Assessment of Chemical and Biological Treatment Proceeses for the Reduction of Total Dissolved Solids in Tailing Ponds from Gold Mining Operations

巴里克黄金公司（巴里克）拥有并经营着许多依赖氰化物和硫代硫酸盐浸出工艺的金矿和加工厂。硫代硫酸盐沥滤是一种已知会产生高水平的总溶解固体（TDS）的工艺，在尾矿池中发现了高浓度的TDS。与弗莱明学院的水和废水技术促进中心（CAWT）合作，将在6个月的时间内使用小规模台式实验评估化学和生物处理工艺减少尾矿池沃茨TDS的能力。自6年前实施硫代硫酸盐浸出工艺以来，巴里克尾矿库的容量和TDS浓度持续增加。为了管理整个场地的水平衡，必须有一种减少TDS的方法。 这项应用研究的结果预计将为巴里克提供一个解决方案，他们可以扩大规模，并在其采矿过程中实施，使他们能够减少污染物，并在其工艺操作中重复使用处理过的水。

Barrick Gold Corporation (Barrick) owns and operates a number of gold mines and processing plants that rely on both cyanide and thiosulphate leaching processes. Thiosulphate leaching is a process known to produce high levels of total dissolved solids (TDS), with high concentrations of them found in tailings ponds. In collaboration with Fleming College's Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies (CAWT), chemical and biological treatment processes will be assessed over a 6-month duration using small scale benchtop experiments for their ability to reduce TDS in tailing pond waters. Since implementing thiosulphate leaching processes over 6 years ago, Barrick's tailing ponds have continued to increase in volume and in TDS concentration. To manage the water balance across the sites, having a method to reduce TDS is imperative. The results of this applied research are expected to provide Barrick with a solution they can scale up and implement in their mining processes, allowing them to reduce contaminants and reuse treated water in their process operations.