Arsenic and antimony immobilization from mineral processing solutions and waste waters

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The increased extraction of mineral resources and mining activities have added pressure on the environment, therefore it is imperative that proper processes for water/waste management are developed. Arsenic and antimony are among the toxic elements which are usually released into the environment from mining activities. The mining operations at the Giant Mine gold mine in the Northwest Territories, which was operated from 1948 to 2004, have created 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide dust. Arsenic trioxide is soluble in water and has contaminated soil and buildings in the surrounding area. In another case, arsenic concentrations of up 100 mg/L were detected in the tailing porewater (underground water) of Campbell Mine, Balmertown, ON. This arsenic level is 10,000 times higher than the maximum acceptable arsenic level by Canadian drinking water quality standard, which is 0.010 mg/L.