Skip to main content
  • Mining and the Environment - Understanding Processes, Assessing Impacts and Developing Remediation
  • Published:

Preliminaries on pollution risk factors related to mining and ore processing in the Cu-rich pollymetallic belt of Eastern Carpathians, Romania

Environmental Science and Pollution Research volume 20, pages 7643–7655 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

The present study focuses on the mineralogical and geochemical patterns of mining and ore-processing wastes from some occurrences in the Eastern Carpathians; its aim is to identify the main factors and processes that could lead to the pollution of the environment. In this respect, the following types of solid waste were investigated: efflorescent salts developed on the surface of rock blocks from a quarry, ore-processing waste from two tailings ponds, and salt crusts developed at the surface of a tailings pond. The potential risks emphasized by these preliminary investigations are the following: (1) the risk of wind-driven removal and transport of the waste from the surface of tailings ponds, given that fine grains prevail (up to 80 %); (2) the risk of tailings removal through mechanical transport by water, during heavy rainfall; (3) the appearance of hydrated sulfates on the rock fragments from the mining waste, sulfates which are highly susceptible to the generation of acid mine drainage (pH < 4); (4) the high amount of toxic elements (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, As, etc.) that acid mine drainage leachates contain; and (5) the development of a salt crust on the flat, horizontal surfaces of the waste deposit, due to this very shape. Statistical data regarding the amount of both major and minor elements in the tailings have revealed two statistical populations for nearly all the toxic metals. This suggests that, beyond the effect that the tailings have upon the environment through their mere presence in a given area, there are alleged additional factors and processes which intensify the pollution: the location of the waste deposit relative to the topography of the area; the shape of the waste deposit; the development of low areas on the surface of the deposit, areas which favor the appearance of salt crusts; and the mineralogy of efflorescent aggregates.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

References

  • Balintoni I, Balica C, Ducea MN, Fukun C, Hann HP, Şabliovschi V (2009) Late Cambrian—Early Ordovician Gondwanan terrains in the Romanian Carpathians: a zircon U-Pb provenance study. Gondwana Res 16:119–133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Balintoni I (2011) The Crystalline–Mesozoic Zone of the East Carpathians. A review. In: Iancu OG, Kovacs M (eds) Acta Mineralogica-Petrographica, Field Guide Series 19:13–17

  • Berbeleac I (1988) Ore deposits and plate tectonics. Editura Tehnică, Bucharest (in Romanian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Balistrieri LS, Seal RR II, Piatak NM, Paul B (2007) Assessing the concentration, speciation, and toxicity of dissolved metals during mixing of acid-mine drainage and ambient river water downstream of the Elizabeth Copper Mine, Vermont, USA. Appl Geochem 22:930–952

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bea SA, Ayora C, Carrera J, Saaltink MW, Dold B (2010) Geochemical and environmental controls on the genesis of soluble efflorescent salts in coastal mine tailings deposits: a discussion based on reactive transport modeling. J Contam Hydrol 111:65–82

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chicoş M (2012) Tailings pond of Tarniţa-Ostra (Suceava County). Mineralogical and geochemical description. MSc Thesis, University “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” of Iaşi, Iaşi (in Romanian)

  • Druschel GK, Baker BJ, Gihring TM, Banfield JF (2004) Acid mine drainage biogeochemistry at Iron Mountain, California. Geochem Trans 5:13–32

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hammarstroma JM, Seal RR II, Meier AL, Kornfeld JM (2005) Secondary sulfate minerals associated with acid drainage in the eastern US: recycling of metals and acidity in surficial environments. Chem Geol 215:407–431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson-Edwards KA, Macklin MG, Jamieson HE, Brewer PA, Coulthard TJ, Howard AJ, Turner JN (2003) The impact of tailings dam spills and clean-up operations on sediment and water quality in river systems: the Ríos Agrio-Guadiamar, Aznalcóllar, Spain. Appl Geochem 18:221–239

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jerz JK, Rimstidt JD (2004) Pyrite oxidation in moist air. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 68(4):701–714

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Joeckel RM, Ang Clement BJ, VanFleet Bates LR (2005) Sulfate-mineral crusts from pyrite weathering and acid rock drainage in the Dakota Formation and Graneros Shale, Jefferson County, Nebraska. Chem Geol 215:433–452

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kossoff D, Hudson-Edwards KA, Dubbin WE, Alfredsson M (2012) Major and trace metal mobility during weathering of mine tailings: implications for floodplain soils. Appl Geochem 27:562–576

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay MBJ, Condon PD, Jambor JL, Lear KG, Blowes DW, Ptacek CJ (2009) Mineralogical, geochemical, and microbial investigation of a sulfide-rich tailings deposit characterized by neutral drainage. Appl Geochem 24:2212–2221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moncur MC, Jambor JL, Ptacek CJ, Blowes DW (2009) Mine drainage from the weathering of sulfide minerals and magnetite. Appl Geochem 24:2362–2373

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Montero SIC, Brimhalla GH, Alpers CN, Swayze GA (2005) Characterization of waste rock associated with acid drainage at the Penn Mine, California, by ground-based visible to short-wave infrared reflectance spectroscopy assisted by digital mapping. Chem Geol 215:453–472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherriff BL, Etcheverry DJ, Sidenko NV, Van Gulck J (2011) Spatial and temporal evolution of Cu–Zn mine tailings during dewatering. Appl Geochem 26:1832–1842

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smuda J, Dold B, Friese K, Morgenstern P, Glaesser W (2007) Mineralogical and geochemical study of element mobility at the sulfide-rich Excelsior waste rock dump from the polymetallic Zn–Pb–(Ag–Bi–Cu) deposit, Cerro de Pasco, Peru. J Geochem Explor 92:97–110

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sracek O, Veselovský F, Kříbek B, Malec J, Jehlička J (2010) Geochemistry, mineralogy and environmental impact of precipitated efflorescent salts at the Kabwe Cu–Co chemical leaching plant in Zambia. Appl Geochem 25:1815–1824

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stumbea D (2010a) Acid mine drainage products related to abandoned surface mining activities in the Bălan area (Eastern Carpathians). Environ Eng Manag J 9(8):1045–1051

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stumbea D (2010b) Acid mine drainage-related products in Negoiul Românesc quarrying waste deposits (Călimani Mts., Romania). Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences 5:9–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Stumbea D (2010c) Mineralogy and geochemistry of sulfates developed on sulfide-bearing low-grade metamorphic rocks of surface mining wastes. Proceedings of Int. Symp. Geology of Natural Systems–Geo Iaşi 2010: 179–181

  • Stumbea D (2012) Mine tailing of Dealul Negru–Fundu Moldovei (Suceava County, Romania). Preliminary assessment of the environmental risk. Romanian Journal of Mineral Deposits 85(2):60–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Stumbea D, Chicoş M (2012) Preliminary data regarding the tailing pond of Suha Valley–Tarniţa, Suceava County (Romania). Scientific Annals of “Al. I. Cuza” University, Geology XVIII(1): 23–32

  • Tutu H, McCarthy TS, Cukrowska E (2008) The chemical characteristics of acid mine drainage with particular reference to sources, distribution and remediation: the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa as a case study. Appl Geochem 23:3666–3684

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Velasco F, Alvaro A, Suarez S, Herrero J-M, Yusta I (2005) Mapping Fe-bearing hydrated sulphate minerals with short wave infrared (SWIR) spectral analysis at San Miguel mine environment, Iberian Pyrite Belt (SW Spain). J Geochem Explor 87:45–72

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to express his gratitude towards the following scientists, who provided him with both logistic support and knowledge, allowing him to complete the present study: Professor Jean-Hugues Thomassin (University of Poitiers, France), who helped with the XRD analyses performed on the tailings samples, and Associate Professor Nicolae Buzgar and Assistant Professor Mitică Pintilei (“Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi, Romania) for the EDXRF analyses. Special thanks are due to Professor Marek Michalik (Geological Institute of Jagiellonian, University of Kraków, Poland) for his support on SEM-EDS approach and the XRD analyses carried out on the clay fraction of the efflorescent aggregates. The author also thanks PhD student Marius Chicoş (“Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University) for the geochemical maps of the tailings pond from Suha Valley. Last but not least, the author appreciates the reviewers’ commentaries and suggestions, which led to an obviously improved version of the manuscript.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, University “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” of Iaşi, 20A Carol I Bv, 700505, Iaşi, Romania

    Dan Stumbea

Authors
  1. Dan Stumbea
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dan Stumbea.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Vera Slaveykova

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stumbea, D. Preliminaries on pollution risk factors related to mining and ore processing in the Cu-rich pollymetallic belt of Eastern Carpathians, Romania. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 7643–7655 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1656-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1656-3

Keywords

  • Acid mine drainage
  • Mining waste
  • Tailings pond
  • Hydrated sulfates
  • Toxic elements
  • Eastern Carpathians