Rare earth and trace element signatures for assessing an impact of rock mining and processing on the environment: Wiśniówka case study, south-central Poland.

Zdzisław M Migaszewski,Agnieszka Gałuszka,Sabina Dołęgowska

doi:10.1007/s11356-016-7713-y

Zdzisław M Migaszewski, Agnieszka Gałuszka + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7713-y

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Abstract

A detailed hydrogeochemical study was performed in the Wiśniówka mining area (south-central Poland). This covered three acid pit bodies, historic tailings acid ponds, acid pools, and additionally two neighboring rivers. All these acid mine drainage (AMD) waters are characterized by the pH in the range of 1.7 (pools) to 3.5 (tailings ponds). The most interesting is the Podwiśniówka acid pit lake that shows a very low pH (2.2–2.5) and very high concentrations of SO4 2− (2720–5460 mg/L), Fe (545–1140 mg/L), Al (86.2 mg/L), As (9603–24,883 μg/L), Co (1317–3458 μg/L), Cr (753–2047 μg/L), Cu (6307–18,879 μg/L), Ni (1168–3127 μg/L), and rare earth element (REE) (589–1341 μg/L). In addition, seeps that drain the Podwiśniówka mine tailings and partly aggregate piles form strong acid pools in the mining area. Along with these pools, in which As and REE contents reach 369,726 and 6288 μg/L, respectively, these waters are among the most distinctive As- and REE-rich AMD surface waters across the world. It is noteworthy that the Podwiśniówka acid pit lake and Wiśniówka Duża acid pit sump exhibit different element signatures and REE concentration patterns normalized to North American Composite Shale (NASC): the Podwiśniówka acid pit lake always shows a characteristic roof-shaped medium REE (MREE) profile with distinct enrichments in Gd, Eu, and Tb whereas the other one displays a step-shaped heavy REE (HREE) profile with positive Tb and Gd anomalies. The REE undergo fractionation during weathering and the subsequent leaching of dissolved and suspended fractions from rocks to acid water bodies where these and other elements are further fractionated by geochemical processes. This study shows that the individual REE have greater affinities for Mn, HREE for Fe and SO4 2−, and only La and Ce for Al. This specific water geochemistry has enabled us to (i) pinpoint the location of AMD “hot spots” originated from quartzite mining and processing operations conducted by current and previous mining companies, (ii) predict the directions and effects of future strip mining for quartzites in the Wiśniówka Duża and Podwiśniówka open pits, and (iii) evaluate the potential impact of mining and processing effluents on the quality of rivers.

Highlights

This study shows that the individual rare earth element (REE) have greater affinities for Mn, heavy REE (HREE) for Fe and SO42−, and only La and Ce for Al
Environ Sci Pollut Res (2016) 23:24943–24959 (Fe3+) iron (e.g., Garrels and Thompson 1960; Moses et al 1987; Nordstrom and Alpers 1999a). This process is a potential source of acidification and dispersal of hazardous metal(loid)s into waters, sediments, soils, and biota (e.g., Aguilar et al 2004; Younger et al 2005; Cánovas et al 2008; Martínez-Martínez et al 2013). This triggers a chain of reactions that lead to formation of secondary minerals that seem to play a decisive role in controlling the pH of pit pond or lake waters (e.g., Bingham et al.1990, 1992; Schwertmann et al 1995; Acero et al 2006)
The mean values of selected physicochemical parameters and the mean concentrations of sulfates, phosphates, REEs, and trace elements in the acid mine drainage (AMD) and river waters from the Wiśniówka area are summarized in Tables 1, 2 and 3

Summary

Introduction

The origin, transport and fate of elements, including rare earth elements (REEs) and arsenic, in different acid mine drainage (AMD) sites have been studied for decades (e.g., HudsonEdwards et al 1999; Johannesson and Zhou 1999; Plumlee et al 1999; Winterbourn et al 2000; Worall and Pearson 2001; Druschel et al 2004; Bednar et al 2005; Gammons et al 2005; Olías et al 2006; Pérez-López et al 2010; Nordstrom 2011; Grawunder et al 2014; Migaszewski and Gałuszka 2015) These studies have included geochemical processes that effect remobilization of trace and minor elements from sulfide ore and coal deposits, mineralized rock formations, and mine wastes to surface and underground waters (e.g., Reichenbach 1994; Monterroso and Macías 1998; Nordstrom 2011). Because AMD waters jeopardize health of abiotic and biotic systems, the studies have encompassed specific geochemical signatures to assess a metal(loid) pollution extent (Migaszewski et al 2015)

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