1
|
Camêlo DDL, Silva Filho LAD, Arruda DLD, Cyrino LM, Barroso GF, Corrêa MM, Barbeira PJS, Mendes DB, Pasa VMD, Profeti D. Mineralogical fingerprint and human health risk from potentially toxic elements of Fe mining tailings from the Fundão dam. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169328. [PMID: 38104831 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
In 2015, >50 million cubic meters of Fe mining tailings were released into the Doce River basin from the Fundão dam, raising the question of its consequences on the affected ecosystems. This study aimed to establish a mineralogical-(geo)chemical association of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from Fe mining tailings from the Fundão dam, collected seven days after the failure, through a multidisciplinary approach combining assessment of the risk to human health, environmental geochemistry, and mineralogy. Thus, eleven tailings samples were collected with the support of the Brazilian Military Police Fire Department. Granulometry, magnetic measurements, optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and sequential chemical extraction of PTEs analyses were performed. Contamination indexes, assessment of risk to human health, and Pearson correlation were calculated using the results of sequential chemical extraction of PTEs. The predominance of goethite in Fe oxyhydroxide concentrates from the mud indicates that the major source of hematite may not be from tailings, but from pre-existing soils and sediments, and/or preferential dissolution of hematite in deep flooded zones of the tailings column of the Fundão dam. Moreover, the high correlation of most carcinogenic PTEs with their crystallographic variables indicates that goethite is the primary source of contaminants. Goethites from Fe mining tailings showed high specific surface area and Al-substitution, and due to their greater stability and reactivity, the impacts on PTE sorption phenomena and bioavailability may be maintained for long periods. However, their lower dissolution rate, and the consequent release of heavy metals would promote greater resilience for affected ecosystems, preventing significant PTE inputs under periodic reduction conditions. More specific studies, involving the crystallographic characteristics of Fe oxyhydroxides should be developed since they may provide another critical component of this set of complex and dynamic variables that interfere with the bioavailability of metals in ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danilo de Lima Camêlo
- Department of Agronomy, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Alegre, Espírito Santo 29500-000, Brazil.
| | | | - David Lukas de Arruda
- Department of Agronomy, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Alegre, Espírito Santo 29500-000, Brazil
| | - Luan Mauri Cyrino
- Department of Agronomy, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Alegre, Espírito Santo 29500-000, Brazil
| | - Gilberto Fonseca Barroso
- Department of Oceanography and Ecology, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo 29075-910, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Metri Corrêa
- Federal University of Agreste of Pernambuco, Garanhuns, Pernambuco 55292-270, Brazil
| | | | - Danniel Brandão Mendes
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Vânya Marcia Duarte Pasa
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Demetrius Profeti
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Alegre, Espírito Santo 29500-000, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Charuseiam Y, Chotpantarat S, Sutthirat C. Acid mine drainage potential of waste rocks in a gold mine (Thailand): application of a weathering cell test and multivariate statistical analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2022; 44:1049-1079. [PMID: 34152478 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-021-00976-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In the process of gold mining, large amounts of broken waste rocks are produced and left at the surface under atmospheric conditions, which may generate acid mine drainage (AMD). This study aimed to predict the AMD generation potential and determine the concentrations of potentially toxic metals at three dump sites for a gold mine in Thailand. The AMD generation potentials of waste rock samples collected from the oxide, transition and sulfide dump sites was determined using the weathering cell test. The kinetic test had a 7-d cycle and was run for ~ 21 cycles; the effluent pH, conductivity, redox potential and levels of sulfate, and major and trace metals (i.e., As, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn) present in each cycle were measured. Some samples generated significant amounts of AMD, especially the massive sulfide samples from the transition and sulfide dump sites. The effluent water pH in the oxide and sulfide dump sites was neutral to slightly alkaline (pH ~ 6-9), while it was acidic to neutral (pH ~ 3-7) in the transition dump site. The transition dump site samples generated significantly higher acidity and sulfate levels than those from the oxide and sulfide dump sites. Furthermore, some waste rock samples, including the massive sulfide from the transition dump site, released relatively high amounts of heavy metals; in addition, sulfate reached levels (9.48 mg kg-1 of waste rock) high enough to pose a risk to ecosystems. The long-term acid generation suggested that some waste rock samples from sulfide dump site and transition dump site will continue to generate acid for long periods. Based on data from the weathering cell test and multivariate statistical analysis, the transition dump site potentially generates a lower pH leachate than other waste rock dumps.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yaowaluck Charuseiam
- International Postgraduate Programs in Environmental Management, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
- Center of Excellence for Environmental and Substance Management (HSM), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Srilert Chotpantarat
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
- Research Unit of Green Mining (GMM), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Chakkaphan Sutthirat
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Environmental impact assessment of post illegal mining activities in Chini Lake with regards to natural radionuclides and heavy metals in water and sediment. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-021-08049-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
4
|
Wang J, Zeng X, Xu D, Gao L, Li Y, Gao B. Chemical fractions, diffusion flux and risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in sediments of Baiyangdian Lake, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 724:138046. [PMID: 32247973 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The pollution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in Baiyangdian Lake (BYDL), the largest shallow lake in northern China, has been focused on since the construction of the Xiong'an New Area. However, research on the bioavailability and diffusive flux of PTEs in BYDL sediments has been still limited. Herein, sediment samples were collected from BYDL to systematically evaluate the pollution risk, bioavailability, and diffusion flux of PTEs using multiple methods, including the pollution indexes, risk assessment code, bioavailable metal index, the sequential extraction, and diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT). The results showed that the average concentrations of PTEs (except for Cd) were similar to the local background. The spatial distribution of PTEs showed that their contents were higher in northern sediments than in southern sediments, and risk assessment results suggest that Cd is the priority pollutant in the BYDL. Most PTEs in the sediments were mainly present in the residue fractions; however, Cd was mainly present in the non-residue fraction. Further analysis of the Cd content and chemical fraction showed that Cd was not only abundant in the northern sediments, but also that the non-residual fraction of Cd was significantly higher than in the southern sediments. The diffusive fluxes of PTEs in the northern sediments were also investigated in comparison with their chemical fractions. Results suggest that Cd has the potential to diffuse from the sediment into the overlying water. Additionally, upon combining the DGT and chemical fractions analyses, it was found that the PTEs which mainly in non-residual fraction tend to diffuse upwards into the overlying water. But, the release tendency of PTEs does not fully depend on their non-residual content. Overall, PTEs did not significantly contaminate BYDL sediments; nevertheless, the potential ecological risk of Cd should be considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiankang Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China; State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Xiaolan Zeng
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China.
| | - Dongyu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Li Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Yanyan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Bo Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China.
| |
Collapse
|