Alternative waste residue materials for passive in situ prevention of sulfide-mine tailings oxidation: A field evaluation
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Abstract
Novel solutions for sulfide-mine tailings remediation were evaluated in field-scale experiments on a former tailings repository in northern Sweden. Uncovered sulfide-tailings were compared to sewage-sludge biosolid amended tailings over 2 years. An application of a 0.2 m single-layer sewage-sludge amendment was unsuccessful at preventing oxygen ingress to underlying tailings. It merely slowed the sulfide-oxidation rate by 20%. In addition, sludge-derived metals (Cu, Ni, Fe, and Zn) migrated and precipitated at the tailings-to-sludge interface. By using an additional 0.6 m thick fly-ash sealing layer underlying the sewage sludge layer, a solution to mitigate oxygen transport to the underlying tailings and minimize sulfide-oxidation was found. The fly-ash acted as a hardened physical barrier that prevented oxygen diffusion and provided a trap for sludge-borne metals. Nevertheless, the biosolid application hampered the application, despite the advances in the effectiveness of the fly-ash layer, as sludge-borne nitrate leached through the cover system into the underlying tailings, oxidizing pyrite. This created a 0.3 m deep oxidized zone in 6-years. This study highlights that using sewage sludge in unconventional cover systems is not always a practical solution for the remediation of sulfide-bearing mine tailings to mitigate against sulfide weathering and acid rock drainage formation.
Study Area
Publication type | Article |
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Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Title | Alternative waste residue materials for passive in situ prevention of sulfide-mine tailings oxidation: A field evaluation |
Series title | Journal of Hazardous Materials |
DOI | 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.12.066 |
Volume | 267 |
Year Published | 2014 |
Language | English |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Contributing office(s) | Crustal Geophysics and Geochemistry Science Center |
Description | 10 p. |
First page | 245 |
Last page | 254 |
Country | Sweden |
City | Skellefte�;Stockholm |
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