Leaching of heavy metals from Dexing copper mine tailings pond

AThe wastewater source of 4# tailing pond in Dexing copper mine consists of alkaline flotation pulp and acid mine drainage （AMD） from the nearby opencast mine. Therefore, the heavy metals in tailing ore are very likely to be released due to acidification from AMD. The leaching behaviors ofZn, Cu, Fe and Mn in mine tailings from Dexing copper mine were investigated by a series of laboratory batch experiments. The effectcs ofpH, temperature, particle size and contact time on the leachability of such heavy metals were examined. It was evident that Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn were major heavy metals in the tailings while gangue minerals like quartz were major constituents in examined tailings. The tailing dissolution reaction was controlled by the acid, whose kinetics could be expressed according to the heterogeneous reaction models and explained by a shrinking core model with the surface chemical reaction as the rate-controlling step. The leachability of all metals examined depended on pH and contact time. The batch studies indicated that the maximum leaching ratios ofZn, Cu, Fe and Mn at pH 2.0 were 5.4%, 5.8%, l 1.1% and 34.1%, respectively. The dissolubility of all metals examined was positively correlated to the temperatures. The particle size would not change dissolution tendency of those heavy metals, but decrease the concentrations of leached heavy metals.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Actinomycete Isolates from Iron Mine Tailings

[Objective]The aim was to discuss the actinomycete biodiversity of iron-mine tailings by phylogenetic analysis of 12 typical isolates. [Method]The genomic DNAs were extracted by phenol-chloroform method; phylogeny analysis was carried out based on 16S rDNA PCR amplification and sequencing. [Result]The results showed that all the 12 strains belong to the genus Streptomyces sharing 98.7%-99.9% similarities with their nearest known neighbors. [Conclusion]Streptomyces is the dominant culturable actinomycete group of iron mine tailings,in which there are many potential novel species.

Soil Environmental Quality Evaluation for Wasteland of Coalmine Tailing Polluted by Heavy Metals in Mingshan of Guangdong

ln order to appraise scientifical y the heavy metal contamination in waste-land of coalmine tailing in Mingshan of Guangdong, the 5 soil samples in wasteland of coalmine tailing were col ected in November 2010 to March 2011. The 7 heavy metals content in the contaminated soil was measured by atomic absorption spec-trophotometry. The results showed the pH of the wasteland soil ranged from 2.87 to 6.16, and the soil was relatively infertile. The soil was mainly pol uted by Cd and Mn. The Cd content in wasteland soil ranged from 0.759 mg/kg to 3.109 mg/kg with an average content of 2.052 mg/kg, which was much higher than the standard content. The Mn content ranged from 387.057 to 488.660 mg/kg with an average content of 421.215 mg/kg, which was much higher than the standard content. The Nemerow integrated pol ution indexes showed the sample 1, sample 4 and sample 5 were of heavy pol ution, and sample 2 and sample 3 were of moderate pol ution.

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.

Revegetation of Copper Mine Tailings with Ryegrass and Willow

To restore vegetation on metal mine tailings is very difficult because theyoften contain high concentrations of heavy metals, low nutrient content and low water retentioncapacity. 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 (Salix viminalis L.) with Cu and Zn mine tailings from two miningareas. The results showed that ryegrass was the most tolerant of 4 crops to Cu toxicity. Also whenorganic manure, which contained high concentrations of inorganic salts, was added to the minetailings, it significantly hindered ryegrass growth (P = 0.05). Meanwhile, with ryegrass organicmanure 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 numberat the 1st cut were significantly greater (P = 0.05) than a control without montmorillonite. Howeverthere was no significant difference for height, tress number, dry weight or root dry weight at the2nd cut. So, amendment applications to reduce metal toxicity and increase nutrients retention inmine tailings were essential during revegetation of mine tailings.

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.

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 usedas amendment materials for copper mine tailings, and their effects on mine tailing pH, nutrientsarid metal availability to ryegrass were investigated. Chemical fertilization was the most effectiveone in improving ryegrass growth in mine tailings among the amendment materials examined. It wasfound that montmorillonite raised biomass of ryegrass at the 1st and 2nd cuts, but it did not givefurther positive effects at the3rd and 4th cuts. The effect of organic materials on ryegrass growthwas not so good as expected, mainly due to their slow decomposition in mine tailings with less soilmicroorganisms. Available Cu and Zn contents in mine tailings decreased in the presence ofmontmorillonite but increased when rice straw and organic manure were used as amendments. Cu and Zncontents in ryegrass decreased with increasing the rate of montmorillonite application but increasedwith the rate of rice straw. Zn showed much stronger mobility from soil lo ryegrass than Cu, andalmost 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 andbeen harvested for four times. Owing to its large biomass and high metal uptake, ryegrass is apotential plant for remediation of metal contaminated soils in practice.

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 〉 Festuea arundinaeea 〉 Lolium perenne 〉 Cynodon daetylon. 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. arundinaeea 〉 L. perenne 〉 C. daetylon. 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.

Accumulation of heavy metals in four grasses grown on lead and zinc mine tailings

A field experiment was conducted to compare the growth and metal accumulation of Vetiveria zizanioides, Paspalum notatum, Cynodon dactylon and Imperata cylindraca var. major on the tailings, amended with 10 cm domestic refuse + complex NPK fertilizer(Treatment A), 10 cm domestic refuse(Treatment B) and complex NPK fertilizer(Treatment C) respectively, and without any amendment used as control(Treatment D). The results indicated that V. zizanioides was a typical heavy metal excluder, because the concentrations in shoots of the plants were the lowest among the four plants tested. The most of metal accumulated in V. zizanioides distributed in its root, and transportation of metal in this plant from root to shoot was restricted. Therefore, V. zizanioides was more suitable for phytostabilization of toxic mined lands than P. notatum and C. dactylon, which accumulated a relatively high level of metals in their shoots and roots. It was also found that I. cylindraca var. major accumulated lower amounts of Pb, Zn and Cu than C. dactylon and P. notatum, and could also be considered for phytostalilisaton of tailings. Although the metal(Pb, Zn and Cu) concentrations in shoots and roots of V. zizanioides were the lowest, the total amounts of heavy metals accumulated in shoots of V. zizanioides were the highest among the four tested plants due to the highest dry weight yield of it. The results indicated that V. zizanioides was the best choice among the four species used for phytoremediation(for both phytostabilization and phytoextraction) of metal contaminated soils.

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 railings 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 railings （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.

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.

Investigation on the fabrication of lightweight aggregate with acid-leaching tailings of vanadium-bearing stone coal minerals and red mud

Proper treatment of acidleaching tailings(ALTs)of vanadiumbearing stone coal minerals is of great urgency.One approach is adding it into the raw materials during the preparation of lightweight aggregate(LWA).But clay is always needed.In this paper,another solid waste,red mud,was mixed with ALTs as a source of flux components instead of clay.Evaluation of the physical characteristics,morphological structures,as well as crystal phases during the sintering process were investigated.When their mixtures with a proper ratio were sintered at 1080℃,a glassy phase with certain viscosity was formed,and the gases generated simultaneously were encapsulated by the melt.Finally,LWA with a onehour water absorption as low as 1.46%,a bulk density as low as 728.76 kgm 3 and a compressive strength as high as 10.77 MPa was fabricated.

Mine tailings as a raw material in alkali activation: A review

The mining industry produces billions of tons of mine tailings annually.However,because of their lack of economic value,most of the tailings are discarded near the mining sites,typically under water.The primary environmental concerns of mine tailings are related to their heavy metal and sulfidic mineral content.Oxidation of sulfidic minerals can produce acid mine drainage that leaches heavy metals into the surrounding water.The management of tailing dams requires expensive construction and careful control,and there is the need for stable,sustainable,and economically viable management technologies.Alkali activation as a solidification/stabilization technology offers an attractive way to deal with mine tailings.Alkali activated materials are hardened,concrete-like structures that can be formed from raw materials that are rich in aluminum and silicon,which fortunately,are the main elements in mining residues.Furthermore,alkali activation can immobilize harmful heavy metals within the structure.This review describes the research on alkali activated mine tailings.The reactivity and chemistry of different minerals are discussed.Since many mine tailings are poorly reactive under alkaline conditions,different pretreatment methods and their effects on the mineralogy are reviewed.Possible applications for these materials are also discussed.

Hydration Characteristics and Humidity Control Performance of Calcium Silicate Board Prepared from Mine Tailing and Diatomite

The feasibility of utilizing molybdenum tailing and diatomite as siliceous materials to prepare calcium silicate board was explored.The influences of molybdenum tailing/diatomite proportion on hydration characteristics,thermal conductivity,water absorption,flexural strength and moisture adsorption-desorption property of calcium silicate board were investigated in detail.The experimental results reveal that molybdenum tailing is environmentally friendly to prepare building materials.The main hydration products in calcium silicate board under autoclaved condition are C-S-H with low crystallinity and tobermorite.Molybdenum tailing is favorable to the formation of tobermorite.The flexural strength and bulk density of the calcium silicate board gradually increase when the content of molybdenum tailing increases.Netlike C-S-H is formed with the increase of diatomite content during autoclaved curing process,resulting in the enhancement of moisture adsorptiondesorption performance and the reduction of thermal conductivity.The optimal content of molybdenum tailing is 20%,furthermore,the flexual strength and thermal conductivity of calcium silicate board at this content meet the Chinese standard JC/T564.1-2008.

A resilience-based approach in managing the closure and abandonment of large mine tailing ponds

Mining tailing ponds are large infrastructure objects whose life cycle spans over several decades.They are indispensable for certain types of mines where technological process produces and rejects mud.They also have potential to generate risks for human life,property and environment.For that reason,it is essential to adequately manage them throughout all the stages of their life cycle.The phase of their closure and abandonment is less studied and understood.The paper proposes a holistic resilience-based approach for analyzing this phase of their life cycle.The proposed methodology is validated through a case study at an actual surface iron ore mine in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mineralogical characterization of copper sulfide tailings using automated mineral liberation analysis: A case study of the Chambishi Copper Mine tailings

As ore grades constantly decline,more copper tailings,which still contain a considerable amount of unrecovered copper,are expected to be produced as a byproduct of froth flotation.This research reveals the occurrence mechanism of copper minerals in typical copper sulfide tailings using quantitative mineral liberation analysis(MLA)integrated with scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy(SEM–EDS).A comprehensive mineralogical characterization was carried out,and the results showed that almost all copper minerals were highly disseminated within coarse gangue particles,except for 9.2wt%chalcopyrite that occurred in the 160–180μm size fraction.The predominant copper-bearing mineral was chalcopyrite,which was closely intergrown with orthoclase and muscovite rather than quartz.The flotation tailings sample still contained 3.28wt%liberated chalcopyrite and 3.13wt%liberated bornite because of their extremely fine granularity.The SEM–EDS analysis further demonstrated that copper minerals mainly occurred as fine dispersed and fully enclosed structures in gangue minerals.The information obtained from this research could offer useful references for recovering residual copper from flotation tailings.

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.

The reuse of abandoned Acquaresi mine voids for storage of the Masua flotation tailings

Often in abandoned mine sites are present both underground voids produced by mining and the tailings of treatment plant.An interesting solution for the rehabilitation of the sites would be to place the tailings of the process in the underground mining voids,thus obtaining the reclamation of surface areas and the stabilization of abandoned voids to prevent the dangerous phenomena of subsidence.However,these operations require inert waste,which must not be source of pollution,and the choice of a water/solid optimum to ensure good conditions of pumpability.