ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Simulation of Manganese Transport
in Groundwater Using Visual MODFLOW:
a Case Study from Xiangtan Manganese
Ore Area in Central China
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1
Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Shale Gas Resource Exploitation, Xiangtan, 411201, China
2
School of Civil Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, 411201, China
3
School of Computing, Engineering & Physical Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Paisley PA1 2BE, UK
Submission date: 2020-02-25
Final revision date: 2020-07-24
Acceptance date: 2020-07-27
Online publication date: 2020-11-13
Publication date: 2021-01-20
Corresponding author
Bozhi Ren
Hunan University of Science and Technology, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(2):1409-1420
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ABSTRACT
The release of metals from a mine tailings pond to groundwater is an important pathway to assess
the environmental impact of mining residues and implications for wider environmental risk. We
research the impact of manganese ore area in Heling Town, Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, central
China. The focus is to assess the migration of manganese (Mn) using the Visual MODFLOW model
of groundwater flow and the MT3DMS software platform to model solute transport. The modelling
objective focuses on evaluating the migration of the pollution plume of manganese over a 20 year
time period. The results show the sustained release and transport of Mn from the tailing pond.
The concentration of Mn in the central pollution halo is 1.97 mg/L, and the maximum detectable range
is at 2291 m, with the concentration range exceeding the third level of national groundwater standard
is 1280 m. The result provides a basis for the development and utilization of the mining area and the
pollution prediction and protection of the tailings pond.