Effect of tailings storage facility on surface water at copper–pyrite deposit

The studies into the ecological problems connected with underground and surface water during decommissioning of sulfide-bearing storages of mineral waste are described. The article presents the estimate of the manmade impact produced on the nature components by the pyrite tailings storage under decommissioning at Gai Mining-and-Processing Plant. The ecological impact of the tailings storage was evaluated using the monitoring data of the tailings storage area, including sampling of solid waste at the processing factory and piled in the area of the tailings storage facility, sampling of liquid waste, drainage water and natural water subjected to pollution. The samples were sent for the mineral and chemical analyses at an accredited laboratory of the Mining University. Based on the analysis results of the samples, the hydrochemical pollution envelopes are plotted. The possible sources of drainage water containing heavy metals, the level of exposure and the scale of pollution in the areas adjacent to the tailings storage facility are identified. The elution mechanism of heavy metals from tailings and the directions of their migration with drainage water to the recycling water supply ponds is determined. It has been concluded on the necessity of the environmental activities connected with isolation of the manmade deposit as heightened ecological hazard source. To this effect, the methods of treatment of drainage water containing higher concentrations of heavy metals are proposed.

Plokhov A. S., Kharko P.A., Pashkevich M. A. Effect of tailings storage facility on surface water at copper–pyrite deposit. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2021;(4):57-68. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2021_4_0_57.

A.S. Plokhov¹, Graduate Student, e-mail: alexander270594@gmail.com,
P.A. Kharko¹, Graduate Student,
M.A. Pashkevich¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor,
¹ Saint-Petersburg Mining University, 199106, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

A.S. Plokhov, e-mail: alexander270594@gmail.com.

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