Environmental Impact Assessment of Mining Activities on Groundwater: Case Study of Copper Mine in Jiangxi Province, China

Seepage from a tailings dam associated with a copper mine located in Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, China, may affect surrounding groundwater quality during mine operations. A groundwater environmental impact assessment (EIA) is an important aspect of China’s current EIA system, and is used to protect groundwater quality. Water-quality monitoring and analyses were performed to assess the impacts of this mining site. To understand the current status of groundwater quality in the area, water-quality sampling was conducted at monitoring points in the tailings-reservoir area. In addition to measuring physicochemical parameters, such as pH, 11 major cations and anions (${\mathrm{Na}}^{+}$, ${\mathrm{K}}^{+}$, ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{2+}$, ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{2+}$, ${\mathrm{NH}}_3-\mathrm{N}$, ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{-}$, ${\mathrm{F}}^{-}$, ${\mathrm{HCO}}_3^{-}$, ${\mathrm{SO}}_4^{2-}$, ${\mathrm{CO}}_3^{2-}$, and ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{6+}$) and eight heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Hg, Mn, As, and Ag) were analyzed using the standard index method. A majority of the groundwater-quality parameters met the current China Class III Groundwater Quality Standards. The tailings dam under abnormal conditions could damage the dam body and cause damage to the antiseepage layer. Based on this study, the design construction and operation of the tailings pond is predicted to meet requirements ensuring that the tailings pond will not affect surrounding groundwater quality.