Abstract
A mine and a Pb–Zn flotation plant operated in the Northeast of Brazil until 1993 and about 4.5 million tons of untreated tailings were disposed of in a dam. The chemical analyses of the tailings indicate that the major constituents are Fe, Si, Mg, and Ca. The toxic metals(oids) content are: Pb 1.3%, Zn 1.3%, Cu 135 mg/kg, Cd 127 mg/kg, and As 5 mg/kg. The mineralogical analysis shows that the major phase is composed of minerals from the amphibole group, more specifically cummingtonite, actinolite, and tremolite, which are all fibrous silicates defined as asbestos. Electron probe microanalysis and synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy show sulfide mineral weathering. The Pb bearing compounds in the tailings are a mixture of cerussite and anglesite. The leaching tests show strong leaching of Cd, Pb, and Zn. It indicates they might be a relevant source of toxic metals and fibers that can have a significant effect on the local population’s health due to water and air contamination.
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Acknowledgements
Professor Nilson Francisquini Botelho and Dr. Jacqueline Menez Machado from the Laboratorio de Microssonda Eletronica, Brasília University (UNB, Brazil) are acknowledged for their valuable help in the EMPA analysis and data processing. Dr. Santiago J.A. Figueroa and the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS, Brazil) are acknowledged for the XAS measurements and assistance in the data processing.
Funding
This study was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científco e Tecnológico (CNPq, Brazil), grant number 484094/2011–4 to Luiz Rogério Pinho de Andrade Lima and by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, Brazil), PNPD 2013 to, Letícia Alonso Bernardez.
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LRPdAL: conceptualization, methodology, resources, sampling, data curation, formal analysis, writing—original draft, and writing—review and editing; LAB: methodology, data curation, analysis, and writing—review and editing.
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de Andrade Lima, L.R.P., Bernardez, L.A. Mineralogical and geochemical characterization of the tailings from the former lead–zinc flotation plant of Boquira mine, Brazil. Environ Earth Sci 82, 10 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-022-10678-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-022-10678-1