Evaluation of phosphate fertilizers for ameliorating acid mine waste.pdf

Applied Geochemistry 21 (2006) 1216–1225 /locate/apgeochem Applied GeochemistryEvaluation of phosphate fertilizers for ameliorating acid mine waste David L. Harris 1, Bernd G. Lottermoser * School of Earth Sciences, James Cook University, P.O. Box 6811, Cairns, Qld 4870, Australia Received 28 July 2005; accepted 28 March 2006 Available online 5 June 2006 Editorial handling by R. FugeAbstract The aim of the study was to determine whether the application of bulk industrial chemicals (potassium permanganate and water-soluble phosphate fertilizer) to partly oxidized, polyminerallic mine wastes can inhibit sulfide oxidation, and metal and metalloid mobility. The acid producing waste rocks were metal (Pb,Zn,Cu) and metalloid (As,Sb) rich and con- sisted of major quartz, dickite, illite, and sulfide minerals (e.g., galena, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite, sphalerite, pyrite, arse- nopyrite), as well as minor to trace amounts of pre- and post-mining oxidation products (e.g., hydrated Fe, Cu, Pb, and alkali mineral salts). SEM-EDS observations of treated waste material showed that metal, metal–alkali, and alkali phos- phate coatings developed on all sulfides. The abundance of phosphate phases was dependant on the fertilizer type and the availability of metal and alkali cations in solution. In turn, the release of cations was dependent on the amount of sulfide oxidation induced by KMnO4 during the experiment and the dissolution of soluble sulfates. Mn, Ca, Fe, and Pb phos- phates remained stable during H2O2 leaching, preventing acid generation and metal release. In contrast, the lack of com- plete phosphate coating on arsenopyrite allowed oxidation and leaching of As to proceed. The mobilized As did not form phosphate phases and consequently, As displayed the greatest release from the coated waste. Thus, the application of KMnO4 and the water-soluble phosphate fertilizer Trifos (Ca(H2PO4)2) to partly oxidized, polyminerallic mine wastes sup- presses sulfide oxidation and is most e