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The geochemical release feature of Tl in Tl-rich pyrite mine wastes: a long-term leaching test

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Abstract

Identifying and revealing the geochemical behaviour of Tl during mine waste weathering are very important to assess the potential environmental impact of Thallium (Tl) from open mine-waste piles. Herein, two methods including the modified BCR sequential extraction and the long-term humidity cell tests (HCT) were employed to understand the Tl chemical fractions and to stimulate intense chemical weathering process, respectively. The results from BCR sequential extraction showed that the Tl concentration in the studied sample was 18.78 mg/kg, containing 1.878 mg/kg oxidisable, 0.282 mg/kg acid exchangeable and 1.596 mg/kg reducible Tl. The acid exchangeable fraction contributed to a particular potential risk to the aquatic marine life in the early stages and the Fe/Mn oxidisable fraction posed a potential risk being dissolved into solution at low pH (i.e. acidic conditions). The variations of Tl concentration in leachates were classified as two period as the pH values decrease. In the first period, the Tl concentrations decreased positively with pH value with poor correlation between pH value and SO4 2− concentration in leachates. Drastic release of Tl was observed in the early period once the material was exposed to air and water, being ascribe to the acid exchangeable fraction bound to carbonate as dissolved by acid. During the second period, three increased peaks of Tl concentration (11.02, 16.03, 43.15 μg/L) and four increased peaks of SO4 2− concentration (315, 390, 899.61 and 2670 mg/L) were observed. A good correlation (R 2 = 0.8384) between the concentrations of Tl and SO4 2− was observed, indicating the Tl was mainly released from the oxidation of sulphide.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (4137264, 51508116 and U1501231), the Chief Scientist Project of Guangzhou City (12A007S), the Project of Guangdong Province Radioactive Pollution Control and Resource Reuse Key Laboratory (2012A061400023). The authors appreciate Mrs. Shuiling C for technical and analytical assistance and Mr. Sohan, Mr. Prob of Global ARD Testing Services Inc. for the technical support and assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Jinwen Li, Nan Chen, Zhehua Sun, Diyun Chen & Lingjun Kong

  2. Provincial Radioactive Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Key Laboratory Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Nan Chen, Huiming Wu & Diyun Chen

  3. Global ARD Testing Services Inc., Burnaby, Canada

    Jinwen Li & Ivy Rajan

  4. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People’s Republic of China

    Lingjun Kong

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  1. Jinwen Li
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  2. Nan Chen
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  4. Zhehua Sun
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  5. Huiming Wu
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Correspondence to Diyun Chen.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Li, J., Chen, N., Rajan, I. et al. The geochemical release feature of Tl in Tl-rich pyrite mine wastes: a long-term leaching test. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 12212–12219 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-8809-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-8809-8

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