Mineralogical characteristics and release mechanism of arsenic-thallium from As-bearing tailings

Huizhi LIANG, Zhaohui GUO, Yunxia ZHANG, Rui XU

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Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2024, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (2) : 20-30. DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2023.9.8

Mineralogical characteristics and release mechanism of arsenic-thallium from As-bearing tailings

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Abstract

Arsenic (As) and associated thallium (Tl) can be released from As-bearing tailings and enter the surface water and soil environment. It is of great importance to understand the mineralogy and release characteristics of the toxic elements in tailings. In this study, the ore phases and their release mechanisms of As and Tl in As-bearing tailings from a realgar mining area are studied using batch leaching tests combined chemical analysis and mineral phases analysis. The results showed that the release of As and Tl was affected by the phases and speciation of the elements. The main As phases in the tailings were sperrylite and angelellite and they were prone to As release due to weathering. Thallium, as accompanying element, was associated with phases composed of Ca, Mn, Mg minerals, and the release of Tl was controlled by the precipitation and dissolution of these minerals. In the tailings, As mainly bounded to Fe-Mn oxides and organic materials, whilst Tl mainly bounded to Fe-Mn oxides and residual materials. The exchangeable fraction of As increased from 0.29% (before leaching) to 1.67% (after acid leaching); while for Tl it increased from 5.46% to 8.67%. The release of As was enhanced while Tl was inhibited under acidic conditions, which suggested the release of As and Tl in tailings was competitive. The leaching behavior of As conformed to the two-constant equation, indicating the leaching of As was a physiochemical process controlled by many factors. The leaching of Tl, which conformed to a parabolic diffusion equation, was mainly controlled by diffusion mechanisms such as structural incorporation and surface adsorption. In this study, the release characteristics, speciation and mineralogy of As and Tl in As-bearing tailings were clarified, which provided an essential reference of the pollution risk control for As and Tl in As-bearing tailings.

Key words

As-bearing tailings / arsenic / thallium / mineral phase / release mechanism

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Huizhi LIANG , Zhaohui GUO , Yunxia ZHANG , et al. Mineralogical characteristics and release mechanism of arsenic-thallium from As-bearing tailings. Earth Science Frontiers. 2024, 31(2): 20-30 https://doi.org/10.13745/j.esf.sf.2023.9.8

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