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Updated: May 5, 2026

Deployment and Retrieval of Mineral Samplers
Published on: January 20, 2026
Sulfate and conductivity as field indicators for detecting coal-mining pollution
Abstract:
A water quality assessment was conducted on three Appalachian streams polluted by coal mining at the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Tennessee and Kentucky. Results showed that sulfate was an excellent parameter for detecting the effects of coal mining and that sulfate analyses used in conjunction with conductivity readings provided the best detection index. Acidity and pH readings were relatively insensitive indicators, reflecting the mining pollution only after sulfate concentrations already indicated severe pollution levels.
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