Multivariate analysis for assessing surface water pollution in the historical gold mining-affected Loddon River

Mokhinabonu Mardonova, Bandita Mainali*, Rouzbeh Abbassi (Contributor), Muhammad Kashif Shahid (Contributor)

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference proceeding contributionpeer-review

Abstract

The Loddon River basin, with 6,300 abandoned mines—5,000 of which were focused on gold extraction during Victoria's mid-19th-century gold rush—suffers from severe water quality degradation. This study employs multivariate statistical analysis to investigate water quality trends and the relationship between historical gold mines and catchment contamination, considering weather patterns. Analyzing 15 water quality parameters from five monitoring stations and climate data from 1996 to 2010, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) reveals persistent mining-induced hazards, particularly in wet seasons, indicated by trends in electrical conductivity, turbidity, and sulfate concentrations. Correlation analysis confirmed the negative impact of agriculture, urbanization, and industrial development, including historical mining areas, on water quality, while natural vegetation and wetlands buffer these effects, highlighting their importance for future land management strategies. Significant water quality changes were observed between downstream and upstream stations, especially in tributaries flowing through the gold mining regions around Bendigo, which recorded the poorest water quality. This is particularly concerning as these tributaries flow into the Murray River, home to many endangered aquatic species.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of ICARD 2024
Place of PublicationWestmount
PublisherCanadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum
Chapter96
Number of pages16
Publication statusPublished - 2024
EventInternational Conference on Acid Rock Drainage (13th : 2024) - Halifax, Canada
Duration: 16 Sept 202420 Sept 2024
https://icard2024.cim.org/

Conference

ConferenceInternational Conference on Acid Rock Drainage (13th : 2024)
Abbreviated titleICARD 2024
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityHalifax
Period16/09/2420/09/24
Internet address

Keywords

  • catchment management
  • acid rock drainage
  • contaminant transport
  • geographical information systems
  • water quality
  • environmental reclamation measures

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