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Prediction of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) and Metal Release Sources at the Küre Copper Mine Site, Kastamonu, NW Turkey

Vorhersagen zu säurehaltigen Bergbau-Abwässern (AMD) und Quellen für gelöste Metalle im Küre Kupfer Bergbau, Provinz Kastamonu, Nord-West Türkei

Predicción del drenaje ácido de minas y de las fuentes de liberación de metales en el sitio de la mina de cobre Küre, Kastamonu, Noroeste de Turquía

预测Küre铜矿(Kastamonu, NW Turkey)酸性矿山废水及金属离子释放源

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Abstract

Waste and lithological rocks were subjected to aqueous leaching, acid base accounting (ABA), and net acid generation (NAG) tests, and detailed mineralogical investigations were conducted to predict acid mine drainage (AMD) formation at Turkey’s largest historical copper deposits. The field water chemistry from springs and seeps on the mine site were compared with the static and long term aqueous leaching test results. During the ABA, NAG and long term paste pH tests, ore rich and ore bearing wastes showed a paste pH <4, implying their acid generating nature. The relationship between net neutralization potential and acid producing potential revealed that waste rocks with a low sulfur content were generally low potential sources of AMD. Consistent with the static test results, aqueous leaching tests revealed that greater concentrations of Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cd, Co and As were released from the wastes rich in pyrite. The test methods all generally agreed that the ore-rich wastes (O, P1C, P1D) were the main sources of AMD and metal contamination in the district.

Zusammenfassung

Mineralhaltiger Abraum und Nebengesteine waren Gegenstand von wässrigen Eluatversuchen, Säure-Basen-Berechnungen (ABA) und Net Generation Tests (NAG) sowie detaillierter mineralogischer Untersuchungen, um Vorhersagen zur Bildung von säurehaltigen Bergbau-Abwässern (AMD) in der größten historischen Kupfer-Lagerstätte der Türkei zu treffen. Die Chemie der Oberflächenwässer von Quellen und der Sickerwässer aus dem Bergbau wurden mit den Ergebnissen der statischen und der Langzeit-Auswaschungstest verglichen. Während der ABA, NAG und der Langzeit-Paste-pH-Tests, zeigten erzreiche und Erz-führende Abfälle einen Paste-pH Wert <4, die auf ihre Säure produzierenden Eigenschaften schließen lassen. Die Beziehung zwischen dem Netto Neutralisationspotential (NNP) und dem Säure produzierenden Potential (APP) offenbarten, dass Abraum mit geringen Schwefelgehalten grundsätzlich eine Quelle mit geringem Potenzial für AMD ist. Übereinstimmend mit den statischen Testergebnissen und den Eluatversuchen in wässrigen Lösungen, zeigten die Ergebnisse dass größere Konzentrationen von FE, Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cd, Co und As in pyritreichen Abfällen freigesetzt wurden. Alle Testmethoden stimmten darin überein, dass die erzreichen Abraummassen (0, P1C, P1D) die Hauptquellen für säurehaltige Abwasser (AMD) und Kontaminationen mit Metallen im Distrikt sind.

Resumen

Los residues y rocas litológicas se sometieron a ensayos de lixiviación acuosa, balance ácido/base (ABA) y de generación neta de ácido (NAG) e investigaciones mineralógicas detalladas se realizaron para predecir la formación de drenaje ácido de mina (AMD) en los mayores depósitos de cobre en Turquía. La química del agua de los manantiales y las filtraciones en el sitio de la mina se compararon con los resultados de la prueba de lixiviación acuosa a largo plazo y estática. En los ensayos ABA, NAG y de medida de pH a largo plazo, residuos ricos en mineral y el mineral mostraron un pH <4, lo que implica su naturaleza generadora de ácido. La relación entre el potencial neto de neutralización (NNP) y el potencial de producción de ácido (APP) mostraron que las rocas residuales con un bajo contenido en azufre fueron bajas fuentes potenciales de AMD. Coincidiendo con los resultados de los ensayos estáticos, los ensayos de lixiviación acuosa mostraron que las mayores concentraciones de Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cd, Co y As fueron liberadas por los residuos ricos en pirita. Los métodos de ensayos coincidieron en que los residuos ricos en mineral (O, P1C, P1D) eran las principales fuentes de AMD y de contaminación con metales en el distrito.

抽象

采用淋滤、酸碱平衡(ABA)和净产酸能力(NAG)试验及矿物学分析的方法预测土耳其最大历史遗留铜矿废物及岩石的酸性矿山废水(AMD)形成。对比了野外泉水和渗水的水化学特征与静态及长期淋滤水试验结果。在ABA、NAG和长期糊状pH试验期间,富矿和含矿废物的糊状pH小于4,表明其产酸潜质。净中和潜力(NNP)与产酸潜力(APP)关系说明低硫废矿石为低潜力酸性废水(AMD)释放源。与静态试验结果一致,动态淋滤试验揭示富含黄铁矿废矿石的铁、铜、镍、镉、钴和砷淋释放浓度更大。由系列试验获得的一致结论是富矿废矿石(岩样O、P1C和P1D)为主要产酸源(AMD)和金属污染释放源。

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the Istanbul Technical University Scientific Research Division Grant to NB (37260). We thank Dr. Paul Schroeder for his valuable comments on the XRD data and Dr. Aral Okay for kindly providing sandstone samples from the Çağlayan formation (i51, i52; Okay et al. 2014, 2015).

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  1. Department of Geological Engineering, Faculty of Mines, Istanbul Technical University, Maslak, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey

    Nurgul Balci & Cansu Demirel

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  1. Nurgul Balci
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Correspondence to Nurgul Balci.

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Balci, N., Demirel, C. Prediction of Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) and Metal Release Sources at the Küre Copper Mine Site, Kastamonu, NW Turkey. Mine Water Environ 37, 56–74 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-017-0470-4

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