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Using an integrated method for the determination of environmental TCLP arsenic for sulphide-rich mine tailing remediation in Ghana, West Africa

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Abstract

Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) is a versatile short-term leaching protocol used to estimate the release of toxic metals from waste prior to disposal to a repository. This paper uses the integrated TCLP leachate data from tailings, tailings dam monitoring borehole data, and acidity ratio (AR) range of sulphide-rich ores to simulate the environmental TCLP As in tailings at the AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi mine in Ghana. The aim was to incorporate long-term leaching characteristics of tailings to minimise the risk of TCLP As test failure. The mean As concentration and pH value are 2.26 mg/l and 5.7 in TCLP leachate, 0.35 mg/l and 6.7 in monitoring boreholes, and < 0.01 mg/l and 5.7 in control boreholes, respectively. The evaluation of the TCLP As data using a one-sample t test performed at 80% confidence interval has the upper confidence limit (UCL) of 2.41 mg/l; this value which constitutes the short-term characterised environmental TCLP As is below the USEPA criterion of 5 mg/l and, therefore, qualifies the waste as safe for disposal. Alternatively, TCLP leachate, borehole and AR data were integrated to simulate the long-term environmental TCLP As of 2.40 mg/l and pH value of 5.7, and As concentration and pH value of 0.01 mg/l and 6.7 in monitoring boreholes, respectively. Such laboratory simulations of TCLP As leaching aimed at achieving 0.01 mg/l in field monitoring data would provide a more robust predictive value for environmental management decision making due to long-term considerations.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the staff and management of Environmental Services Department of AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi mine for their immense assistance during the laboratory work.

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  1. Department of Geological Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana

    Gordon Foli & Simon K. Y. Gawu

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  1. Gordon Foli
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  2. Simon K. Y. Gawu
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Correspondence to Gordon Foli.

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Foli, G., Gawu, S.K.Y. Using an integrated method for the determination of environmental TCLP arsenic for sulphide-rich mine tailing remediation in Ghana, West Africa. Environ Earth Sci 77, 309 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7493-4

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