Environmental behaviour of indium at metalliferous mine sites: Principles, processes and prediction

金属矿区铟的环境行为：原理、过程和预测

• 批准号: 289022341
• 负责人: Professor Dr. Bernd Lottermoser
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences (CODES)
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2015-12-31 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/289022341?language=en
• 关键词: Environmental; behaviour; indium; metalliferous; mine

Despite the fact that indium is one of critical raw materials that are essential to modern life, our scientific knowledge of indium is characterised by a near total lack of understanding of its environmental behaviour in natural systems. Environmental studies rarely go beyond the basic reporting of indium concentrations. Yet without an understanding of the fundamental environmental behaviour of this element, exploitation of indium ore deposits and secondary resources will represent a major impediment to the sustainable development of indium resources. In particular, there is an urgent need for a sound scientific knowledge on the environmental behaviour of indium because there is considerable evidence suggesting that indium compounds have substantial, if not extreme toxicity. In recognition of our enduring ignorance of environmental aspects of indium, the scientific objectives of this project will focus on understanding the environmental behaviour of indium at historic mine sites. Metalliferous mine sites with their waste repositories represent excellent natural laboratories, where weathering reactions of mine wastes and dispersion processes of elements into surrounding environments can be studied. This project will determine the environmental behaviour of indium at renowned indium-rich base metal mine sites of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (Spain, Portugal). Recognising of our enduring ignorance about indium, the focus of this project will be on three fundamental objectives and determine:a. which minerals contain indium in mine wastes; b. which parameters control the mobility and dispersion of indium into the environment and its transfer into surface waters and acid mine drainage precipitates; and c. what tools are available to predict the mobilisation of indium from solid mine wastes into mine waters. This project is the first of its kind to investigate aspects that have not previously been studied. It is this uniqueness that offers significant science opportunities to conduct research of international significance. This project will substantially advance our understanding of the environmental properties and behaviour of indium at metalliferous mine sites, leading to more sustainable mineral resource development.

尽管铟是现代生活中必不可少的关键原材料之一，但我们对铟的科学知识的特点是几乎完全缺乏对其在自然系统中的环境行为的了解。环境研究很少超越铟浓度的基本报告。然而，如果不了解这种元素的基本环境行为，铟矿床和次生资源的开发将成为铟资源可持续发展的主要障碍。特别是，迫切需要对铟的环境行为有充分的科学知识，因为有相当多的证据表明，铟化合物即使没有极端的毒性，也有很大的毒性。认识到我们对铟的环境方面的长期无知，该项目的科学目标将侧重于了解历史矿址中铟的环境行为。金属矿场及其废物储存库是极好的天然实验室，可以在那里研究矿山废物的风化反应和元素向周围环境的扩散过程。该项目将确定伊比利亚硫铁矿带(西班牙、葡萄牙)著名的富铟贱金属矿场中铟的环境行为。认识到我们对铟的长期无知，该项目的重点将放在三个基本目标上，并确定：a.矿山废物中含有铟的矿物；b.哪些参数控制铟在环境中的迁移和扩散，以及它向地表水和酸性矿山废水沉淀物的转移；以及c.有什么工具可以预测铟从固体矿山废物转移到矿山水中的情况。这个项目是第一个研究以前没有研究过的方面的同类项目。正是这种独特性为开展具有国际意义的研究提供了重大的科学机会。该项目将极大地促进我们对金属矿场中铟的环境特性和行为的了解，从而导致更可持续的矿产资源开发。