Vertical Distribution and Mobility of Arsenic and Heavy Metals in and around Mine Tailings of an Abandoned Mine

Abstract

In the present study, the vertical distributions (0–220 cm) of arsenic and heavy metals in mine tailings and nearby paddy fields, and their mobility through water-leach experiments were investigated. For the study, the area of Jingok mine located in Bongwha, Korea has been selected. The concentrations of arsenic and heavy metals in the mine tailings were extremely high compared to the paddy fields and control sites, i.e., up to 6675 mg/kg for As, 25 mg/kg for Cd, 22 mg/kg for Cr, 383 mg/kg for Cu, 11,135 mg/kg for Pb, 3600 mg/kg for Zn, 5.73 wt% for Fe, and 3.05 wt% for Mn. The concentrations of As and heavy metals in the paddy fields decreased sharply with increasing distance from the mine tailings, with values still higher than those in the control sites, indicating the contamination of the paddy fields by heavy metals released from the mine tailings. The vertical distributions of Cd, Cu, Pb, Al, Fe, and Mn showed the following common pattern: the highest values in the upper part of mine tailings (0–20 cm), rapid decrease with increasing depth, and then nearly constant values below the depth of 50 cm. Significant correlations were found between total Fe and heavy metals (Cd, Cu, and Pb), and between total Mn and heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in the mine tailings, indicating that minerals containing Fe and Mn play an important role in the mobility of heavy metals such as Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. The fraction of As(V) ranged from 63 to 100% of total arsenic in the samples of the mine tailings. The high concentrations of total As, heavy metals, sulfate, hydrogen ion, and As(V) in the leachates of mine tailings suggest that sulfide minerals containing arsenic and heavy metals in the mine tailings were actively oxidized.