scholarly journals Spatial Mapping of Acidity and Geochemical Properties of Oxidized Tailings within the Former Eagle/Telbel Mine Site

Minerals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdellatif Elghali ◽  
Mostafa Benzaazoua ◽  
Bruno Bussière ◽  
Thomas Genty
Keyword(s):  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Neutralization Potential ◽  
Oxidation Rates ◽  
Geochemical Properties ◽  
Geochemical Parameters ◽  
Sulfides Oxidation ◽  
Abandoned Mine Sites ◽  
Mine Sites

At some orphaned and abandoned mine sites, acid mine drainage can represent a complex challenge due to the advanced tailings’ oxidation state as well as the combination of other factors. At the field scale, several parameters control sulfides’ oxidation rates and, therefore, the acidity generation. The objective of this paper is to map the acidity and geochemical properties of oxidized tailings within a closed tailings storage facility. Based on systematic sampling, various geochemical parameters were measured within the oxidized Joutel tailings, including the: Neutralization potential, acid-generating potential, net neutralization potential, neutralization potential ratio, paste pH, thickness of oxidized, hardpan, and transition zones. The different parameters were integrated in geographical information system (GISs) databases to quantify the spatial variability of the acidity and geochemical properties of oxidized tailings. The oxidized tailings were characterized by low sulfide (mainly as pyrite) and carbonate (mainly as siderite/ankerite) contents compared to unweathered tailings. Acidic zones, identified based on paste pH, were located in the eastern portion of the southern zone and at the northern tip of the northern zone.

scholarly journals Correlating Microbial Diversity Patterns with Geochemistry in an Extreme and Heterogeneous Environment of Mine Tailings

2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (12) ◽  
pp. 3677-3686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Liu ◽  
Zheng-Shuang Hua ◽  
Lin-Xing Chen ◽  
Jia-Liang Kuang ◽  
Sheng-Jin Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Mine Tailings ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Hot Springs ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Geochemical Parameters

ABSTRACTRecent molecular surveys have advanced our understanding of the forces shaping the large-scale ecological distribution of microbes in Earth's extreme habitats, such as hot springs and acid mine drainage. However, few investigations have attempted dense spatial analyses of specific sites to resolve the local diversity of these extraordinary organisms and how communities are shaped by the harsh environmental conditions found there. We have applied a 16S rRNA gene-targeted 454 pyrosequencing approach to explore the phylogenetic differentiation among 90 microbial communities from a massive copper tailing impoundment generating acidic drainage and coupled these variations in community composition with geochemical parameters to reveal ecological interactions in this extreme environment. Our data showed that the overall microbial diversity estimates and relative abundances of most of the dominant lineages were significantly correlated with pH, with the simplest assemblages occurring under extremely acidic conditions and more diverse assemblages associated with neutral pHs. The consistent shifts in community composition along the pH gradient indicated that different taxa were involved in the different acidification stages of the mine tailings. Moreover, the effect of pH in shaping phylogenetic structure within specific lineages was also clearly evident, although the phylogenetic differentiations within theAlphaproteobacteria,Deltaproteobacteria, andFirmicuteswere attributed to variations in ferric and ferrous iron concentrations. Application of the microbial assemblage prediction model further supported pH as the major factor driving community structure and demonstrated that several of the major lineages are readily predictable. Together, these results suggest that pH is primarily responsible for structuring whole communities in the extreme and heterogeneous mine tailings, although the diverse microbial taxa may respond differently to various environmental conditions.

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