Managing Pore-Water Quality in Mine Tailings by Inducing Microbial Sulfate Reduction

摘要

A field-scale experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential for inducing microbial sulfate reduction as a passive in situ technique for managing water quality in mine tailings deposits. Sulfide- and carbonate-rich mine tailings, characterized by near-neutral pH pore water, were amended with <1 dry wt % organic carbon. The geochemical evolution of pore water was monitored for four years. The results demonstrate that organic carbon supported dissimilatory sulfate reduction (DSR) in the vadose zone. Decreases in dissolved SO_4 and S_2O_3 were accompanied by H_2S production, increased populations of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), ~(34)S-SO_4 enrichment and undersaturation of pore water with respect to gypsum [CaSO_4·2H_2O]. The mass of dissolved S decreased by >45% during the monitoring period, which coincided with the removal of Zn, Sb, and TI. Mobilization of Fe and As occurred initially; however, subsequent decreases in aqueous concentrations were observed. Mineralogical investigation confirmed the presence of secondary Fe-S and Zn-Fe-S phases. Amendment of tailings with a small and dispersed mass of organic carbon resulted in a general decrease in mass transport of sulfide oxidation products.