1. Particle-facilitated lead and arsenic transport in abandoned mine sites soil influenced by simulated acid rain
- Author
-
Lin Qi, Chen Xin-cai, Hu Shaoping, Chen Yingxu, and Shi Jiyan
- Subjects
Environmental Engineering ,Scanning electron microscope ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Mineralogy ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Acid Rain ,Mining ,Arsenic ,Adsorption ,Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ,Silicate minerals ,Soil Pollutants ,Environmental Chemistry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,General Medicine ,General Chemistry ,Infiltration (HVAC) ,Pollution ,Soil contamination ,Tailings ,Lead ,chemistry ,Environmental chemistry ,Acid rain ,Water Pollutants, Chemical - Abstract
The role of acid rain in affecting Pb and As transport from mine tailings was investigated by pumping simulated acid rain at a infiltration rate of 10.2 cm/h through soil columns. Simulated acid rain with pH of 3.0, 4.5 and 5.6 were used as leaching solutions. Results showed that 86.9-95.9% of Pb and 90-91.8% of As eluted from the columns were adsorbed by particles in the leachates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that particles released from the columns were mainly composed of flocculated aggregates and plate or rod shaped discrete grains. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) showed that these particles were predominantly silicate minerals. Results from our experiments demonstrated that when rapid infiltration conditions or a rainstorm exist, particle-facilitated transport of contaminants is likely to the dominant metal transport pathway influenced by acid rain.
- Published
- 2008