Impact of Variability in Precipitation Patterns on the Geochemistry of Pyritic Uranium Tailings Rehabilitated with Saturated Cover Technology
Increasing variability in precipitation patterns is expected to result from climate change in Canada. This effect has the potential to affect the performances of saturated covers in inhibiting acid rock drainage (ARD) and metal leaching (ML) processes. Because ARD and ML may cause the release of del...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Mining |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6489/2/2/20 |
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| author | Roselyne Gagné-Turcotte Nicolas Reynier Dominic Larivière Nail R. Zagrtdenov Richard Goulet Philippa Huntsman |
| author_facet | Roselyne Gagné-Turcotte Nicolas Reynier Dominic Larivière Nail R. Zagrtdenov Richard Goulet Philippa Huntsman |
| author_sort | Roselyne Gagné-Turcotte |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Increasing variability in precipitation patterns is expected to result from climate change in Canada. This effect has the potential to affect the performances of saturated covers in inhibiting acid rock drainage (ARD) and metal leaching (ML) processes. Because ARD and ML may cause the release of deleterious chemical species into the environment, such climate-change-driven impact was investigated using trickle leach columns. The physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics of the tailings as well as chemical composition of the leachate were measured before and after the column study. Results from the experiment showed that higher variability in precipitation regimes could enhance leaching of uranium. Leaching ranged from 67.1 to 90.1% of the total amount of U, with greater values associated with higher variability in precipitation patterns. Lower water levels and prolonged drought periods led to higher oxygen fluxes to the U tailings and dissolution of carbonate-bearing minerals. The release of carbonates could have enhanced uranium leaching through the formation of stable uranium-carbonate complexes in solution. Overall, this study shows that water level variation caused by varying precipitation patterns can significantly affect the drainage chemistry of saturated cover systems for which the level fluctuates freely near the tailings–cover interface. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:57:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fdeabaab420943258d6ef121927bc450 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-6489 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:57:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Mining |
| spelling | doaj.art-fdeabaab420943258d6ef121927bc4502023-11-23T18:08:01ZengMDPI AGMining2673-64892022-06-012238540110.3390/mining2020020Impact of Variability in Precipitation Patterns on the Geochemistry of Pyritic Uranium Tailings Rehabilitated with Saturated Cover TechnologyRoselyne Gagné-Turcotte0Nicolas Reynier1Dominic Larivière2Nail R. Zagrtdenov3Richard Goulet4Philippa Huntsman5CanmetMINING, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4, CanadaCanmetMINING, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4, CanadaDepartment of Chemistry, Laval University, Quebec, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaCanmetMINING, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4, CanadaCanmetMINING, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4, CanadaCanmetMINING, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4, CanadaIncreasing variability in precipitation patterns is expected to result from climate change in Canada. This effect has the potential to affect the performances of saturated covers in inhibiting acid rock drainage (ARD) and metal leaching (ML) processes. Because ARD and ML may cause the release of deleterious chemical species into the environment, such climate-change-driven impact was investigated using trickle leach columns. The physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics of the tailings as well as chemical composition of the leachate were measured before and after the column study. Results from the experiment showed that higher variability in precipitation regimes could enhance leaching of uranium. Leaching ranged from 67.1 to 90.1% of the total amount of U, with greater values associated with higher variability in precipitation patterns. Lower water levels and prolonged drought periods led to higher oxygen fluxes to the U tailings and dissolution of carbonate-bearing minerals. The release of carbonates could have enhanced uranium leaching through the formation of stable uranium-carbonate complexes in solution. Overall, this study shows that water level variation caused by varying precipitation patterns can significantly affect the drainage chemistry of saturated cover systems for which the level fluctuates freely near the tailings–cover interface.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6489/2/2/20acid rock drainagemetal leachingsaturated coverclimate changeuraniummining residue |
| spellingShingle | Roselyne Gagné-Turcotte Nicolas Reynier Dominic Larivière Nail R. Zagrtdenov Richard Goulet Philippa Huntsman Impact of Variability in Precipitation Patterns on the Geochemistry of Pyritic Uranium Tailings Rehabilitated with Saturated Cover Technology Mining acid rock drainage metal leaching saturated cover climate change uranium mining residue |
| title | Impact of Variability in Precipitation Patterns on the Geochemistry of Pyritic Uranium Tailings Rehabilitated with Saturated Cover Technology |
| title_full | Impact of Variability in Precipitation Patterns on the Geochemistry of Pyritic Uranium Tailings Rehabilitated with Saturated Cover Technology |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Variability in Precipitation Patterns on the Geochemistry of Pyritic Uranium Tailings Rehabilitated with Saturated Cover Technology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Variability in Precipitation Patterns on the Geochemistry of Pyritic Uranium Tailings Rehabilitated with Saturated Cover Technology |
| title_short | Impact of Variability in Precipitation Patterns on the Geochemistry of Pyritic Uranium Tailings Rehabilitated with Saturated Cover Technology |
| title_sort | impact of variability in precipitation patterns on the geochemistry of pyritic uranium tailings rehabilitated with saturated cover technology |
| topic | acid rock drainage metal leaching saturated cover climate change uranium mining residue |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6489/2/2/20 |
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