Mineralogical Characterization for Reducing the Environmental Impact of Mining Rare Metals

减少稀有金属开采对环境影响的矿物学表征

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-03736
• 负责人: Jamieson, Heather
• 金额: $ 3.5万
• 依托单位: Queen's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=614589
• 关键词: Mineralogical; Characterization; Reducing; Environmental; Impact

The objective of my research program is to characterize the minerals or compounds that contain potentially hazardous metals in mine tailings, waste rock and contaminated dust, soils and sediments. By direct and quantitative identification of the host metal species, particle size and texture, I can predict whether metals will be released to the aquatic environment or retained in the solid waste in the form of secondary minerals. The results of this research will improve risk assessment and remediation design for proposed, operating and orphaned mines in Canada, especially in the Canadian North where much of the fieldwork will occur. The results will be useful to decision-makers such as government regulators, environmental consultants, mining companies, and nearby communities including First Nations. The broader scientific application is the clarification of the risk to human and ecological health associated with mine waste, and prediction of the long-term stability of these materials in the environment. The emphasis will be on particles that contain rare and understudied metals such as rare earth elements (REEs), indium, lithium, niobium and cobalt, some of which are termed critical or strategic metals as they are important for electronics, green technology and military applications. Very little is known about the controls on environmental mobility of these elements, such as the transformation of primary ore minerals to secondary weathering products, the importance of colloidal transport, or the long-term stability of the host minerals in tailings impoundments, wetlands and soils. I will build on my established expertise in characterizing mine waste materials contaminated with arsenic and antimony. Finding and identifying metal-bearing particles in tailings, soils, sediments and dust is challenging as they are usually small, rare, and poorly crystalline. Even for samples that exceed regulatory guidelines, the bulk concentration may be much less than 0.1%. Moreover, in most samples, there are multiple mineralogical hosts of metals, and distinguishing these and evaluating the relative proportions of the metal-hosting phases is important. Bioavailability and long-term stability depend on host mineral composition, its particle size, and textural relationships, such as encapsulation by other minerals. I have supervised 32 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the last six years, all of whom are working in the field of environmental geochemistry. The proposed program will train 11 HQP with exposure to advanced analytical techniques, world-class collaborators, extensive fieldwork, and interaction with the communities, policy makers and industry that would use their research. This program will benefit from my experience in the Canadian North and ongoing collaboration with mining companies, First Nations, and government agencies.

我的研究计划的目标是表征矿物质或化合物，含有潜在的有害金属尾矿，废石和污染的灰尘，土壤和沉积物。通过直接和定量鉴定的主金属的种类，颗粒大小和纹理，我可以预测金属是否会释放到水环境中或保留在固体废物中的次生矿物的形式。这项研究的结果将改善风险评估和补救设计的建议，经营和孤儿矿在加拿大，特别是在加拿大北部的大部分实地工作将发生。研究结果将对政府监管机构、环境顾问、矿业公司和包括原住民在内的附近社区等决策者有用。更广泛的科学应用是澄清与矿山废物有关的人类和生态健康风险，并预测这些材料在环境中的长期稳定性。 重点将放在含有稀土元素、铟、锂、铌和钴等稀有和研究不足的金属的颗粒上，其中一些被称为关键或战略金属，因为它们对电子、绿色技术和军事应用很重要。人们对这些元素的环境流动性的控制知之甚少，例如原生矿石矿物向次生风化产物的转化、胶体运输的重要性或尾矿库、湿地和土壤中的主矿物的长期稳定性。 我将利用我在确定受砷和锑污染的矿山废料特性方面的既定专业知识。在尾矿、土壤、沉积物和灰尘中发现和识别含金属颗粒具有挑战性，因为它们通常很小、很罕见，而且结晶度很差。即使对于超过监管指南的样品，本体浓度也可能远低于0.1%。此外，在大多数样品中，有多种金属矿物的主机，并区分这些和评估金属托管相的相对比例是很重要的。生物利用度和长期稳定性取决于宿主矿物组成、粒度和质地关系，如被其他矿物包裹。 在过去的六年里，我指导了32名研究生和博士后研究员，他们都在环境地球化学领域工作。该计划将培训11名HQP，他们将接触先进的分析技术，世界级的合作者，广泛的实地考察，以及与社区，政策制定者和将使用其研究的行业的互动。该计划将受益于我在加拿大北部的经验，以及与矿业公司、原住民和政府机构的持续合作。