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Prediction of AMD generation potential in mining waste piles, in the sarcheshmeh porphyry copper deposit, Iran

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Abstract

This study investigates the possibility of acid mine drainage (AMD) generation in active and derelict mine waste piles in Sarcheshmeh Copper Mine produced in several decades, using static tests including acid–base accounting (ABA) and net acid-generating pH (NAGpH). In this study, 51 composite samples were taken from 11 waste heaps, and static ABA and NAGpH tests were carried out on samples. While some piles are acid producing at present and AMD is discharging from the piles, most of them do not show any indication on their AMD potential, and they were investigated to define their acid-producing potential. The analysis of data indicates that eight waste piles are potentially acid generating with net neutralization potentials (NNPs) of −56.18 to −199.3, net acid generating of 2.19–3.31, and NPRs from 0.18 to 0.44. Other waste piles exhibited either a very low sulfur, high carbonate content or excess carbonate over sulfur; hence, they are not capable of acid production or they can be considered as weak acid producers. Consistency between results of ABA and NAGpH tests using a variety of classification criteria validates these tests as powerful means for preliminary evaluation of AMD/ARD possibilities in any mining district. It is also concluded that some of the piles with very negative NNPs are capable to produce AMD naturally, and they can be used in heap leaching process for economic recovery of trace amounts of metals without applying any biostimulation methods.

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Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank the National Iranian Copper Industries Company (NICICO) for financial support to this project according to student research support no. 946172; especially, Ms. E. Eslami and Mr. M. Adbollahi. Thanks are also due to the School of Geology, University of Tehran for providing laboratory facilities for part of this research. The authors also wish to thank Professor Mohammad Reza Ganjali, Dean of University College of Science and outstanding professor of the School of Chemistry of the University of Tehran for his advice and also Meysam Vaez zadeh and Hamid Reza Rahimi Lanji for their help with geochemical tests. The researchers would like to express their appreciation for the help of Dr. Rich Borden for his invaluable comments and advice. We would like to express our sincere thanks to anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geology, University College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Soroush Modabberi, Ali Alizadegan & Hassan Mirnejad

  2. National Iranian Copper Industries Company, Sarcheshmeh Copper Corporation, Kerman, Iran

    Esmat Esmaeilzadeh

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  1. Soroush Modabberi
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  2. Ali Alizadegan
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  4. Esmat Esmaeilzadeh
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Correspondence to Soroush Modabberi.

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Modabberi, S., Alizadegan, A., Mirnejad, H. et al. Prediction of AMD generation potential in mining waste piles, in the sarcheshmeh porphyry copper deposit, Iran. Environ Monit Assess 185, 9077–9087 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3237-9

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