Automatic trace metal monitoring station use for early warning and short term events in polluted rivers: application to streams loaded by mining tailing

Abstract

An automatic trace metal monitoring station (ATMS) system was implemented to study seasonal and short time changes in selected metal concentrations in two river courses influenced by mine drainage. High frequency monitoring over periods of months revealed daily variations of zinc, iron and copper, and also proved the use of ATMS as an early warning system in such polluted environments. Complementary measurements with ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry), ionic chromatography, and thermodynamic equilibrium calculations also gave some new insights into the geochemical behaviour of the metals in these two rivers.