Abstract
Batch experiments were conducted to comparatively evaluate the inhibition effects and mechanisms of a low-concentration (1%) proline solution cover on the release of pollutants from high-sulfur coal gangue. High-sulfur coal gangue was continuously immersed in a proline solution and in deionized water (as a control treatment) for 540 days. The results showed that the coal gangue in the control treatment was oxidized and generated leachate with poor water qualities, i.e., the leachate exhibited lower pH values, higher redox potential values, higher pollutant concentrations (SO42−, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn), and high levels of acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. However, compared to the control treatment, the addition of the proline solution (1%) significantly improved the water quality of the leachate by significantly reducing the Eh values, the pollutant concentrations (SO42−, Fe2+, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn), and the activity of acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria and by significantly increasing the pH value to neutral. The proline treatment significantly inhibited the oxidation of coal gangue and the release of pollutants, mainly by inhibiting the activity of acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria and by altering the heavy metal fractions and the mineralogical characteristics. Therefore, in engineering practice, workers should consider using an environmental friendly aqueous proline solution cover to achieve the in-situ control of pollutant releases from coal gangue dumps.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Akcil A, Koldas S (2006) Acid Mine Drainage (AMD): causes, treatment and case studies. J Clean Prod 14:1139–1145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2004.09.006
Andrés NF, Francisco MS (2008) Effects of sewage sludge application on heavy metal leaching from mine tailings impoundments. Bioresour Technol 99:7521–7530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2008.02.022
Awoh AS, Mbonimpa M, Bussière B (2013) Determination of the reaction rate coefficient of sulphide mine tailings deposited under water. J Environ Manag 128:1023–1032. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.06.037
Bussière B, Benzaazoua M, Aubertin M, Mbonimpa M (2004) A laboratory study of covers made of low-sulphide tailings to prevent acid mine drainage. Environ Geol 45:609–622. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-003-0919-6
Candeias C, Ávila PF, Ferreira da Silva E, Ferreira A, Salgueiro AR, Teixeira JP (2014) Acid mine drainage from the Panasqueira mine and its influence on Zêzere river (Central Portugal). J Afr Earth Sci 99:705–712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2013.10.006
Chen LX, Li JT, Chen YT, Huang LN, Hua ZS, Hu M, Shu WS (2013) Shifts in microbial community composition and function in the acidification of a lead/zinc mine tailings. Environ Microbiol 15:2431–2444. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.12114
Cherry DS, Currie RJ, Soucek DJ, Latimer HA, Trent GC (2001) An integrative assessment of a watershed impacted by abandoned mined land discharges. Environ Pollut 111:377–388. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(00)00093-2
Cousins C, Penner GH, Liu B, Beckett P, Spiers G (2009) Organic matter degradation in paper sludge amendments over gold mine tailings. Appl Geochem 24:2293–2300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2009.09.009
Croal LR, Gralnick JA, Malasarn D, Newman DK (2004) The genetics of geochemistry. Annu Rev Genet 38:175–202. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.genet.38.072902.091138
Dobchuk B, Nichol C, Wilson GW, Aubertin M (2013) Evaluation of a single-layer desulphurized tailings cover. Can Geotech J 50:777–792. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2012-0119
Dold B (2014) Evolution of acid mine drainage formation in sulphidic mine tailings. Minerals 4:621–641. https://doi.org/10.3390/min4030621
Dold B, Fontboté L (2001) Element cycling and secondary mineralogy in porphyry copper tailings as a function of climate, primary mineralogy, and mineral processing. J Geochem Explor 74:3–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0375-6742(01)00174-1
España JS, Pamo EL, Pastor ES, Andrés JR, Rubí JAM (2006) The removal of dissolved metals by hydroxysulphate precipitates during oxidation and neutralization of acid mine waters, Iberian Pyrite Belt. Aquat Geochem 12:269–298. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-005-6246-7
Fu TL, Wu YG, Yao LF, Li J (2014) In-situ control of pollutants released from coal gangue by use of water-soluble organic materials. Environ Sci Technol 37:42–47 (in Chinese)
Hafenbradl D, Keller M, Dirmeier R, Rachel R, Roßnagel P, Burggraf S, Huber H, Stetter KO (1996) Ferroglobus placidus gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel hyperthermophilic archaeum that oxidizes Fe2+ at neutral pH under anoxic conditions. Arch Microbiol 166:308–314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002030050388
Holmström H, Salmon UJ, Carlsson E, Petrov P, Öhlander B (2001) Geochemical investigations of sulfide-bearing tailingsat Kristineberg, northern Sweden, a few years after remediation. Sci Total Environ 273:111–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(00)00850-0
Hulshof AHM, Blowes DW, Douglas Gould W (2006) Evaluation of in situ layers for treatment of acid mine drainage: a field comparison. Water Res 40:1816–1826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2006.03.003
Jacob DL, Otte ML (2004) Long-term effects of submergence and wetland vegetation on metals in a 90-year old abandoned Pb–Zn mine tailings pond. Environ Pollut 130:337–345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2004.01.006
Jiang C, Liu Y, Liu Y, Guo X, Liu SJ (2009) Isolation and characterization of ferrous- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria from Tengchong solfataric region, China. J Environ Sci 21:1247–1252. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1001-0742(08)62411-0
Jones DS, Albrecht HL, Dawson KS, Schaperdoth I, Freeman KH, Pi YD, Pearson A, Macalady JL (2012) Community genomic analysis of an extremely acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing biofilm. ISME J 6:158–170. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2011.75
Jung MC (2001) Heavy metal contamination of soils and waters in and around the Imcheon Au–Ag mine, Korea. Appl Geochem 16:1369–1375. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-2927(01)00040-3
Kachhwal LK, Yanful EK, Lanteigne L (2011) Water cover technology for reactive tailings management: a case study of field measurement and model predictions. Water Air Soil Pollut 214:357–382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-010-0429-6
Kappler A, Straub KL (2005) Geomicrobiological cycling of iron. Rev Mineral Geochem 59:85–108. https://doi.org/10.2138/rmg.2005.59.5
Kossoff D, Dubbin WE, Alfredsson M, Edwards SJ, Macklin MG, Hudson-Edwards KA (2014) Mine tailings dams: characteristics, failure, environmental impacts, and remediation. Appl Geochem 51:229–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2014.09.010
Li Y, Sun QY, Zhan J, Yang Y, Wang D (2016) Vegetation successfully prevents oxidization of sulfide minerals in mine tailings. J Environ Manag 177:153–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.04.026
Lottermoser BG (2010) Mine wastes: characterization, treatment and environmental impacts. Springer, Berlin
Lu J, Alakangas L, Jia Y, Gotthardsson J (2013) Evaluation of the application of dry covers over carbonate-rich sulphide tailings. J Hazard Mater 244:180–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.11.030
Markewitz K, Cabral AR, Panarotto CT, Lefebvre G (2004) Anaerobic biodegradation of an organic by-products leachate by interaction with different mine tailings. J Hazard Mater 110:93–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2004.02.042
Moncur MC, Ptacek CJ, Lindsay MBJ, Blowes DW, Jambor JL (2015) Long-term mineralogical and geochemical evolution of sulfide mine tailings under a shallow water cover. Appl Geochem 57:178–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2015.01.012
Neculita CM, Zagury GJ, Bussière B (2007) Passive treatment of acid mine drainage in bioreactors using sulfate-reducing bacteria. J Environ Qual 36:1–16. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq2006.0066
Nicholson RV, Gillham RW, Cherry JA, Reardon EJ (1989) Reduction of acid generation in mine tailings through the use of moisture-retaining cover layers as oxygen barriers. Can Geotech J 26:1–8. https://doi.org/10.1139/t89-001
Paktunc D (2013) Mobilization of arsenic from mine tailings through reductive dissolution of goethite influenced by organic cover. Appl Geochem 36:49–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2013.05.012
Panarotto CT, Cabral AR, Lefebvre G (2005) Environmental, geotechnical, and hydraulic behaviour of a cellulose-rich by-product used as alternative cover material. J Environ Eng Sci 4:123–138. https://doi.org/10.1139/s04-062
Parbhakar-Fox AK, Edraki M, Hardie K, Kadletz O, Hall T (2014) Identification of acid rock drainage sources through mesotextural classification at abandoned mines of Croydon, Australia: implications for the rehabilitation of waste rock repositories. J Geochem Explor 137:11–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2013.10.017
Pedersen TF, Mueller B, McNee JJ, Pelletier CA (1993) The early diagenesis of submerged sulphide-rich mine tailings in Anderson Lake, Manitoba Canadian. J Earth Sci 30:1099–1109. https://doi.org/10.1139/e93-093
Peppas A, Komnitsas K, Halikia I (2000) Use of organic covers for acid mine drainage control. Miner Eng 13:563–574. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0892-6875(00)00036-4
Rauret G, Lopez-Sanchez JF, Sahuquillo A, Rubio R, Davidson C, Ure A, Quevauviller P (1999) Improvement of the BCR three step sequential extraction procedure prior to the certification of new sediment and soil reference materials. J Environ Monit 1:57–61. https://doi.org/10.1039/a807854h
Rohwerder T, Sand W (2003) The sulfane sulfur of persulfides is the actual substrate of the sulfur-oxidizing enzymes from Acidithiobacillus and Acidiphilium spp. Microbiology 149:1699–1710. https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.26212-0
Rowe RK, Hosney MS (2013) Laboratory investigation of GCL performance for covering arsenic contaminated mine wastes. Geotext Geomembr 39:63–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geotexmem.2013.06.003
Salomons W (1995) Environmental impact of metals derived from mining activities: processes, predictions, prevention. J Geochem Explor 52:5–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/0375-6742(94)00039-E
Sheoran AS, Sheoran V (2006) Heavy metal removal mechanism of acid mine drainage in wetlands: a critical review. Miner Eng 19:105–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2005.08.006
Shuman LM (1999) Organic waste amendments effect on zinc fractions of two soils. J Environ Qual 28:1442–1447. https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1999.00472425002800050008x
Silverman MP, Lundgren DG (1959) Studies on the chemoautrophic iron bacterium Ferrobacillus ferrooxidans: I. An improved medium and a harvesting procedure for securing high cell yields. J Bacteriol 77:642–647
Straub KL, Benz M, Schink B, Widdel F (1996) Anaerobic, nitrate-dependent microbial oxidation of ferrous iron. Appl Environ Microb 62:1458–1460
Tabaksblat LS (2002) Specific features in the formation of the mine water microelement composition during ore mining. Water Resour 29:333–345. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1015640615824
Vigneault B, Campbell PGC, Tessier A, De Vitre R (2001) Geochemical changes in sulfidic mine tailings stored under a shallow water cover. Water Res 35:1066–1076. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1354(00)00331-6
Walker DJ, Clemente R, Bernal MP (2004) Contrasting effects of manure and compost on soil pH, heavy metal availability and growth of Chenopodium album L. in a soil contaminated by pyritic mine waste. Chemosphere 57:215–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2004.05.020
Wang R, Zheng P, Xing YJ, Zhang M, Ghulam A, Zhao ZQ, Li W, Wang L (2014) Anaerobic ferrous oxidation by heterotrophic denitrifying enriched culture. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 41:803–809. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-014-1424-5
Webster JG, Swedlund PJ, Webster KS (1998) Trace metal adsorption onto an acid mine drainage iron (III) oxy hydroxy sulfate. Environ Sci Technol 32:1361–1368. https://doi.org/10.1021/es9704390
Žemberyová M, Barteková J, Hagarová I (2006) The utilization of modified BCR three-step sequential extraction procedure for the fractionation of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in soil reference materials of different origins. Talanta 70:973–978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2006.05.057
Acknowledgements
The study was funded by a grant from the United Fund of Guizhou Province Government and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. U1612442-3), the Project of the Education Department of Guizhou Province (Nos. KY 2016011, GZZ 201607, and ZDXK201611).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Luo, Y., Wu, Y., Fu, T. et al. Effects of a proline solution cover on the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of high-sulfur coal gangue. Acta Geochim 37, 701–714 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-018-0260-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-018-0260-0