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

尽管铟是现代生活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对其在自然系统中的环境行为几乎完全缺乏了解。环境研究很少超出铟浓度的基本报告。然而，如果不了解这一元素的基本环境行为，对铟矿床和二次资源的开采将对铟资源的可持续发展构成重大障碍。特别是，迫切需要关于铟的环境行为的可靠科学知识，因为有相当多的证据表明，铟化合物即使不是极端毒性，也具有很大的毒性。认识到我们对铟的环境方面的长期无知，这个项目的科学目标将集中在了解铟在历史矿山遗址的环境行为。含金属矿山及其废物储存库是极好的自然实验室，在这里可以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黄铁矿带（西班牙、葡萄牙）著名富铟贱金属矿地点的铟的环境行为。认识到我们对铟的长期无知，这个项目的重点将放在三个基本目标上，并确定：矿山废弃物中哪些矿物含铟；B.哪些参数控制铟在环境中的迁移和分散，以及它向地表水和酸性矿井排水沉淀物的转移；c.有哪些工具可用于预测固体矿山废物中铟进入矿山水体的动员。这个项目是同类项目中第一个研究以前没有研究过的方面。正是这种独特性为开展具有国际意义的研究提供了重要的科学机会。该项目将大大提高我们对金属矿山中铟的环境特性和行为的理解，从而实现更可持续的矿产资源开发。

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.