Scholarly record
ASSESSMENT OF THE WASTE ROCKS ACID DRAINAGE POTENTIAL TO SOLVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
Abstract
The Ak-Sug Cu?Mo porphyry deposit is located in the northeastern region of the Tuva Republic, Russia. The deposit was explored from 1982 to 1985. Now there are intensions to use it for open pits mining. The purpose of this expertise was to predict the probable formation of acid drainage from the overburden waste rocks piles and the ores to be processed. These rocks were investigated using X-ray fluorescence with synchrotron radiation spectroscopy (XRF-SR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), microscopy, laboratory aqueous leaching and intensive oxidation experiments by peroxide (correspond to short-term and long-term prospects for the development of chemical weathering of rocks). In addition, the sulfide and carbonate contents were determined to calculate the net acid potential (NAP) according to [1]. Fifty representative core samples was obtained in accordance with the 3-D geological model drilling data. The dominant types of rocks include quartz diorite and granodiorite porphyries. The ore associations are quartz?pyrite, with hematite; quartz?molybdenite, with pyrite and chalcopyrite; quartz?chalcopyrite, etc. The high concentrations of the semimetals (As, Sb, Se) are important (50% of the samples contain more than 10 g/t of As, with maximum concentration of 450 g/t). The waste rock materials were generally low potential sources of acid mine drainage: only 26% of the rock samples produced acidic effluents. These generated acid solutions had contents exceeded the WHO maximum allowable concentrations: Fe - 260; Cu - 43; Mo - 20; As - 50; Cd - 19; Sb - 17 times. For example, arsenic and molybdenum can leach rapidly in neutral and sub-alkaline solutions. Nevertheless, geochemical, mineralogical and thermodynamic studies of the Ak-Sug ores with overburden rocks will provide a threat of acid mine drainage for at least a few decades
Publication Impact Profile
Publication details
References18
Sobek A.A., Schuller W.A., Freeman J.R., Smith R.M., Field and Laboratory Methods Applicable to Overburden and Mine Soils, US EPA 600/2-78-054, 1978.
Banwart S.A., Malmstrom M.E., Hydrochemical modelling for the preliminary assessment of mine water pollution, J. Geochem. Explor., vol. 74, pp 73–97, 2001.
Malmstrom M.E., Gleisner M., Herbert R.B., Element discharge from pyritic mine tailings at limited oxygen availability in column experiments, Appl. Geochem., vol. 21, pp 184–202, 2006.
Plante B., Bussière B., Benzaazoua M., Lab to field scale effects on contaminated neutral drainage prediction from the Tio mine waste rocks, J. Geochem. Explor., vol. 137, pp 37–47, 2014.
Bortnikova S.B., Gas’kova O.L., Prisekina N.A., Geochemical Estimation of the Potential Danger of Waste Rocks from the Veduginskoe Deposit, Geochem. Int., vol. 48/issue 3, pp 280–294, 2010.
Gas'kova O.L., Shironosova G.P., Bortnikova S.B., Thermodynamic estimation of the stability field of bukovskyite, an iron sulfoarsenate, Geochem. Int., vol. 46/issue 1, pp 85-91, 2008.
Gas'kova O.L., Bortnikova S.B., On the quantitative evaluation of the neutralizing potential of host rocks, Geochem. Int., vol. 45/issue 4, pp 409-412, 2007.
Wei X., Wolfe F.A., Han Y., Mine drainage: characterization, treatment, modeling, and environmental aspect, Water Environ. Res., vol. 86/issue 10, pp 1515–1534, 2014.
Bortnikova S. B., Olenchenko V.V., Gaskova O.L., Chernii K.I., Devyatova A.Yu., Kucher D.O., Evidence of trace element emission during the combustion of sulfide-bearing metallurgical slags, Appl. Geochem., vol. 78, pp 105-115, 2017
Sapsford D.J., Bowell R.J., Dey M., Williams K.P., Humidity cell tests for the prediction of acid rock drainage, Minerals Engineering, vol. 22/issue 1, pp 25–36, 2009.
Jennings S.R., Dollhopf D.J., Inskeep W.P., Acid production from sulfideminerals using hydrogen peroxide weathering, Appl. Geochem., vol. 15, pp 235–243. 2000.
Jambor J.L., Dutrizac J.E., Groat L.A., Raudsepp M., Static tests of neutralization potentials of silicate and aluminosilicate minerals, Environmental Geology, vol. 43, pp 1–17, 2002.
Paktunc A.D., Mineralogical constraints on the determination of neutralization potential and prediction of acid mine drainage, Environmental Geology, vol. 39/issue 2, pp 103–112, 1999
Ball, J.W., Nordstrom, D.K., User's Manual for WATEQ4F, with Revised Thermodynamic Data Base and Test Cases for Calculating Speciation of Major, Trace, and Redox Elements in Natural Waters: United States Geological Survey Open-File Report 91-183. United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California., 1991.
Skousen J., Simmons J., McDonald L.M., Ziemkiewicz P., Acid–base accounting to predict post-mining drainage quality on surface mines, J. Environ. Quality, vol. 31/issue 6, pp 2034–2044, 2002.
Cravotta III C.A., Brady K.B.C., Smith M.W., Beam R.L., Effectiveness of the addition of alkaline materials at surface coal mines in preventing or abating acid mine drainage - Part 1. In: Proceedings of the Mining and Reclamation Conference and Exhibition, Charleston, West Virginia, vol. I, pp 221-225, 1990.
Sotnikov V.I., Berzina A.N., Economou-Eliopoulos M., Eliopoulos D.G., Palladium, platinum and gold distribution in porphyry Cu±Mo deposits of Russia and Mongolia, Ore Geology Reviews, vol. 18/issue 1-2, pp 95-111, 2001.
Ferguson K.D., Morin K.A., The prediction of acid rock drainage-lessons from the database, Proceedings of 2nd International Conference on the Abatement of Acidic Drainage, Montreal, Canada. Vol. 3, pp 83–106, 1991.
View or Download full articleAccess options
SWS access login
Login as SWS Scientific CommitteeLogin as SWS Scientific PartnerLogin as SWS AuthorAuthors and approved SWS contributors will read and export their own linked papers after identity matching by SWS profile, email and SGEM GlobalID.
For librarian assistance: [email protected]
Purchase Instant Access
- Article can be downloaded after successful payment.
- Article may be used according to SWS library access terms.
- Article cannot be redistributed.
