Geoenvironmental Characterization of Sulfide Mine Tailings

Crespo, Tomás Martı́n; Gómez-Ortíz, David; Martín-Velázquez, Silvia

doi:10.5772/intechopen.84795

Cited by 11 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…In the case of Descargador mine pond, the low (5-20 ohm•m) resistivity values measured in the mine pond infilling are compatible with the clayish to sandy-clayish texture and high water content of the deposits, as observed in the field, and thus internal AMD flow can be disregarded. A certain acidic character of the water (pH~5-6) has been obtained for the same resistivity values in similar mine ponds (e.g., San Quintin mine pond, [15]) and this would be the case here. Moreover, the highly homogeneous and resistive character of the metamorphic bedrock imaged below the mine pond allows us to confirm that there is no AMD flow escaping from the bottom of the mine pond that could be affecting the groundwater of nearby fractured aquifers.…”

Section: Mine Pondsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…The ERI profile does not have enough lateral and vertical resolution to discriminate different units inside the mine pond deposits. Extremely low resistivity values characterize the occurrence of AMD inside the mine ponds, as demonstrated in nearby similar areas (e.g., Brunita mine pond, [14]), or even different mine districts (e.g., Mina Concepción, [15]). In Mina Concepción, values lower than 5 ohm•m delineate the preferential path of AMD (pH ranging from 2.5 to 3) flow inside the mine ponds.…”

Section: Mine Pondmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The ERI method has been the fundamental tool to support physical-chemical analysis in phytoremediation works on the abandoned mining ponds in the Sierra de Cartagena area. The application of geophysical, mineralogical, and geochemical techniques, together with landscape evolution studies, could allow the analysis and quantitative assessment of the pollution risk [11][12][13][14][15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Abandoned Mine Tailings Affecting Riverbed Sediments in the Cartagena–La Union District, Mediterranean Coastal Area (Spain)

et al. 2020

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This study presents the results of the geoenvironmental characterization of La Matildes riverbed, affected by mine tailings in the Cartagena–La Unión district, Murcia (southeast Spain). Soils and riverbeds in this area are highly polluted. Two Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) profiles were carried out to obtain information about the thickness of the deposits and their internal structure. For the mine tailings deposits of La Murla, a tributary of the El Miedo riverbed, the geophysical method imaged two different units: the upper one characterized by low resistivity values and 5–8 m thickness, correlated with the mine tailings deposits; and the lower more resistive unit corresponding to the Paleozoic metasediments bedrock. The ERI profile transverse to the Las Matildes dry riverbed revealed the existence of three different units. The uppermost one has the lowest resistivity values and corresponds to the tailings deposits discharged to the riverbeds. An intermediate unit, with intermediate resistivity values, corresponds to the riverbed sediments before the mining operations. The lower unit is more resistive and corresponds to the bedrock. Significant amounts of pyrite, sphalerite, and galena were found both in tailings and riverbed sediments. The geochemical composition of borehole samples from the riverbed materials shows significantly high contents of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn being released to the environment. Mining works have modified the natural landscape near La Unión town. Surface extraction in three open-pit mines have changed the summits of Sierra de Cartagena–La Unión. Rock and metallurgical wastes have altered the drainage pattern and buried the headwaters of ephemeral channels. The environmental hazards require remediation to minimize the environmental impact on the Mar Menor coastal lagoon, one of the most touristic areas in SE Spain.

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Section: Mine Pondsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Mine Pondmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Abandoned Mine Tailings Affecting Riverbed Sediments in the Cartagena–La Union District, Mediterranean Coastal Area (Spain)

et al. 2020

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“…Copper and zinc are usually present in the sulfidic tailings as stable metal sulfide phases (e.g. Cu2S, ZnS) [12]. By roasting sulfidic minerals, the sulfides are converted into more soluble sulfates or oxides and the unwanted ferrous minerals (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recovery of Copper from Ammoniacal Leachates by Ion Flotation

Xanthopoulos

Kalebić

Kamariah

et al. 2021

J. Sustain. Metall.

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Sulfidic copper−lead−zinc tailings can pose a significant environmental threat, ranging from generation of acid mine drainage (AMD) to dam failures. On the other hand, they can also be considered as low-grade ore resources for zinc and copper provided that novel economically feasible metal extraction and metal recovery techniques are developed. Due to the low metal concentrations in these resources, the leaching will generate dilute leachates from which metal recovery is a challenge. Ion flotation is a foam separation technique capable of recovering metal ions from dilute aqueous leachates. In this paper, ion flotation was applied to separate copper from ammoniacal leachates of microwave-roasted sulfidic tailings samples. The sulfidic tailings were first roasted at 550 °C for 60 min, for the oxidation of sulfide minerals to more easily soluble sulfates using microwave assisted irradiation as heating source. The microwave-roasted material was then leached with a mixture of ammonia and ammonium carbonate solutions. The optimum leaching efficiencies of zinc (86%) and copper (75%) were obtained under the following conditions: liquid-to-solid ratio = 10 mL g -1 , T = 90 °C, [NH3+NH4 + ] = 4 mol L -1 , NH3:NH4 + = 2:1, t = 5 h. From the generated pregnant leach solution, it was possible to selectively separate 85% of copper to the foam phase by ion flotation, with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant, as colloidal tetraammine copper(II) dodecyl sulfate under the optimized conditions: [SDS]total = 5.85 mmol L -1 , [EtOH] = 0.5 % (v/v), ttotal = 5 h, flotation stages = 3. The zinc that remained in the solution after ion flotation was recovered by precipitation (95%) as basic zinc carbonate.

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“…Geo-electrical measurements are not new to the mining sector. They have been widely used to assess acid drainage, contamination plumes and heap leaching (Rucker et al 2009;Moradipour et al 2016;Hudson et al 2018), and to study hydrogeological conditions and to explore the inner structure of tailings dams and piles (Karimi Nasab et al 2011;Camarero et al 2019;Dimech et al 2019;Martín-Crespo et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Introducing G.RE.T.A. – an innovative geo-resistivimeter for long-term monitoring of earthen dams and unstable slopes

Tresoldi¹,

Hojat²,

Zanzi³

et al. 2020

Proceedings of the 2020 International Symposium on Slope Stability in Open Pit Mining and Civil Engineering

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Nowadays there is an increasing interest in introducing techniques capable of monitoring the internal conditions of embankments and slopes in order to develop early warning alarm systems. Geophysical methods have been widely used in geotechnical risk mitigation studies to evaluate the stability conditions of dams, embankments and slopes. Geophysical methods have the advantage of investigating large volumes of subsurface in a non-invasive manner. Among different geophysical techniques, geo-electrical methods are more frequently used for this purpose.In previous decades, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) technique has been widely used in a variety of problems such as engineering investigations, groundwater studies, landfill surveys, mineral exploration, glaciological applications, hydrogeological risk mitigation (e.g. landslides), and monitoring of embankments, earthen dams and tailings dams. Commercial resistivity instruments are portable devices which are generally capable of investigating the subsurface down to depths of a few hundred metres with high injected currents. These instruments are not customised for long-term installations in remote places. In this paper, we present the design, installation and testing of a new geo-electrical monitoring system customised for long-term monitoring projects.In the first step, the feasibility of using time-lapse ERT method to study the saturation and de-saturation processes and to monitor anomalous seepage paths in a levee was demonstrated. Then, a long-term geo-electrical monitoring system, G.RE.T.A. (Geo REsistivimeter for Time-lapse Analysis), was designed based on the information obtained in the first step. The G.RE.T.A. system is capable of being programmed remotely and working autonomously In order to monitor anomalous seepages in levee structures that can lead to the levee breach, two installations of G.RE.T.A. have been completed along two river embankments in northern Italy. In order to develop the system to monitor landslides, laboratory studies are in progress to monitor rainfall-triggered landslides. The results have proved the capability of ERT measurements in delineating inhomogeneous infiltration zones during precipitation and detecting weak zones before collapse.

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Geoenvironmental Characterization of Sulfide Mine Tailings

Cited by 11 publications

References 16 publications

Abandoned Mine Tailings Affecting Riverbed Sediments in the Cartagena–La Union District, Mediterranean Coastal Area (Spain)

Abandoned Mine Tailings Affecting Riverbed Sediments in the Cartagena–La Union District, Mediterranean Coastal Area (Spain)

Recovery of Copper from Ammoniacal Leachates by Ion Flotation

Introducing G.RE.T.A. – an innovative geo-resistivimeter for long-term monitoring of earthen dams and unstable slopes

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