The Role of the Minerals in Komsomolsk Tin-Ore District Slurry and Drainage Water’s Formation, and Their Negative Impact on the Ecosphere

The article describes slurry and drainage water’s characteristics and shows the conditions of their formation in the technogenic system of the Komsomolsky Tin-ore District, Russian Far East. The investigation was conducted using environmental monitoring, and the physico-chemical modeling method. In a wide ambient temperature range (from minus 25 to 45 °C) the Eh-pH parameters of micropore solutions, which form technogenic (anthropogenic) waters at various host-rock—sulfide ratios (95:5, 50:50, 5:95), were determined. Depends on the primary ores and host rocks composition ionic and molecular composition of technogenic waters, as well as the association of crystallized hypergene minerals were established. The negative impact of slurry and drainage water on the hydrosphere and the health of the region’s population is shown. Following environmental monitoring, the content of dissolved metals exceeds background concentrations in slurry and drainage waters from hundreds to hundreds of thousand times. Modeling reveals, that from saturated technogenic waters, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Al, Ca, Mg, K, and Na oxides and hydroxides, sulfates, carbonates, arsenates, phosphates, and silicate minerals are precipitates. The tendency of double growth for 24 types of digestive, respiratory, and nervous system diseases during a 20-years period has been noted, moreover, children morbidity rate exceeds that of adults.

Modern Minerals Formation Genesis in Kavalerovsky Tin–Ore District Technogenic System (Primorsky Krai)

Parameters and conditions of crystallization for the majority of hypergenic and technogenic minerals have not yet been studied, as their determination is often difficult due to their imperfect crystalline structure (X-ray amorphous) and formation in polymineral compounds. The article discusses the formation conditions of 20 hypergenic and technogenic minerals from technogenic waters in the mining industrial system of the Kavalerovsky district tin–sulfide deposits (Primorsky krai) in Russia. For various ratios of hypogenic minerals–host rocks in ore and in tailings in a wide temperature range (from −25 to 45 °C), the Eh-pH parameters and the minerals paragenesis were established. All hypergenic and technogenic minerals formed during modeling were found and diagnosed in the Kavalerovsky tin–ore district mining industrial technogenic system.

Removal of metals from technogenic waters from abandoned coal mines using geochemical barriers

A study was made of the possibility of using natural materials (vermiculites, zeolite) and wastes (ash from the Partizansk Coal-Burning Power Plant) as sorbents in geochemical barriers to manage discharges (technogenic waters) from abandoned coal mines and reduce metal concentrations to established, acceptable standards. Vermiculite from the Kovdor deposit was shown to reduce the concentrations of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn cations, in both direct and inverse soil column models, by between two and five times.

Formation of the chemical composition of mining areas waters on the example of tungsten deposits of Eastern Transbaikalia

The chemical composition of waters in the mining areas of the four tungsten deposits (the Transbaikal region) are studied. Acidic sulfate waters with salinity (TDS) up to 2.7 g/L and abnormally high concentrations of Al, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Cd and other metals were formed in the areas of Bukuka, Belukha and Antonova Gora Deposits. They are characterized by thermodynamic equilibrium with secondary aluminosilicates (kaolinite, montmorillonite), sulfates (gypsum, anglesite) and fluorides (fluorite, sellaite). These waters are characterized by the highest degree of nonequilibrium with primary minerals anorthite, albite, muscovite, chlorite and others, which contributes to their further dissolution and accumulation of components in waters. Technogenic waters of the Spokojninskoe mine are characterized by neutral and alkaline reaction, moderate growth of salinity and active migration of U, W, As and Mo. They are saturated with respect to secondary aluminosilicates (montmorillonite, illite) and carbonates (calcite, dolomite, malachite, azurite, rhodochrosite, cerussite, siderite).

Recycling Prospects for Saponite-Containing Water at Diamond Processing Plants in Arkhangelsk Region, Russia

The analysis of methods of cleaning and processing of saponite-bearing technogenic waters of diamond mining enterprises of the Arkhangelsk region is carried out. The perspective of the electrochemical separation method for extracting saponite from man-caused waters, providing a targeted change in its structural-texture, physico-chemical and mechanical properties, is shown. The possible directions of realization of saponite and products of its modification in various branches of industry are considered.