Mine Waste Hydrogeochemistry

Mine Waste Hydrogeochemistry covers all the fundamental properties and principles associated with metal mining and coal mining wastes, their environmental consequences, and their remediation. It provides a solid scientific basis for planning and managing solid and liquid wastes from mining activities which will inform students, researchers, engineers, and mine managers. The degradation of air quality, water quality, and soil and sediment quality from mining activities involves complex processes involving physics, chemistry, microbiology, fluid dynamics, and mineralogy and mineral processing. This subject matter is complex and requires technical skill in laboratory work, field work, and theoretical calculations. This book provides the most up-to-date synthesis of the numerous papers and studies on this subject available in one book for students, instructors, consultants, and researchers. Mine Waste Hydrogeochemistry is intended to fill that void. Covers the basic scientific principles necessary to understand mine waste contamination Includes real-world examples of remediation activities and their successes and failures Synthesizes information gained from hundreds of studies including tailings and waste piles worldwide, stream and river studies affected by mine drainage, and mineralogical characterization combined with water compositions

Mine Waste Hydrogeochemistry covers all the fundamental properties and principles associated with metal mining and coal mining wastes, their environmental consequences, and their remediation. It provides a solid scientific basis for planning and managing solid and liquid wastes from mining activities which will inform students, researchers, engineers, and mine managers. The degradation of air quality, water quality, and soil and sediment quality from mining activities involves complex processes involving physics, chemistry, microbiology, fluid dynamics, and mineralogy and mineral processing. This subject matter is complex and requires technical skill in laboratory work, field work, and theoretical calculations. This book provides the most up-to-date synthesis of the numerous papers and studies on this subject available in one book for students, instructors, consultants, and researchers. Mine Waste Hydrogeochemistry is intended to fill that void. Covers the basic scientific principles necessary to understand mine waste contamination Includes real-world examples of remediation activities and their successes and failures Synthesizes information gained from hundreds of studies including tailings and waste piles worldwide, stream and river studies affected by mine drainage, and mineralogical characterization combined with water compositions

This book provides comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the accumulation of wastes at mine, including sulfidic mine wastes, mine water, tailings, cyanidation wastes of gold-silver ores, radioactive wastes of uranium ores, and wastes of phosphate and potash ores. The updated second edition includes new case studies; presents crucial aspects of mine wastes as scientific issues; reflects major developments and contemporary issues in mine waste science; additional figures; and an updated reference list.

Environmental Mineralogy and Bio-Geochemistry of Arsenic provides a comprehensive understanding of arsenic geochemistry in the near-surface environment. Topics covered include the mineralogy, thermodynamics, geochemistry, analysis, microbiology, and bioavailability of arsenic, with emphasis on implications for arsenic toxicity, geochemistry in natural ground waters, and mine-associated impacts and possible mitigation options. This volume is useful for those seeking to understand arsenic geochemistry and biological interactions in the near-surface environment, Clay Minerals does not use an online manuscript tracking/submission system. as well those working for mining companies, the chemicals industry, NGO’s or government bodies concerned with reducing the impact of arsenic on the environment.

Tailings and Mine Waste08 contains papers from the twelfth annual Tailings and Mine Waste Conference, held by Colorado State University of Fort Collins, Colorado. The purpose of this series of conferences is to provide a forum for discussion and establishment of dialogue among all people in the mining industry and environmental community regardin

"Contamination of ground and surface water by the oxidation products from sulfidic mine waste impoundments is a widespread environmental problem. To help alleviate this problem a program was designed whereby an oxidizing sulfidic waste impoundment was to be studied to characterize probable mechanisms of oxidation in the impoundment as well as the fate of metals as they were transported downgradient. From this information methods of controlling dissolved metal transport were to be identified. A field site with a mine tailings impoundment which is releasing mine waste-derived heavy metals into an unconsolidated aquifer was sampled and characterized. Piezometers were installed upgradient from, within, and downgradient from the waste. During a 2.5 year period water samples were collected and analyzed for 17 dissolved constituents, and field measurements for pH, redox potential, dissolved oxygen, temperature, alkalinity, conductivity were made. Results indicated that at the site dissolution occurs as a consequence of oxidation of sulfide minerals in the unsaturated zone of the mine waste. Infiltrating seasonal precipitation carries the oxidation products downward into the saturated zone and into an underlying aquifer. Below the impoundment this metal-rich acid water is partially neutralized by calcareous strata, and precipitation of pH-sensitive species occurs oxygen consumption. Downgradient attenuation oxidized mineral species and increased oxygen without significant correlates with more consumption. Because oxidation of dissolved metal and attendant coprecipitation was identified as a primary mechanism of attenuation, air injection at a location immediately downgradient from the impoundment is postulated as a method of increasing oxidation rates and coprecipitation efficiency."--Document.

This book provides comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the accumulation of wastes at mine, including sulfidic mine wastes, mine water, tailings, cyanidation wastes of gold-silver ores, radioactive wastes of uranium ores, and wastes of phosphate and potash ores. The updated second edition includes new case studies; presents crucial aspects of mine wastes as scientific issues; reflects major developments and contemporary issues in mine waste science; additional figures; and an updated reference list.

The Treatise on Geochemistry is the first work providing a comprehensive, integrated summary of the present state of geochemistry. It deals with all the major subjects in the field, ranging from the chemistry of the solar system to environmental geochemistry. The Treatise on Geochemistry has drawn on the expertise of outstanding scientists throughout the world, creating the reference work in geochemistry for the next decade. Each volume consists of fifteen to twenty-five chapters written by recognized authorities in their fields, and chosen by the Volume Editors in consultation with the Executive Editors. Particular emphasis has been placed on integrating the subject matter of the individual chapters and volumes. Elsevier also offers the Treatise on Geochemistry in electronic format via the online platform ScienceDirect, the most comprehensive database of academic research on the Internet today, enhanced by a suite of sophisticated linking, searching and retrieval tools.

Nowhere is the conflict between economic progress and environmental quality more apparent than in the mineral extraction industries. The latter half of the 20th century saw major advances in the reclamation technologies. However, mine water pollution problems have not been addressed. In many cases, polluted mine water long outlives the life of the mining operation. As the true cost of long-term water treatment responsibilities has become apparent, interest has grown in the technologies that would decrease the production of contaminated water and make its treatment less costly. This is the first book to address the mine water issue head-on. The authors explain the complexities of mine water pollution by reviewing the hydrogeological context of its formation, and provide an up-to-date presentation of prevention and treatment technologies. The book will be a valuable reference for all professionals who encounter polluted mine water on a regular or occasional basis.

Hard rock mines have significant effects on the territories where they operate, through both infrastructure construction as well as resource use. Due to their extractive activities, these mines store large quantities of wastes at the surface, which can be both physically and chemically unstable. Reclamation aims to return a mine site to a satisfactory state, meaning that the site should not threaten human health or security, should not generate in the long term any contaminant that could significantly affect the surrounding environment, and should be aesthetically acceptable to communities. This book focuses on the reclamation of waste storage areas, which constitute the main source of pollution during and after mine operations, and especially issues with acid mine drainage and neutral contaminated drainage. Features: Provides fundamental information and describes practical methods to reclaim mine-waste facilities Compares the different methods and illustrates their application at sites through case studies Identifies new reclamation issues and proposes solutions to address them Presents existing and new technologies to reclaim mine waste disposal areas from hard rock mines in different climatic conditions Integrates reclamation into mine operations and long term performance of techniques used through an interdisciplinary approach With mine site reclamation a young and still emerging science, the training needs for professionals and students working in this field are huge. This book is written from an engineering point of view and in it the authors identify new reclamation issues and propose well-tested as well as innovative approaches to addressing them. Students in graduate programs focused on mines and the environment as well as professionals already working in departments related to mine site reclamation will find this book to be a valuable and essential resource.

To understand hydrochemistry and to analyze natural as well as man-made impacts on aquatic systems, hydrogeochemical models have been used since the 1960’s and more frequently in recent times. Numerical groundwater flow, transport, and geochemical models are important tools besides classical deterministic and analytical approaches. Solving complex linear or non-linear systems of equations, commonly with hundreds of unknown parameters, is a routine task for a PC. Modeling hydrogeochemical processes requires a detailed and accurate water analysis, as well as thermodynamic and kinetic data as input. Thermodynamic data, such as complex formation constants and solubility-products, are often provided as databases within the respective programs. However, the description of surface-controlled reactions (sorption, cation exchange, surface complexation) and kinetically controlled reactions requires additional input data. Unlike groundwater flow and transport models, thermodynamic models, in principal, do not need any calibration. However, considering surface-controlled or kinetically controlled reaction models might be subject to calibration. Typical problems for the application of geochemical models are: • speciation • determination of saturation indices • adjustment of equilibria/disequilibria for minerals or gases • mixing of different waters • modeling the effects of temperature • stoichiometric reactions (e.g. titration) • reactions with solids, fluids, and gaseous phases (in open and closed systems) • sorption (cation exchange, surface complexation) • inverse modeling • kinetically controlled reactions • reactive transport Hydrogeochemical models depend on the quality of the chemical analysis, the boundary conditions presumed by the program, theoretical concepts (e.g.

The field of geochemistry involves study of the chemical composition of the Earth and other planets, chemical processes and reactions that govern the composition of rocks and soils, and the cycles of matter and energy that transport the Earth's chemical components in time and space, and their interaction with the hydrosphere and the atmosphere. This book presents leading research in the field. Preface; Implications of complex glacial deposits for till geochemical exploration: Examples from the central Fennoscandian ice sheet; Geochemical modelling of concentrated mine waters: A comparison of the Pitzer ion-interaction theory with the ion-association model for the study of melanterite solubility in San Telmo mine (Huelva, Spain); Geochemical Anomalies Connected with Great Earthquakes in China; Structural Characterisation of Kerogen by Ruthenium Tetroxide Oxidation; Mucous Macroaggregates in the Northern Adriatic; Geochemical signals and paleoclimate changes in a 16,000 14C year sedimentary record from Lake Gucheng, eastern China; Biogeochemical evaluation of soil covers for base metal tailings, Ag-Pb-Zn Cannington mine, Australia; The Geochemical Characteristics of Rare Earth Elements in Granitic Laterites in Hainan Island, China; Index.

Historical gold mine tailings at several sites in Nova Scotia, Canada are publicly accessible and may pose a threat to human and ecosystem health because of high arsenic (As) concentrations in the tailings (max 25 wt.%) and associated pore waters (up to 100 mg/L). Two of these sites, Montague and Goldenville, are under consideration for remediation. Similar tailings sites have been cleaned up by covering the mine wastes with soil. However, the tailings at Montague and Goldenville have been weathering for at least 70 years, leading to a wide range of As-bearing secondary minerals which may dissolve under a soil cover, releasing As to local waters. The challenge of remediating these heterogeneous tailings lies in the different Eh-pH niches in which iron arsenates (oxidizing, acidic), calcium-iron-arsenates (oxidizing, alkaline), and sulfides (reducing) are stable. The main objectives of this study were to: 1) characterize pre-remediation geochemical controls on As mobility in subsurface tailings; 2) establish hydrogeological influences on As mobility; and 3) identify geochemical changes that result when a low organic soil cover is applied to the tailings. Pore water measurements were combined with bulk chemistry, scanning electron microscopy, and synchrotron micro-X-ray diffraction analyses, which were used to characterize the mineralogical composition of the tailings. Groundwater and surface water flow regimes throughout the tailings were defined through the use of piezometers and hydraulic conductivity measurements. Laboratory leaching experiments were used to assess the effects of a soil cover on the tailings. Variable weathering conditions over time have resulted in a continuum of saturation and redox environments and a range of As hosts in the tailings. In some areas, tailings pore waters are mixing with stream waters leading to As transport beyond the tailings. Applying a low organic soil cover does not induce reducing conditions in the tailings or cause dissolved As concentrations to increase compared to field pore water concentrations. This type of soil cover is effective in slowing sulfide mineral oxidation while maintaining stable conditions for secondary As-phases. The results of this research can be used to inform remediation decisions and guide ongoing environmental management of historical gold mine sites.