200 years of mining activities at La Paz/San Luis Potosí/Mexico - Consequences for environment and geochemical exploration

The Ag---Pb---Zn---Cu---Au mining district of Santa María de La Paz has been extensively exploited for approximately 200 years. Consequences of these activities are several deposits of tailings with high As and heavy metal concentrations, which are completely unstable. The climate is semiarid and as the dumps have no protective cover, material from the dumps is dispersed by strong winds. It is also washed out during seasonally heavy rainfalls. By these processes approximately 100 km² of surrounding have been contaminated by dump material. The As and heavy metal content of the soils was determined as well as their level in crops (Zea Maize) from agricultural lands in the vicinity of the dumps. In the direction of prevailing winds concentrations up to 1000 ppm Zn, 400 ppm Pb, 16 ppm Cd, 550 ppm Cu and 300 As have been detected in top soils. Using fuzzy cluster analysis the different contamination sources could be identified. Grains of corn from contaminated sites showed no critical concentrations, but leaves which are also used tor fodder, have As-concentrations up to 20 ppm.     

Geochemical investigations of slags from the historical smelting in Freiberg, Erzgebirge (Germany)

The Freiberg area in the Saxon Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) represents one of the oldest mining districts in Germany. Argentiferous ore mineralizations with lead, zinc and copper are dominating in this region. Various waste products of mining can be found around Freiberg. In particular, the slags from ore smelting were and are regarded as unusable waste products. However, they preserve information on the smelting and weathering behaviour of slag, which makes them very useful sources of information for our purposes. To reconstruct the chemical processes during ore smelting, historical slag represents a most valuable archive. Therefore, the historical slag dump in Halsbach (Germany) was examined exemplarily for the Freiberg deposit. The slag was dumped approx. 400 years ago and is rich in lead. An interrelation between the slag and the metallurgical process applied can be made on the basis of chemical composition, appearance and microscopic results. The slags of the heap in Halsbach contain high concentrations of heavy metals (average contents in mg kg⁻¹: Zn 40,000; Pb 10,000; Cu 1500; U 1000). Enrichments of heavy metals in the organic-rich soil horizons within the range of the dump foot (maximum contents in the A-horizon in mg kg⁻¹: Zn 3719; Pb 9198; As 3017; Cu 963) imply a faint discharge of metals from the dump.     

Daily and seasonal stem radial activity of Populus euphratica and its association with hydroclimatic factors in the lower reaches of China’s Heihe River basin

The Vado Carranza dump, located in the Mexicali Valley, Baja California, northwest Mexico, was operated for more than 15 years receiving about 30 tons/day of solid wastes. The disposed wastes were periodically burned in open air. The presence of a shallow aquifer in the area makes the groundwater vulnerable to contamination processes. The purpose of this study was the evaluation of heavy metals content (Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn) in soil and groundwater in the vicinity of this dump. The results indicate high content of metals in soil, mainly at a superficial level, with the highest concentrations in the areas where burning of wastes occurred. Elevated concentrations of cadmium and copper were detected in groundwater with the highest concentrations occurring in monitoring wells located in the north side of the dump, downward of groundwater flow. Although the high content of metals in soil can be attributed to the burning of waste, other sources of pollution could be the agricultural irrigation in the vicinity of the dump. The program PHREEQC was used to model the geochemical evolution of groundwater. Results suggest that evaporation of the contaminated waters circulating below the landfill is one of the key processes that explain the increased concentration of contaminants in groundwater and its seasonal variations. As groundwater flows away from the dump, evaporation can concentrate the chemicals making the water more toxic. These results are important because they illustrate processes that are likely to occur in landfills located in other desert areas of the world.     

Mineralogical and geochemical characterisation of open-air tailing and waste-rock dumps from the Libiola Fe-Cu sulphide mine (Eastern Liguria,Italy)

Active acid mine drainage (AMD) processes at the Libiola Fe-Cu sulphides mine are mainly triggered by water–rock interaction occurring within open-air tailing and waste-rock dumps. These processes are mainly controlled by exposure to weathering agents, the grain size of the dumped materials, and by the quantity of sulphides, the sulphide types, and their mode of occurrence. Due to these factors, several paragenetic stages of evolution have been recognised at different depths at different sites and within the same site. The dump samples were investigated with mineralogical (reflected- and transmitted-light optical microscopy, XRPD, and SEM-EDS) and geochemical (ICP-AES, Leco) techniques. The AMD evaluation of the tailing and waste-rock samples was performed by calculating the Maximum Potential Acidity, the Acid Neutralising Capacity, (and the Net Acid Producing Potential. The results allowed us to demonstrate that the open-air tailings had already superseded their AMD apex and are now practically inert material composed mainly of stable goethite ± lepidocrocite ± hematite assemblages. On the contrary, the sulphide-rich waste rocks still have a strong potential to produce long term AMD, causing the acidification of circulating waters and the release of several hazardous elements.     

湘中桃江锰矿废矿堆环境地球化学分析

对湘中桃江锰矿废矿堆的废石进行了主量元素、稀土元素、微量元素和重金属元素的地球化学分析。野外观察及分析结果表明:组成废矿堆的岩石主要是赋矿围岩中奥陶统黑色页岩和原生碳酸锰矿石。这些废石富含Cu、Pb、Zn、Cr、Tl、Sb、U等重金属元素。废石暴露地表而遭受风化分解,导致Sc、V、Cr、U、Cd、Th等重金属元素淋滤释出,在废石样品中均表现出不同程度的迁移特征,且以V、Cd、U的迁移性最为强烈。此外,黑色页岩中Ni、Cu、Zn、Pb、Tl、Sb也明显发生淋失。这些重金属元素如Cd、Tl等毒性极强,进入矿区周围不断积聚,便可能对环境造成严重的影响。故对区内分布的废矿堆作为重金属污染源应高度重视。     

Geochemical evolution and quality assessment of water resources in the Sarcheshmeh copper mine area (Iran) using multivariate statistical techniques

Hydrochemical data were gathered throughout the last 12 years from 57 sampling stations in the drainage basin of the Sarcheshmeh copper mine, Kerman Province, Iran. The mean values of these data for each sampling station were used to evaluate water quality and to determine processes that control water chemistry. Principal component analyses specified the oxidation of sulfide minerals, dissolution of carbonate and sulfate minerals and weathering of silicate minerals as the principal processes responsible for the chemical composition of water in the study area. Q-mode cluster analysis revealed three main water groups. The first group had a Ca-HCO₃–SO₄ composition whereas the second and third groups had Ca–SO₄ and Ca–Mg–SO₄ composition, respectively. The results of this study clearly indicated the role of sulfide minerals oxidation and the buffering processes in the geochemical evolution of water in the Sarcheshmeh area. Due to these processes, extensive changes occurred in the chemical composition of water by passage through the mining area or waste and low-grade dumps, so that the fresh water of the peripheral area of the pit evolved to an acid water rich in sulfate and heavy metals at the outlet of the pit and in the seepages of waste and low-grade dumps.     

Chemical availability of arsenic and heavy metals in sediments from abandoned cinnabar mine tailings

The understanding of the solid-phase speciation of arsenic in soils and sediments is important in the evaluations of its potential mobility and availability in the environment. The spoil heaps of abandoned mercury mines contain waste materials with high arsenic and heavy metals concentrations. The weathering of these tailings can cause their mobilization to the surroundings. In this work, the mobility and availability of arsenic and some heavy metals were evaluated in sediments from two heavily polluted mercury mining districts in Asturias (NW Spain). For this purpose, a slightly modified version of the Bureau Community of Reference sequential extraction scheme was applied to sediments. The total contents in the operationally defined fractions were analysed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Extremely high total arsenic concentrations were found in all sediments ranging from 4,000 to 24,800 mg kg^?1. High easily mobilizable arsenic contents were found in the first mining area, related to the solubilization of Ca-bearing phases, supported by extracts analyses, X-ray diffraction results and the positive correlation found among the As and Ca fractionations. Ni and Zn were the most mobile among heavy metals, being Cr the least mobile, suggesting an anthropogenic origin due to the metallurgical processes, transport or dispersion generated from neighbour spoil heaps. In the second mining area, the bulk of As was concentrated in the residual phase, as well as Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ti, indicating a mineralogical origin and the low availability of these elements. The strong correlations established between As and Fe and Ti distributions support the hypothesis that As is mainly associated to structural mineral phases in these sediments.     

Using stable and radioactive isotopes for the investigation of contaminant metal mobilization in a metal mining district

Naturally occurring stable and radioactive isotopes were used as environmental tracers to investigate contaminant metal mobilization processes in a metal smelter dump mainly consisting of slag. Water emerging from the dump at a spring is heavily contaminated by metals. The smelter dump contains minor amounts of flue dust, a material which shows a high potential for metal mobilization. Nearby dumps mainly consist of low-grade ore. Concentration patterns of ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra and ²¹⁰Pb determined in sediment deposited close to the contaminated spring reveal the flue dust to be the major local metal source rather than the slag or the low-grade ore. Contamination pathways inside the dump were investigated using hydrological, chemical and isotopic data. Strong negative correlation between water discharge and metal concentration in the spring water suggests, besides short-term dilution of the metal concentration by direct rainwater runoff, distinct long-term dilution of the spring water by groundwater being discharged at a significantly increased rate as a result of heavy rains. δ¹⁸O and δD signatures of rain, local groundwater and spring water confirm the importance of groundwater derived from the local aquifer. Another hydrological component with importance for metal mobilization was found to be water that is recharged in the dump itself. Tritium analysis allowed an assessment of the probable residence time of that water component in the smelter dump. Since that water component seems to represent a major local contamination pathway the findings of the study are of substantial importance for site remediation planning. As a primary result it could be stated that covering the dump would not result in any noteworthy short-term improvement of the spring water quality. First significant effects would only be visible after 2–3 decades at the earliest.     

Migration of Cu, Zn, Cd and As in epikarst water affected by acid mine drainage at a coalfield basin, Xingren, Southwest China

Epikarst water, which is one of the most important water resources in karst mountain areas, is extremely sensitive to mining activities. Acid mine drainage (AMD) with high levels of heavy metals can degrade the water quality. A typical coalfield basin was chosen to research the migration process of heavy metals. It was found that the chemical compositions of the stream water in the research field were controlled by the dissolution of carbonate rocks or/and the weathering and oxidation of pyrite in the mining area. Excluding a few sites in the mining area, As(V) was dominant species of arsenic in the form of H₂AsO₄ ^? or HAsO₄ ^2? in the research field. Based on the mass balance concept, it was found that fluxes of As, Zn, Cu and Cd in water from the mining area (site 17) affected by AMD were 18, 871, 281 and 12 kg year^?1, respectively. Also, concentrations of Cd, Zn, As and Cu in the stream water decreased along the flow, because these ions deposited from the water to the stream bed as the redistribution processes in environment.     

Heavy metal retention in secondary precipitates from a mine rock dump and underlying soil, Dalarna, Sweden

This study investigates the retention of heavy metals in secondary precipitates from a sulfidic mine rock dump and underlying podzolic soils by means of mineralogical and chemical extraction methods. The rock dump, which is at least 50 years old, consists of a 5–10-cm-thick leached zone and an underlying 110–115-cm-thick accumulation zone. Optical microscopy and electron microprobe analyses confirm that pyrrhotite weathering has proceeded much further in the leached horizon relative to the accumulation horizon. The weathering of sulfides in the leached zone has resulted in the migration of most heavy metals to the accumulation zone or underlying soils, where they are retained in more stable phases such as secondary ferric minerals, including goethite and jarosite. Some metals are temporarily retained in hydrated ferrous sulfates (e.g., melanterite, rozenite). Received: 28 October 1996 · Accepted: 24 February 1997     

Effects of monsoonal rainfall on waste dump stability and respective geo-environmental issues: a case study

The stability of mine waste dumps is of critical importance and an issue, the mining industry of Goa, India is continually facing. The State of Goa receives high rainfall of around 3,000 mm annually. This heavy monsoonal rainfall is often believed to be the cause of dump slope instability. In light of several dump collapses encountered in the State and their damaging effects on both mine operations and local geo-environmental conditions, this paper examines their stability considering various geotechnical factors and the downstream environmental effects of a slope failure. The mechanical properties of dump waste material are reported at different compaction levels. The effect of these properties and changes in pore-water pressure are specifically examined using limit equilibrium analysis. An empirical formula is developed relating dump height, material mechanical parameters and pore-water pressure to the factor of safety of the slope. It was found that the level of compaction experienced by the material had a significant effect on the factor of safety.     

Evaluation of geotechnical properties of overburden dump for better reclamation success in mining areas

Coal-mining activities are precursors to land degradation, a part of which is directly related to the generation of huge quantity of overburden (OB) material. The problem of managing OB is mitigated through reclamation, which is directly associated with the geotechnical properties of these dumps. The main objective of this study was to assess the potential of an alternative management plan of OB by analyzing physical properties of these dumps. This alternative management plan of OB could enhance reclamation success by fostering conditions conducive for vegetation growth. This is especially required in old mining areas, where salvaging of topsoil was not done, and as a result, reclamation was affected. For the present study, 12 representative OB samples were collected from two open-cast coal mines (OCP-A and OCP-B) of Bastacolla area in Jharia Coalfield, Dhanbad, India. The samples were analyzed for different geotechnical properties. The results revealed that optimization of these parameters could help in enhancing the reclamation success of the area. From land-use classification, it was observed that about 242 ha of the study area was OB dump; if these areas are reclaimed successfully, then they can act as a potential source of carbon sequestration, and furthermore, they will improve the esthetics and the overall environmental quality at these degraded areas.     

Construction of remains of small-scale mining activities as a possible innovative way how to prevent desertification

Initial mapping of secondary succession in places disturbed by mining of the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area in Mongolia shows a possible innovative direction taken by afforestation in order to prevent further expansion of the Gobi Desert in northern Mongolia. The study results from the knowledge of secondary succession of mined areas, which are classified as the remains and consequences of prospecting and mining work dated to the Soviet times. Ongoing succession on sites affected by mining is very slow. In quarry dumps and canavas, herb layer has not been recovered despite the fact that the prospecting and mining activities had finished more than 30 years ago. Herbs biodiversity is very poor in these areas. Conversely, representatives of the tree layer, especially Larix sibirica and Populus tremula, are found far from the continuous forest; they colonized sites located within the aridized steppe. We assume that the main factor of successful tree growth on the mining activities remains consists in the humidity condensation due to and caused by the specific shape of the canavas and dumps. Trees prosperity on these extreme habitats can be ensured particularly in the early stages of growth when the tree roots are unable to reach the groundwater table. Detail mapping of quantitative and qualitative parameters of trees shows that the dump is an ideal shape of self-watering condensation mound for forest growth and can prevent the desertification as well.     

Sulfide oxidation—an environmental problem within colliery spoil dumps

Because of the high degree of automation in the coal mining industry in the Ruhr area, Germany, about 1 metric ton of crushed rock/colliery spoil is brought to the surface for every metric ton of coal. Most of the colliery spoil disposed of must be dumped. These colliery spoil dumps are anthropogenic geological sediment bodies, which have a characteristic facies resulting from geological, technical, and economical factors connected with the formation of the dumps. The relation between the facies of the dumps and these factors, for example, is examplified with the pyrite content within the colliery spoil. Pyrite content within the dumps is dependent both on the conditions during sedimentation and (early) diagenesis and the techniques used for mining and processing. Thus, this geologic-technical facies of the dumps controls the weathering processes on and in dumps. These humaninduced processes are mainly responsible for the environmental impact on soil and groundwater. Oxidation of pyrite as well as alteration of pyrite under anoxic conditions yields dissolution of carbonates, accompanied by gypsum formation, by acid attack and strong acidification takes place.     

Mine Overburden Dump Failure: A Case Study

In any open cast mine, the management of stripped spoil during mining is crucial to the mine’s successful operation. The improper management of the overburden (OB) dump can result in stability issues which may affect safety and production of the mine. Various literatures have reported the failure of open pit dumps and the consequences in loss of life, production and impact on neighbouring amenities. Recently, the failure of an out-of-pit OB dump at an Indian Colliery was reported. The failed OB dump displaced spoil approximately 70 m from the original location of the dump toe and impacted on neighbouring amenities. This paper back analyse material properties and investigates the probable mechanism of this OB failure. Well established tools including limiting equilibrium and continuum numerical methods have been used to understand and identify the failure kinematics of this dump. It has been found that the residual friction angle of the material comprising the dump structural unit dominates stability. Mobilisation of residual strength can occur by operational induced strains and/or the presence of water. The shear strength of the foundation was fully mobilised and provided a slip surface for the overlying dump material. The resultant failure is manifest as a bilinear wedge movement of two ridged blocks defined by linear rupture planes.     

Spatial distribution,mineralogy, and weathering of heavy metals in soils along zinc-concentrate ground transportation routes: implication for assessing heavy metal sources

We investigated the source of heavy metals in soils at a site in South Korea, where a ground transportation of zinc-concentrates (ZnS, sphalerite) occurs daily. Seventy soil samples were collected at the site and analyzed for residual concentrations of heavy metals, as well as their chemical and mineralogical properties. Enrichment factor was calculated based on local geochemical background level of metals in soils and confirmed the contamination of soils in the area by an anthropogenic source. The concentration data were also subjected to a Pearson correlation analysis to determine the possible influences of anthropogenic sources and identify the primary source. A slight negative correlation between heavy metals and Al, and a weak correlation between heavy metals and Fe implied that the heavy metals originated from anthropogenic inputs rather than a geogenic source. A strong positive linear correlation between Zn and other heavy metals (i.e., As, Cd, Cu, Pb, r ≥ 0.96, p ≤ 0.001) suggested the influence of a single anthropogenic source of zinc-concentrates containing all of these heavy metals. Zinc-concentrate oxidation and leaching experiments, which mimicked physical and chemical weathering in the environment, indicated that zinc-concentrate could be transformed to zinc oxides and release Cd and Pb upon precipitation. The findings in this study provide an insight into the fate of the Zn that the original form of zinc-concentrate would not remain in the soil after long-term weathering, which should be considered when source of heavy metals is identified.     

Impact of the past mining activity in Roşia Montană (Romania) on soil and vegetation

The paper presents the results of a combined soil and vegetation survey in Ro?ia Montan? mining area (western Romania), famous for its gold and silver deposits, extensively exploited over the last 2,000 years. As the ore extraction has ceased in 2006 and new operations could be initiated in the future, the study contributes to the definition of the environmental baseline. Samples of topsoil and leaves of the tree species Betula pendula and Carpinus betulus have been collected from the inside and outside of the mining area, on a total surface of more than 60 km². The pH and heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) have been measured on 262 soils/sediments samples, revealing the predominantly acidic character of soils and the generally low contents of heavy metals. Stronger acidity and higher contents of heavy metals have been noticed in the proximity of the mining site, on the tailings and waste rock dumps, and along the streams with acid water. More than 100 leaf samples have been analysed for the same heavy metals as soils and also for chlorophyll fluorescence and pigment concentrations. B. pendula has shown a particular ability to concentrate Zn in leaves, at levels that may greatly exceed the Zn content in the corresponding soil samples. The correlation between the heavy metal contents in leaves and in soils, in most of the cases, is not very strong, presumably in relation to the low concentrations in soils. The chlorophyll concentration in leaves of B. pendula slightly diminishes on soils with low pH.     

The environmental risk posed by small dumps of complex arsenic,antimony, nickel and cobalt sulphides

Mine waste dumps sited in the vicinity of mine workings typically consist of fragmented rock masses which in chemical terms may be defined as "complex systems", due to uncertainties in accurately simulating their behaviour, when water or aqueous solutions percolate through them. Remediation of the contamination problems created by abandoned mine dumps concerns many former mining areas from Europe to Africa. These dumps usually range in size from a few hundred thousand up to million cubic meters of rock defined as “waste” but which still contain significant amounts of potentially toxic elements. Although relatively small, they are often densely distributed in the territory impacting on surface and ground-water. This scenario is particularly applicable to the region of Sardinia, Italy, where several small dumps of uncommon sulphide minerals still exist on derelict mine sites. This paper reports on the results of a research project aimed at defining appropriate remedial measures of acid rock drainage. A dump of a Co–Ni–As–Sb complex sulphides mine was investigated and simulated in a laboratory leaching column. The column was irrigated with distilled water and a repetitive behaviour of the polluting elements concentrations in the effluents was observed for each run. Regardless of the campaign duration and the extent of the intervals between tests metal ions concentration peaks (250–50 ppm for Ni, 35–20 ppm for Co, 1.6–0.4 ppm for As, 20–15 ppm for Zn and 0.03–0.002 ppm for Sb) and acidic conditions (pH 2.5–3.5), on resumption of each irrigation, was noticed. As percolation continued, the ion concentrations decreased within the discharge limits after the replacement of only two pore volumes of the column material. This produces the conception that a sufficiently long rainfall period could remediate the polluting effects. Conception contradicted by field experiences: sporadic rainfall events, typical of the region, are not sufficient to completely leach out the metal ions. The repetitive nature of the leaching processes, both quantitatively and qualitatively, can be explained only by the activity of a microflora thriving in the rock mass even during long dry periods. Microbial tests and neutralisation campaigns confirmed this hypothesis and suggested that any effective remediation strategy must take into consideration the interaction between environmental factors with microbiological activities.     

Multivariate statistical approach to identify heavy metal sources in agricultural soil around an abandoned Pb–Zn mine in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

A study of agricultural lands around an abandoned Pb–Zn mine in a karst region was undertaken to (1) assess the distribution of heavy metals in the agricultural environment, in both dry land and paddy field; (2) discriminate between natural and anthropogenic contributions; and (3) identify possible sources of any pollution discovered. Ninety-two samples of cultivated soils were collected around the mine and analyzed for eight heavy metals, pH, fluoride (F^?), cation exchange capacity, organic matter, and grain size. The eight heavy metals included Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, As, and Hg. The average concentrations (mg/kg) obtained were as follows: Cd 16.76 ± 24.49, Cr 151.5 ± 18.24, Cu 54.28 ± 18.99, Ni 57.5 ± 14.43, Pb 2,576.2 ± 1,096, Zn 548.7 ± 4,112, As 29.1 ± 6.36, and Hg 1.586 ± 1.46. In a site where no impact from mining activities was detected, the mean and median of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, As, and Hg concentrations in investigated topsoils were higher than the mean and median of heavy metal concentrations in reference soils. An ensemble of basic and multivariate statistical analyses was performed to reduce the multidimensional space of variables and samples. Two main sets of heavy metals were revealed as indicators of natural and anthropogenic influences. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) and categorical PCA demonstrated that Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Hg are indicators of anthropogenic pollution, whereas Cr, As and Ni concentrations are mainly associated with natural sources in the environment. The contamination from Pb–Zn mining operations, coupled with the special karst environment, was a key contributing factor to the spatial distribution of the eight heavy metals in the surrounding soil. The values of heavy metals in the soil samples suggested the necessity of conducting a rigorous assessment of the health and environmental risks posed by these residues and taking suitable remedial action as necessary.