Mine Waste Rock: Insights for Sustainable Hydrogeochemical Management

Mismanagement of mine waste rock can mobilize acidity, metal (loid)s, and other contaminants, and thereby negatively affect downstream environments. Hence, strategic long-term planning is required to prevent and mitigate deleterious environmental impacts. Technical frameworks to support waste-rock m...

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Main Authors: Bas Vriens, Benoît Plante, Nicolas Seigneur, Heather Jamieson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-08-01
Series:Minerals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/9/728
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author Bas Vriens
Benoît Plante
Nicolas Seigneur
Heather Jamieson
author_facet Bas Vriens
Benoît Plante
Nicolas Seigneur
Heather Jamieson
author_sort Bas Vriens
collection DOAJ
description Mismanagement of mine waste rock can mobilize acidity, metal (loid)s, and other contaminants, and thereby negatively affect downstream environments. Hence, strategic long-term planning is required to prevent and mitigate deleterious environmental impacts. Technical frameworks to support waste-rock management have existed for decades and typically combine static and kinetic testing, field-scale experiments, and sometimes reactive-transport models. Yet, the design and implementation of robust long-term solutions remains challenging to date, due to site-specificity in the generated waste rock and local weathering conditions, physicochemical heterogeneity in large-scale systems, and the intricate coupling between chemical kinetics and mass- and heat-transfer processes. This work reviews recent advances in our understanding of the hydrogeochemical behavior of mine waste rock, including improved laboratory testing procedures, innovative analytical techniques, multi-scale field investigations, and reactive-transport modeling. Remaining knowledge-gaps pertaining to the processes involved in mine waste weathering and their parameterization are identified. Practical and sustainable waste-rock management decisions can to a large extent be informed by evidence-based simplification of complex waste-rock systems and through targeted quantification of a limited number of physicochemical parameters. Future research on the key (bio)geochemical processes and transport dynamics in waste-rock piles is essential to further optimize management and minimize potential negative environmental impacts.
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spelling doaj.art-153f71f8a2ae471ea6b1a8ce6b205dc42023-11-20T10:37:28ZengMDPI AGMinerals2075-163X2020-08-0110972810.3390/min10090728Mine Waste Rock: Insights for Sustainable Hydrogeochemical ManagementBas Vriens0Benoît Plante1Nicolas Seigneur2Heather Jamieson3Department of Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering, Queen’s University, 36 Union St W, Kingston, ON K7N1A1, CanadaInstitut de Recherche en Mines et en Environnement, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue. 445 boulevard de l’Université, Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9X 5E4, CanadaMINES ParisTech, PSL University, Centre de Géosciences, 35 rue St Honoré, 77300 Fontainebleau, FranceDepartment of Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering, Queen’s University, 36 Union St W, Kingston, ON K7N1A1, CanadaMismanagement of mine waste rock can mobilize acidity, metal (loid)s, and other contaminants, and thereby negatively affect downstream environments. Hence, strategic long-term planning is required to prevent and mitigate deleterious environmental impacts. Technical frameworks to support waste-rock management have existed for decades and typically combine static and kinetic testing, field-scale experiments, and sometimes reactive-transport models. Yet, the design and implementation of robust long-term solutions remains challenging to date, due to site-specificity in the generated waste rock and local weathering conditions, physicochemical heterogeneity in large-scale systems, and the intricate coupling between chemical kinetics and mass- and heat-transfer processes. This work reviews recent advances in our understanding of the hydrogeochemical behavior of mine waste rock, including improved laboratory testing procedures, innovative analytical techniques, multi-scale field investigations, and reactive-transport modeling. Remaining knowledge-gaps pertaining to the processes involved in mine waste weathering and their parameterization are identified. Practical and sustainable waste-rock management decisions can to a large extent be informed by evidence-based simplification of complex waste-rock systems and through targeted quantification of a limited number of physicochemical parameters. Future research on the key (bio)geochemical processes and transport dynamics in waste-rock piles is essential to further optimize management and minimize potential negative environmental impacts.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/9/728mine wastedrainagewater qualitygeochemistryhydrogeologymodelling
spellingShingle Bas Vriens
Benoît Plante
Nicolas Seigneur
Heather Jamieson
Mine Waste Rock: Insights for Sustainable Hydrogeochemical Management
Minerals
mine waste
drainage
water quality
geochemistry
hydrogeology
modelling
title Mine Waste Rock: Insights for Sustainable Hydrogeochemical Management
title_full Mine Waste Rock: Insights for Sustainable Hydrogeochemical Management
title_fullStr Mine Waste Rock: Insights for Sustainable Hydrogeochemical Management
title_full_unstemmed Mine Waste Rock: Insights for Sustainable Hydrogeochemical Management
title_short Mine Waste Rock: Insights for Sustainable Hydrogeochemical Management
title_sort mine waste rock insights for sustainable hydrogeochemical management
topic mine waste
drainage
water quality
geochemistry
hydrogeology
modelling
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/10/9/728
work_keys_str_mv AT basvriens minewasterockinsightsforsustainablehydrogeochemicalmanagement
AT benoitplante minewasterockinsightsforsustainablehydrogeochemicalmanagement
AT nicolasseigneur minewasterockinsightsforsustainablehydrogeochemicalmanagement
AT heatherjamieson minewasterockinsightsforsustainablehydrogeochemicalmanagement