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Abstract |
A pilot-scale study on the effect of flooding unoxidized and oxidized Cu/Zn tailings demonstrated the technical feasability of this technology to remediate a mining site where over 3 million tons of tailings were impounded. Full-scale flooding of the tailing pond with free running water was undertaken after the construction of an impervious dam; approximately 2 million m3 of surface water at pH 7,4 completely covered the tailings after 16 months. The minimal water column over the tailings was established at 1,20 m and reached 4,5 m, depending on the site topography. Water and tailings samples were collected from 9 different locations from the surface of the man-made lake using a specially designed borer and were analyzed for pH, conductivity, iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria activity and numbers as well as the sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) population. We showed that over a four year period of flooding, the overall population of iron-oxidizers decreased considerably; their numbers drastically fell from 1x106 to 1x102 active cells per g of oxidized tailings while the SRBs increased from 101 to 105/g. The pH of the influent, the reservoir and the effluent water remained fairly constant between 6,9 up to 7,4 over the entire period. During this time, interstitial water pH increased from 2,9 to 4,3 in flooded tailings where lime could not be incorporated in the first 20 cm of tailings; elsewhere, the pH of the tailings suspensions remained fairly constant around neutral values (pH 7,0). Dissolved oxygen was measured at fixed intervals and remained also constant between 6 and 7.5 mg/L while water temperatures fluctuated below freezing point to +20C respectively in winter and summer season. |
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