Abstract
Farmlands and rivers have been seriously polluted by cyanide from a goldmine tailings dam that collapsed in early spring of 1995 in Yining County, Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. The cyanide distribution in the polluted farmland and the abandoned tailings dam was studied, three and 4 years after the accident occurred. The results indicated that natural degradation of cyanide in soils is slower than in natural water bodies. The cyanide transport in the soil section is similar to freely soluble salts. In arid and semiarid areas, cyanide can be highly enriched in the salt crust in which the concentration is even higher than the fresh tailings debris though cyanide has decomposed for 4 years. In the polluted farmland, the sticky layer in the soil section can highly adsorb and enrich cyanide so it can partly prevent cyanide transfer to groundwater. According to the characteristics of cyanide natural degradation in soil, the measures for prevention and cure of soil polluted by goldmine tailing dam collapse have been discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blumer C, Haas D (2000) Mechanism, regulation, and ecological role of bacterial cyanide biosynthesis. Arch Microbiol 173:170–177
Boening D W, Chew C M (1999) A critical review: general toxicity and environmental fate of three aqueous cyanide ions and associated ligands. Water Air Soil Pollut 109(1/4):67–79
Boucabeille C, Bories A, Ollivier P, Michel G (1994) Microbial degradation of metal complexed cyanides and thiocyanate from mining wastewaters. Environ Pollut 84:59–67
Cheng J, Deng B, Tao S, Cheng C (1990) Environmental geochemistry (in Chinese). Marine Publisher, Beijing, pp 317–324
China EPA (1986) Environmental monitoring and analytical methods. China Environmental Science Publisher (in Chinese), Beijing, pp 310–312
Kjeldsen P (1999) Behavior of cyanides in soil and groundwater: a review. Water Air Soil Pollut 15(1/4):279–307
Shehong L, Baoshan Z, Jianming Z, Xiaoying Y, Binbin W (2005) Natural Cyanide degradation and impact on Ili River drainage areas from a goldmine in Xinjiang autonomous region, China. Environ Geochem Health 27:11–18
Meeussen J C L, Kelzer M G, Haan F A M (1992) Chemical stability and decomposition rate of iron cyanide complexes in soil solutions. Environ Sci Technol 26(3):511–516
Out EO, Byerley JJ, Robinson CW (1996), Ion chromatography of cyanide and metal cyanide complexes: a review. Int J Environ Anal Chem 63:81–90
Singh H B, Wasi N (1986) Detection and determination of cyanide: a review. Int J Environ Anal Chem 26:115–136
US EPA, Office of Solid Waste Special Waste Branch (1994) Treatment of cyanide heap leaches and tailings. Technical Report EPA530-R-94–037, pp 3–4
Zaranyika M F, Mudungwe L, Gurira R C (1994) Cyanide ion concentration in the effluent from two gold mines in Zimbabwe and in a stream receiving effluent from one of the goldmines. J Environ Sci Health A29(7):1295–1303
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Key Science and Technology Project of China (no. 95-916-08-06) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 40303011). The authors would like to thank the head, staff and technicians of Tawurbiek Goldmine Corporation for their help in the sampling on the sites, we also thank Dr. Robert Bob Finkelman, the professor of USGS for his help in revising this article.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shehong, L., Baoshan, Z., Jianming, Z. et al. The distribution and natural degradation of cyanide in goldmine tailings and polluted soil in arid and semiarid areas. Environ Geol 47, 1150–1154 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-005-1253-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-005-1253-y