Water Quality

Nitrate is usually the most important inorganic form of nitrogen because it is an essential nutrient for the growth and reproduction of many algae and other aquatic plants. Nitrate is usually found only in waters with low dissolved oxygen levels, called suboxic waters. When an excess amount of limiting nutrient such as nitrogen is added to a lake or stream the water becomes highly productive. This may cause tremendous growth of algae and other plants. This process of enriching the water is called eutrophication. The resulting excess plant growth can cause taste and odor problems in lakes used for drinking water or can cause nuisance problems for users of the water body.

pH measures the acid content of water. The pH scale is a logarithmic scale of the hydrogen ion concentration. pH affects most chemical and biological processes in water. pH has a strong influence on what can live in the water; aquatic organisms have certain pH ranges they prefer or require. Salamanders, frogs and other amphibian life, as well as many macroinvertebrates, are particularly sensitive to extreme pH levels.

 Conductivity measures the waters ability to conduct an electrical current. Pure water is a poor conductor. Salts increase the conductivity of water.

 

 

Turbidity refers to water clarity. Turbidity means that the water isn't clear and there's stuff in it. If water is turbid that means it's not clean and there are sediments suspended in the water. Turbidity decreases with the presence of molecules and particles that can absorb or scatter light. Dark or black material absorb most wavelengths of light. The size of a particle is important as well. Small particles can scatter light. The fate of light entering a water body depends on the amount, composition and size of the dissolved and suspended material.

 

 

 

 

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 of oxygen. Even cold water rarely contains more than 15 ppm. Summer is often a time of oxygen stress for aquatic organisms. Cold water can dissolve more oxygen than warm water. For example, at 25 degrees Celsius, dissolved oxygen solubility is 8.3 mg/L. Whereas at 4 degrees Celsius the solubility is 13.1 mg/L. As temperature goes up, water releases some of its oxygen into the air.

 

 

 Temperature influences the amount and diversity of aquatic life. Lakes that are cold and have little plant life in winter, bloom in spring and summer when water temperatures rise and the nutrient rich bottom waters mix with the upper waters.Because of this mixing and the warmer water temperatures, the spring overturn is followed by a period of rapid growth of microscopic aquatic plants and animals.

 

 

Alkalinity refers to the waters ability to neutralize acids. Its produced by minerals like limestone. Water with low Alkalinity is acidic.

 

 

Escherichia coli are coliform bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded organisms. Most strains are harmless, but do indicate the presence of other harmful pathogens. These can cause diarrhea and kidney damage.























Water Quality

Water Quality

 

Turbidity refers to water clarity. Turbidity means that the water isn't clear and there's stuff in it. If water is turbid that means it's not clean and there are sediments suspended in the water.

 

Nitrate is a primary plant nutrient. Excess nitrate causes algal blooms that reduce the water quality. Phosphate is used extensively in fertilizers and some detergents and a source of eutrophication.

 

 DOC 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 of oxygen to survive. Even cold water rarely contains more than 15 ppm. Summer is often a time of oxygen stress for aquatic organisms.

 

Conductivity measures the waters ability to conduct an electrical current. Pure water is a poor conductor. Salts increase the conductivity of water.

 

Temperature makes all the difference of what kind of aquatic organisms live where. Most aquatic organisms live in a range from 0 degrees to 32 degrees Celsius.

 

pH is the measure o the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration. Most aquatic organisms exist within a range of 5.5 to 9.5

 

Escherichia coli are colform bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded organisms. Most strains are harmless but do indicate the presence of other harmful pathogens. These can cause diarrhea and kidney damage. 

Mountaintop removal

Mountaintop removal mining is efficient and beneficial. Mountaintop removal mining is a very divisive item in this state and across Appalachia. West Virginia is the Mountain State and has been dubbed "Mountain Momma." I never knew that about West Virginia. Mountaintop removal mining is more efficientand safer tha underground mining, plus it has a positive effect on the people. It creates jobs for miners and it helps keep the lights on. Coal is what powers this state. Animals as well as people adapt to changing enviroments all the time and when compared to the actual benefits of this form of mining, the impacts are worth taking. I look at the fact that cheaper energy, steel and safer mining conditions.

Coal Camp

Big Stick coal camp is located in Big Stick, West Virginia. The coal camp was owned by Pemberton Coal and Coke Company for awhile, until Lillybrook Coal company took over in 1942. The population at the coal camp was around 1,700 people. It wasn't a very popular coal camp, but there was a school for both white kids and black kids. There was also a company store just like many other coal camps. The mine closed around 1951. The miners and people that lived there gradually started leaving and the coal camp became abandoned in the late 1950's.

Surface Mining

Strip mining is used when coal is near the surface or when the overburden is unstable. As mining progresses, the overburden is placed in the previous mine cavity. The advantages of strip mining are to save miners in case of an accident. Instead of shaft mining, where you are in a cave that could collapse at any given moment, you just take off layers of ground to get minerals you need. The disadvantages are pollution. Pollutive cyanide can turn beautiful creeks nasty. Gas that's been trapped for tens of thousands of years is released and it is pollutive.

Contour mining is a type of strip or surface mining that follows the contour of a hill or mountain leaving terraces in the mountainside. An advantage of contour mining is the safety. One disadvantage is soil erosion.

Mountaintop removal is when the top of hills are removed to access horizontal coal seams. The overburden is pushed to areas between high elevations. Following reclamation, the original contour is not restored. An advantage of mountaintop removal mining is that the result of the flat land caused by the mining is good for future development. A disadvantage is numerous houses can be damaged due to mining sites being so close.

Underground Mining

Drift mining is where the coal seam intersects the surface. The mine enters the seam in a horizontal direction. Advantages of drift mining is its a easy way to mine, its a cheap way to mine. The disadvantages of drift mining is its not the safest way to mine as the tunnels may collapse killing and trapping miners.

Advantages of Longwall mining are high recovery, lower operating costs, easier to supervise, easier to train miners, works under weak roof, clean coarse product, and simple ventilation. The disadvantages of longwall mining are small problems equal big production losses, dust control is difficult, and overloading conveyor system.

 

 

 

Shaft mining is a common method of accessing a coal seam in which elevators provide access to mines. Shaft coal mines in West Virginia are commonly deeper than 1,000 feet below the surface. The advantages of Shaft mining are that mining can be done as deep as possible and that it reduces the rock bursts or mines from falling off the ground. The disadvantages are that it is costly and very risky as it can lead to fatal accidents if the person mining does not take enough care of himself or herself.

 

 

In room and pillar mining, nearly half the coal is left behind to support the mine roof. Pillars can "squeeze" putting pressure on adjacent pillars leading to roof collapse. Roof falls are a constant danger. Advantages and disadvantages of room and pillar mining are before proceeding to the details of mine planning, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of room and pillar mining. Ideally, the mine engineer will plan an operation that will maximize and/ or assure the continuation of the systems advantages while minimizing or eliminating the known disadvantages.

 

Continuous mining machines can be used with drift or room and pillar mines. One miner can operate a continuous miner to a rotating steel drum with tungsten carbide teeth to mine 5 tons of coal per minute.



Coal

Coal was formed from the remains of swamp plants from 300 - 400 million years ago. The dead plants became buried in the swamp. In the absence of oxygen, the plants did not rot, but formed peat. Sediment covered and compressed the peat nearly 80%.

The types of coal are Peat(coal precurser), Lignite(brown coal), Bituminous coal(black coal), Anthracite coal(hard coal), and Coke(coal product).

Peat, Lignite, and Bituminous are sedimentary.

Peat comes from slowly decaying plant matter found in bogs, moors, and muskegs. Acidic and anaerobic conditions prevent complete decay. Lignite sometimes called brown coal is found in Alaska and some Western states consist of low carbon concentration of 30% and low heat value (< 10,000 BTU/lb) and is used in electric power generation. Bituminous coal is the most common form of coal. Anthracite coal results from the metamorphosis of bituminous coal. Its highest carbon content is 85 - 95% and its heat value is 15,000 BTU/lb. Coke is primarily used as a heat source in the steel industry.