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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Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-08-01
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Series: | Minerals |
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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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format | Article |
id | doaj.art-153f71f8a2ae471ea6b1a8ce6b205dc4 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2075-163X |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:11:44Z |
publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Minerals |
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 |