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Comparative Assessment of Leaching Tests According to Lixiviation and Geochemical Behavior of Potentially Toxic Elements from Abandoned Mining Wastes

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Abstract

The release of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from abandoned mining waste (AMW) is generally assessed with leaching tests. The United States, Mexico, and Spain's geological surveys respectively use leaching tests USGS FLT, NOM-141-SEMARNAT-2003, and EN-12457-2 to assess the potential water pollution from AMW. However, to facilitate preliminary hazard assessment of the potential leaching, especially for daily practice at sites with a large amount of recorded AMW, a comparative assessment of these widely used leaching tests can be helpful. The present research covers this knowledge gap by evaluating the geochemical leaching behavior of As, Ba, Cu, Pb, and Zn, by using these leaching tests in different types of AMW. The results suggest that these methods show slight differences in saturation indices, pH, specific conductance, redox potential, and released PTEs that can be mainly imputed to the contact time. Despite these differences, the findings suggest that the lixiviation patterns from the analyzed methods are comparable, and allow the same conclusions to be reached regarding the potential hazard of the AMW as a function of the solubility of the PTEs.

通常, 我们用淋滤试验评价废弃采矿废物 (AMW) 的潜在有毒元素 (PTEs) 释放特征。美国、墨西哥和西班牙的地质调查部门分别用USGS FLT、NOM-141-SEMARNAT-2003和EN-12457-2淋滤试验评价废弃采矿废物 (AMW) 的潜在水污染。然而, 为了便于评价潜在淋滤行为的基本危险性, 特别是大量废弃采矿废物 (AMW) 场点的日常评价, 对这些广泛使用的淋滤试验进行比较评价尤为重要。研究通过对不同类型废弃采矿废物 (AMW) 进行上述淋滤试验, 评价它们的砷、钡、铜、铅和锌的地球化学滤出行为, 弥补了这一研究空白。结果表明, 这些淋滤试验方法在饱和指数、pH值、比电导率、氧化还原电位和潜在有毒元素 (PTEs) 释放方面差异较小, 差异主要由接触时间引起。虽然存在差异, 但是它们的浸滤模式可对比, 可获得废弃采矿废物 (AMW) 的潜在危险性随潜在有毒元素 (PTEs) 溶解度而变化的一致结论。

Zusammenfassung

Die Freisetzung von potentiell toxischen Elementen (PTEs) aus stillgelegten Bergbauabfällen (AMW) wird im Allgemeinen mit Auslaugungstests bewertet. Die geologischen Dienste der USA, Mexikos und Spaniens verwenden jeweils die Auslaugungstests USGS FLT, NOM-141-SEMARNAT-2003 und EN-12457–2, um die potentielle Wasserverschmutzung durch AMW zu bewerten. Um jedoch eine vorläufige Gefährdungsbeurteilung der potenziellen Auswaschung zu erleichtern, insbesondere für die tägliche Praxis an Standorten mit einer großen Menge an bekannten AMW, kann eine vergleichende Bewertung dieser weit verbreiteten Auswaschungstests hilfreich sein. Die vorliegende Untersuchung schließt diese Wissenslücke, indem sie das geochemische Auslaugungsverhalten von As, Ba, Cu, Pb und Zn unter Verwendung dieser Auslaugungstests in verschiedenen Arten von AMW bewertet. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass diese Methoden leichte Unterschiede in den Sättigungsindizes, dem pH-Wert, der spezifischen Leitfähigkeit, dem Redoxpotential und den freigesetzten PTEs aufweisen, die hauptsächlich auf die Kontaktzeit zurückzuführen sind. Trotz dieser Unterschiede deuten die Ergebnisse darauf hin, dass die Lixivierungs.

Muster der untersuchten Methoden vergleichbar sind und dieselben Schlussfolgerungen hinsichtlich des Gefährdungspotenzials des AMW in Abhängigkeit von der Löslichkeit der PTEs zulassen.

Resumen

La liberación de elementos potencialmente tóxicos (PTEs) de los residuos mineros abandonados (AMW) se evalúa generalmente con pruebas de lixiviación. Los servicios geológicos de Estados Unidos, México y España utilizan respectivamente las pruebas de lixiviación USGS FLT, NOM-141-SEMARNAT-2003 y EN-12457–2 para evaluar la posible contaminación del agua por los AMW. Sin embargo, para facilitar la evaluación preliminar del peligro de la lixiviación potencial, especialmente para la práctica diaria en sitios con una gran cantidad de AMW registrados, puede ser útil una evaluación comparativa de estas pruebas de lixiviación ampliamente utilizadas. La presente investigación cubre este vacío de conocimiento evaluando el comportamiento geoquímico de lixiviación de As, Ba, Cu, Pb y Zn, mediante el uso de estos ensayos de lixiviación en diferentes tipos de AMW. Los resultados sugieren que estos métodos muestran ligeras diferencias en los índices de saturación, el pH, la conductancia específica, el potencial redox y los PTEs liberados que pueden imputarse principalmente al tiempo de contacto. A pesar de estas diferencias, los resultados sugieren que los patrones de lixiviación de los métodos analizados son comparables y permiten llegar a las mismas conclusiones en cuanto a los riesgos potenciales de los AMW en función de la solubilidad de los PTEs.

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Fig. 1

taken from ten abandoned mining wastes facilities in Spain. Source: The cartographic baseline was taken from the IGN (2021). See Table 1 for the name of each mine

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Acknowledgements

The Spanish Geological Survey (IGME) supported this research. The European Regional Development Fund (IGME-4E-13-2464) supported the equipment for x-ray fluorescence analysis. The authors are greatly indebted to Dr. Paulina B. Ramirez, Catholic University of Chile (Dept of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering) for her constructive comments and also to the anonymous reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mexican Geological Survey (SGM), Felipe Angeles Blvd., Km. 93.50-4, 42083, Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico

    Fredy Guzmán-Martínez

  2. Department of Energy and Fuels, School of Mining and Energy, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Ríos Rosas Str. 21, 28003, Madrid, Spain

    Fredy Guzmán-Martínez, María J. García-Martínez, Marcelo F. Ortega & Samantha Jiménez-Oyola

  3. Spanish Geological Survey (IGME), Ríos Rosas Str. 23, 28003, Madrid, Spain

    Julio C. Arranz-González & Virginia Rodríguez-Gómez

  4. Escuela Superior Politécnica Del Litoral (ESPOL). Earth Sciences Engineering School, Gustavo Galindo Campus, Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador

    Samantha Jiménez-Oyola

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  1. Fredy Guzmán-Martínez
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Correspondence to Fredy Guzmán-Martínez.

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Guzmán-Martínez, F., Arranz-González, J.C., García-Martínez, M.J. et al. Comparative Assessment of Leaching Tests According to Lixiviation and Geochemical Behavior of Potentially Toxic Elements from Abandoned Mining Wastes. Mine Water Environ 41, 265–279 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-021-00800-3

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