The present work aims to simultaneously estimate the hydraulic and transport parameters related to the material of one of the waste rock piles (Waste Rock Pile 4) from the Poços de Caldas uranium mining and milling facility. Before performing the estimation, it was necessary to study the chemical species that are dissolved from this material by the climate action, knowing a priori that the material is rich in pyrite (iron sulfide, FeS 2 ). In order to follow the pyrite oxidation process within a controlled environment, an experimental apparatus called Acid Drainage Experiment was assembled. During tests, concentrations of various stable and radioactive chemical elements were determined in the liquid as well in the solid material before and after the tests. In addition, the total mass (or activity) dissolved, the rate of dissolution and the percentage of dissolution were calculated. Results showed which species are more easily dissolved and those that should be followed in contamination studies. The simultaneous estimation of the hydraulic and transport parameters was accomplished through the so called Solute Transport Experiment combined with the software Hydrus-1D. This software provides the numerical solution of an adequate model, using the Levenberg-Marquardt Technique for parameter estimation. The saturation water content θ s , the saturation hydraulic conductivity K s and the dispersion coefficient D were estimated. Results showed that the parameter D was well estimated, followed by θ s and K s .
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.