Environmental Impact of Abandoned Mine Waste: a review

Summary and Conclusions

Existing literature shows that there are not significant differences among the various mine sites investigated, irrespective of the nature of ore deposits. The abandoned mine waste contain significant amounts of polluting elements potentially dangerous to the environment. The main differences concern the waste morphology (dumps, tailings, roastings, soil), the particle-size, the hydrological regime, the pH conditions, which determine the fate of metals in the environment.

In particular, literature summarised in this review indicates that:
Sulphides that occur in flotation basins show comparatively low degrees of alteration in comparison to exposed mine dumps: scarce effective porosity, shallow water table and superficial capillary fringe have hindered sulphide weathering; near neutral pH and secondary mineralogical phases indicate that until now reactions producing and consuming acidity balance each other;

Inversely, the hydraulic unsaturated conditions and the fine size of flotation tailings have enhanced the weathering of sulphides;

The roasting dumps are characterised by high contents of metals and low pH values. However, they appear to be a less significant threat to the environment, at least in the short term, because the metalliferous phases are partially enclosed within relatively coarse quartz grains, and adsorbed onto alumosilicates, thus slowing the weathering processes;

Stream water shows acid to neutral pH values, and maintain high metal contents as far as 1 km downstream of mine wastes; more distal waters are neutral as a consequence of dilution with unpolluted water and buffering reactions with carbonate bedrock;

The transport of polluted stream sediments causes contamination as far as 5 km downstream of the mine wastes.

Aeolian transport and suspended particulate matter in streams seem to significantly contribute in disseminating metal pollution over large areas, even at distance from the metal source.

The results presented shed light on the environmental effects of mine wastes, give a thorough understanding of the polluting potential of mine waste, and can be an useful basis for planning possible remediation projects. Yet, the variation of the above cited conditions could cause the establishment of more acidic and leaching conditions and, therefore, an increase in metal mobilization, and major environmental hazard.

Based on available data, a possible remediation plan could include the preservation of the existing conditions, enlarging the impoundment surface by building of settling ponds for drainage waters storage. Afterwards, the polluted sediments could be stored into the flotation basins, and mixed with buffering compounds such as limestone for neutralisation, and prevent acidic drainage waters production. Finally, revegetation of the whole mined area with metal-tolerant plants could take place, and the contaminated land be restored.

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