SpringerLink
Log in

The potential of using alkaline gold mine tailing as a cover material to mitigate AMD formation from acidic gold mine tailing pile at Sabie-Pilgrim’s Rest Goldfields, South Africa

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Acid mine drainage (AMD) caused by the oxidation of sulphide minerals found in mine waste is a global environmental concern, especially in water-restricted countries with heavy mining industries. Implementing AMD treatment and prevention programs can be extremely expensive, hence the need to identify environmentally sustainable treatment and preventative techniques to mitigate the potential of AMD formation. Soil covers and blends have been identified as an attractive approach. However, prior studies on the characteristics of the soils concerned and the acid-neutralisation rate should be carried out before considering the implementation of a soil cover or blending system to mitigate AMD formation. This study evaluated the acid generation capabilities of acidic gold mine tailings (AG), alkaline gold mine tailings (AN) and blends (MIX25, MIX50). Acid–base accounting (ABA), net acid generation (NAG) and acid-buffering characteristic curve (ABCC) test methods were used to evaluate the acid-generating and acid-neutralising capabilities of AG, AN, MIX25 and MIX50 samples. Leach column tests were conducted using alkaline gold mine tailings (AN) as the top pH neutralising cover (COV25) to determine the potential of the alkaline gold mine tailing to serve as a pH neutralising cover material to prevent and treat AMD generated by the acidic gold mine tailings. The ABA, NAG and ABCC results showed that AN has a high acid-neutralising capacity while AG has the potential to generate acid. The results further indicated that the AN to AG blend ratio of 1:3 by weight (MIX25) would neutralise the acid generated by AG. Leach column experiment (COV25) found that using AN as a pH neutralising cover would be a feasible option.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Data and materials are available.

References

  • Appelo C, Postma D (2005) Geochemistry, groundwater and pollution, 2nd edn. A.A. Balkema Publishers, London, pp 450–452

    Google Scholar 

  • Aubertin M, Bussière B, Pabst T, James M, Mbonimpa M (2016) Review of reclamation techniques for acid generating mine wastes upon closure of disposal sites. Geotechnical Special Publication 270:343–358

    Google Scholar 

  • Baird R, Eaton A, Rice E, Bridgewater L (2017) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 23rd edn. American Public Health Association, Washington, pp 150–155

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandra A, Gerson A (2010) The mechanisms of pyrite oxidation and leaching: a fundamental perspective. Surf Sci Rep 65(9):293–315

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • CLIMET-DAT.ORG. (2022) CLIMATE SABIE (SOUTH AFRICA). [online] Available at: https://en.climate-data.org/africa/south-africa/mpumalanga/sabie-26835/ [Accessed 17 Jun 2022]

  • Dold B (2017) Acid rock drainage prediction: a critical review. Geochemical Exploration 172:120–132

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dold B (2010) Basic concepts in environmental geochemistry of sulfidic mine-waste management. Waste Manag 24:173–198

  • Karlsson T, Räisänen M, Lehtonen M, Alakangas L (2018) Comparison of static and mineralogical ARD prediction methods in the Nordic environment. Environ Monit Assess 190(12):1–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koch J, Chakraborty S, Li B, Kucera J, Van Deventer P, Daniell A, Faul C, Man T, Pearson D, Duda B, Weindorf C, Weindorf D (2017) Proximal sensor analysis of mine tailings in South Africa: an exploratory study. J Geochem Explor 181:45–57

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lapakko K (2002) Metal mine rock and waste characterization tools: anoverview. Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development 67:1–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Lusunzi R (2018) Geochemical and mineralogical characterization of gold mine tailings for the potential of acid mine drainage in the Sabie-Pilgrims’s Rest Goldfields (Doctoral dissertation). University of Venda, South Africa

    Google Scholar 

  • Madzivire G, Maleka P, Vadapalli V, Gitari W, Lindsay R, Petrik L (2014) Fate of the naturally occurring radioactive materials during treatment of acid mine drainage with coal fly ash and aluminium hydroxide. J Environ Manage 133:12–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moodley I, Sheridan C, Kappelmeyer U, Akcil A (2018) Environmentally sustainable acid mine drainage remediation: research developments with a focus on waste/by products. Miner Eng 126:207–220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Moses C, Kirk Nordstrom D, Herman J, Mills A (1987) Aqueous pyrite oxidation by dissolved oxygen and by ferric iron. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 51(6):1561–1571

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oh C, Ji S, Chon C, Yim G, Cheong Y (2017) Reliability improvement for predicting acid-forming potential of rock samples using static tests. Environ Monit Assess 189(5):1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rudzani L, Novhe O, Mashalane T (2019) Geochemical and mineralogical characterization of precipitates from Sabie-Pilgrim’s

  • Saha S, Sinha A (2018) Review on treatment of acid mine drainage with waste materials: a novel approach. Global NEST J 20(3):512–528

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smart R, Skinner B, Levay G, Gerson A, Thomas J, Sobieraj H, ... Weber P (2002) AMIRA international ARD test handbook project P387A prediction & kinetic control of acid mine drainage. In Miller S, Stewart W (eds) Ian Wark Research Institute: Melbourne, Australia. Geochemistry International Pty, Balmain, Australia

  • Sobek AA (1978) Field and laboratory methods applicable to overburdens and minesoils. Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency

    Google Scholar 

  • Stewart WA, Miller SD, Smart R (2006) Advances in acid rock drainage (ARD) characterisation of mine wastes (Doctoral dissertation, Asmr)

  • Weber P, Hughes J, Conner L, Lindsay P, Smart R (2006) Short-term acid rock drainage characteristics determined by paste pH and kinetic NAG testing: cypress prospect, New Zealand. 7th International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage (ICARD). Lexington, American Society of Mining and Reclamation (ASMR), pp 2289–2310

    Google Scholar 

  • Wingenfelder U, Hansen C, Furrer G, Schulin R (2005) Removal of heavy metals from mine waters by natural zeolites. Environ Sci Technol 39(12):4606–4613

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The study was supported by the North-West University bursaries, Centre of Excellence in Carbon-based Fuels and the Water Research Group of the School of Chemical and Mineral Engineering of the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Excellence in Carbon-Based Fuels, School of Chemical and Mineral Engineering, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa

    Naythan van Wyk & Andrew C. Eloka-Eboka

  2. Department of Mining Engineering, College of Science Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida Science Campus, Pretoria, South Africa

    Elvis Fosso-Kankeu

Authors
  1. Naythan van Wyk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrew C. Eloka-Eboka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elvis Fosso-Kankeu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

NvW carried out the study, conducted literature survey, carried out the experiments and analysis and wrote the manuscript. ACE supervised the study, corrected the draft, handled the editorial processing and he is the corresponding author. EFK co-supervised the study and corrected the draft.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrew C. Eloka-Eboka.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval

The study has no ethical issues (no human or animal is involved), and so approval is not required.

Consent to participate

There is no human or animal involved in the research, so no consent to participate is required.

Consent for publication

All authors have consented to the publication of the manuscript.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: **anliang Yi

Publisher's note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

van Wyk, N., Eloka-Eboka, A.C. & Fosso-Kankeu, E. The potential of using alkaline gold mine tailing as a cover material to mitigate AMD formation from acidic gold mine tailing pile at Sabie-Pilgrim’s Rest Goldfields, South Africa. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 90178–90190 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22106-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-22106-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation