Application of multivariate methods and hydrochemical model to evaluate industrial mine water discharges from the phosphate beneficiation process, Eshidiya mine, southeast Jordan.

The industrial mine water produced by the Eshidiya phosphate mines posed discharge, safe storage, and reuse challenges. This study aimed to evaluate the hydrogeochemical characteristics of the mine water using physicochemical and biological analysis, the Piper model, the Durov model, and the saturation index model. Industrial mine water could be classified into three groups: the salinity type (SO₄²⁻–Cl⁻–HCO₃–NO₃⁻–Mg²⁺–K⁺), the carbonate flour apatite mineral (francolite) type (PO₄²⁻–Ca²⁺–Na⁺–F⁻), and the decompose organic type (DO, BOD, and COD). Two factors explained 73% of chemical variances: factor 1 (Mg²⁺, K⁺, HCO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻, and NO₃⁻) and factor 2 (PO₄²⁻, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, and F⁻), which were regarded as indicative ions of the mineral–water interaction and the carbonate flour apatite mineral (francolite), respectively. The Na⁺–Cl⁻-type water (90%) was the dominant water type, which was followed by Ca⁺–Na⁺–HCO₃ (10%). The Durov model diagrams displayed three hydrochemical facies: Na⁺–Ca²⁺–Cl⁻ (80%), Na⁺–Cl⁻ (10%), and Ca⁺–Mg²⁺–HCO₃⁻ (10%). Most of the mine water was saturated with major minerals, such as francolite, calcite, dolomite, aragonite, and fluorite, which might result from the water–rock interaction in phosphate beneficiation process. The unsaturation state of evaporite minerals, such as halite, gypsum, and anhydrite, indicated a low contribution of mineral–water interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]