scholarly journals Analyzing the variation of the water table level with 3D numerical simulations to assess reclamation techniques for an acidic tailings impoundment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Broda ◽  
Marie-Pier Ethier ◽  
Daniela Blessent ◽  
Michel Aubertin ◽  
Abdelkabir Maqsoud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Table ◽  
Flow Model ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Column Tests ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Sulphide Minerals ◽  
Water Table Level ◽  
Tailings Impoundment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Produce Acid

Tailings with sulphide minerals exposed to oxygen and water can oxidize and produce acid mine drainage (AMD). This study evaluated the impact of natural conditions and of a thin cover deposition on the water table level, for selecting the reclamation technique to control AMD on the elevated portion of an abandoned tailings impoundment. The reactive tailings were partly covered with alkaline tailings transported as a pulp from a nearby mine. A 3D numerical variably-saturated groundwater flow model of the tailings impoundment and its surrounding area was built. The simulation results reproduced well the field observations before, during and after the deposition of a thin layer of tailings. The calibrated model was then used to forecast the evolution of the water table position for the next 100 years, under various site conditions, including a period of 5 years with dry summers. The results show that the water table levels are in average several meters below the interface between the reactive tailings and the cover, thus failing to meet the target criterion to control the production of AMD determined from previous column tests. The results are analyzed and discussed in terms of the site configuration and atmospheric recharge.

In situ evaluation of performance of reclamation measures implemented on abandoned reactive tailings disposal site

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (12) ◽  
pp. 1742-1755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Pier Ethier ◽  
Bruno Bussière ◽  
Michel Aubertin ◽  
Abdelkabir Maqsoud ◽  
Isabelle Demers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Table ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Current System ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Disposal Site ◽  
Tailings Disposal ◽  
Water Table Level ◽  
Evaluation Of Performance ◽  
Elevated Water

The abandoned Manitou mine site produced acid mine drainage for decades. One of the site’s tailings storage facilities (TSF 2) was reclaimed in 2009 using an elevated water table combined with a monolayer cover made of low-sulphur tailings. A field investigation was undertaken from 2012 to 2015 to verify the performance of the reclamation technique in stemming the production of contaminants. This verification is based on two main criteria, i.e., the minimum water table level and maximum oxygen flux reaching the Manitou tailings. Thirteen monitoring stations were installed in TSF 2. The hydrogeological behavior and oxygen migration were investigated at each station by measuring volumetric water content, suction, water table level, gaseous pore oxygen concentration, and oxygen consumption. Analyses of field data showed that the minimum water table level criterion was reached with the exception of a portion of TSF 2 during the summer months. Oxygen fluxes reaching the Manitou tailings were determined using numerical simulations and analytical solutions; their yearly mean was many times lower than maximum targets generally used on reclaimed tailings disposal areas. The current system met the targeted performance criteria over the studied period.

Reclamation for aspen revegetation in the Athabasca oil sands: Understanding soil water dynamics through unsaturated flow modelling

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Carrera-Hernández ◽  
C. A. Mendoza ◽  
K. J. Devito ◽  
R. M. Petrone ◽  
B. D. Smerdon
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Oil Sands ◽  
Unsaturated Flow ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Athabasca Oil Sands ◽  
Flow Modelling ◽  
The Impact

Carrera-Hernández, J. J., Mendoza, C. A., Devito, K. J., Petrone, R. M. and Smerdon, B. D. 2012. Reclamation for aspen revegetation in the Athabasca oil sands: Understanding soil water dynamics through unsaturated flow modelling. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 103–116. Reclamation of mined areas in the Athabasca oil sands region is required by law, with the ultimate goal of revegetating to species characteristic of predisturbance native plant communities. To develop adequate reclamation strategies, an analysis of soil water dynamics is of utmost importance, as is understanding the impact of the thickness of the reclamation cover. In this work, soil water dynamics and fluxes at the water table were simulated for three reclamation scenarios and compared with the fluxes obtained for natural conditions assuming that aspen is the target reclamation species. According to the simulations, a reclamation thickness between 0.5 and 1.0 m can be used to provide water for revegetation. The numerical simulations show that the reclaimed landscapes have fluxes at the water table that exhibit less fluctuation than natural conditions. To limit the interaction between the water table and atmospheric fluxes, and to limit upward flux, the water table should be deeper than 2.0 m on reclaimed landscapes that use aspen for revegetation, particularly when reclamation takes place during a dry climatological cycle.

Simulating the effect of climate change on the performance of a monolayer cover combined with an elevated water table placed on acid generating mine tailings

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elodie Lieber ◽  
Isabelle Demers ◽  
Thomas Pabst ◽  
Émilie Bresson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Oxygen Flux ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Elevated Water Table ◽  
Elevated Water ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Monolayer Cover

Several reclamation approaches were developed in the last decades to control acid mine drainage from tailings storage facilities, including the monolayer cover combined with an elevated water table. Its performance is dependent on water table elevation and tailings saturation, and is directly affected by climatic conditions, therefore climate change needs to be taken into account to design resilient reclamation systems. The objective of this research was to evaluate three approaches to simulate climate change and compare the impact on reclamation performance up to year 2100. Numerical simulations were calibrated using experimental field data and future weather conditions were established based on three climate change scenarios adapted for local conditions. Results showed that the projected impact of climate change varied depending on the approach used. Simpler and more conservative approaches indicated that reclamation would eventually fail following an increase of droughts during future summers. However, 80-year simulations showed that reclamation failures (evaluated as oxygen flux) could be limited to a few isolated summers and that a well-designed monolayer cover with elevated water table appeared to remain efficient in the long-term. Overall, the probability to exceed the oxygen flux target of 1 mol/m2/y did not exceed 2% for the simulated conditions.

scholarly journals Environmental characteristics of the mining area affected by sulphide minerals and acidification (Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Remešicová ◽  
Peter Andráš ◽  
Radmila Kučerová
Keyword(s):  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Pyrite Oxidation ◽  
Chemical Compounds ◽  
Mining Area ◽  
Tailing Pond ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Sulphide Minerals ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Acid Ph ◽  
Produce Acid

The area of Sedem Žien tailing pond and the nearby Šobov hydroquartzite quarry affected by mining activity were investigated by geochemical and mineralogical methods to determine the contaminating chemical compounds and study their availability. Degradation of the hydrothermal base mineralisation (galena, sphalerite, pyrite, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite) and of fine-grained pyrite oxidation, which forms impregnations in hydroquartzite produce Acid Mine Drainage (AMD). The area is acidified and the country components (soil, rock, water) are contaminated mainly by Pb, Zn and Fe. The tailing pond dam forming soils show acid pH (2.28–3.25), whereas the soil on the tailing pond surface is close neutral pH (7.26). The leaching availability of the metals from the soil is up to 75%. The AMD from the hydroquartzite quarry is in comparison with those percolating the tailing pond sediments very acid (pH 2.71) and contains high concentration of metals (Fe 311 mg.L-1, Zn 1690 µg.L-1, Cu 890 µg.L-1, Pb 126 µg.L-1).

scholarly journals Remediation scenario of the abandoned Kettara mine site (Morocco): acid mine drainage (AMD) transport modeling

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meriem Lghoul ◽  
Karim Sbihi ◽  
Abdelkabir Maqsoud ◽  
Rachid Hakkou ◽  
Azzouz Kchikach
Keyword(s):  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Groundwater Contamination ◽  
Flow Model ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Groundwater Flow Model ◽  
Mine Site ◽  
Acid Mine ◽  
Kettara Mine Site ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn this study, we present the efficiency of remediation scenario to attenuate the impact of acid mine drainage (AMD) contamination in the Kettara abandoned mine site. The study focuses on the AMD groundwater contamination of the Sarhlef shists aquifer. To predict the evolution of AMD groundwater contamination in the Kettara mine site under remediation scenario, a model of groundwater flow and AMD transport was performed.Piezometric heads were measured at the dry and wet periods from eleven wells located downstream of mine wastes. To elaborate a conceptual groundwater flow model, we faced with to the heterogeneity and anisotropy of fractured Sarhlef shists aquifer. Consequently, the study focused on the use of various approaches: 1. The inverse modeling by the CMA-ES algorithm is adopted as an alternative approach to determine hydraulic parameters indirectly, and 2. the model is treated as an equivalent porous media (EPM). The groundwater flow model was carried out in steady-state and transient conditions in the dry and wet periods using the PMWIN interface. The obtained results are satisfactory and show an excellent correlation between measured and computed heads. Contaminant transport model is used to solve the advection–dispersion equation and to generate the AMD concentration by MT3D via the PMWIN interface. A sensitivity analysis of the dispersivity coefficient is carried out. The AMD transport simulation was computed during periods of 1, 5 and 10 years, and the performed model indicates that the simulated concentrations under remediation scenario are reduced 1000 times comparing to the current concentrations. The study revealed a necessary approach in addressing an environmental issue for the AMD contamination. The results of the study will be a start-up for further research work in the study area and implementing it for the prevention of AMD propagation plume.

Laboratory study of low-sulfide tailings covers with elevated water table to prevent acid mine drainage

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (12) ◽  
pp. 1998-2009
Author(s):  
Nicolas J. Rey ◽  
Isabelle Demers ◽  
Bruno Bussière ◽  
Mamert Mbonimpa
Keyword(s):  
Water Table ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Degree Of Saturation ◽  
Water Table Level ◽  
Elevated Water Table ◽  
Oxygen Migration ◽  
Elevated Water ◽  
Oxygen Ingress ◽  
Sulfide Tailings ◽  
Cover Thickness

The use of monolayer covers combined with an elevated water table (EWT) is a promising reclamation method that relies on the low gas-diffusivity of water to limit oxygen ingress into potentially acid-generating tailings. A monolayer cover is installed over the sulfidic material and the water table level is controlled to maintain the tailings close to saturation. A protocol including laboratory columns was conducted to evaluate the sensitivity of the technique to parameters including cover thickness, water table level, and the presence of an anti-evaporation layer. Two types of desulfurized tailings were evaluated: silty tailings from Westwood mine and sandy tailings from Goldex mine. Data used to evaluate the covers performances included volumetric water content, suction, oxygen concentrations, and oxygen consumption. Results showed that both cover materials could be used to maintain the reactive tailings at a degree of saturation ≥90% when the EWT level was maintained at a maximum distance of 1 m below the tailings surface. The finer Westwood material showed a better capacity for limiting oxygen migration through the cover, with a maximum flux of 5.7 mol·m−2·year−1 measured near the cover base.

scholarly journals Spatial Variation of Water Chemistry in Aries River Catchment Western Romania

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 6592
Author(s):  
Ana Moldovan ◽  
Maria-Alexandra Hoaghia ◽  
Anamaria Iulia Török ◽  
Marius Roman ◽  
Ionut Cornel Mirea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Chemistry ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Pollution Indices ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
River Catchment ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
The Impact

This study aims to investigate the quality and vulnerability of surface water (Aries River catchment) in order to identify the impact of past mining activities. For this purpose, the pollution and water quality indices, Piper and Durov plots, as well vulnerability modeling maps were used. The obtained results indicate that the water samples were contaminated with As, Fe, Mn, Pb and have relatively high concentrations of SO42−, HCO3−, TDS, Ca, K, Mg and high values for the electrical conductivity. Possible sources of the high content of chemicals could be the natural processes or the inputs of the mine drainage. Generally, according to the pollution indices, which were correlated to high concentrations of heavy metals, especially with Pb, Fe and Mn, the water samples were characterized by heavy metals pollution. The water quality index classified the studied water samples into five different classes of quality, namely: unsuitable for drinking, poor, medium, good and excellent quality. Similarly, medium, high and very high vulnerability classes were observed. The Durov and Piper plots classified the waters into Mg-HCO3− and Ca-Cl− types. The past and present mining activities clearly change the water chemistry and alter the quality of the Aries River, with the water requiring specific treatments before use.

scholarly journals A Multidisciplinary Approach for the Assessment of Origin, Fate and Ecotoxicity of Metal(loid)s from Legacy Coal Mine Tailings

Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 164
Author(s):  
Honorine Gauthier-Manuel ◽  
Diane Radola ◽  
Flavien Choulet ◽  
Martine Buatier ◽  
Raphaël Vauthier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Mine Tailings ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Subcellular Fractionation ◽  
Mining Operations ◽  
Biological Responses ◽  
Receiving Waters ◽  
Coal Tailings ◽  
Produce Acid

Over the course of history, the development of human societies implied the exploitation of mineral resources which generated huge amounts of mining wastes leading to substantial environmental contamination by various metal(loid)s. This is especially the case of coal mine tailings which, subjected to weathering reactions, produce acid mine drainage (AMD), a recurring ecological issue related to current and past mining activities. In this study, we aimed to determine the origin, the fate and the ecotoxicity of metal(loid)s leached from a historical coal tailing heap to the Beuveroux river (Franche-Comté, France) using a combination of mineralogical, chemical and biological approaches. In the constitutive materials of the tailings, we identified galena, tetrahedrite and bournonite as metal-rich minerals and their weathering has led to massive contamination of the water and suspended particles of the river bordering the heap. The ecotoxicity of the AMD has been assessed using Chironomus riparius larvae encaged in the field during a one-month biomonitoring campaign. The larvae showed lethal and sub-lethal (growth and emergence inhibition and delay) impairments at the AMD tributary and near downstream stations. Metal bioaccumulation and subcellular fractionation in the larvae tissues revealed a strong bioavailability of, notably, As, Pb and Tl explaining the observed biological responses. Thus, more than 70 years after the end of mining operations, the coal tailings remain a chronic source of contamination and environmental risks in AMD effluent receiving waters.

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