Tailings produced during bitumen extraction from surface-mined oil sands ores (tar sands) comprise an aqueous suspension of clay particles that remain dispersed for decades in tailings ponds. Slow consolidation of the clays hinders water recovery for reuse and retards volume reduction, thereby increasing the environmental footprint of tailings ponds. We investigated mechanisms of tailings conso...

OBJECTIVE Unreclaimed mine tailings sites are a worldwide problem, with thousands of unvegetated, exposed tailings piles presenting a source of contamination for nearby communities. Tailings disposal sites in arid and semiarid environments are especially subject to eolian dispersion and water erosion. Phytostabilization, the use of plants for in situ stabilization of tailings and metal contamin...

This study was carried out for the purpose of investigating the issue of tailings dams as a potential source of contamination by trace elements in soils at the Sidi Bou Othmane mine in the Marrakech Region, Morocco. Soil samples taken from depths of up to 15 cm and within a radius of 50 m from the tailings dams, were analyzed for Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn using atomic absorption spectrometry. Average c...

Elevated inorganic phosphate (Pi) concentrations in pore water of amended tailings under direct revegetation may cause toxicity in some native woody species but not native forbs or herb species, all of which are key constituents in target native plant communities for phytostabilizing base metal mine tailings. As a result, Pi sorption capacity has been quantified by a conventional batch procedur...

At the active tailings impoundment Carén (surface 22 km) from the porphyry copper mine El Teniente, Chile, initial steps of primary mineral alteration and geochemical changes after deposition were studied. The tailings contained up to 3 vol% sulfides (mainly pyrite). At five points in the tailings impoundment, water samples up to a depth of 4 m were taken from piezometer. Preliminary data showe...

Pyrrhotite-bearing tailings were deposited in an impoundment at the Copper mine at Laver in Northern Sweden 1936-1946. Sulphide oxidation has released acidity and metals to the recipient since deposition. Sampling of surface water was performed in a brook draining the tailings impoundment in 1993, 2001 and 2004-05. The dissolved concentration of sulphide associated elements such as Cu, S and Zn...

Tree water uptake relies on well-developed root systems. However, mine wastes can restrict root growth, in particular metalliferous mill tailings, which consist of the finely crushed ore that remains after valuable metals are removed. Thus, water stress could limit plantation success in reclaimed mine lands. This study evaluates the effect of substrates varying in quality (topsoil, overburden, ...

Application of municipal biosolids to mine tailings can enhance revegetation success, but may cause adverse environmental impacts, such as increased leaching of NO3- and metals to ground water. Kinetic weathering cells were used to simulate geochemical weathering to determine the effects of biosolid amendment on (i) pH of leachate and tailings, (ii) leaching of NO3- and SO4(2-), (iii) leaching ...

this study was carried out for the purpose of investigating the issue of tailings dams as a potential source of contamination by trace elements in soils at the sidi bou othmane mine in the marrakech region, morocco. soil samples taken from depths of up to 15 cm and within a radius of 50 m from the tailings dams, were analyzed for cd, cu, pb and zn using atomic absorption spectrometry. average c...

Acidic (pH 4.1) and high Cd, Pb, and Zn mine tailings (mean +/- SD: 17 +/- 0.4, 3800 +/- 100, and 3500 +/- 100 mg kg(-1), respectively) from an alluvial tailings deposit in Leadville, Colorado were amended with municipal biosolids (BS) (224 Mg ha(-1)) and different types of lime (calcium carbonate equivalent of 224 Mg ha(-1) CaCO3) in a greenhouse column study to test the ability of the amendme...