Abstract
The mineralogical and chemical characteristics of As solid phases in arsenic-rich mine tailings from the Nakdong As–Bi mine in Korea was investigated. The tailings generated from the ore roasting process contained 4.36% of As whereas the concentration was up to 20.2% in some tailings from the cyanidation process for the Au extraction. Thin indurated layers and other secondary precipitates had formed at the surfaces of the tailings piles and the As contents of the hardened layers varied from 2.87 to 16.0%. Scorodite and iron arsenate (Fe3AsO7) were the primary As-bearing crystalline minerals. Others such as arsenolamprite, bernardite and titanium oxide arsenate were also found. The amorphous As–Fe phases often showed framboidal aggregates and gel type textures with desiccation cracks. Sequential extraction results also showed that 55.7–91.1% of the As in tailings were NH4-oxalate extractable As, further confirmed the predominance of amorphous As–Fe solid phases. When the tailings were equilibrated with de-ionized water, the solution exhibited extremely acidic conditions (pH 2.01–3.10) and high concentrations of dissolved As (up to 29.5 mg L−1), indicating high potentials for As to be released during rainfall events. The downstream water was affected by drainage from tailings and contained 12.7–522 μg L−1 of As. The amorphous As–Fe phases in tailings have not entirely been stabilized through the long term natural weathering processes. To remediate the environmental harms they had caused, anthropogenic interventions to stabilize or immobilize As in the tailings pile should be explored.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A Courtin-Nomade H Bril C Neel JF. Lenain (2003) ArticleTitleArsenic in iron cements developed within tailings of a former metalliferous mine-Enguiales, Aveyron, France Appl Geochem 18 395–408 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0883-2927(02)00098-7
B Daus H Weiβ R. Wennrich (1998) ArticleTitleArsenic speciation in iron hydroxide precipitates Talanta 46 867–873 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0039-9140(97)00333-0
S Dixit JG. Hering (2003) ArticleTitleComparison of arsenic(V) and arsenic(III) sorption onto iron oxide minerals: implications for arsenic mobility Environ Sci Technol 37 4182–4189 Occurrence Handle10.1021/es030309t
PM Dove JD. Rimstidt (1985) ArticleTitleThe solubility and stability of scorodite, FeAsO4·2H2O Am Miner 70 838–844
K Fukushi M Sasaki T Sato N Yanase H Amano H. Ikeda (2003) ArticleTitleA natural attenuation of arsenic in drainage from an abandoned arsenic mine dump Appl Geochem 18 1267–1278 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0883-2927(03)00011-8
S Herreweghe ParticleVan R Swennen C Vandecasteele V. Cappuyns (2003) ArticleTitleSolid phase speciation of arsenic by sequential extraction in standard reference materials and industrially contaminated soil samples Environ Poll 122 323–342 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0269-7491(02)00332-9
CA Jones WP Inskeep DR. Neuman (1997) ArticleTitleArsenic transport in contaminated mine tailings following liming J Environ Qual 26 433–439 Occurrence Handle10.2134/jeq1997.262433x
F Julliot Ph Ildefonse G Morin G Calas AM Kersabiec Particlede M. Benedetti (1999) ArticleTitleRemobilization of arsenic from buried wastes at an industrial site: mineralogical and geochemcial control Appl Geochem 14 1031–1048 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0883-2927(99)00009-8
NE Keon CH Swartz DJ Brabander C Harvey HF. Hemond (2001) ArticleTitleValidation of an arsenic sequential extraction method for evaluating mobility in sediments Environ Sci Technol 35 2778–2784 Occurrence Handle10.1021/es001511o
E Krause VA. Ettel (1988) ArticleTitleSolubility and stability of scorodite, FeAsO4·2H2O: new data and further discussion Am Mineral 73 850–854
Loeppert RH, Inskeep WP. (1996). Iron. In Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 3 Chemical methods. Soil Science Society of America and American Society of Agronomy, pp. 639–664.
RE Macur JT Wheeler TR Mcdermott WP. Inskeep (2001) ArticleTitleMicrobial populations associated with the reduction and enhanced mobilization of arsenic in mine tailings Environ Sci Technol 35 3676–3682 Occurrence Handle10.1021/es0105461
H McCreadie DW Blowes CJ Ptacek JL. Jambor (2000) ArticleTitleInfluence of reduction reactions and solid-phase composition on porewater concentrations of arsenic Environ Sci Technol 34 3159–3166 Occurrence Handle10.1021/es991194p
SL McGeehan DV. Naylor (1994) ArticleTitleSorption and redox transformation of arsenite and arsenate in two flooded soils Soil Sci Am J 58 337–342 Occurrence Handle10.2136/sssaj1994.03615995005800020012x
MOE. 2001 Environmental Investigation around Abandoned Metalliferous Mines in 2000. Ministry of Environment, 79pp.
CR Paige WJ Snodgrass RV Nicholson JM. Scharer (1997) ArticleTitleAn arsenate effect on ferrihydrite dissolution kinetics under acidic oxic conditions Wat Res 31 2370–2382 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0043-1354(97)00107-3
D Paktunc A Foster G. Laflamme (2003) ArticleTitleSpeciation and characterization of arsenic in Ketza river mine tailings using X-ray absorption spectrometry Environ Sci Technol 37 2067–2074 Occurrence Handle10.1021/es026185m
N Papassiopi E Vircikova V Nenov A Kontopoulos L. Molnar (1996) ArticleTitleRemoval and fixation of arsenic in the form of ferric arsenates; three parallel experimental studies Hydrometallurgy 41 243–253 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0304-386X(95)00059-P
Park HI, Shin DB. 1997 Mineralogy and fluid inclusion in the Nakdong As–Bi deposit. Proceedings of 30th Symposium of Korea Society of Economic and Environmental Geology. pp. 7–8.
Parkhurst DL, Appelo CAJ. 1999 User’s Guide to PHREEQC2- A Computer Program for Speciation, Batch-Reaction, One-Dimensional Transport, and Inverse Geochemical Calculation. U.S. Geological Survey, 312pp.
I Ribet CJ Ptacek DW Blowes JL. Jambor (1995) ArticleTitleThe potential for metal release by reductive dissolution of weathered mine tailings J Contam Hydro 17 239–273 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0169-7722(94)00010-F
RG. Robins (1987) ArticleTitleSolubility and stability of scorodite, FeAsO4·2H2O: discussion Am Mineral 72 842–844
EA Rochette GC Ki SE. Fendorf (1998) ArticleTitleStability of arsenate minerals in soil under biotically generated reducing conditions Soil Sci Soc Am J 62 1530–1537 Occurrence Handle10.2136/sssaj1998.03615995006200060008x
C Roussel X Neel H. Bril (2000) ArticleTitleMinerals controlling arsenic and lead solubility in an abandoned gold mine tailings Sci Tot Env 263 209–219 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0048-9697(00)00707-5
AM. Ure (1995) Methods of analysis for heavy metals in soils BJ Alloway (Eds) Heavy Metal in Soils EditionNumber2 Chapman & Hall Glasgow 58–102
BW. Vink (1996) ArticleTitleStability relations of antimony and arsenic compounds in the light of revised and extended Eh-pH diagrams Chem Geol 130 21–30 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0009-2541(95)00183-2
S Yalcin C. Le (2001) ArticleTitleSpeciation of arsenic using solid phase extraction cartridges J Environ Monit 3 31–85
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ahn, J.S., Park, Y.S., Kim, JY. et al. Mineralogical and geochemical characterization of arsenic in an abandoned mine tailings of Korea. Environ Geochem Health 27, 147–157 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-005-0121-8
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-005-0121-8