International Journal of Economic and Environmental Geology
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Investigation of Washability of Seyitömer B3 Coal Seam, Turkey
No full textIn this study, the evaluability of lower calorific B3 coal seam belonging to Seyitömer lignite operations which is about 25 km away from Kütahya was researched. The coals pertaining to the B1 and B2 seams in the region are used as fuel in thermal power plant after the washing process. However, B3 seam cannot be evaluated which contains 28.7% humidity, 44.69% ash, 13.81% volatile matter, 12.8% fixed carbon and 1543 kcal/kg lower calorific value. For this purpose, sink-float tests were carried out on representative samples taken for evaluation of B3 coal seam. As a result of float-sink tests on different particle sizes, the optimum results were obtained at particle size intervals of -31.5 + 16 mm (72% yield, 25% ash, 1425 kcal / kg calorific values) and -63 + 31.5 mm (76% yield, 22% ash, 1751 kcal / kg calorific value). Also, optimum density was measured to be 1.5 gr/cm3. It has been decided that while coarse particle size scan be enriched with the jig method, the fine particle size scan be enriched with the shaking table according to the results of the sink-float. As a result of enrichment experiments with jig, the lower calorific value of clean coal was obtained as 2903 kcal/kg, while the schist was obtained as 687 kcal/kg at particle size of -63 + 31.5 mm. Also, ash contents were 15.14% and 75.16% respectively. On the other hand, as a result of enrichment experiments with shaking table, the calorific value of clean coal was obtained as 2403 kcal/kg while the schist was obtained as 385 kcal/kg at particle size of -16 + 12, 5 mm. Ash content were also obtained as 16.96% and 68.85% respectively. According to these results, the calorific value of B3 coal seam has been made suitable for being used at thermal power plants
Trace Element Contamination of Groundwater Around Kirana Hills, District Chiniot, Punjab, Pakistan
Get PDFThirteen groundwater samples and one river water samples were collected from wells and water sources in Chenab Nagar (Rabwah) area, district Chiniot, Punjab in July 2017, in order to analyze trace elements composition of water. The water samples were directly analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Judging from the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) and Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) as defined by USEPA and WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, the concentration of 5 elements, As, Mn, Cl, Br and S, in groundwater samples exceeded the standards. In particular, the concentration of As (max. 25.1 μg/l) and Mn (max. 443 μg/l) showed high level, which may cause negative effect if the contaminated water is continuously consumed. High concentrations of As (max. 161 mg/kg) and Mn (max. 355 mg/kg) were also detected in the Precambrian meta-volcano sedimentary rock samples collected from the Kirana hills, according to the aqua regia digestion ICP-ES/MS analysis. Arsenopyrite (FeAsS) and cryptomelane (K(Mn4+, Mn2+)8O16) were identified in the rock samples using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and petrographic observation and those minerals are considered to be the main sources of As and Mn contamination. The groundwater contamination by As and Mn is caused by a water rock interaction in the subsurface zone, where basement rocks of Kirana hills and their debris are exposed with groundwater. High salinity of groundwater is inherent in the area, but shallower parts of the contamination by Cl, Br, and S is probably accelerated by anthropogenic origins such as septic tank and wastewater
Rock Aggregate Potential of Limestone Units in the Khyber Formation, Pakistan
Get PDFThe Precambrian carbonates of the Khyber Formation are evaluated in terms of their petrographic, geochemical and physico-mechanical properties for assessing their suitability as an aggregate source both in asphalt and concrete works. The Khyber Formation is extensively exposed in the eastern and central parts of the district Khyber, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The limestone units of the Khyber Formation dominantly comprise calcite (CaCO3 ;9498%) with minor to trace concentration of dolomite, undeformed quartz and ores. The limestone of the Khyber Formation is classified as Algal laminated micritic mudstone. It is light to dark-grey, hard, compact, and thin to medium bedded and at places thick-bedded. The algal stromatolites and laminations are common. The stylolites, calcite-filled veins and neomorphism are the common diagenetic modifications in these carbonates. The limestone of the Khyber Formation is composed of 54.72-58.4 wt. % CaO3, 0.5-0.9 wt. % MgO and based on a 0.02-0.22 wt. % combined values of K2O and Na2O, and it is classified as low to high alkali limestone. Massive outcrops of dolomitized-limestone have also been identified sporadically along the exposed outcrops of the Khyber Formation e.g. in Besai area and along Khyber Pass. The petrographic and chemical investigations show that the limestone units of the Khyber Formation are innocuous in terms of Alkali Silica Reactivity (ASR) and Alkali Carbonate Reactivity (ACR). However, the dolomitized horizons must be avoided, owing to its ACR potential while selecting a quarry site for aggregate extraction. The physical properties of the limestone units of the Khyber Formation as an aggregate material (i.e. soundness, water absorption, Los Angles abrasion, specific gravity and unconfined compressive strength) are in accordance with the ASTM standards. The petrographic, geochemical and geotechnical details of the limestone units in Khyber Formation approve their suitability as an aggregate source in both concrete and asphalt construction works
Microbiological Assessment of Water Samples Collected from Different Areas of Karachi, Pakistan
Get PDFWater is essential for living beings. The strength of humans and different life forms is identified with safe water other than anything. The most well-known and far-reaching threat related to drinking water is pollution from direct and indirect resources straight forwardly or by implication, by sewage, different squanders or human excrement. Around 25 years back, legitimate evaluations showed that every year about 500 million individuals are influenced by water associated sickness and more than 10 million of these expire. In a current analysis in light of WHO information, it is shown that 3/4 of every single human sickness is caused by natural contamination. A total of 100 water samples were collected from different areas of Karachi for the microbiological assessment of contaminants in potable water. The samples were analyzed according to the standard microbiological testing protocol. Seventy-eight (78%) untreated and twenty-two (22%) treated water testers were found positive for coliforms. Fecal coliform and fecal Streptococci were present in 57 and 27 testers respectively. Escherichia coli were found in 73% of the samples which is an indicator of fecal contamination. Hence, we can use this study for microbiological assessment of the drinking water available in different areas of Karachi
Assessment of Soil Quality of Taluka Thari Mirwah, District Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan
Get PDFSoil salinity is an increasing threat for agriculture. The knowledge of physical and chemical properties of the soil is vital for the assessment of the capacity of soil for better plant productivity and improvement through management practices. We assessed the soil of ten union councils of Taulka Thari Mirwah, district Khairpur. The soil was evaluated for pH, EC, organic matter and salt contents through standardized methods. The overall soil was found to be slightly alkaline (pH 8 ± 0.6 SD), with a varied texture among the sites. The soil EC (10 ± 7.9 SD dS/m) was recorded to be comparatively higher than the surrounding districts. The study did not find any significant variation in various salt contents in the area. The organic contents were lower than the advised extent. However, the management practices were suggested to improve the health of soil for better productivity
Mapping Turbidity Levels in the Lake’s Water using Satellite Remote Sensing Technique
Get PDFHaleji lake, Thatta, Sindh, has been affected by water pollution in the past decades. This study focuses on mapping water pollution at Haleji lake using turbidity as the pollution indicator. In this study, an algorithm was developed by correlating satellite reflectance data and in-situ turbidity measurements using regression analysis. The determination coefficient R2 of the developed algorithm showed a value of 0.83 that is evidence of a good correlation between field-based and mapped turbidity. Moreover, a temporal analysis was carried out using the same algorithm for the years 1999 and 2011. Results of temporal analysis confirmed that the turbidity levels in Haleji lake have increased from below 5 NTU to around 15 – 30 NTU. This is a clear sign of lake pollution in the interim of the past twelve years
Discrimination of Seasonal Snow Cover in Astore Basin, Western Himalaya using Fuzzy Membership Function of Object-Based Classification
Get PDFThe temporal mapping of seasonal snow cover is generally being delineated through low resolution MODIS data (250-500m resolution) due to daily frequency of image acquisition; however, it sometimes compromises the mapping accuracies. In this study, the time-series of high resolution satellite imagery was used to evaluate the spatio-temporal changes in the snow covered area of Astore basin during summer and winter seasons from 1990 to 2017. The Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) technique was applied on multi-spectral images of Landsat (TM and OLI sensors) of respective years (1990, 2000, 2010 and 2017) in order to discriminate the snow covered area in both seasons. Although OBIA is a strong technique that has been successfully applied in numerous research problems of remote sensing regarding cryosphere, but due to hindrances (i.e. Clouds and haze), it is sometimes not highly efficient to detect the snow accurately, therefore, Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) has been calculated to distinguish snow covered area from snow free areas. The range of 0.4-1.0 was used as a threshold value for fuzzy membership function in OBIA to delineate the snow cover more precisely. The study suggested that the snow covered area is gradually increasing in winters during past few decades in the basin; however, in summer season as compared to winters, no specific trend has been observed
Preliminary Resource Potential Assessment of Placer Light Rare Earth Elements (LREEs) from mid-Siwalik Sediments of a late Miocene Himalayan Foreland Basin, Pakistan
Get PDFThe present study has assessed the preliminary placer LREEs resource potential of mid-Siwalik Group Dhok Pathan Formation from Surghar-Shingar Range of NW Himalayan foreland Fold-and-Thrust-Belt and regarded them as indicative resources only. The analytical results of bulk samples of sandstone did not show any anomalous concentration of REEs. However, the ICP-MS results of heavy minerals laminations (black sands) revealed high concentrations (ppm) of LREEs (La: 975, Ce: 2831, Pr: 193, Nd: 746, Sm: 127, Gd: 98.70). We identified monazite-(Ce) [Ce, La, Nd]PO4 as the primary LREEs-bearing mineral through Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA). The representative quantitative micro-mineral analysis of monazite confirmed promising concentration of Rare Earth Oxides (REOs) maximum (in weight %) - La2O3: 16.20, Ce2O3: 37.82, Pr2O3: 4.77, Nd2O3: 21.72, Sm2O3: 5.23, Gd2O3: 4.88. Considering the thickness, lateral extension and depositional setting of host sediments along-with anomalously high concentrations of LREEs, it has been concluded that these Siwalik sediments host good indicative placer resource potential for low-cost recovery of LREEs
Geochemical Characterization and Provenance Study of Ilmenites from Fluvial Sediments of River Cauvery in Parts of Tamil Nadu, Southern India
Get PDFThe Cauvery river is the third longest flowing river in South India. This river flows through three southern Indian states (Karnataka, Tamil-Nadu and Puducherry). The river Cauvery takes its birth at a place called Talacauvery in the state of Karnataka, and after a long journey of 800 km from the Western-Ghats finally forms a delta and joins the Bay of Bengal in the east. This river traverses high grade metamorphic rocks. Ilmenites are good indicators of provenance and several researchers throughout the globe have contributed on this aspect. Present study is focused on chemical characterization of the detrital ilmenite from the fluvial sediments of downstream of the river Cauvery. The TiO2 content of ilmenites varies from 46.42 to 51.28 wt%, whereas iron oxide values range between 46.35-50.68 wt. %. The detrital ilmenite grains are primary in nature and have not subjected to any alteration. By chemistry we can conclude that basic suites are source for the ilmenites in fluvial sediments of river Cauvery
Appraisal of Ground Water Potential through Remote Sensing in River Basin, Pakistan
Get PDFGroundwater is an important source of water supply throughout the world and is one of the vital parts of the hydrological cycle. Its availability depends on the precipitation and recharge conditions. In arid regions, recharge amount is smaller than semiarid regions. Recharge is the basic phenomenon for the sustainability of ground water resources. Pakistan has inadequate water resources and inflow pattern due to arid climate. There are so many factors which make the conditions gradually worst such as increasing population, change in climate condition and misuse of water resources etc. These factors lead to the situation of water scarcity rather than any addition. watershed is positioned at the boundary of Sindh and Balochistan, Pakistan. It is the most important water supply source to Industrial area and the mega city of Karachi, which is getting only about 50 percent of water supply against its fastincreasing requirement. Hab watershed is therefore considered for this study. Remote Sensing and GIS are very effective tools for the assessment and exploration of potential sites of groundwater in any of the watershed. A case study was conducted for the assessment of groundwater potential sites in study area. For this purpose, different thematic layers were created like drainage map, structural and geological map and Overlay analysis was performed and to determine the potential zone of groundwater in the study area