Effect of the alkaline industrial residues fly ash,green liquor dregs,and lime mud on mine tailings oxidation when used as covering material

The potential to use the alkaline residue products fly ash, green liquor dregs, and lime mud originating from paper mills as dry cover materials to seal tailings has been investigated. Metals concentration in lime mud and fly ash had the lowest and highest contents, respectively. The tailings (<1 % sulfur content, primarily pyrite) were disposed about 50 years ago and originated from the former Rönnskär mine site in Sweden. The results of chemical composition analysis show that the raw unoxidized tailings are active toward oxidation, while the components of the adjacent oxidized tailings are not. To quantify the release of metals from the tailings and to evaluate the effect of a sealing layer on oxidation and weathering of the tailings, batch leaching tests were conducted in which leachate from alkaline residue materials was fed to the tailings. The results show that a higher concentration of most trace elements is leached from the unoxidized tailings than from the oxidized tailings. Except As and Cr, the rest of analyzed metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb) became immobilized in response to the increased pH as a consequence of the amendment. The three tested alkaline amendments show a similar potential for preventing the release of metals (with the exception of As and Cr) from the tailings. Under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions, microbial activity was found to be of minor importance. XRD analysis of the field samples revealed that it was feasible to use alkaline residue products in covering tailings, and that it was advantageous to use ash as a cover material more than dregs.     

Geochemistry of uranium and thorium and natural radioactivity levels of the western Anatolian plutons,Turkey

Mineralogy and Petrology - Seventy samples from major plutons (mainly granitic) of Western Anatolia (Turkey) have been analyzed by γ-ray spectrometry to determine the specific activities of...     

Seasonal and spatial changes in water and sediment quality variables in Bafa Lake

The brackish Bafa Lake located in the southwestern part of Turkey is under stress because of both natural and untreated wastewater effluents. The purpose of this research is to determine spatiotemporal distributions of some physicochemical variables in water column (temperature, salinity, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, NH₄–N, NO₂–N, NO₃–N, oPO₄–P, TPO₄–P, chlorophyll-a, total suspended solids) and sediment (TN, TC, TOC, TP) and their relationships at coastal stations. In the water column, nitrate and phosphate concentrations showed seasonal variations with high values recorded in winter period. Ammonium was determined as a main source of TIN component. During summer period, a large amount of total phosphorus was found as dissolved organic form. However, in the winter period, inorganic phosphate levels increased at sampling stations. N limitation was a common feature throughout the lake where P-limitation was only observed in summer period. The total phosphorus levels which showed hypereutrophic condition at the western part of the lake changed between 1.55 and 4.99 μM and did not remain in the range for uncontaminated condition. In the lake sediment, a strong relationship was found between TOC and TC levels. Generally, the mean TOC concentrations constitute small amount of TC values in the sampling stations. The results also indicated that a strong correlation exists between TOC and TN values, and TN was greatly regulated by organic sources. In the lake, TOC:TN ratios changed between 5 and 13; the ratio greater than 10 could be an indicator of algal and land plant sources mixing as an organic matter.     

20th-CENTURY CHANGES OF TEMPERATURE IN THE MOUNTAIN REGIONS OF CENTRAL EUROPE

Daily maximum and minimum temperatures from 29 low-lying and mountain stations of 7 countries in Central Europe were analyzed. The analysis of the annual variation of diurnal temperature range helps to distinguish unique climatic characteristics of high and low altitude stations. A comparison of the time series of extreme daily temperatures as well as mean temperature shows a good agreement between the low-lying stations and the mountain stations. Many of the pronounced warm and cold periods are present in all time series and are therefore representative for the whole region. A linear trend analysis of the station data for the period 1901–1990 (19 stations) and 1951–1990 (all 29 stations) shows spatial patterns of similar changes in maximum and minimum daily temperatures and diurnal temperature range. Mountain stations show only small changes of the diurnal temperature range over the 1901–1990 period, whereas the low-lying stations in the western part of the Alps show a significant decrease of diurnal temperature range, caused by strong increase of the minimum temperature. For the shorter period 1951–1990, the diurnal temperature range decreases at the western low-lying stations, mainly in spring, whereas it remains roughly constant at the mountain stations. The decrease of diurnal temperature range is stronger in the western part than in the eastern part of the Alps.     

Formation and composition of cemented layers in low-sulphide mine tailings, Laver, northern Sweden

Cemented layers (hardpans) are common in carbonate or sulphide-rich mine tailings and where pyrrhotite is the predominating Fe-sulphide. Laver, northern Sweden, is an abandoned Cu-mine where the tailings have low pyrrhotite content, almost no pyrite and no carbonates. Two cemented layers at different locations in the Laver tailings impoundment were investigated, with the aim to determine their effects on metal mobility. The cementing agents were mainly jarosite and Fe-oxyhydroxides in the layer formed where the tailings have a barren surface, whereas only Fe-oxyhydroxides were identified below grass-covered tailings surface. Arsenic was enriched in both layers which also exhibit high concentrations of Mo, V, Hg and Pb compared to unoxidised tailings. Sequential extraction indicates that these metals and As were mainly retained with crystalline Fe-oxides, and therefore potentially will be remobilised if the oxic conditions become more reducing, for instance as a result of remediation of the tailings impoundment.An erratum to this article can be found at     

Pyrite geochemistry in the Toarcian Posidonia Shale of south‐west Germany: Evidence for contrasting trace‐element patterns of diagenetic and syngenetic pyrites

Authigenic pyrite grains from a section of the Lower Toarcian Posidonia Shale were analysed for their trace‐element contents and sulphur‐isotope compositions. The resulting data are used to evaluate the relationship between depositional conditions and pyrite trace‐element composition. By using factor analysis, trace‐elements in pyrite may be assigned to four groups: (i) heavy metals (including Cu, Ni, Co, Pb, Bi and Tl); (ii) oxyanionic elements (As, Mo and Sb); (iii) elements partitioned in sub‐microscopic sphalerite inclusions (Zn and Cd); and (iv) elements related to organic or silicate impurities (Ga and V). Results indicate that trace‐element contents in pyrite depend on the site and mechanism of pyrite formation, with characteristic features being observed for diagenetic and syngenetic pyrites. Diagenetic pyrite formed within anoxic sediments generally has a high heavy metals content, and the degree of pyritization of these elements increases with increasing oxygen deficiency, similar to the degree of pyritization of reactive Fe. The highest gradient in the increase of the degree of trace element pyritization with bottom‐water oxygenation was found for the elements Ni < Cu < Mo = As < Tl. In contrast, syngenetic pyrite formed within a euxinic water column typically is enriched in As, Mo and Sb, but is low in heavy metals, and the geochemical variation reflects changes in sea water composition.     

Role of carbonates in mitigation of metal release from mining waste. Evidence from humidity cells tests

 Leaching of two contrasting types of sulphidic tailings in humidity cells has been performed. The release of heavy metals and the oxidation rate have been studied. Tailings from the Laver mine contain a few percent sulphides and lack carbonates, whereas tailings from the Stekenjokk mine are both sulphide- and carbonate-rich. The results showed that in the leachates from the Laver samples, the metal concentrations increased and pH decreased with time, indicating an increased oxidation rate. In the Stekenjokk samples, pH remained high during the experiment, thereby keeping the metal concentrations low in the leachates. The oxidation rate also decreased with time, probably due to Fe-hydroxide coatings on sulphide surfaces. The results show that addition of carbonates and the maintenance of a high pH not only reduce the solubility of heavy metals, but also decrease the oxidation rate of sulphides. Received: 20 January 1998 · Accepted: 2 April 1998