Microbiological and geochemical characterization of As-bearing tailings and underlying sediments

Brent R Verbuyst; Eva Pakostova; Dogan Paktunc; Jeff G Bain; Y Zou Finfrock; Emily M Saurette; Carol J Ptacek; David W Blowes

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133554

Microbiological and geochemical characterization of As-bearing tailings and underlying sediments

Brent R Verbuyst, Eva Pakostova, Dogan Paktunc, Jeff G Bain, Y Zou Finfrock, Emily M Saurette, Carol J Ptacek, David W Blowes

Centre for Manufacturing and Materials

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Abstract

Over the past 100 years, extensive oxidation of As-bearing sulfide-rich tailings from the abandoned Long Lake Gold Mine (Canada) has resulted in the formation of acid mine drainage (pH 2.0-3.9) containing high concentrations of dissolved As (∼400 mg L ), SO , Fe and other metals. Dissolved As is predominantly present as As(III), with increased As(V) near the tailings surface. Pore-gas O is depleted to < 1 vol% in the upper 30-80 cm of the tailings profile. The primary sulfides, pyrite and arsenopyrite, are highly oxidized in the upper portions of the tailings. Elevated proportions of sulfide-oxidizing prokaryotes are present in this zone (mean 32.3% of total reads). The tailings are underlain by sediments rich in organic C. Enrichment in δ S-SO in pore-water samples in the organic C-rich zone is consistent with dissimilatory sulfate reduction. Synchrotron-based spectroscopy indicates an abundance of ferric arsenate phases near the impoundment surface and the presence of secondary arsenic sulfides in the organic-C beneath the tailings. The persistence of elevated As concentrations beneath the tailings indicates precipitation of secondary As sulfides is not sufficient to completely remove dissolved As. The oxidation of sulfides and release of As is expected to continue for decades. The findings will inform future remediation efforts and provide a foundation for the long-term monitoring of the effectiveness of the remediation program. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.]

Original language	English
Article number	133554
Number of pages	16
Journal	Journal of Hazardous Materials
Volume	466
Early online date	19 Jan 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133554
Publication status	Published - 15 Mar 2024

Bibliographical note

Funder

Funding for this research was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)’s Toward Environmentally Responsible Resource Extraction Network (TERRE-NET) program (grant NETGP 479708-15). We gratefully acknowledge financial and logistical support provided by the Ontario Ministry of Mines, including Steve Reitzel and Heather White. Bulk As K-edge high energy resolution fluorescence detected X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (HERFD-XANES) and micro-X-ray fluorescence (µ-XRF) imaging for mill tailing materials were conducted on beamline 20-ID-B, C- PNC/XSD, Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory. The experiments conducted at the APS were supported by beamline scientists and staff including Debora Motta Meira and Mike S. Pape. This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, an Office of Science User Facility operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory and was supported by the U.S. DOE under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357, and the Canadian Light Source and its funding partners. We are grateful for the technical assistance of Joanne Angai, David Hilger, Steven P. Holland, Laura Groza, Joy Hu, Sara Fellin, and Krista Elena (all from the University of Waterloo).

Keywords

Acidophiles
Tailings
Gold mine
Acid mine drainage
Arsenic

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Pakostova2024VoR (1)Final published version, 11.7 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

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@article{1b907bb209d744008cd909818955d142,

title = "Microbiological and geochemical characterization of As-bearing tailings and underlying sediments",

abstract = "Over the past 100 years, extensive oxidation of As-bearing sulfide-rich tailings from the abandoned Long Lake Gold Mine (Canada) has resulted in the formation of acid mine drainage (pH 2.0-3.9) containing high concentrations of dissolved As (∼400 mg L ), SO , Fe and other metals. Dissolved As is predominantly present as As(III), with increased As(V) near the tailings surface. Pore-gas O is depleted to < 1 vol% in the upper 30-80 cm of the tailings profile. The primary sulfides, pyrite and arsenopyrite, are highly oxidized in the upper portions of the tailings. Elevated proportions of sulfide-oxidizing prokaryotes are present in this zone (mean 32.3% of total reads). The tailings are underlain by sediments rich in organic C. Enrichment in δ S-SO in pore-water samples in the organic C-rich zone is consistent with dissimilatory sulfate reduction. Synchrotron-based spectroscopy indicates an abundance of ferric arsenate phases near the impoundment surface and the presence of secondary arsenic sulfides in the organic-C beneath the tailings. The persistence of elevated As concentrations beneath the tailings indicates precipitation of secondary As sulfides is not sufficient to completely remove dissolved As. The oxidation of sulfides and release of As is expected to continue for decades. The findings will inform future remediation efforts and provide a foundation for the long-term monitoring of the effectiveness of the remediation program. [Abstract copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.]",

keywords = "Acidophiles, Tailings, Gold mine, Acid mine drainage, Arsenic",

author = "Verbuyst, {Brent R} and Eva Pakostova and Dogan Paktunc and Bain, {Jeff G} and Finfrock, {Y Zou} and Saurette, {Emily M} and Ptacek, {Carol J} and Blowes, {David W}",

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T1 - Microbiological and geochemical characterization of As-bearing tailings and underlying sediments

AU - Verbuyst, Brent R

AU - Pakostova, Eva

AU - Paktunc, Dogan

AU - Bain, Jeff G

AU - Finfrock, Y Zou

AU - Saurette, Emily M

AU - Ptacek, Carol J

AU - Blowes, David W

PY - 2024/3/15

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N2 - Over the past 100 years, extensive oxidation of As-bearing sulfide-rich tailings from the abandoned Long Lake Gold Mine (Canada) has resulted in the formation of acid mine drainage (pH 2.0-3.9) containing high concentrations of dissolved As (∼400 mg L ), SO , Fe and other metals. Dissolved As is predominantly present as As(III), with increased As(V) near the tailings surface. Pore-gas O is depleted to < 1 vol% in the upper 30-80 cm of the tailings profile. The primary sulfides, pyrite and arsenopyrite, are highly oxidized in the upper portions of the tailings. Elevated proportions of sulfide-oxidizing prokaryotes are present in this zone (mean 32.3% of total reads). The tailings are underlain by sediments rich in organic C. Enrichment in δ S-SO in pore-water samples in the organic C-rich zone is consistent with dissimilatory sulfate reduction. Synchrotron-based spectroscopy indicates an abundance of ferric arsenate phases near the impoundment surface and the presence of secondary arsenic sulfides in the organic-C beneath the tailings. The persistence of elevated As concentrations beneath the tailings indicates precipitation of secondary As sulfides is not sufficient to completely remove dissolved As. The oxidation of sulfides and release of As is expected to continue for decades. The findings will inform future remediation efforts and provide a foundation for the long-term monitoring of the effectiveness of the remediation program. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.]

AB - Over the past 100 years, extensive oxidation of As-bearing sulfide-rich tailings from the abandoned Long Lake Gold Mine (Canada) has resulted in the formation of acid mine drainage (pH 2.0-3.9) containing high concentrations of dissolved As (∼400 mg L ), SO , Fe and other metals. Dissolved As is predominantly present as As(III), with increased As(V) near the tailings surface. Pore-gas O is depleted to < 1 vol% in the upper 30-80 cm of the tailings profile. The primary sulfides, pyrite and arsenopyrite, are highly oxidized in the upper portions of the tailings. Elevated proportions of sulfide-oxidizing prokaryotes are present in this zone (mean 32.3% of total reads). The tailings are underlain by sediments rich in organic C. Enrichment in δ S-SO in pore-water samples in the organic C-rich zone is consistent with dissimilatory sulfate reduction. Synchrotron-based spectroscopy indicates an abundance of ferric arsenate phases near the impoundment surface and the presence of secondary arsenic sulfides in the organic-C beneath the tailings. The persistence of elevated As concentrations beneath the tailings indicates precipitation of secondary As sulfides is not sufficient to completely remove dissolved As. The oxidation of sulfides and release of As is expected to continue for decades. The findings will inform future remediation efforts and provide a foundation for the long-term monitoring of the effectiveness of the remediation program. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.]

KW - Acidophiles

KW - Tailings

KW - Gold mine

KW - Acid mine drainage

KW - Arsenic

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DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133554

M3 - Article

C2 - 38246057

SN - 0304-3894

VL - 466

JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials

JF - Journal of Hazardous Materials

M1 - 133554

ER -

Microbiological and geochemical characterization of As-bearing tailings and underlying sediments

Abstract

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Keywords

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