Joseph Omeiza Alao , Bala Balarabe , Daniel A. Ayejoto , Fahad Abubakar , Oche J. Otorkpa , Stanley U. Eze
{"title":"Evaluation of hydrocarbon and co-contaminants in groundwater and associated public health risks using electrical resistivity and hydrochemical data","authors":"Joseph Omeiza Alao , Bala Balarabe , Daniel A. Ayejoto , Fahad Abubakar , Oche J. Otorkpa , Stanley U. Eze","doi":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100319","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100319","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrocarbon plays a vital role in national and global economic development. However, the environmental impact of hydrocarbon extraction and utilization remains a challenging phenomenon, which has recorded a far worse impact on the soil, groundwater, and public health. This study applied resistivity and hydrochemical data to provide information about the distribution of potential hydrocarbon contaminants (HCCs) and co-contaminants such as heavy metals (HMs) in groundwater near a refinery and the possible associated health risks for effective environmental management and public health protection. The concentrations of HCCs and variations in electrical resistivity values were examined. The regional aquifer vulnerability to the HCCS was evaluated. Based on the study's outcomes, HCCs occur in the overburdened topsoil at depths of 0.0 m–3.5 m, with electrical resistivity values varying between 15,000 Ωm and 60,000 Ωm. These values exceeded the known subsurface resistivity values of the region as a result of the presence of HCCs. Hydrochemical data records indicate high concentrations of HCCs in groundwater ranging from 0.342 mg/L – 0.572 mg/L. The level of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in groundwater from five hand-dug wells (HDWs): HDW 1 (0.4721), HDW 2 (0.4517), HDW 3 (highest at 0.5716), HDW 4 (0.4012), and HDW 5 (lowest at 0.3421), over the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR). The aquifer of the region was polluted with HMs owing to infiltrated HCCs in different range, i.e., 0.792–1.692 mg/L for zinc, 0.909–1.711 for iron, 0.711–1.612 mg/L for lead, 0.333–0.717 mg/L for chromium, and 0.038–0.081 mg/L for cadmium, and pH ranged from 5.3 to 7.1 and electrical conductivity (EC) from 0.524 to 0.777 mS/cm, corresponding to the elevated electrical resistivity contrast caused by HCCs. Data analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the environmental impacts of hydrocarbons and HMs, demonstrating how petrochemical industrial activities infiltrate into groundwater systems, exacerbating environmental degradation and posing serious health threats to human beings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23714,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources and Industry","volume":"34 ","pages":"Article 100319"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maël Ferrand , Yves Barré , Alban Gossard , Guillaume Munier-Gondiant , Eric de Vito , Hussam Aldoori , Clio Bosia , Agnès Grandjean
{"title":"Influence of the synthesis route of lithium adsorbent Li/Al LDHs on physicochemical properties and extraction properties","authors":"Maël Ferrand , Yves Barré , Alban Gossard , Guillaume Munier-Gondiant , Eric de Vito , Hussam Aldoori , Clio Bosia , Agnès Grandjean","doi":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100317","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100317","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lithium can be extracted from brines using a process commonly called Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) using a lithium selective adsorbent as solid support. For that purpose, Li/Al layered double hydroxide (Li/Al LDH) are efficient materials for trapping Li<sup>+</sup> in the vacant octahedral sites and chloride ions in their interlayer space. This article presents two distinct synthesis routes of Li/Al LDH materials, hydrothermal and coprecipitation, their characterizations and their Li extraction properties in synthetic brine. Indeed, the synthesis route impacts the physicochemical properties of the adsorbent and hence the Li<sup>+</sup> extraction performances. A link between the structural and morphological properties of the adsorbents and the extraction properties was established. The material obtained by the coprecipitation method appears more effective for extracting lithium, as it is made up of grains of small particles with a greater pore volume and a larger exchange surface. This morphological property leads directly to a fast extraction kinetics, which is an essential point for a viable DLE process. This article also shows a close link between the LiCl content in the materials and the maximum achievable extraction capacity. The two active materials studied here have in fact the same maximum capacities due to an identical LiCl content in their crystalline structure, meaning that all sorption sites can be reached under optimal extraction conditions. It is therefore crucial to understand the influence of synthesis method on the extraction performance to optimize the process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23714,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources and Industry","volume":"34 ","pages":"Article 100317"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144908079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Concentrating esterquat-based surfactant wastewater via forward osmosis: A step toward reuse","authors":"Aleksandra Klimonda, Izabela Kowalska","doi":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100316","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100316","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the potential of forward osmosis (FO) for concentrating industrial wastewater obtained from the rinsing stage of esterquat-based cationic surfactant production. The raw wastewater exhibited a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) of approximately 20,000 mg O<sub>2</sub>/L and a significant concentration of cationic surfactants (CSs) from the esterquat group (∼2500 mg/L). The FO process with 1 M NaCl reduced wastewater volume by 50 %, resulting in a twofold increase in COD and CSs. An increase in the feed solution salinity (67–612 mg Cl<sup>−</sup>/L) confirmed the occurrence of reverse salt flux, while total organic carbon (TOC) in the draw solution at the end of the process reached ∼200 mg/L, indicating partial organic contaminants transfer through the membrane. These results demonstrate that FO is effective for concentrating wastewater and supports circular economy strategies by enabling water reuse and reducing freshwater consumption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23714,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources and Industry","volume":"34 ","pages":"Article 100316"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144863826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rainwater harvesting in a Polish industrial park: Toxicity, treatment, and use","authors":"Martyna Grzegorzek , Szymon Szymczewski , Joanna Struk-Sokołowska , Bartosz Kaźmierczak","doi":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100315","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100315","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rainwater quality is strongly influenced by industrial activity. Simultaneously, amid increasing water scarcity, it states a potential supplementary water resource. Therefore, monitoring its quality is essential. This is one of the first studies aiming to assess the quality of rainwater collected in an industrial area (in Lower Silesia, Poland), combined with an assessment of heavy metals (HMs) toxicity to evaluate its ecological risk. Rainwater samples were collected from five locations (drainage ditches and retention tanks). Selected physicochemical parameters (pH, electric conductivity, total suspended and dissolved solids, total phosphorus, BOD<sub>5</sub>, and COD), ions (Ca, Cl<sup>−</sup>, SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup>, F<sup>−</sup>, Al, nitrogen compounds), and selected HMs (Cu, Ni, Cr, Cd) were analyzed in a certified laboratory. Ecological risk was assessed using the risk quotient (RQ) method by comparing maximum observed concentrations with literature-derived predicted no-effect concentrations (PNEC). Most parameters met World Health Organization guidelines, except for Ni (up to 0.098 mg/L), and Cl- (up to 302 mg/L), suggesting possible contamination from industrial emissions. Ca was the most abundant cation (108 mg/L). Rainwater pH was rather neutral. Cu was the most prevalent heavy metal (concentrations up to 0.1 mg/L), and RQ values up to 2000, indicating high ecological risk. Cr posed the lowest ecological risk. The elevated Ni, and Cl<sup>−</sup> concentrations suggest that untreated rainwater is unsuitable for direct reuse. To mitigate risks, appropriate treatment, e.g., filtration, membrane processes, or disinfection (depending on the expected outcomes), is recommended. The findings highlight the need for effective rainwater management and the environmental impact of industrial activities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23714,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources and Industry","volume":"34 ","pages":"Article 100315"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144826999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elahe Irandoost , Ahmad Ghorbanpour , Hadi Balouei Jamkhaneh , Peiman Ghasemi , Erfan Babaee Tirkolaee
{"title":"Sustainable-circular water resources management in the mining industry using system dynamics modeling","authors":"Elahe Irandoost , Ahmad Ghorbanpour , Hadi Balouei Jamkhaneh , Peiman Ghasemi , Erfan Babaee Tirkolaee","doi":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mining is seen as a water-consuming industry, whereas the number of mining industries increases, followed by the excessive consumption of groundwater. An efficient water management system, pursuing a global objective of sustainable development and circular solutions, is needed at the production process level. Hence, to separate economic development and growth from the excessive consumption of resources, the alternative Circular Economy (CE) model is recommended as a new paradigm of the economy for sustainable development. This study aims to design a dynamic model which allows the analysis of various scenarios in line with sustainable Water Consumption Management (WCM) in the mining industries, considering the components of CE. In this work, the water system of mining industries is modeled using the System Dynamics (SD) approach in a southern province of Iran, given the impact of components of the CE on water demand, industrial balance, and groundwater volume by 2041. Findings demonstrate that implementing three strategies of reduction, recovery and reuse in the mining industries of Bushehr Province through public policies encourages the use of water consumption reduction technology in the mining industry units, wherein greet growth in the number of active units, 90 % reduction in the stagnant units, 92 % reduction in water consumption per capita and 70 % reduction in the water demand of mining industries are observed. Therefore, compliance with CE principles in this industry can solve the main concerns of Water Resources Management (WRM), such as increasing water productivity, reducing water withdrawal from existing sources, and reducing per capita water consumption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23714,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources and Industry","volume":"34 ","pages":"Article 100313"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144780238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marcin Sidoruk , Ireneusz Cymes , Skwierawski Andrzej , Mirosław Skorbiłowicz
{"title":"Evaluating the effectiveness of natural wastewater treatment systems from intensive trout aquaculture facilities","authors":"Marcin Sidoruk , Ireneusz Cymes , Skwierawski Andrzej , Mirosław Skorbiłowicz","doi":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100314","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100314","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the intensification of aquaculture and its environmental consequences, natural wastewater treatment methods are gaining increasing importance. This study assessed the effectiveness of two nature-based solutions (treatment ditches and sedimentation ponds) in improving the quality of effluents from four trout farms. Water quality parameters were analyzed before and after treatment, focusing on nitrogen compounds, organic matter, total suspended solids, and oxygen dynamics. Statistical analyses revealed significant correlations between selected indicators. Treatment ditches were particularly effective in removing nitrogen compounds, notably ammonia and nitrite, while sedimentation ponds showed greater efficiency in reducing organic matter and Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD<sub>5</sub>). However, an increase in suspended solids was observed in some cases, especially on Farm 4 (34 %). These findings highlight that ditches are more suited to rapid nitrogen reduction, whereas ponds provide stable organic matter treatment but may require monitoring for solid accumulation. The combined use of both systems can enhance wastewater treatment outcomes and mitigate the environmental impact of intensive aquaculture. The results contribute to a better understanding of cost-effective and sustainable strategies for managing aquaculture effluents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23714,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources and Industry","volume":"34 ","pages":"Article 100314"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144770658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Benfu Luo , Jie Yu , Weiwei Huang , Xiang Zhou , Jinyin Li , Qiang Zhang , Haiyan Ning , Jiuzheng Wang , Haixin He , Yujing Yan , Yuhang Liu
{"title":"Experimental research of combined ozone/hydrogen peroxide oxidative degradation of chemical oxygen demand in sauce-flavored liquor wastewater","authors":"Benfu Luo , Jie Yu , Weiwei Huang , Xiang Zhou , Jinyin Li , Qiang Zhang , Haiyan Ning , Jiuzheng Wang , Haixin He , Yujing Yan , Yuhang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sauce-flavored liquor wastewater is characterized by high concentrations of complex organic compounds that resist degradation, resulting in chemical oxygen demand (COD) values well above the permissible limit of 15 mg/L despite multi-stage treatment. This study systematically optimized the operational parameters for both ozone-only oxidation and O<sub>3</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> co-oxidation using one-factor experiments, orthogonal design, and response surface methodology to evaluate their efficacy in deep COD reduction. Under optimized conditions, ozone-only oxidation achieved only a 60 % COD removal efficiency, with low ozone utilization efficiency and high dosage requirements. To address these shortcomings, an O<sub>3</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> combined oxidation approach was adopted. At pH 8.5 with ozone and hydrogen peroxide dosages of 100 mg/L and 94 mg/L, respectively, the COD removal efficiency increased markedly to 78.6 %, reducing effluent COD to 9 mg/L while lowering ozone consumption by 28.6 %. Kinetic analysis confirmed adherence to a second-order reaction model. The O<sub>3</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> co-oxidation technology thus offers superior efficiency and cost-effectiveness for treating recalcitrant sauce-flavored liquor wastewater, presenting a promising industrial solution for the deep treatment of hard-to-degrade organic effluents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23714,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources and Industry","volume":"34 ","pages":"Article 100312"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144713298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bakhtiar Ali Samejo , Manoj P. Rayaroth , Chongqing Wang , Xun Sun , Grzegorz Boczkaj
{"title":"Hydrated electrons and other reductive species - properties, formation and applications in advanced reduction processes for degradation of emerging organic pollutants – a review","authors":"Bakhtiar Ali Samejo , Manoj P. Rayaroth , Chongqing Wang , Xun Sun , Grzegorz Boczkaj","doi":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100311","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100311","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hydrated electron (e<sup>−</sup><sub>aq</sub>) has received significant attention in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and currently in advanced reduction processes (ARPs). This review offers an up-to-date information about the structure, reactivity, and stability of e<sup>−</sup><sub>aq</sub> and environmental applications. Various ARPs, particularly generating e<sup>−</sup><sub>aq</sub> such as UV/reductants (sulfite, iodide, dithionite and ferrous ion), and innovative technologies (e-beam, plasma, sonochemistry, photocatalysis) are discussed. Optimal conditions needed to produce enough e<sup>−</sup><sub>aq</sub>, benefits and drawbacks of each system are given in this review. Moreover, the degradation effectiveness of chlorinated and fluorinated chemicals, nitro-derivatives, and other compounds are discussed. It has been found that effectiveness of ARPs, varied with the utilized processes. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were reduced effectively using UV/indole and UV/sulfite processes. UV/iodide needed more time to degrade them. Among the various co-existing interfering matrices, dissolved organic matter was a crucial e<sup>−</sup><sub>aq</sub> scavenger. But, low amounts of humic acids (HA) could boost photo-reductive pollutants degradation. In addition, e<sup>−</sup><sub>aq</sub> -based photochemical methods effectively reduced inorganic compounds i.e., bromates (BrO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>), nitrates (NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>), arsenic in a form of As(V) and As(III). Types of scavengers as well as methods for identification of reductive species contributing to degradation mechanism were discussed. Decrease of the matrix effect provide additional processes which will allow to preconcentrate target pollutants and eliminate most of matrix components – such approaches based on effective separation techniques like adsorption or membrane processes are currently under high interest.</div><div>Finally, impact of process variables on ARPs effectiveness, such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, pollutant concentration, and UV intensity are discussed. Still debatable is effect of dissolved oxygen, high scavenging effect was reported for several systems, including UV/iodide – anaerobic conditions obtained by nitrogen or argon purging where needed. Other studies (UV/sulfite) showed minor effect, probably by oxygen removal using excess of reductant. Preference of basic pH and high selectivity makes the ARPs a promising alternative to AOPs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23714,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources and Industry","volume":"34 ","pages":"Article 100311"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144917040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jillian P. Fry , Betelhem A. Higi , Aaliyah Philippe-Auguste , Brianna C. Hutchins , Sya B. Kedzior
{"title":"Quick food thawing with running water versus a recirculating faucet: Comparison of time to thaw and use of water and energy","authors":"Jillian P. Fry , Betelhem A. Higi , Aaliyah Philippe-Auguste , Brianna C. Hutchins , Sya B. Kedzior","doi":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100310","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100310","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Freezing is an effective and widely used food preservation method, and frozen food must be thawed safely. The running water method (RWM) involves continuously running cold water over frozen food and is described as a safe and quicker alternative to thawing in a refrigerator. This thawing method appears to be commonly used in food processing and food service settings, but it has received little attention from food supply chain and/or sustainability researchers. A recirculating faucet device that mimics RWM is available in the U.S. We conducted eight thawing trials with two food types, ground beef (2.27 kg) and a seafood mix (0.91 kg), to compare thawing time and use of water and energy. The thaw methods were: RWM with food placed directly in a sink (unsubmerged), RWM in a container (submerged), a recirculating faucet with submerged food, and a refrigerator. Thawing in a refrigerator took 2-3 days, and the other methods took 74 to 198 minutes. The recirculating faucet used about 9 liters of water for each thaw trial, and RWM used 709 to 1466 liters. Estimated energy use by the recirculating faucet was higher but comparable to refrigerator thawing. In all trials, tap water was warmer than 21°C (the maximum water temperature for RWM in U.S. food safety regulations), but the recirculating water cooled to less than 21°C during thawing with the faucet device. Climate change is warming some water sources, and research is needed on implications for food safety and food thawing guidelines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23714,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources and Industry","volume":"34 ","pages":"Article 100310"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144632686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development of a methodology for identifying and quantifying mining environmental liabilities in aquatic ecosystems: A case study of Segovia, Colombia","authors":"Wilfredo Marimon-Bolívar , John Chavarro Diaz , Armando Sarmiento , Nathalie Toussaint Jimenez","doi":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100307","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100307","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Untreated discharges from mining activities threaten aquatic ecosystems, affecting water quality and biodiversity. This study develops a methodology for estimating environmental liabilities in aquatic systems, focusing on Segovia, Colombia (2010–2017). Using historical data (2010–2017), recent monitoring (2021–2023), and modelling tools (HEC-RAS and WASP), water and sediment quality indices were applied to quantify impacts, emphasizing heavy metals and cyanide. The methodology integrated diverse indices to evaluate contamination levels, including the Aquatic Toxicity Index (ATI) for water quality and the Pollutant Load Index (PLI) for sediments. Results revealed increased contaminant concentrations downstream, such as lead (0.4 mg/L) and suspended solids (61 mg/L), exceeding regulatory limits. While local pressures like domestic and illegal mining discharges complicate the pollution scenario, the findings confirm significant environmental liabilities from untreated discharges, impacting ecosystem services and community health. The study demonstrates that, despite pre-existing contamination, mining activities notably degrade water and sediment quality. It highlights critical deposition zones where contaminants accumulate, serving as focal points for remediation. The developed methodology offers a replicable framework, integrating past and current data, modelling, and tailored indices to assess aquatic liabilities effectively. This research provides actionable insights for mitigating mining pollution and restoring affected ecosystems. Bridging gaps in environmental liability quantification supports informed decision-making for environmental management and policy development in mining-impacted regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23714,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources and Industry","volume":"34 ","pages":"Article 100307"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144581216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}