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

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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.