PubMedWater environment research : a research publication of the Water Environment Federation2026-11-11
Impacts of Longwall Mining-Induced Goafs on Sulfate Generation and Biogeochemical Transformation in a Multiaquifer System: Insights From C, S, O, and H Isotopes.
Yang Zhengqiu Z, Fang Jie J, Zhao Yongqiang Y, Zhang Yaobin Y et al.
Longwall mining disrupts overlying strata and creates goafs, altering groundwater conditions and the chemical composition of affected aquifer systems. In arid and semiarid regions, understanding how deep coal extraction influences sulfate biogeochemistry is essential for assessing mining-related groundwater degradation and protecting scarce groundwater resources. This study combined major-ion chemistry, water isotopes (δD and δ18Owater), sulfate isotopes (δ34S and δ18OSO4), δ13CDIC, and Bayesian isotope mixing analysis to investigate sulfate sources and transformation in the multiaquifer system and goaf of the Jinjie Coal Mine, China. The results reveal a marked contrast between sulfate generation in the goaf and its subsequent transformation in the Jurassic aquifers. Pyrite oxidation and associated carbonate dissolution dominate sulfate and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) production in goaf water, whereas Bayesian source apportionment identifies pyrite oxidation as the principal sulfate source in most goaf-water samples. The spatial variation in source contributions is consistent with differences in the thickness and continuity of the Baode aquitard. Mining-induced fracturing, locally extending to the surface, facilitates the exposure of pyrite-bearing strata to oxygenated water and air, promoting sulfate generation in the goaf. The resulting sulfate subsequently enters the Jurassic aquifers, where relatively confined and reducing conditions favor bacterial sulfate reduction. Sulfate depletion, enrichment of residual sulfate in heavy sulfur and oxygen isotopes, and relatively depleted δ13CDIC values provide complementary evidence for this transformation. These findings provide a process-based framework for understanding sulfate evolution in mining-affected groundwater systems.