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1.
J.-Y. Yu 《Environmental Geology》1998,36(3-4):271-276
A few simple mass balance equations were developed to simultaneously estimate how much the pollutants from acid mine drainage
(AMD) in stream water are diluted and removed during their migration. The application of the equations requires knowledge
of the variations in the concentrations of the dissolved pollutants and the stoichiometry of the precipitation reaction of
the pollutants when none of the pollutant shows a conservative behavior along the stream path. The calculation should be restricted
to the pollutants showing much higher concentrations in the polluted main stream water than in the combining or diluting water
of the same target area.
The mass balance equations were applied to estimate the dilution factor and precipitation fractions of pollutants in Imgok
Creek such as Fe, SO4 and Al from the AMD of Yeongdong mine. The results show that the estimation, especially for SO4 and Al, significantly depends on the kinds of the precipitates. When FeOHSO4 and AlOHSO4 are assumed to precipitate, the maximum removal fractions of SO4 and Al by precipitation are respectively 34% and 46% of the original input, which is much higher than the values estimated
when SO4 is considered to be perfectly conservative. It indicates that the stoichiometry of precipitation reaction is very important
in the interpretation of the pollutant dilution and migration and assessment of environmental impacts of AMD. The applicability
of the mass balance equations may still need to be verified. However, examining the calculated dilution factor and precipitation
fractions with the equations can provide invaluable information on not only the behavior but also unexpected input of the
pollutants in the stream water polluted by AMD and other point sources.
Received: 12 November 1997 · Accepted: 30 March 1998 相似文献
2.
Interaction of acid mine drainage with waters and sediments at the Corona stream, Lousal mine (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Southern Portugal) 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
E. Ferreira da Silva C. Patinha P. Reis E. Cardoso Fonseca J. X. Matos J. Barrosinho J. M. Santos Oliveira 《Environmental Geology》2006,50(7):1001-1013
This study investigates the geochemical characteristics of the acid mine drainage discharged from the abandoned mine adits and tailing piles in the vicinity of the Lousal mine and evaluates the extent of pollution on water and on the stream sediments of the Corona stream. Atmospheric precipitation interacting with sulphide minerals in exposed tailings produces runoff water with pH values as low as 1.9–2.9 and high concentrations of
(9,249–20,700 mg l−1), Fe (959–4,830 mg l−1) and Al (136–624 mg l−1). The acidic effluents and mixed stream water carry elevated Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and As concentrations that exceed the water quality standards. However, the severity of contamination generally decreases 4 km downstream of the source due to mixing with fresh waters, which causes the dilution of dissolved toxic metals and neutralization of acidity. Some natural attenuation of the contaminants also occurs due to the general reduced solubility of most trace metals, which may be removed from solution, by either co-precipitation or adsorption to the iron and aluminium precipitates. 相似文献
3.
《Journal of Geochemical Exploration》2005,85(2):55-62
Concern about arsenic is increasing throughout the world, including areas of the United States. Elevated levels of arsenic above current drinking-water regulations in ground and surface water can be the result of purely natural phenomena, but often are due to anthropogenic activities, such as mining and agriculture. The current study correlates arsenic speciation in acid mine drainage and mining-influenced water with the important water-chemistry properties Eh, pH, and iron(III) concentration. The results show that arsenic speciation is generally in equilibrium with iron chemistry in low pH AMD, which is often not the case in other natural-water matrices. High pH mine waters and groundwater do not always hold to the redox predictions as well as low pH AMD samples. The oxidation and precipitation of oxyhydroxides deplete iron from some systems, and also affect arsenite and arsenate concentrations through sorption processes. 相似文献
4.
Pan Wu Changyuan Tang Congqiang Liu Lijun Zhu TingQuan Pei Lijuan Feng 《Environmental Geology》2009,57(7):1457-1467
The chemical characteristics, formation and natural attenuation of pollutants in the coal acid mine drainage (AMD) at Xingren
coalfield, Southwest China, are discussed in this paper based on the results of a geochemical investigation as well as geological
and hydrogeological background information. The chemical composition of the AMD is controlled by the dissolution of sulfide
minerals in the coal seam, the initial composition of the groundwater and the water–rock interaction. The AMD is characterized
by high sulfate concentrations, high levels of dissolved metals (Fe, Al, Mn, etc.) and low pH values. Ca2+ and SO4
2− are the dominant cation and anion in the AMD, respectively, while Ca2+ and HCO3
− are present at significant levels in background water and surface water after the drainage leaves the mine site. The pH and
alkalinity increase asymptotically with the distance along the flow path, while concentrations of sulfate, ferrous iron, aluminum
and manganese are typically controlled by the deposition of secondary minerals. Low concentrations of As and other pollutants
in the surface waters of the Xingren coalfield could be due to relatively low quantities being released from coal seams, to
adsorption and coprecipitation on secondary minerals in stream sediments, and to dilution by unpolluted surface recharge.
Although As is not the most serious water quality problem in the Xingren region at present, it is still a potential environmental
problem.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. 相似文献
5.
Impact of AMD on water quality in critical watershed in the Hudson River drainage basin: Phillips Mine,Hudson Highlands,New York 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Sivajini Gilchrist Alexander Gates Zoltan Szabo Paul J. Lamothe 《Environmental Geology》2009,57(2):397-409
A sulfur and trace element enriched U–Th-laced tailings pile at the abandoned Phillips Mine in Garrison, New York, releases
acid mine drainage (AMD, generally pH < 3, minimum pH 1.78) into the first-order Copper Mine Brook (CMB) that drains into
the Hudson River. The pyrrhotite-rich Phillips Mine is located in the Highlands region, a critical water source for the New
York metro area. A conceptual model for derivation/dissolution, sequestration, transport and dilution of contaminants is proposed.
The acidic water interacts with the tailings, leaching and dissolving the trace metals. AMD evaporation during dry periods
concentrates solid phase trace metals and sulfate, forming melanterite (FeSO4·7H2O) on sulfide-rich tailings surfaces. Wet periods dissolve these concentrates/precipitates, releasing stored acidity and trace
metals into the CMB. Sediments along CMB are enriched in iron hydroxides which act as sinks for metals, indicating progressive
sequestration that correlates with dilution and sharp rise in pH when mine water mixes with tributaries. Seasonal variations
in metal concentrations were partly attributable to dissolution of the efflorescent salts with their sorbed metals and additional
metals from surging acidic seepage induced by precipitation. 相似文献
6.
The purpose of this work is to characterize the hydrochemical behavior of acid mine drainages (AMD) and superficial waters
from the Adoria mine area (Northern Portugal). Samples of superficial and mine drainage water were collected for one year,
bi-monthly, with pH, temperature, Eh, conductivity and HCO3 determined in situ with chemical analyses of SO4, Ca, K, Mg, Na, Cl, Ag, As, Bi, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and Cd. In the mine, there are acidic waters, with low pH and
significant concentrations of SO4, and metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Ni), while in the superficial natural stream waters outside the mine, the pH is close
to neutral, with low conductivity and lower metal concentrations. The stream waters inside the mine influence are intermediate
in composition between AMD and natural stream waters outside the mine influence. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) shows
a clear separation between AMD galleries and AMD tailings, with tailings having a greater level of contamination. 相似文献
7.
A pyrite-rich waste stream is one of three types generated from a kyanite mine in central Virginia near the town of Dillwyn, Buckingham County. Currently, ore consists of approximately 3% pyrite waste and an estimated 382,000 tons of this waste stream has been generated over the past 60 years. The mineralogy of the waste stream consists of variable amounts of pyrite (70–>99%), talc (1–20%), quartz (1–10%), kyanite (0.5–5%) with minor or trace amounts of magnetite, hematite, galena, anorthite and rare earth phosphate. Energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis indicates that talc has minor amounts of Al up to 1.57 wt% and Fe up to 4.29 wt% and pyrite grains have no impurities above detection limit of approximately 0.1 wt%. Bulk chemical analysis of selected elements using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry analysis indicate that Zn (28.82–367.71 ppm), As (8.94–18.26 ppm), Se (44.62–64.50 ppm), Cd (0.19–1.03 ppm), Hg (0.87–35.91 ppm), and Pb (65.10–189.66 ppm) occur at levels of some environmental concern. Au and Ag concentrations are negligible. Currently the waste stream is well managed and sold, but for a low price. Talc is of sufficient quality to be of interest for recycling but the estimated 540 tons generated per year is not a suitable quantity to be economically viable. Currently, the waste stream is not viable for recycling for higher monetary value; however, the characteristics of the pyrite may enable such recycling in the future for solar energy technologies. This and other associated waste streams show long term promise for integrated recycling and may play important economic roles in an economically disadvantaged region. 相似文献
8.
Effect of acid mine drainage on a karst basin: a case study on the high-As coal mining area in Guizhou province,China 总被引:2,自引:2,他引:0
Xiuzhen Tao Pan Wu Changyuan Tang Hong Liu Jing Sun 《Environmental Earth Sciences》2012,65(3):631-638
Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a common pollution in mining areas due to the oxidation of pyrite and associated sulfide minerals
at mines, tailings and mine dumps. Elevated metals (Fe, Mn, Al) and metalloids (As, Hg) in AMD would deteriorate the local aquatic
environment and influence the water supply. A carbonate basin with deposits of high-arsenic coal in Xingren County, southwestern
China, was chosen to study the behavior of As and other chemical constituents along a river receiving AMD. Heavy metals (Fe,
Mn) and major ions such as (Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, SO4
2−) in surface water, and As in sediment and surface water were analyzed. It was found that high concentrations of SO4
2− (1,324–7,560 mg/L) and Fe (369–1,472 mg/L) in surface water were mainly controlled by the interactions between water and
rocks such as the oxidation of pyrite in the local coal seams, precipitation and adsorption of iron minerals. Although ubiquitous
carbonate minerals in the bedrock and the riverbeds, low pH (<3) water was maintained until 2 km downstream from the AMD source
due to the Fe(hydro)oxide minerals coating on the surface of carbonate minerals to restrain the neutralization of acidic water.
Moreover, the formation of Fe(hydro)oxide precipitations absorbed As was dominated the attenuation of As from water to sediment.
Whereas, the dilution also played an important role in decrease of As in river water. 相似文献
9.
J. -Y. Yu 《Environmental Geology》1996,27(4):286-299
Osheepcheon Creek running through the Dogyae area is being polluted by the influx of the abandoned coal mine drainage. Generally, the more polluted water has lower pH and Eh and higher conductivity values. The concentrations of Mg, Ca, Fe, SO4, and some trace elements, such as Cd, Co, Cr, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, U and Zn, are tens to hundreds of times more concentrated in the abandoned coal mine drainage than in the unpolluted streamwater. However, most immobile toxic pollutants from the mine drainage are quickly removed from the streamwater by the precipitation of amorphous Fe hydroxide and sorption on the precipitated Fe hydroxide. The fast removal of the pollutants from the streamwater maintains the water quality of the creek as acceptable at most places along the stream path, except where the abandoned coal mine drainage flows in. However, the creek has the potential of deteriorating quickly if the mine drainage is allowed to be continuously combined with the streams. A function of pH, Eh, and conductivity has been developed with discriminant function analysis for the purpose of easy, fast, and inexpensive measurement of the degrees of pollution of the streams. The estimated pollution of the streams with the discriminant function are consistent with what the chemical compositions of the water samples indicate. The pollution map of the study area was constructed from the calculated scores with the discriminant function. The pollution map suggests that the pollutants mainly come from the west side of Osheepcheon Creek. Thus, the abandoned coal mine drainage from the west side has to be appropriately treated as soon as possible to prevent Osheepcheon Creek from being further polluted. Considering the topography, climate, and the amount of the mine drainage, an active treatment method is recommended. 相似文献
10.
Hydrochemical characterization of acute acid mine drainage at Iron Duke mine, Mazowe, Zimbabwe 总被引:8,自引:0,他引:8
Acid mine drainage (AMD) with a minimum pH of 0.52 was recorded at Iron Duke mine near Mazowe, Zimbabwe during an investigation
of the environmental geochemistry of mine waters in the Greenstone Belts of Zimbabwe. Hydrochemical data for waters emanating
from the Iron Duke waste-rock pile indicate their super-saturation with respect to Fe and SO4
2–. Extremely high dissolved concentrations of Al, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, V, Cr, Cd and As also prevail. Substantial losses of metals
from solution occur within 400 m of the AMD source through the precipitation of crystalline sulphates, principally melanterite.
Further downstream, hydrous oxide precipitation forms the dominant mechanism of metal attenuation in waters characteristically
under-saturated with respect to Fe sulphates. Speciation and saturation index data generated using the equilibrium model WATEQ4F,
suggest that such codes have broad utility for generic prediction of the mineralogical contraints on metal mobility in acute
AMD systems. Major discrepancies between modelled and empirical hydrochemistries are, however, evident for super-saturated
waters in which the kinetics of Fe precipitation are slow, and in which total ionic strengths markedly exceed their theoretical
maximum.
Received: 28 August 1998 · Accepted: 7 December 1998 相似文献
11.
Two acid mine drainage streams have been investigated by detailed analysis of their sediments and waters, to obtain an understanding of the dominant processes which control the transport and attenuation of heavy metals under conditions of chronic high-level pollutant input. One of the water-courses has a thick hydrous iron oxide crust on its bed, where biotically mediated oxidation of ferrous iron resulted in precipitation of amorphous ferric hydroxide, along with substantial quantities of adsorbed silica, sulphate and Al and lesser quantities of As. Small amounts of K and Pb (and possibly hydronium) jarosites were also present in the sediments. Changes in pH and in the concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Cd appear to be mainly the result of dilution by seeps and tributaries.Although no sediment was recovered during collection of water samples from the second stream, saturation index calculations imply that precipitation should have been occurring. The observed down-stream loss of a number of elements supported this conclusion. The solids predicted to be precipitating were A1(OH)3, Cu2(OH)2CO3, and Fe(OH)3. Observed decreases in the concentrations of Cd, Zn and Mn can be accounted for on the basis of dilution alone. However, the additional mechanism of neutralization by higher pH inflows is required to account for the decrease in hydrogen ion concentration downstream.The basis for a potentially useful new technique (congruent element analysis) which enables the identification of conservative components in streams is presented. Comparison of logarithmic concentration versus distance plots delineates the point where chemical removal mechanisms become important for each element. 相似文献
12.
The San Antonio-El Triunfo mining district, located at a mountainous region 45 km south-east of La Paz, Baja California,
has been worked since the late 1700s. Mine waste material produced during 200 years of mineral extraction area poses a risk
of local groundwater pollution and eventually, regional pollution to the Carrizal (west basin) and the Los Planes (east basin)
aquifers. There are different types of deposits in the mining area. These are dominated by epithermal veins, in which arsenopyrite
is an important component. Carrillo and Drever (1998a) concluded that, even though the amount of mine waste is relatively
small in comparison to the large scale area, significant As in groundwater derived from the mine waste piles is found locally
in the groundwater. This paper shows the results of geochemical analyses of groundwater samples from the San Antonio-El Triunfo
area and the Carrizal and Los Planes aquifers during several years of monitoring (1993–1997). The highest values of total
dissolved solids (TDS) and As are in the mineralized area where the mining operations occurred (∼1500 ppm TDS and 0.41 ppm
As). The lowest concentrations of TDS and As are, in general, away from the mineralized area (∼500 ppm TDS and 0.01 ppm As).
Sulfate and bicarbonate (alkalinity) are, in general, high near the mineralized area and low away from it. The arsenic concentrations
vary seasonally, especially after the heavy summer thunderstorms. Geochemical modeling (MINTEQA2 and NETPATH) and analysis
of the regional geochemical evolution of the groundwater from the mining area towards the aquifer of Los Planes shows that
the most likely hydrochemical processes include: dilution, precipitation of calcite, and adsorption of As onto surfaces of
iron oxyhydroxides (ferrihydrite). These processes act as natural controls to the extent and amount of As pollution in the
Carrizal and Los Planes aquifers.
Received: 4 May 1999 · Accepted: 22 February 2000 相似文献
13.
Hun-Bok Jung Seong-Taek Yun Bernhard Mayer Soon-Oh Kim Seong-Sook Park Pyeong-Koo Lee 《Environmental Geology》2005,48(4-5):437-449
Transport and sediment–water partitioning of trace metals (Cr, Co, Fe, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd) in acid mine drainage were studied
in two creeks in the Kwangyang Au–Ag mine area, southern part of Korea. Chemical analysis of stream waters and the weak acid
(0.1 N HCl) extraction, strong acid (HF–HNO3–HClO4) extraction, and sequential extraction of stream sediments were performed. Heavy metal pollution of sediments was higher
in Chonam-ri creek than in Sagok-ri creek, because there is a larger source of base metal sulfides in the ores and waste dump
upstream of Chonam-ri creek. The sediment–water distribution coefficients (K
d) for metals in both creeks were dependent on the water pH and decreased in the order Pb ≈ Al > Cu > Mn > Zn > Co > Ni ≈ Cd.
K
d values for Al, Cu and Zn were very sensitive to changes in pH. The results of sequential extraction indicated that among
non-residual fractions, Fe–Mn oxides are most important for retaining trace metals in the sediments. Therefore, the precipitation
of Fe(–Mn) oxides due to pH increase in downstream sites plays an important role in regulating the concentrations of dissolved
trace metals in both creeks. For Al, Co, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn, the metal concentrations determined by 0.1 N HCl extraction (Korean
Standard Method for Soil Pollution) were almost identical to the cumulative concentrations determined for the first three
weakly-bound fractions (exchangeable + bound to carbonates + bound to Fe–Mn oxides) in the sequential extraction procedure.
This suggests that 0.1 N HCl extraction can be effectively used to assess the environmentally available and/or bioavailable
forms of trace metals in natural stream sediments. 相似文献
14.
Ag, Pb, Sn and Zn ores have been intensively mined and processed at Cerro Rico de Potosí, Bolivia since 1545. Acid mine drainage
(AMD) and mineral processing plant effluent are prime sources of water contamination in the headwaters of the Upper Rio Pilcomayo
watershed. Streams receiving AMD drainage from the slopes of Cerro Rico and surrounding landscapes were sampled during the
dry (July–August 2006) and wet (March 2007) seasons of one water-year. In-stream waters contained total metal concentrations
of up to 16 mg/L As, 4.9 mg/L Cd, 0.97 mg/L Co, 1,100 mg/L Fe, 110 mg/L Mn, 4.1 mg/L Pb, and 1,500 mg/L Zn with pH ranging
from 2.8 to 9.5. AMD-impacted streams contained elevated concentrations of the same major ecotoxic constituents present in
AMD discharges at concentrations orders of magnitude greater than in those streams unimpacted by AMD. Many of the AMD impacted
water bodies are more degraded than class “D” of the Bolivian receiving water body criteria, rendering them unfit for domestic
or agricultural use. Natural attenuation is insufficient to render waters safe for use, however, some of these waters are
currently being utilized for irrigation and livestock watering. The data indicate that historic and current mining activities
have transformed these key natural resources into potential human and environmental health hazards. 相似文献
15.
Agustín Gómez-Alvarez Diana Meza-Figueroa Arturo I. Villalba-Atondo Jesús Leobardo Valenzuela-García Jorge Ramírez-Hernández Javier Almendariz-Tapia 《Environmental Geology》2009,57(7):1469-1479
The San Pedro River (SPR) is located in northern Sonora (Mexico) and southeastern Arizona (USA). SPR is a transboundary river
that develops along the Sonora (Mexico) and Arizona (USA) border, and is considered the main source of water for a variety
of users (human settlements, agriculture, livestock, and industry). The SPR originates in the historic Cananea mining area,
which hosts some of the most important copper mineralizations in Mexico. Acid mine drainage derived from mine tailings is
currently reaching a tributary of the SPR near Cananea City, resulting in the contamination of the SPR with heavy metals and
sulfates in water and sediments. This study documents the accumulation and distribution of heavy metals in surface water along
a segment of the SPR from 1993 to 2005. Total concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn in surface waters are above maximum
permissible levels in sampling sites near mine tailing deposits. Nevertheless, a significant decrease in the Fe and SO4
2− in surface water (SO4
2−: 7,180–460.39 mg/L; Fe: 1,600–9.51 mg/L) as well as a gradual decrease in the heavy and transition metal content were observed
during the period from 1994 to 2005. Approximately 2.3 km downstream of the mine tailings, the heavy metal content of the
water drops quickly following an increase in pH values due to the discharging of wastewater into the river. The attenuation
of the heavy metal content in surface waters is related to stream sediment precipitation (accompanied by metal coprecipitation
and sorption) and water dilution. Determining the heavy metal concentration led to the conclusion that the Cananea mining
area and the San Pedro River are ecosystems that are impacted by the mining industry and by untreated wastewater discharges
arising from the city of Cananea (Sonora, Mexico). 相似文献
16.
Antimony (Sb) is strongly concentrated into hydrothermal mineral deposits, commonly with gold, in metasedimentary sequences around the Pacific Rim. These deposits represent potential point sources for Sb in the downstream environment, particularly when mines are developed. This study documents the magnitude and scale of Sb mobility near some mineral deposits in Australia and New Zealand. Two examples of New Zealand historic mining areas demonstrate that natural groundwater dissolution of Sb from mineral deposits dominates the Sb load in drainage waters, with Sb concentrations between 3 and 24 μg/L in major streams. Mine-related discharges can exceed 200 μg/L Sb, but volumes are small. Sb flux in principal stream waters is ca 1–14 mg/s, compared to mine tunnel fluxes of ca 0.001 mg/s. Dissolved Sb is strongly attenuated near some mine tunnels by adsorption on to iron oxyhydroxide precipitates. Similar Sb mobilisation and attenuation processes are occurring downstream of the historic/active Hillgrove antimony–gold mine of New South Wales, Australia, but historic discharges of Sb-bearing debris has resulted in elevated Sb levels in stream sediments (ca 10–100+ mg/kg) and riparian plants (up to 100 mg/kg) for ca 300 km downstream. Dissolution of Sb from these sediments ensures that river waters have elevated Sb (ca 10–1,000 μg/L) over that distance. Total Sb flux reaching the Pacific Ocean from the Hillgrove area is ca 8 tonnes/year, of which 7 tonnes/year is particulate and 1 tonne/year is dissolved. 相似文献
17.
K. Ramesh Kumar Dheeraj Pande Arpan Misra L. K. Nanda 《Journal of the Geological Society of India》2011,77(1):89-94
The Didwana playa, the second largest playa in the eastern part of the Thar desert, is 5.6 km long and 2.4 km wide and supports
commercial salt production. The thickness of lake sediment package is reported to be 20 m and comprises fine grained clays
and silts, with abundant calcite, gypsum, and halite, associated with hypersaline water. Isolated hills of graphitic phyllite
and quartzite are seen on the western side of the lake. During the course of investigations for uranium in surficial environment
of semi-arid terrain of Rajasthan, ground water sampling defined a NE-SW trending uranium halo encompassing the Didwana playa.
Subsequent sampling of unlined dug wells, up to water table in central part of the playa, indicated uranium values up to 190
ppm and 2072 ppb in lake sediments and brine respectively. These values are of the order of 21 ppm and 192 ppb towards the
southwestern periphery of the lake. The average uranium content, as inferred from 12 samples in the central part of the lake,
is around 60 ppm over a thickness of 5 m. It appears that the uranium is loosely bonded to the sediments in amorphous form
and is, hence, easily leachable. Samples of brine (n=10), from both the central and southwestern portions of the lake, analysed
high (1,67,500–3,00,000 mg/l) TDS, HCO3− (1128–8395 mg/l), and SO4 (30,536–88,000 mg/l). These are of alkaline (pH: 7.2–9.3) and reducing (Eh: −200 to −340 mV) nature. Under these Eh-pH conditions
below the groundwater table, and for such uranium bearing groundwater, precipitation of primary uranium is expected. It is,
therefore, modelled that uranium in lake sediment package above water table is concentrated by evaporation process and by
chemical reduction below the water table. 相似文献
18.
This study reports on the transfer of contaminants from waste rock dumps and mineralised ground into soils, sediments, waters
and plants at the rehabilitated Mary Kathleen uranium mine in semi-arid northwest Queensland. Numerous waste rock dumps were
partly covered with benign soil and the open pit mine was allowed to flood. The mineralised and waste calc-silicate rock in
the open pit and dumps has major (>1 wt%) Ca, Fe and Mg, minor (>1,000 ppm) Ce, La, Mn, P and S, subminor (>100 ppm) Ba, Cu,
Th and U, and trace (<100 ppm) As, Ni, Pb, Y and Zn values. Consequently, chemical and physical weathering processes have
acted on waste rock and on rock faces within the open pit, mobilising many elements and leading to their dispersion into soils,
stream sediments, pit water and several plant species. Chemical dispersion is initiated by sulfide mineral breakdown, generation
of sulfuric acid and formation of several soluble, transient sulfate minerals as evaporative efflorescent precipitates. Radiation
doses associated with the open pit average 5.65 mSv year−1; waste dumps commonly have lower values, especially where soil-covered. Surface pit water is slightly acid, with high sulfate
values accompanied by levels of U, Cu and Ni close to or above Australian water guideline values for livestock. Dispersion
of U and related elements into soils and stream sediments occurs by physical (erosional) processes and from chemical precipitation.
Plants growing in the mine void, on waste dumps and contaminated soil display evidence of biological uptake of U, LREE, Cu
and Th and to a lesser degree of As, Ni, Pb, Y and Zn, with values being up to 1–2 orders of magnitude above background sites
for the same species. Although rehabilitation procedures have been partly successful in reducing dispersion of U and related
elements into the surrounding environment, it is apparent that 20 years after rehabilitation, there is significant physical
and chemical mobility, including transfer into plants. 相似文献
19.
Edmundo Placencia-Gómez Annika Parviainen Tero Hokkanen Kirsti Loukola-Ruskeeniemi 《Environmental Earth Sciences》2010,61(7):1435-1447
The Haveri tailings area contains 1.5 Mt of sulfide-bearing waste from the Au–Cu mine that operated during 1942–1961. Geophysical
and geochemical methods were used to evaluate and characterize the generation of acid mine drainage (AMD). Correlations were
examined among the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data, the total sulfide content and concentrations of sulfide-bound
metals (Cu, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) of tailings samples, and the resistivity and geochemistry of surface water. The resulting
geophysical–geochemical model defines an area in the vadose tailings, where a low resistivity anomaly (<10 Ohm m) is correlated
with the highest sulfide content, extensive sulfide oxidation and low pH (average 3.1). The physical and geochemical conditions,
resulting from the oxidation of the sulfide minerals, suggest that the low resistivity anomaly is associated with acidic and
metal-rich porewater (i.e., AMD). The lower resistivity values in the saturated zone of the central impoundment suggest the
formation of a plume of AMD. The natural subsoil layer (silt and clay) and the bedrock surface below the tailings area were
well mapped from the ERT data. The detected fracture zones of the bedrock that could work as leakage pathways for AMD were
consistent with previous geological studies. The integrated methodology of the study offers a promising approach to fast and
reliable monitoring of areas of potential AMD generation and its subsurface movement over large areas (ca. 9 ha). This methodology
could be helpful in planning drill core sampling locations for geochemical and mineralogical analysis, groundwater sampling,
and choosing and monitoring remedial programs. 相似文献
20.
The results of thermodynamic calculations demonstrate that the pH and Eh values for bottom sea water enriched in organic matter
tend to decrease drastically as a result of bacterial reduction of sulfates in sea water. Syngenetic sulfide ore beds associated
with the Jiashengpan strata-bound Pb-Zn-S ore deposit are believed to have been precipitated under the conditions of pH varying
from 7.08 to 7.17 and Eh from −0.232 to −0.418V. It is established that in the reducing system in sea water where reduction of sulfates by anaerobic bacteria took place,
paleosalinity is an important factor affecting pH and Eh changes and controlling the formation of sulfide ore beds. The present
study shows that the quantitative evaluation of physicochemical conditions can be effected from thermodynamic calculations
on the basis of geochemical data. 相似文献