Characterisation of Antimony-bearing Scorodite for Remediation of Toxic Mine Waste

用于修复有毒矿山废物的含锑臭葱石的表征

• 批准号: NE/J01303X/1
• 负责人: Karen Hudson-Edwards
• 金额: $ 6.26万
• 依托单位: Birkbeck, University of London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2012 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FJ01303X%2F1
• 关键词: Characterisation; Antimony; bearing; Scorodite; Remediation

Since the dawn of civilization, humankind has been extracting metals and minerals for the production of goods, energy and buildings. These activities have created great wealth, but they have also produced huge quantities of solid and liquid waste, known collectively as 'mine waste'. It has been estimated that the quantity of solid mine waste generated throughout the world matches that of Earth materials moved by fundamental global geological processes, at approximately several thousand million tonnes per year. Mine wastes contain toxic antimony (Sb) in concentrations that pose serious hazards to ecosystems, health and livelihoods. Humans can develop problems such as DNA damage and lung cancer from ingestion or inhalation of Sb-bearing particles. The risks posed by exposure to Sb can be mitigated by the formation of insoluble minerals that take up the Sb so it has low bioaccessibility. One such mineral is scorodite, hydrated iron arsenate oxide (FeAsO4.2H20). No one has evaluated the potential for scorodite to take up Sb, even though Sb and As (arsenic) have similar chemical properties, and they have been shown to substitute for one another in other minerals. We have discovered an Sb-rich scorodite in decomposed mine tailings from Bolivia, but the full potential of scorodite to take up Sb has not been investigated. Therefore, this study is aimed at answering the questions 'How efficient is scorodite at taking up Sb compared to As?', What are the chemical and mineralogical properties of Sb-rich scorodites?', and 'What are the predicted bioaccessibilities of Sb-bearing scorodites?' By answering these questions, we will be able to design schemes for remediating Sb-contaminated mine wastes using Sb-bearing scorodites, and thus improve the lives of 10s to 100s of thousands of people worldwide.

自文明诞生以来，人类一直在开采金属和矿物，用于生产商品、能源和建筑物。这些活动创造了巨大财富，但也产生了大量固体和液体废物，统称为“矿山废物”。据估计，世界各地产生的固体矿山废物的数量与基本全球地质过程移动的地球物质的数量相当，每年约为几十亿吨。矿山废物含有有毒锑，其浓度对生态系统、健康和生计构成严重危害。人类可能会因摄入或吸入含Sb颗粒而出现DNA损伤和肺癌等问题。通过形成不溶性矿物质吸收Sb，可以减轻接触Sb带来的风险，因此Sb具有低生物可及性。一种这样的矿物是臭葱石，水合砷酸铁氧化物（FeAsO4.2H2O）。没有人评估臭葱石吸收Sb的潜力，尽管Sb和As（砷）具有相似的化学性质，并且它们已被证明在其他矿物中相互替代。我们已经在玻利维亚的分解尾矿中发现了一种富含Sb的臭葱石，但臭葱石吸收Sb的全部潜力尚未得到研究。因此，本研究旨在回答这样的问题：臭葱石吸收Sb的效率如何？富Sb臭葱石的化学和矿物学性质是什么？和“含Sb臭葱石的预测生物副产物是什么？“通过回答这些问题，我们将能够设计使用含Sb臭葱石修复Sb污染矿山废物的方案，从而改善全球数十至数十万人的生活。

项目成果

Scorodite precipitation in the presence of antimony

• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.04.013
• 发表时间: 2015-06
• 期刊: Chemical Geology
• 影响因子: 3.9
• 作者: D. Kossoff;Mark D. Welch;K. Hudson-Edwards