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To investigate the reactivity of various mineral groups with oxalic acid, a series of long-term beaker experiments were conducted using a saturated solution of oxalic acid dihydrate (~50 g/100 mL) in distilled water, heated to >100 -C to enhance dissolution efficiency. The selected samples represented a broad range of mineralogical classes: brochantite (hydroxy-sulfate), malachite (carbonate hydroxide), pyrite (sulfide), chrysotile (silicate), and a Fe- and Cu-rich metallurgical slag containing complex, heterogene...

Species of macrofungi were collected from extremely polluted sampling spots in the vicinity of abandoned antimony mines in Slovakia. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements in plants and fungi were determined by ICP-MS and in soils and sediments by both ICP-MS and ICP-ES. Of the edible species the highest values of arsenic and cadmium were recorded in Agaricus arvensis, lead in Imleria badia and representatives of the genera Boletus, Leccinum and Suillus accumulated high levels of mercury. Suillus species als...

The presented paper represents a comprehensive analysis of hydrous ferric oxides (HFOs) precipitated from Fe rich drainage waters contaminated by arsenic and antimony. Ochre samples from three abandoned Sb deposits were collected in three different seasons and were characterized from the mineralogical, geochemical, and microbiological point of view. They were formed mainly by poorly crystallized 2-line ferrihydrite, with the content of arsenic in samples ranging from 0.7 wt.% to 13 wt.% and content of antimony ran...

Weathering of open adits, dumps and non-isolated tailing impoundments at abandoned ore deposits cause many problems such as water, soil and stream sediments contamination by potentially toxic elements. Soil contamination often results in a local change in biodiversity. In the present study, we describe the diversity of plants and fungi in the areas contaminated mainly with arsenic and antimony. The highest contaminant contents (As, Sb, Pb, Zn, Cu) in soils were generally identified in alluvia of draining streams. ...

Potentially toxic elements such as arsenic and antimony represent dangerous contaminants for the ground and surface water around abandoned Sb deposits in Slovakia. Therefore, we are working on a complex study on the material from tailings, including mineralogy, water quality and microbial inhabitants of the contaminated waters. The aim of the work presented here, was to observe the chemical composition of iron ochres and the role of the microbial diversity in the mobilization or immobilization of As and Sb from a ...

A detailed study of the weathering products is an important step toward the comprehension of the complex processes opera ting in the environment of mine tailings. The identification of the carriers of the polluta nts is a prerequisite for the assessment of the contamination risk and a remediation or immobilization strategy. In this study, we describe sulfide oxidation processes and the resulting chemical composition of the weathering products within 2 tailing impoundme nts rich in Fe, Ca, Si, Ba and Al. Content of...