Application of municipal biosolids to mine tailings can enhance revegetation success, but may cause adverse environmental impacts, such as increased leaching of NO3- and metals to ground water. Kinetic weathering cells were used to simulate geochemical weathering to determine the effects of biosolid amendment on (i) pH of leachate and tailings, (ii) leaching of NO3- and SO4(2-), (iii) leaching and bioavailability (DTPA-extractable) of selected metals, and (iv) changes in tailing mineralogy. Four Cu mine tailings from southern Arizona differing in initial pH (3.3-7.3) and degree of weathering were packed into triplicate weathering cells and were unamended and amended with two rates (equivalent to 134 and 200 Mg dry matter ha(-1)) of biosolids. Biosolid application to acid (pH 3.3) tailings resulted in pH values as high as 6.3 and leachate pH as high as 5.7, and biosolids applied to circumneutral tailings resulted in no change in tailing or leachate pH. Concentrations of NO3--N of up to 23 mg L(-1) occurred in leachates from circumneutral tailings. The low pH of the acidic tailing apparently inhibited nitrification, resulting in leachate NO3--N of <5 mg L(-1). Less SO4(2-)-S was leached in biosolid-amended versus unamended acid tailings (final rate of 0.04 compared with 0.11 g SO4(2-)-S wk(-1)). Copper concentrations in leachates from acidic tailings were reduced from 53 to 27 mg L(-1) with biosolid amendment. Copper and As concentrations increased slightly in leachates from biosolid-amended circumneutral tailings. Small increases in DTPA-extractable Cu, Ni, and Zn occurred in all tailings with increased biosolid rate. Overall, there was little evidence of potential for adverse environmental impacts resulting from biosolid application to these Cu mine tailings.
High altitude, historic, gold and silver tailings deposits, which included a more recent cyanide heap leach operation, were decommissioned, detoxified, re-contoured and revegetated. Detoxification of the heap included rinsing with hydrogen peroxide, lime and ferric chloride, followed by evaporation and land application of remaining solution. Grading included the removal of solution ponds, construction of a geosynthetic/clay lined pond, heap removal and site drainage development. Ameliorative and adaptive revegetation methodologies were utilized. Revegetation was complicated by limited access, lack of topsoil, low pH and elevated metals concentrations in the tailings, and a harsh climate. Water quality sampling results for the first year following revegetation, indicate reclamation activities have contributed to a decrease in metals and sediment loading to surface waters downgradient of the site. Procedures, methodologies and results, following the first year of vegetation growth, are provided.
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