South Africa is a mineral-rich country with metals such as gold, copper, and platinum group metals being exploited to a significant extent in the country’s mining history. Mining generates large volumes of tailings, with consequent disposal and environmental problems. By far the most gold that has been mined in South Africa (98%) has come from the Witwatersrand goldfields (Messner, 1991). The g...

The extent of arsenic (As) and metal accumulation in fronds of the As hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata (Chinese brake fern) and in leaves of Cyperus involucratus, which grow on the surface of an old flotation tailings pond in the Zambian Copperbelt province, was studied. The tailings consist of two types of material with distinct chemical composition: (1) reddish-brown tailings rich in As, iron ...

This experimental study investigates the strength characteristics of cemented super-fine unclassified tailings backfill (CSUTB) and its failure mechanism. Physical and chemical properties of tailings from the Zhongguan Iron Mine (ZGIM) were tested. A series of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests was conducted to determine the relationships between UCS of CSUTB and three factors of cement-...

The present work was planned to evaluate the phytoextraction of metal mine tailings, Sarcheshmeh copper mine, SE of Iran, by the endemic plant species Medicago sativa L. (Alfalfa). In this pot experiment, we investigated the effects of seven amendments on the growth of alfalfa and uptaking metals from the mine tailings and stream sediment of tailing dam surface. The mean metal concentrations in...

Background: Tailings dams are made up of mining residue deposits, and they represent a high risk, in terms of mechanical instability. In the event of collapse, the tailings in such dams may be released and flow over long distances, with the potential risk of extensive damage to property and life. The traditional geotechnical assessment of tailings facilities has mainly concentrated on the stabi...

the concentrations and speciation of mo, together with fe, cu, and zn, in nver river sediments impacted with mo mining activities in western liaoning, northeast china, were investigated withgeochemical method. using the x-ray fluorescence and x-ray diffraction, the characterizations of metals in tailings ponds deposited along the nver river bank were analyzed. analysis and comparison of the con...

The efficacy of methyl bromide fumigations in mills (6 mills) was compared to heat treatments (3 mills), sulfuryl fluoride (ProFume®) (4 mills) and phosphine (ECO2FUME®), heat and carbon dioxide combination treatment (2 mills). The efficacy of treatments was estimated in three ways: Tribolium castaneum adults and eggs in vials during treatment, pheromone traps and rebolt sifter tailings counts....

the contents of as, cd, cu and mo were determined in soil surrounding meyduk tailings dam based on 21 surface soil samples. assessment of toxic element pollution in studied soil samples needs knowledge of pre-anthropogenic metal concentration to act as a reference against which measured values could be compared. estimating the background values was executed by sampling rocks adjacent to soil s...

Tailings dams, due to methods and materials used in their construction are vulnerable structures to earthquake. In many cases storage of water over tailings is required to prevent aerial pollution or reduction in water consumption by the means of a recycling system, therefore failure of these kinds of dams not only induce affects similar to conventional water dams, but also may lead to irrevers...