Factors Controlling The Release Of Arsenic From Mining Tailings

Some mine tailings pools in the Mine District of Guanajuato, Mexico, present a varied distribution and temporal and spatial concentration of elements that are potentially toxic, such as manganese, cadmium and zinc. These elements were detected in majority concentrations, and arsenic was present in t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment 2010-01, Vol.132, p.55
Main Authors: Rubio-Campos, B E, Cano-Aguilera, I, Aguilera-Alvarado, A F, De la Rosa, G, Soriano-Pérez, S H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acidic wastes
Arsenic
Bicarbonates
Cadmium
Carbonates
Drainage systems
Manganese
Mine tailings
Mining
Neutralization
Oxidation
Rainy season
Surface water
Tailings
Zinc
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Some mine tailings pools in the Mine District of Guanajuato, Mexico, present a varied distribution and temporal and spatial concentration of elements that are potentially toxic, such as manganese, cadmium and zinc. These elements were detected in majority concentrations, and arsenic was present in the two major oxidation states As(III) and As(V). The highest arsenic concentration in the surrounding surface water reservoirs was detected when a rainy seasons occurred, which in turn is mainly a function of pH and the presence of bicarbonate ions. The conceptual model to describe the mobilization of arsenic from mining tailings towards the aqueous systems proposes a scenario where oxidation, the neutralization of acid drainage by carbonates, and arsenic desorption by bicarbonates takes place in different steps and at different times.
ISSN:1746-448X
1743-3541
DOI:10.2495/ETOX100061