Acid drainage from sulfides hosting gold mineralization (Furtei, Sardinia)

 The past mining activity for kaolin minerals left several abandoned quarries in the area of Furtei (southern Sardinia). Recently, gold mineralization has been found in association with intensely altered andesitic rocks, and an open-pit gold mine is expected to open in the near future. Twenty-one water samples were analyzed for a wide range of major and trace elements, in order to define the present hydrochemical situation before exploitation starts. Waters interacting with the altered andesitic rocks had higher salinity and metal concentrations than waters in contact with nonaltered rocks. Acid drainage and high concentrations of metals (Al, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, As) in solution were observed in waters leaching the mineral deposit. An environmental impact study is urgently called for since the waste material derived from the exploitation is expected to enhance acidification and metal-releasing processes, due to the increase in the specific yield, which favors the oxidation of sufide minerals. Received: 15 February 1995 · Accepted: 10 October 1995     

The abandoned Pb-Zn mine of Ingurtosu, Sardinia (Italy)

The Ingurtosu Pb-Zn mine, situated in the southwestern part of Sardinia, has been in production from the beginning of the last century up to 1968. The orebody consists of galena/sphalerite/barite/siderite veins in Ordovician arenaceous and phyllitic sediments, near the contact with a Hercynian batholith.

Abundant tailings were collected in a pond from which they were discharged during the winter months into the sea via the Rio Naracauli stream. Today this area of outstanding scenic beauty, is degraded by tailings and waste rock scattered all along the stream.

Material derived from mining activities was studied for grain size, mineralogical and geochemical composition. The Rio Naracauli was sampled over a length of ten kilometers at regular intervals.

The results can be summarized as follows: (a) tailings contain a varying, but often quite high, percentage of Pb; lower percentages were found for Zn and Cd; (b) a sharp increase in dissolved Zn, Cd and Pb was observed in the Rio Naracauli where it leached the tailings; and (c) tailings and waste rocks should be recycled or revegetated.