Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effects of hardpan layers on the water chemistry from the leaching of pyrrhotite-rich tailings material

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Geology

Abstract

Column leaching experiments were used to determine the effects of an iron-rich hardpan layer, on the rate of tailings oxidation and the composition of leachate waters, from the Renison Bell tailings dams in western Tasmania, Australia. One-meter-long PVC columns, filled with tailings, cover material (Cassiterite Flotation Tailings) and hardpan samples from the tailings dams, were leached over a period of 14 weeks. Under dry cover conditions, when hardpan was present, the solute loads peaked at 21–49 days (Fe at 2,294 ppm and SO4 2− at 4,700 ppm), and stabilised at much lower concentrations after 9 weeks. In contrast, the solute loads steadily increased over time in the column where hardpan was absent (SO4 2− from 1,800 to 3,100 ppm, and Fe from 407 to 1,692 ppm). Under saturated cover conditions, the solute concentrations in the leachate also increased with time (SO4 2− from 1,900 to 17,000 ppm, and Fe from 480 to 8,500 ppm). The presence of a hardpan layer between the reactive tailings and cover material has been found to improve leachate water chemistry and lessen the rate of sulphide oxidation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5A–E.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 8.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahonen L, Tuovinen OH (1994) Solid-phase alteration and iron transformation in column bioleaching of a complex sulphide ore. In: Alpers CN, Blowes DW (eds) The environmental geochemistry of sulphide oxidation. American Chemical Society, ACS Symposium Series 550, Ontario, pp 79–89

  • Bain JG, Blowes DW, Robertson WD, Frind EO (2000) Modelling of sulphide oxidation with reactive transport at a mine drainage site. J Contam Hydrol 41:23–47

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bahatti TM, Bigham JM, Carlson L, Tuovinen OH (1993) Mineral products of pyrrhotite oxidation by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. Appl Environ Microbiol 59:1984–1990

    Google Scholar 

  • Barham RJ (1997) Schwertmannite: a unique mineral, contains a replaceable ligand, transforms to jarosites, hematites and/or basic iron sulphate. J Mater Res 12:2751–2758

    Google Scholar 

  • Bigham JM (1994) Mineralogy of ochre deposits formed by sulphide oxidation. In: Blowes DW, Jambor JL (eds) The environmental geochemistry of sulphide mine-wastes: short course handbook. Mineralogical Association of Canada, Ontario, pp 103–132

  • Bigham JM, Schwertmann U, Traina SJ, Winland RL, Wolf M (1996) Schwertmannite and the chemical modelling of iron in acid sulphate waters. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 60:2111–2121

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blowes DW, Reardon EJ, Jambor JL, Cherry JA (1991) The formation and potential importance of cemented layers in inactive sulphide mine tailings. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 55:965–978

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bureau of Meteorology, www.bom.gov.au

  • Chermak JA, Runnells DD (1995) Self-sealing hardpan barriers to minimise infiltration of water into sulphide-bearing overburden, ore and tailings piles. Tailings and Mine Waste '96, pp 265–273

  • Cravotta CA (1994) Secondary iron-sulphate minerals as sources of sulphate and acidity. In: Alpers CN, Blowes DW (eds) The environmental geochemistry of sulphide oxidation. American Chemical Society, ACS Symposium Series 550, Ontario, pp 345–364

  • Elberling B, Nicholson RV, Scharer JM (1994) A combined kinetic and diffusion model for pyrite oxidation in tailings: a change in controls with time. J Hydrol 157:47–60

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elberling B, Nicholson RV (1996) Field determination of sulphide oxidation rates in mine tailings. Water Resour Res 32:1773–1784

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frau F (2000) The formation-dissolution-precipitation cycle of melanterite at the abandoned pyrite mine of Genna Luas in Sardinia, Italy: environmental implications. Mineral Mag 64:995–1006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janzen MP, Nicholson RV, Scharer JM (2000) Pyrrhotite reaction kinetics: reaction rates for oxidation by oxygen, ferric iron, and for nonoxidative dissolution. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 64:1511–1522

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson RH, Blowes DW, Robertson WD, Jambor JL (2000) The hydrogeochemistry of the Nickel Rim Mine tailings impoundment. J Contam Hydrol 41:49–80

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalinkin AM, Forsling W, Makarov DV, Makarov VN (2000) Surface oxidation of synthetic pyrrhotite during wetting-drying treatment. J Environ Eng Sci 17:329–335

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keith DC, Runnells DD (1995) Experimental simulation of waste rock weathering under unsaturated and saturated conditions at Iron Mountain, California. Tailings and Mine Waste '96, pp 351–360

  • Light TS (1972) Standard solution for redox potential measurements. Anal Chem 44:1038–1039

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin Z, Herbert RB (1997) Heavy metal retention in secondary precipitates from a mine rock dump and underlying soil, Dalarna, Sweden. Environ Geol 33:1–12

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McGregor RG, Blowes DW, Jambor JL, Robertson WD (1998) The solid-phase controls on the mobility of heavy metals at the Copper Cliff tailings area, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. J Contam Hydrol 33:247–271

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McSweeney K, Madison FW (1988) Formation of a cemented subsurface horizon in sulphidic minewaste. J Environ Qual 17:256–262

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson RV, Gillham RW, Cherry JA, Reardon EJ (1989) Reduction of acid generation in mine tailings through the use of moisture-retaining cover layers as oxygen barriers. Can Geotech J 28:1-8

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson RV, Scharer JM (1994) Laboratory studies of pyrrhotite oxidation kinetics. In: Alpers CN, Blowes DW (eds) The environmental geochemistry of sulphide oxidation. American Chemical Society, ACS Symposium Series 550, Ontario, pp 15–30

  • Rose S, Elliott WC (2000) The effects of pH regulation upon the release of sulphate from ferric precipitates formed in acid mine drainage. Appl Geochem 15:27–34

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shum M, Lavkulich LM (1999) Use of colour to estimate oxidised Fe content in mine waste rock. Environ Geol 37:281–289

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stromberg B, Banwart S (1999) Weathering kinetics of waste rock from the Aitik copper mine, Sweden: scale dependent rate factors and pH controls in large column experiments. J Contam Hydrol 39:59–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y, Reardon EJ (2001) A siderite/limestone reactor to remove arsenic and cadmium from waste-waters. Appl Geochem 16:1241–1249

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Villalobos M, Trotz MA, Leckie JO (2001) Surface complexation modelling of carbonate effects on the adsorption of Cr(VI), Pb(II), and U(VI) on goethite. Environ Sci Technol 35:3849–3856

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Henry Laszczyk and David Lane for their input into this research, also Renison Bell Ltd. for project funding and logistical support, the Tasmanian Government for the Tasmanian Government mining scholarship, and Peter Cornish, Ashley Townsend and Dave Steele for their technical support. The comments of the anonymous reviewers were appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Ore Deposit Research, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 79, Hobart, 7001, Tasmania, Australia

    S. E. Gilbert & D. R. Cooke

  2. Department of Geology, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Rd, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada

    P. Hollings

Authors
  1. S. E. Gilbert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. R. Cooke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Hollings
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. E. Gilbert.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gilbert, S.E., Cooke, D.R. & Hollings, P. The effects of hardpan layers on the water chemistry from the leaching of pyrrhotite-rich tailings material. Env Geol 44, 687–697 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-003-0810-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-003-0810-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation