Abstract
A multi-scale study of solute release, transport, a nd attenuation mechanisms in waste rock under neutral drainage conditions is underway at the open-pit Cu-Zn-Mo Antamina mine in the Peruvian Andes. The objectives of the project are to better understand the mechanisms tha t control the fate of elements of concern, principa lly Zn, Mo, Cu, and As, and to develop field- and laboratory-de rived scale-up relationships that provide a framewo rk for prediction of waste-rock drainage quality at field scales and over long times. Five 36 m x 36 m x 11 m high instrumented experimental waste-rock piles have bee n constructed on site to provide insight into the hydrological and geochemical behavior of distinct c ombinations of waste rock under field conditions. F ield cells constructed from 60 L barrels provide data on leach ing behavior of the distinct rock types. Our result s allow us to constrain the water balance, demonstrate that mi xing of distinct waste-rock types may enhance atten uation of Zn and Mo in drainageand suggest that sulfide mineral oxidation may become O 2-limited in fine-grained reactive material.
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