Applying Chemometrics to Determine Dispersion of Mine Tailing-Affected Sediments from Submarine Tailing Disposal in Bøkfjorden, Northern Norway

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 229; no. 6; pp. 1 - 15
• Main Authors: Simonsen, Anne Mette T., Pedersen, Kristine B., Bach, Lis, Sternal, Beata, Junttila, Juho, Elberling, Bo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-06-2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum; Anthropogenic factors; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Cadmium; Calcium carbonate; Chemical sediments; Chemometrics; Chromium; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Cluster analysis; Copper; Cores; Dispersion; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental monitoring; Fjords; Heavy metals; Hydrogeology; Iron; Lead; Manganese; Metal concentrations; Mine tailings; Mine wastes; Nickel; Organic chemistry; Organic matter; Principal components analysis; Sediment; Sediments; Soil Science & Conservation; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Zinc; Norway; Metal dispersion; Submarine mine tailing disposal; Hierarchical cluster analysis; Principal component analysis; Fjord sediments
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-018-3868-0

Mine tailing management is one of the largest environmental issues related to mining operation. This study uses chemometrics to assess the dispersion of iron mine tailing-affected sediments in Bøkfjorden, Northern Norway. Metal concentrations (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) and physico-chemical sediment characteristics (conductivity, organic matter, sulphate, chloride, grain size, CaCO
3
, pH) were analysed in seven sediment cores collected in a transect out of the fjord along with two reference cores. Results of hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis allowed to distinguish between mine tailing-affected and non-affected sediments. Non-affected sediments were especially characterised by high levels of organic matter whilst mine tailing-affected sediments varied significantly in sediment characteristics depending on location in the fjord. Crucial parameters to reveal mine tailing-affected sediments varied between the target metal Fe along with metals of Cd and Mn, albeit less significant. Variations in mine tailing-affected sediment characteristics could be attributed to other anthropogenic activities in the fjord. Despite potential disturbances, chemometrics made it possible to identify dispersion of mine tailing-affected sediments to cover the inner and middle parts of the fjord. The study demonstrates the advantage of applying chemometrics on complex fjord systems, which in this case was used to distinguish mine tailing-affected sediments from areas with elevated levels of metals not necessarily related to the mine.