The chemical response of deep, leached and weathered soils of the Mpumalanga Highveld, South Africa, to irrigation with saline mine water

Coal mining in the Highveld region of Mpumalanga Province, South Africa generates between 14 and 30 million litres of waste water per day. Much of the water is saline (TDS> 2500 mg/I) and has high concentrations of dissolved SO₄²⁻, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺. Crop irrigation has been proposed as a useful way to dispose of saline mine water and enhance agricultural productivity in this low rainfall (˂800 mm/year) region. In order to avoid undesirable salinization of the regional groundwater, it is necessary that soils immobilize, at least partially, the dissolved salt load of irrigation water.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Geological Sciences

Year dc:date.issued

2000

Author dc:creator

• Campbell, Ross

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Abanda, Peter Azah
• Smith, Meris

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/4189

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/4189