Effect of combined pollution by heavy metals on soil enzymatic activities in areas polluted by tailings from Pb-Zn-Ag mine

Some enzymatic activities were determined in the areas polluted by tailings from Tiantai Pb-Zn-Ag Mine in Zhejiang Province of China. The results indicated the soil enzymatic activities decreased significantly with increase of concentrations of heavy metals or the distance away from mining tailing center, especially dehydrogenase and urease activities. Multivariate regression analysis between heavy metal contents and soil enzymatic activities indicated that single dehydrogenase activity was very significantly correlated to combined effect of soil heavy metals in mine area. Moreover, single urease, protease and acid phosphatase activities were significantly related to the combined effect of heavy metals. The results suggest it is feasible to use soil enzymatic activities to indicate the pollution situation by combined heavy metals in the soil of mine area.

Potential for Use of Iron Mining Tailings Calcined in a Flash Furnace as Pozzolanic Material

This paper presents a study of the potential use of iron mining tailings as artificial pozzolan (metakaolin) after their submission to thermal treatment via calcination in a flash furnace. The research consists of the characterization of the tailings before and after calcination, chemical, mineralogical, thermogravimetric, and mechanical strength analyses were conducted. The results were compared with those for commonly used pozzolans, metakaolin, and similarities were identified. The study of the morphology of the particles before and after calcination was conducted through analyses of images obtained by scanning electronic microscope. The pozzolanic activity of the fine mining tailings calcined with flash technology was evaluated in uniaxial compression trials, which showed excellent results.

SICOMINES铜钴矿含尾砂高大边坡稳定性分析及治理思路

刚果(金)SICOMINES铜钴矿M坑北部上部局部边坡处于不稳定状态,可能存在滑坡风险。本文采用二维极限平衡分析方法,对北部含尾砂高大边坡稳定性进行了边坡稳定性计算和分析,提出了整体边坡角不应大于31°的优化建议,并为后续边坡治理提供了参考。

Field demonstration of reduction of lead availability in soil and cabbage (Brassica Chinensis L.) contaminated by mining tailings using phosphorus fertilizers

A field demonstration of reduction of lead availability in a soil and cabbage (Brassica Chinensis L.) contaminated by mining tailings, located in Shaoxing, China was carried out to evaluate the effects of applications of phosphorus fertilizers on Pb fractionation and Pb phytoavailability in the soil. It was found that the addition of all three P fertilizers including single super phosphate (SSP), phosphate rock (PR), and calcium magnesium phosphate (CMP) significantly decreased the percentage of water-soluble and exchangeable (WE) soil Pb and then reduced the uptake of Pb, Cd, and Zn by the cabbage compared to the control (CK). The results showed that the level of 300 g P/m2 soil was the most cost-effective application rate of P fertilizers for reducing Pb availability at the first stage of remediation, and that at this P level, the effect of WE fraction of Pb in the soil de- creased by three phosphorus fertilizers followed the order: CMP (79%)>SSP (41%)>PR (23%); Effectiveness on the reduction of Pb uptake by cabbage was in the order: CMP (53%)>SSP (41%)>PR (30%). Therefore our field trial demonstrated that it was effective and feasible to reduce Pb availability in soil and cabbage contaminated by mining tailings using P fertilizers in China and PR would be a most cost-effective amendment.

Revegetation of Copper Mine Tailings with Ryegrass and Willow

To restore vegetation on metal mine tailings is very difficult because they often contain high concentrations of heavy metals, low nutrient content and low water retention capacity. This study involved 3 experiments that evaluated the effects of 4 treatment amendments: montmorillonite, rice straw, organic manure and chemical fertilizer on the growth of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and willow (Saliz viminalis L.) with Cu and Zn mine tailings from two mining areas. The results showed that ryegrass was the most tolerant of 4 crops to Cu toxicity. Also when organic manure, which contained high concentrations of inorganic salts, was added to the mine tailings, it significantly hindered ryegrass growth (P = 0.05).Meanwhile, with ryegrass organic manure significantly increased (P= 0.05) the extractable Cu concentration in both mine tailings. When montmorillonite was used as a mine tailings amendment with willow, the height and tress number at the 1st cut were significantly greater (P =- 0.05) than a control without montmorillonite. However there was no significant difference for height, tress number, dry weight or root dry weight at the 2nd cut. So, amendment applications to reduce metal toxicity and increase nutrients retention in mine tailings were essential during revegetation of mine tailings.

Mill tailings based composites as paste backfill in mines of U-bearing dolomitic limestone ore

This paper elaborates on the development of paste backfill using mill tailings generated during the processing of a uranium ore deposit hosted in dolomitic limestone. The tailings have been characterized in terms of the physical, chemical and mineralogical properties. Time-dependent rheological behaviors and geotechnical properties of cemented paste backfill(CPB) are also determined. The studies show that the mill tailing has the potential to form paste and the CPB has adequate strength to provide support to mine pillars, roofs, and walls.

Restoration potential of pioneer plants growing on lead-zinc mine tailings in Lanping, southwest China

This study focused on the restoration potential of ten pioneer plants (Artemisia roxburghiana, Artemisia tangutica, Carex inanis, Cyperaceae hebecarpus, Plantago depresa, Cynoglossum lanceolatum, Potentilla saundesiana, Coriaria sinica, Oxyria sinensis, and Miscanthus nepalensis) during the early phase of Pb-Zn mine tailings phytostabilization, in Lanping, China. The concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, and Cu) and soil fertility (the available N, P, K, and organic matter) in the rhizosphere of these spe...

Effect of Different Amendments on Ryegrass Growth in Copper Mine Tailings

Montmorillonite, rice straw, organic manure and chemical fertilizer were used as amendment materials for copper mine tailings, and their effects on mine tailing pH, nutrients and metal availability to ryegrass were investigated. Chemical fertilization was the most effective one in improving ryegrass growth in mine tailings among the amendment materials examined. It was found that montmorillonite raised biomass of ryegrass at the 1st and 2nd cuts, but it did not give further positive effects at the 3rd and 4th cuts. The effect of organic materials on ryegrass growth was not so good as expected, mainly due to their slow decomposition in mine tailings with less soil microorganisms. Available Cu and Zn contents in mine tailings decreased in the presence of montmorillonite but increased when rice straw and organic manure were used as amendments. Cu and Zn contents in ryegrass decreased with increasing the rate of montmorillonite application but increased with the rate of rice straw. Zn showed much stronger mobility from soil to ryegrass than Cu, and almost all the available N and P in mine tailings, except for the treatments with organic manure, were completely consumed after ryegrass had grown in mine tailings for more than four months and been harvested for four times. Owing to its large biomass and high metal uptake, ryegrass is a potential plant for remediation of metal contaminated soils in practice.

Heavy Metal Accumulation in Plants on Mn Mine Tailings

The Xiangtan Manganese (Mn) Mine in the middle of Hunan Province, China, has been mined since 1913 with mine tailings including excavated wastes, wastewater, and smelting wastes. A survey was conducted on the Mn mine tailing soils and eight plants on the Mn mine tailings. The concentrations of soil Mn, Pb, and Cd and the metal-enrichment traits of these eight plants were analyzed simultaneously. Exceptionally high concentrations of these three metals were found in the soils, especially on the tailing dam. Each plant investigated in this study accumulated the three heavy metals, but no hyperaccumulator of these metals was found. However, analysis indicated that Poa pratensis Linn., Gnaphalium affine D. Don, Pteris vittata L., Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq., and Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. possessed specially good metal-enrichment and metal-tolerant traits. P. pratensis, G. affine, and P. vittata were Pb-tolerant plants; and C. canadensis, P. pratensis, and G. affine were Cd-tolerant plants. P. acinosa had a great tolerance to Mn. and it was a valuable plant for on-site phytoremediation. Phragmites communis Trin. was found to have high metal tolerance and economic benefit as a raw material for paper and should be considered for soil remediation. G. affine and C. canadensis had excessive accumulation of Mn and could be useful in phytoremediation. However, although P. pratensis was a good accumulator, it was not a suitable plant for soil remediation because its biomass was too little.

Tolerance of Grasses to Heavy Metals and Microbial Functional Diversity in Soils Contaminated with Copper Mine Tailings

Copper(Cu) mine tailings,because of their high content of heavy metals,are usually hostile to plant colonization.A pot experiment was conducted to determine the tolerance of four forage grasses to heavy metals in Cu mine tailings and to examine the variation in the microbial functional diversity of soils from the tailing sites in southern China.All the four grass species survived on Cu mine tailings and Cu mine tailing-soil mixture.However,on pure mine tailings,the growth was minimal,whereas the growth was maximum for the control without mine tailings.The tolerance of grasses to heavy metals followed the sequence:Paspalum notatum > Festuca arundinacea > Lolium perenne > Cynodon dactylon.The planting of forage grasses enhanced the soil microbial biomass.The Biolog data indicated that the soil microbial metabolic profile values(average well color development,community richness,and Shannon index) of the four forage grasses also followed the sequence:P.notatum > F.arundinacea > L.perenne > C.dactylon.Thus,P.notatum,under the experimental conditions of this study,may be considered as the preferred plant species for revegetation of Cu mine tailing areas.

Numerical analysis and geophysical monitoring for stability assessment of the Northwest tailings dam at Westwood Mine

The Westwood Mine aims to reuse the tailings storage facility #1(TSF #1) for solid waste storage, but,downstream of the Northwest dike is considered critical in terms of stability. This paper uses numerical modeling along with geophysical monitoring for assessing the Northwest dike stability during the restoration phase. The impact of waste rock deposition in the upstream TSF #1 is considered. The geophysical monitoring is based on electrical resistivity methods and was used to investigate the internal structure of the dike embankment in different deposition stages. The numerical simulations were performed with SLOPE/W code. The results show a factor of safety well above the minimum recommended value of 1.5. Geophysical monitoring revealed a vertical variation in the electrical resistivity across the dike, which indicates a multilayer structure of the embankment. Without any current in situ data, the geophysical monitoring helped estimating the nature of the materials used and the internal structure of the embankment. These interpretations were validated by geological observation of geotechnical log of the embankment. Based on this study, it is recommended that the water polishing pond be partly filled before waste rock is deposited in TSF #1. In addition, to ensure the stability of the dike, the piezometric head monitoring prior to and during waste rock deposition is recommended.

Changes of Bacterial Community Structure in Copper Mine Tailings After Colonization of Reed (Phragmites communis)

Soil samples were collected from both bare and vegetated mine tailings to study the changes in bacterial communities and soil chemical properties of copper mine tailings due to reed (Phragmites communis) colonization. The structures of bacterial communities were investigated using culture-independent 16S rRNA gene sequencing method. The bacterial diversity in the bare mine tailing was lower than that of the vegetated mine tailing. The former was dominated by sulfur metabolizing bacteria, whereas the latter was by nitrogen fixing bacteria. The bare mine tailing was acidic (pH = 3.78), whereas the vegetated mine tailing was near neutral (pH = 7.28). The contents of organic matter, total nitrogen, and ammonium acetate-extractable potassium in vegetated mine tailings were significantly higher than those in the bare mine tailings (P < 0.01), whereas available phosphorus and electrical conductivity were significantly lower than those in the bare mine tailings (P < 0.01). The results demonstrated that 16S rRNA gene sequencing could be successfully used to study the bacterial diversity in mine tailings. The colonization of the mine tailings by reed significantly changed the bacterial community and the chemical properties of tailings. The complex interactions between bacteria and plants deserve further investigation.

Valorization of mining waste and tailings through paste backfilling solution, Imiter operation, Morocco

Mine waste and process tailings storage is one of important challenge for which mining operations are increasingly confronted. Treatment discharges of plants and main part of waste rock development are generally stored on surface areas. The volume and chemical characteristics of these materials generate serious problem for required storage spaces and mainly environmental degradation. Paste backfill(PBF) is one of ingenious solutions to minimize the quantity of tailings to store. PBF is basically defined as a combination of mine processing tailings, binder, and water mixing. The purpose of this paper is to present backfilling components characterization and formula verification for a waste valorization solution through paste backfilling technology in Imiter operation. Obtained results and realized analysis demonstrate PBF conformity and adequacy with assigned underground functions. However the studied recipe can be more ameliorated to obtain an optimal mixture ensuring the required mechanical strength.

Inhibition of acid mine drainage and immobilization of heavy metals from copper flotation tailings using a marble cutting waste

Acid mine drainage （AMD） with high concentrations of sulfates and metals is generated by the oxidation of sulfide beating wastes. CaCO3-rich marble cutting waste is a residual material produced by the cutting and polishing of marble stone. In this study, the feasibility of using the marble cutting waste as an acid-neutralizing agent to inhibit AMD and immobilize heavy metals from copper flotation tailings （sul- fide-beating wastes） was investigated. Continuous-stirring shake-flask tests were conducted for 40 d, and the pH value, sulfate content, and dissolved metal content of the leachate were analyzed every 10 d to determine the effectiveness of the marble cutting waste as an acid neu- tralizer. For comparison, CaCO3 was also used as a neutralizing agent. The average pH value of the leachate was 2.1 at the beginning of the experiment （t = 0）. In the experiment employing the marble cutting waste, the pH value of the leachate changed from 6.5 to 7.8, and the sul- fate and iron concentrations decreased from 4558 to 838 mg/L and from 536 to 0.01 mg/L, respectively, after 40 d. The marble cutting waste also removed more than 80wt% of heavy metals （Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn） from AMD generated by copper flotation tailings.

Influence of sulfur addition/solids content ratio on removal of heavy metals from mine tailings by bioleaching

The effect of sulfur addition/solids content(SA/SC)ratio on heavy metals(e.g.copper,zinc and lead)obtained from mine tailings by indigenous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria was studied,and the changes in the chemical forms of heavy metals after bioleaching were explored.The results show that the solubilization of metals is significantly influenced by SA/SC ratio,and SA/SC ratio of 2.50 is found to be the best for bacterial activity and metal solubilization among six SA/SC ratios tested(such as 1.00,1.33,1.50,1.67,2.00 and 2.50)under the chosen experimental conditions.The pH decreases fast and the maximum solubilizations of copper and zinc are respectively 81.76% and 84.35% while that of lead only reaches 40.36%.After bioleaching,the chemical forms of heavy metals have changed.The metals remained in mine tailings are mainly found in residual fractions,which is harmless to the surrounding environment.

Applications of online monitoring technology for tailings dam on digital mine

Considering its structural features, geometric shapes, service mode, environmental media, mechanical behavior, etc, the special nature and complexity of tailings dam were summarized. The technical approach to safety management for tailings dam was proposed, which is the on-line automated monitoring and early warning information. The results show that a strong theoretical basis can be provided for security monitoring and security management of tailings dam. Online automated monitoring system for tailings dam has full implementation of the information. It is applied widely in Lingnan gold mine, Xiadian gold mine and Hedong gold mine in Zhaoyuan, Shandong Province, and achieves good effect.

REE behavior and effect factors in AMD-type acidic groundwater at sulfide tailings pond, BS nickel mine, W.A.

AMD(Acid Mine Drainage)-type acidic groundwater (pH<4) from oxidizing sulfide tailings in BS nickel mine (Western Australia) is of higher total rare earth element(REE) contents and Ce enrichment (PAAS normalization), different from setting groundwater (pH>6.5, with lower total REE contents, Ce depletion). While the AMD contaminated groundwater (pH=4.0-6.5) around tailings pond is characterized by transition from acidic to setting groundwater in total REE content, and associated with Ce depletion (like setting groundwater). The light REE in all type groundwater shows up depletion, but its depleted extent in acidic groundwater is more remarkable. This work indicates that REE behavior in AMD-type acidic groundwater is controlled mainly by pH value and metal (Al, Mn and Fe) contents. And the critical pH value that affects REE behavior in ground acidic water would be 4, lower than the previous value (pH=5) that has been believed prevalently in surface acidic waters. The pH could affect REE behavior in groundwater by controlling the solubility of metal (Al, Mn and Fe) hydroxides and the valence of cerium. Finally, light REE depletion in acidic groundwater may due to element affinity. High content Al (affinity with heavy REE) and low content Fe (affinity with light REE) may lead to heavy REE enrichment while light REE relative depletion in water.

Distribution, Chemical Speciation, and Environmental Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Tailings Soils near Dexing Copper Mine, China

To complement information of heavy metals' distribution, chemical speciation, activity and environmental risks in agricultural soils surrounding tailings, a total of 16 samples obtained from the 4 # tailings site of Dexing copper mine of China were investigated. The total concentrations of heavy metals Zn, Fe, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, Hg, As, Mn, Ag, Co, and Ni were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Chemical speciations of Cu, Cd, and Zn were investigated with the procedures recommended by Tessier(1979). Two different assessment approaches (GB 15618-1995 and risk assessment code, RAC) were employed to estimate heavy metals' environmental risks. Results indicated that heavy metals, especially Cu and Cd were in high levels of accumulation in these samples. Chemical speciation analysis results revealed that Cu was mainly in organic matter bound fraction (ORG) and residual fraction(RES), and Cd was predominantly in exchangeable fraction(EXC), while Zn appeared mainly with the RES fraction. Environmental risk analysis results showed that Cd was in "heavy" pollution level (classification Ⅲ) in almost all samples, which may exert "high" or "very high" environmental risks. Whereas, for Cu, one fourth samples showed "heavy" pollution level, but were located in "low" or "medium" environmental risk ranks. For Zn, many samples were grouped in "light" pollution level (classification Ⅱ), but were related to "medium" and "high" environmental risk ranks. These results indicated heavy pollution and high environmental risk of Cd in soils surrounding the 4# tailings site, which should be paid more attention to. Meanwhile, for Cu and Zn, the contrary results obtained by different environmental risk assessment approaches, may suggest that a more scientific, adequate environmental risk assessment criterion should consider both total content and chemical speciation activity of heavy metals.