Vol. 329 No. 12 (2018)
DOI https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2018/12/20
ASSESSMENT OF ACID-BASE ACCOUNTING OF MINE WASTE ROCKS AND MOBILITY OF POTENTIALLY TOXIC ELEMENTS OF THE RAZDOLINSKY ORE FIELD (KRASNOYARSK TERRITORY)
The relevance of the work is dictated by the need to remove potentially toxic metals and metalloids into the environment from dumps and tailings. The aim of the research is to develop an integrated method for predicting the composition of drainage flows from dump rocks, determining acid and neutralization potentials, taking into account mineral forms – sources of toxic elements in drainage flows for Razdolinsky ore field. Methods. Chemical composition of waste rocks and forming wastewaters was determined by X-ray diffraction, ICP-AES, potentiometry and classical analytical methods. Effluent acidity was predicted by calculating the acid and neutralization potentials. The neutralization potential of the substance of dumps and tailings was additionally determined according to the Sobek method to increase the reliability of assessment of acidic effluent occurrence. A peroxide experiment was carried out to assess the effluent composition at oxidation of dump rocks and destruction of mineral matrix. Results. This article presents the results of the potential danger assessment for mine waste rocks formed during the development of the Razdolinsky gold ore deposit. The calculation of the acid and neutralization potentials ratio showed that wastewater from dumps will be neutral or weakly alkaline during the interaction of seasonal flows with the rocks. The main reason is in high content of carbonates and low amounts of sulfides. The resulting solutions also remained neutral or subalkaline in a peroxide experiment that simulates the long-term processes. The concentrations of metals in the effluent will be at a safe level – below the MPC. However, concentrations of anionic elements As, Sb, and V in the effluent exceed the normalization indices, which indicates that they remain mobile in both acidic and alkaline conditions. The results of the study allowed us to make a recommendation to control the level of toxic elements in the effluents.
Keywords:
Mine waste rock, effluent, metals, arsenic, acidity prediction, acid neutralization potential.


