Abstract
The accumulation of gold mine tailings (GMT) and polyethylene terephthalate plastic waste (PW) continue to impact the ecosystem negatively, and strategies are required to counteract these issues to maintain a sustainable environment. This study investigated the use of PW as a binder to mobilize heavy metals in GMT. Plastic was used as a binder to develop specimens. were developed using plastic as a binder, the geotechnical and geochemical properties of the specimens were studied. The leachability of heavy metals from developed specimens was also studied. GMT and PW ratios of 80:20; 70:30, and 60:40 were investigated. The mineralogy and elemental composition of GMT and developed specimens showed that was quartz and silicon oxide were the predominant constituent in the materials. The specimen with the highest unconfined compressive strength yielded the lowest water absorption. The concentration of heavy metals in the PW-based specimens was lower than in the raw GMT. Waste plastic can be used as a sustainable binder to mobilize contaminants in GMT. The proposed solution can solve and prevent environmental pollution caused by GMT and WP.
Published Version
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