A new test for plant bioaccessibility in sulphidic wastes and soils: A case study from the Wheal Maid historic tailings repository in Cornwall, UK

Veen, Eleanor M. van; Lottermoser, Bernd G.; Parbhakar-Fox, Anita; Fox, N; Hunt, John S.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.01.054

Cited by 12 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Indeed, for this suite NAG pH values (pH 4.4 to 8.9; median pH 5.4) are lower than anticipated based on the modal mineralogy, and indicates the potentially reactive nature of secondary phases formed since the end of heap leaching. Similar observations have been made for tailings materials dominated by secondary iron-oxides phases at historic sites e.g., [9]. …”

Section: Acid-base Accountingsupporting

confidence: 84%

Geoenvironmental Characterisation of Heap Leach Materials at Abandoned Mines: Croydon Au-Mines, QLD, Australia

Parbhakar-Fox

2016

Minerals

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Abstract:Heap leaching is a well-established metallurgical technology which allows metal recovery (e.g., Au, Cu, U) from low-grade ores. However, spent heap leach materials remaining at abandoned or historic mine sites may represent a potential source of contamination. At the Croydon Au-mines, heap leaching operations (1984)(1985) were performed on mineralized rhyolites hosting sulphides including pyrite, galena, arsenopyrite and minor sphalerite. Characterization of spent heap leach materials (n = 14) was performed using established geochemical and mineralogical techniques, supplemented by automated mineralogical evaluations. Whilst these materials contained low sulphide-sulphur (0.08 to 0.41 wt %) and returned innocuous paste pH values (pH 5.1 to 8.6), they were classified uncertain by net acid producing potential/net acid generating criteria. This was likely due to the reaction of secondary mineral phases (i.e., beudantite, hidalgoite, kintoreite and Fe-As-Pb oxides) during these tests. It is hypothesised that during heap leaching, gangue sulphides have differentially reacted with the cyanide lixiviant, pre-conditioning the formation of these complex secondary phases during surficial oxidation, after heap leaching termination. These materials are considered to represent a moderate geoenvironmental risk as dissolved Pb in basal leachates is in excess of the World Health Organization (WHO 2006) guideline values. Considering this, these materials should be included in ongoing rehabilitation works at the site.

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Section: Acid-base Accountingsupporting

confidence: 84%

Geoenvironmental Characterisation of Heap Leach Materials at Abandoned Mines: Croydon Au-Mines, QLD, Australia

Parbhakar-Fox

2016

Minerals

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“…Scanning Electron Microscopy Mineral Liberation Analysis (SEM-MLA) performed by [20] provided evidence that the Grey Tailings contain a much higher abundance of pyrite than the Marbled Tailings, with mean values of 18.4 and 0.1 wt.% recorded, respectively. Sphalerite (mean 0.2 wt.%) and chalcopyrite (mean 0.1 wt.%) were also identified within several of the Grey Tailings samples.…”

Section: Capping Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…SEM was used to observe the texture of each waste material before and after it was subjected to hydrogen peroxide (oxidative) leaching [20]. Images of the Grey Tailings showed that both serrated and non-serrated pyrite grains were initially present; the serrated pyrite grains indicated that some degree of oxidation had already occurred.…”

Section: Capping Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of Sulfidic Legacy Mine Tailings: A Review of the Wheal Maid Site, UK

Fitch

Parbhakar-Fox²,

Crane

et al. 2022

Minerals

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Historic tailings dams and their associated mine waste can pose a significant risk to human and environmental health. The Wheal Maid mine site, Cornwall, UK, serves as an example of the temporal evolution of a tailings storage facility after mining has ceased and the acid-generating waste subjected to surficial processes. This paper discusses its designation as a contaminated land site and reviews our current understanding of the geochemistry, mineralogy, and microbiology of the Wheal Maid tailings, from both peer-reviewed journal articles and unpublished literature. We also present new data on waste characterisation and detailed mineral chemistry and data from laboratory oxidation experiments. Particularly of interest at Wheal Maid is the presence of pyrite-bearing “Grey Tailings”, which, under typical environmental conditions at the Earth’s surface, would be expected to have undergone oxidation and subsequently formed acidic and metalliferous mine drainage (AMD). The results identified a number of mechanisms that could explain the lack of pyrite oxidation in the Grey Tailings, including a lack of nutrients inhibiting microbial Fe(II) oxidation, passivation of pyrite mineral surfaces with tailings processing chemicals, and an abundance of euhedral pyrite grains. Such research areas need further scrutiny in order to inform the design of future tailings facilities and associated AMD management protocols.

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“…Further, for any contaminant to pose risk it has to be in a bioavailable form, therefore, contaminant bioavailability plays a central role in any risk assessment (Van den Brink et al 2016). Generally, elevated concentrations of toxic metals as determined by aggressive extraction techniques are recorded in the abandoned mining sites (van Veen et al 2016). However, these metal concentrations represent the total metal concentrations and major portion of this metal may not be naturally bioavailable due to ageing in which bioavailability of the metal decreases over a long period of time due to physiochemical or biological processes such as weathering, sequestration etc.…”

Section: Risk-based Remediation Of Amls-a Sustainable Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abandoned metalliferous mines: ecological impacts and potential approaches for reclamation

Venkateswarlu

Nirola

Kuppusamy

et al. 2016

Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol

115

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The lack of awareness for timely management of the environment surrounding a metal mine site results in several adverse consequences such as rampant business losses, abandoning the bread-earning mining industry, domestic instability and rise in ghost towns, increased environmental pollution, and indirect long-term impacts on the ecosystem. Although several abandoned mine lands (AMLs) exist globally, information on these derelict mines has not been consolidated in the literature. We present here the state-of-the-art on AMLs in major mining countries with emphasis on their impact towards soil health and biodiversity, remediation methods, and laws governing management of mined sites. While reclamation of metalliferous mines by phytoremediation is still a suitable option, there exist several limitations for its implementation. However, many issues of phytoremediation at the derelict mines can be resolved following phytostabilization, a technology that is effective also at the modern operational mine sites. The use of transgenic plant species in phytoremediation of metals in contaminated sites is also gaining momentum. In any case, monitoring and efficacy testing for bioremediation of mined sites is essential. The approaches for reclamation of metalliferous mines such as environmental awareness, effective planning and assessment of pre-and postmining activities, implementation of regulations, and a safe and good use of phytostabilizers among the native plants for revegetation and ecological restoration are discussed in detail in the present review. We also suggest the use of microbially-enhanced phytoremediation and nanotechnology for efficient reclamation of AMLs, and identify future work warranted in this area of research. Further, we believe that the integration of science of remediation with mining policies and regulations is a reliable option which when executed can virtually balance economic development and environmental destruction for safer future.

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A new test for plant bioaccessibility in sulphidic wastes and soils: A case study from the Wheal Maid historic tailings repository in Cornwall, UK

Cited by 12 publications

References 33 publications

Geoenvironmental Characterisation of Heap Leach Materials at Abandoned Mines: Croydon Au-Mines, QLD, Australia

Geoenvironmental Characterisation of Heap Leach Materials at Abandoned Mines: Croydon Au-Mines, QLD, Australia

Evolution of Sulfidic Legacy Mine Tailings: A Review of the Wheal Maid Site, UK

Abandoned metalliferous mines: ecological impacts and potential approaches for reclamation

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