Water Resource Associates
A network of consultants in water resources, water quality, hydrology, hydrogeology and flooding.
Modelling Acid Rock Drainage from Mines in Romania
Development and application of a new model INCA-Mine to the Aries-Mures River system
Background
Mining in the Transylvania region of Romania is a major issue now the Romania has joined the EU. Old mines going back to pre-Roman times have been polluting the rivers for over 2000years. Moreover there is a desire to reopen and develop the mines to both clean up the polluting discharge s and extract metals to boost the local economy. WRA has undertaken an extensive study of the Aries and Mures River systems in Transylvania in Northern Romania where an old mine is having a major impact of river water quality.. A new version of INCA has been created to simulated the fate and distribution of mine waste from the old mines and the model has been applied to the Aries- Mures River System The INCA-Mine model has been used to assess the environmental improvements expected from a clean up operation at the mine as well as the environmental impacts of reopening this old mine. (Figures show the metal rich waters of the Abrud River draining into the Aries River and the likely improvements in arsenic and copper from the mine cleanup operation.
Metal rich waters from the Mine
Likely improvements from the mine cleanup operation
Scope of work by Water Resource Associates Ltd
Development of INCA-Mine model to simulate the fate and distribution of 8 metals derived from Mine Acid Rock Drainage. The model has been applied to assess the clean up of mines in Romania and also the likely impacts of future mine operations.
The chart to the left shows the likely improvements in arsenic and copper from the mine clean-up operation (green line).
Results
Report to the Romanian Government.A Water Quality Modelling Study of Mining on the Abrud, Aries and Mures River Systems: Assessing Restoration Strategies and the Impacts of Potential Pollution Events.