely face devastating floods and adverse health effects, and natural habitats in forests are laid to waste.

 

Mountaintop removal is no longer neccessary for our energy needs. Mountaintop removal mining now provides less then 4.5% of our electricity. Preliminary data from 2009 indicates that the percentage will continue to drop.

 

 

So, in conclusion, mountaintop Removal mining is not needed and serves only to provide short term profits for a few, while causing long term devastation to the mountain ecosystems and surrounding communities.

Source

 

 

Surface Mining Blog

 

The three methods of surface mining

1) Strip mining.


Strip mining is used when the coal is near the surface or when the overburden was unstable. As mining progresses, the overburden is placed in the previous mine cavity. The advantages of this method are that the cost of mining is lower, and it is safer than underground mining because miners aren't exposed to the toxic air and possible collapsing tunnels. The disadvantages could include the destruction of the natural ecosystem and pollutants being exposed to the atmosphere. After fragile ecosystems are disturbed, it can take many years to regain equilibrium, which could result in the loss of plant and animal life.

2) Contour Mining






Contour mining is a type of of strip or surface mining that follows the contour of a hill or mountain leaving terraces in the mountainside. Contour mining uses small earth-moving equipment such as power shovels, backhoes and bulldozers — similar to equipment used for most other kinds of construction. Contour mining is therefore a favorite technique of small operators in Appalachia, because it is easy to move in and out of the mining business as market conditions change. The bad thing about contour mining is that  contour operators often have too much spoil after mining is finished. When overburden is removed it breaks up and loses some of the compaction that occurred over the thousands of years that it laid undisturbed. The volume of the material can increase up to 25%. The pits left after extracting the relatively thin coal seams of the East are often not large enough to hold this added volume. As a result, most contour miners must dispose of their excess spoil in another disposal area. This means that additional land beyond that required for mining has to be disturbed in order to fix the results of what the mining caused.


3) Mountaintop Removal

Mountain top removal is when the tops of mountains are removed to access horizontal coal seams. Overburden is pushed to areas between high elevations. After reclamation, the original contour is not restored. This is the most controversial mining method because the companies dump the rock they blast into neighbouring streams or valleys. The streams are completely blocked by the fill and the streams that remain are polluted by the dumping, and it could centuries before they return to biological health. The advantages are that it is too much more efficent and safer than underground mining.

Do aerosols affect climate change through the Urban Heat Island Effect and greenhouse gases?

 Aerosols do affect the urban heat island affect. This is because of the albedo of the darker surfaces typically found on the buildings in bigger cities. This could easily be fixed by changing the colors of the roofs of buildings to lighter surfaces- for example, white. Lighter colors reflect heat back into the atmosphere where as darker colors absorb the light and reemit it back into the atmosphere. This is a prime example of long wave infrared radiation. This is also why other countries that have warmer climates usually have all white or tan buildings- it keeps the surrounding area cooler.

When aerosols aren’t absorbed, they can be stuck in the atmosphere for a long time. The Aerosol Optical Thickness that is shown in the graphs we put together show this- and this is all completely based off of temperature.

Now that we’ve discussed the urban heat island effect, it’s time to show that aerosols also affect greenhouse gases. This is because the heat that is later emitted then becomes trapped. This obviously leads to a higher temperature. According to the data we collected by going outside and taking surface temperatures, the warmer the temperature- the warmer the asphalt on the ground. It warms asphalt and concrete more so than grass.

So, overall, aerosols do undoubtedly affect the urban heat island effect and greenhouse gases. This can be proved by the data our class collected first hand. Our data is completely reliable seeing as it was collected over the course of many weeks, and on many different surfaces: the student parking lot, the bus loop, the practice football field, the student parking lot, and the softball in-field. We collected the temperatures daily, then in the end, put them all into excel and produced a graph that shows temperature, AOT, and percent transmission.

 

 

 

Coal Camp Blog

The Abney Coal Camp

 



This coal camp is located in western Raleigh County and eastern Wyoming County in southern West Virginia. The community began with 50 houses, but has evolved into a bigger city with many more residents. In 2010, the population was 1,308. The demographics of the residents are that they are 98% white, and 2% other. Before this coal camp was called "Abney," it was reffered to as "Phillips." The town was named after William Phillips, the Pemberton Coal and Coke Company's president. The name was changed to Abney by the post office years later. This is all located in The Winding Gulf Coalfield. In 1921, the coal camp was constructred in Raleigh County on a ledge over the Piney River. Camp Phillips was supposed to be "one of the most attractive coal operations in the coal fields." This quote came from an article written on November 11, 1921, in the Raleigh Register. This article also stated that this coal camp would be supplied with 50 bungalows that would contain the "pursest water, piped from a mountain spring in a three-inch galvanized pipe." This would provide excellent protection against fire. Today, the town is still being lived in, and a one-room school house that once took up an entire field is now a lot for multiple trailer homes, and the once Abney company store is a private residence.

 

Original Company Store

Company Store Today

 

 

 

 http://www.coalcampusa.com/

Underground Coal Mining Blog Post

There are five methods of underground mining. These methods include drift mining, shaft mining, room & pillar mining, continuous mining, and longwall mining. 

1) Drift Mining

Drift mining is possible where the coal seam intersects the surface- the mine then enters the seam in a horizontal direction following the coal. This type of mining is done when mineral or rock is on the side of a hill. It is a much cheaper, more efficient method compared to most others. But, it can also be very dangerous. Many tunnels can cave in- collapsing and killing miners.

2) Shaft Mining

Next we have shaft mining. Shaft mining is a pretty common method. This mining method accesses a coal seam in which elevators provide access to mines. In WV, it is not rare to see a shaft coal mine deeper than 1000 feet below the surface. Shaft mines are much faster and conventional than most regular mines. While that's one advantage, another can be that there is safer breathing: due to the moving air that vents the gases that are naturally underground. The one negative thing about this way of mining could be that often times tunnels are deepended and the mine is made larger until there isn't any ore left, or the cost of removal is too high.



3) Room & pillar mining

The third method is room & pillar mining. In this method, nearly half of the coal is left behind to support the roof of the mine. Pillars can “squeeze” which puts pressure on pillars, which can ultimately lead to roof collapse. Roof falls are a constant danger, which is a disadvantage. An advantage of this type of mining could be that it can be alot faster than other types.

4) Continuous mining

The fourth method is called continuous mining. The machines for continuous mining can be used with drift or room & pillar mines. A miner can operate this machine to a rotating steel drum with tungsten carbide teeth to mine 5 tons of coal per minute. (WV Coal Project) This method/ machine has been in use since the 1940s. These machines are paired with conveyor systems to transport the coal from the mine as it is mined. The biggest advantage to this would definitely be how time efficient it is. It can make as much as five tons of coal a minute- which is more than a mine without technology in the 1920s could produce in an entire day. 45% of coal production comes from continous mining. A disadvantage, once again, can be that there is not much roof support, which could cause a roof to collapse.


5) Longwall mining

Last but not least, we have longwall mining. This method is “highly efficient.” Huge mining machines support the roof with hydraulics as it removes coal. Once the coal is removed, the machine retreats allowing the roof to fall behind it. Longwall mines extract much more of the coal than room & pillar mines, which is why it’s known to be highly efficient. This accounts for about 50% of the underground production of coal. Longwall systems have their own "hydraulic" roof supports. As the mining equipment moves forward, the overlying rock that no longer has the support of coal falls behind the equipment. This makes for a very safe work enviroment. After about 75% of the coal is removed, the roof collapses in a safe, controlled manner. While this all sounds great, the collapse afterwards can really damage rivers, which is a disadvantage.

Source

 

Coal Formation

The formation of coal can be traced back to 300-400 million years ago. Coal was formed from the remains of swamp plants. This happened because the plants became buried in the swamp, and since they were buried, they received no oxygen. This caused the plants to not rot, but instead, to form peat. The heat value of peat is very low compared to coal. Sediment covered and compressed this peat nearly 80%. So after more heat and pressure, the peat turns to lignite. And with even more heat and pressure, the lignite turns into coal. There are three different kinds of coal: lignite, which is brown coal; bituminous, black coal, which is what we (WV) have, which is also the most common, and anthracite, which is hard coal. Anthracite is also a metamorphic coal while the rest are sedimentary.