Abstract

The mobility of contaminants from mine waste can be assessed using different extraction methods. Aqua regia (AR) extraction is the most commonly used method in Finland. Another method is the analysis of leachate from net acid generation (NAG) tests, which is primarily designed for acid production potential assessment. We investigated the performance of single-addition NAG test leachate analysis and AR extraction in drainage quality prediction, using waste rock and drainage water samples from several Finnish waste rock sites. Our objective was to improve interpretation of the AR and single-addition NAG test leachate analysis results in drainage quality prediction. The AR extraction effectively reflected elements that occurred in elevated concentrations in drainage water, though it over-predicted Al, As, Cd, Co, Cu, and Ni in some circumneutral drainages, and Cr in general. The single-addition NAG test leachate analysis also performed well in assessing the mobility of contaminants including Al and Cr at acid mine drainage sites. As the contaminants tend to precipitate in neutral NAG test solution, the usability of the method in neutral mine drainage cases should be further investigated. Furthermore, the conclusions presented in this study are limited to waste rock samples collected from the surface of piles; future work will examine waste rock history, dump cores, drainage quality changes, etc. in more detail.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.