TY - JOUR
T1 - Acid-forming capacity of lead-zinc mine tailings and its implications for mine rehabilitation
AU - Wong, J. W.C.
AU - Ip, C. M.
AU - Wong, M. H.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Messrs K.K. Ma and M.S. Shu for their excellent technical support throughout the experiment. Financial support from Research Grant Council of University Grants Committee and Faculty Research Grant of Hong Kong Baptist University is gratefully acknowledged.
PY - 1998
Y1 - 1998
N2 - Acid mine drainage problems were experienced in a Pb-Zn mine operation at Lechang, in the northern part of Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. Geochemical and acid generation evaluations were made on fresh tailings including tailings fine, tailings sand and high sulphide tailings, and oxidised tailings with the aim of providing information on mine rehabilitation. All fresh tailings had a pH higher than 7 while the oxidised tailings had a pH of 4.9 (range 1.6 to 7.4). Only samples with pH <3 had an electrical conductivity (EC)>4 dS m-1. Total S content of all tailings samples were very high with the high sulphide fraction having a mean S content of 38%. All fresh tailings had a high acid neutralisation capacity (ANC) while half of the oxidised tailings had an ANC less than zero. The results from the acid-base account and the net acid generation test indicated that all fresh and oxidised tailings samples were acid-forming except for the sand fraction samples. All tailings samples contained high total concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn but low concentrations of total nitrogen and phosphorus. The preliminary results demonstrated that the tailings were all acid-forming especially the high sulphide fraction which should be kept permanently unexposed under impermeable cap or water.
AB - Acid mine drainage problems were experienced in a Pb-Zn mine operation at Lechang, in the northern part of Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China. Geochemical and acid generation evaluations were made on fresh tailings including tailings fine, tailings sand and high sulphide tailings, and oxidised tailings with the aim of providing information on mine rehabilitation. All fresh tailings had a pH higher than 7 while the oxidised tailings had a pH of 4.9 (range 1.6 to 7.4). Only samples with pH <3 had an electrical conductivity (EC)>4 dS m-1. Total S content of all tailings samples were very high with the high sulphide fraction having a mean S content of 38%. All fresh tailings had a high acid neutralisation capacity (ANC) while half of the oxidised tailings had an ANC less than zero. The results from the acid-base account and the net acid generation test indicated that all fresh and oxidised tailings samples were acid-forming except for the sand fraction samples. All tailings samples contained high total concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn but low concentrations of total nitrogen and phosphorus. The preliminary results demonstrated that the tailings were all acid-forming especially the high sulphide fraction which should be kept permanently unexposed under impermeable cap or water.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032405511&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1023/A:1006589124204
DO - 10.1023/A:1006589124204
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:0032405511
SN - 0269-4042
VL - 20
SP - 149
EP - 155
JO - Environmental Geochemistry and Health
JF - Environmental Geochemistry and Health
IS - 3
ER -