How does the Water Quality in the Needle Hill Mine Compare to the Water Quality in the Tai Tam Reservoir?

Water is an essential part of all life; however, water quality is a problem affecting many people around the world, with 2 billion people lacking sanitized water for consumption ("Goal 6 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs"). Microbes, nutrients, heavy metals, organic compounds, oil, and sediments are all major water pollutants. The aforementioned pollutants can be detrimental to water quality and thus human health in various ways.

Mining operations provide us with valuable resources such as tungsten, copper, coal, iron, etc. However, mining operations can also be a source of contamination, especially within the wastewater that the process produces. Said wastewater can be highly acidic, and may contain high levels of suspended solids such as heavy metals. Heavy metals in particular can cause a variety of health issues such as skin lesions and rashes, and in worse cases can even lead to nervous system dysfunctions, learning disabilities and more ("Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water | US EPA"). Hong Kong has a rich history of mining, and scientists are still working to understand the environmental impact of these mines. By examining the water outflows of these mines, and because wastewater from mines can impact its neighboring water sources for a long time even after the closure of a mine, studying the contents of the water is beneficial so governments can take steps to remediate any polluted water.

In this study, water samples will be collected from five different outflows in the Needle Hill Tungsten Mine and tested for Arsenic, Copper, Lead, Tungsten and other parameters such as the water's acidity. The samples from the Needle Hill Mine will be compared to three water samples sites from the Tai Tam reservoir. The Tai Tam reservoir is chosen as the control variable because it has been maintained very well by the local government, with strict restrictions in entering the water body, meaning it should represent clean, non-polluted water. This study aims to compare the different samples from these sites to determine if past mining has impacted water quality in the Needle Hill area and understand the effects of mining on water quality.