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Heavy metal geochemistry of the acid mine drainage discharged from the Hejiacun uranium mine in central Hunan, China

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

The acid mine drainage (AMD) discharged from the Hejiacun uranium mine in central Hunan (China) was sampled and analyzed using ICP-MS techniques. The analyzing results show that the AMD is characterized by the major ions FeTotal, Mn, Al and Si, and is concentrated with heavy metals and metalloids including Cd, Co, Ni, Zn, U, Cu, Pb, Tl, V, Cr, Se, As and Sb. During the AMD flowing downstream, the dissolved heavy metals were removed from the AMD waters through adsorption onto and co-precipitation with metal-oxhydroxides coated on the streambed. Among these metals, Cd, Co, Ni, Zn, U, Cu, Pb and Tl are negatively correlated to pH values, and positively correlated to major ions Fe, Al, Si, Mn, Mg, Ca and K. The metals/metalloids V, Cr, Se, As and Sb are conservative in the AMD solution, and negatively-correlated to major ions Na, Ca and Mg. Due to the above different behaviors of these chemical elements, the pH-negatively related metals (PM) and the conservative metals (CM) are identified; the PM metals include Cd, Co, Ni, Zn, U, Cu, Pb and Tl, and the CM metals V, Cr, Se, As and Sb. Based on understanding the geochemistry of PM and CM metals in the AMD waters, a new equation: EXT = (Acidity + PM)/pH + CM × pH, is proposed to estimate and evaluate extent of heavy-metal pollution (EXT) of AMD. The evaluation results show that the AMD and surface waters of the mine area have high EXT values, and they could be the potential source of heavy-metal contamination of the surrounding environment. Therefore, it is suggested that both the AMD and surface waters should be treated before they are drained out of the mine district, for which the traditional dilution and neutralization methods can be applied to remove the PM metals from the AMD waters, and new techniques through reducing the pH value of the downstream AMD waters should be developed for removal of the CM metals.

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Acknowledgments

This study was subsidized by the National Scientific Foundation Committee of China (grant number 40572172). The authors wish to thank an anonymous reviewer who helped much to improve the quality of manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Resource and Environment Science, Hunan Normal University, 410081, Changsha, China

    Bo Peng, Xiaoyan Tang, Changxun Yu & Shurong Xie

  2. The Xiangya 3rd Hospital, Central-South University, 410013, Changsha, China

    Meilian Xiao & Zhi Song

  3. Guangzhu Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, 510640, Guangzhou, China

    Xianglin Tu

Authors
  1. Bo Peng
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  2. Xiaoyan Tang
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  3. Changxun Yu
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  4. Shurong Xie
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  5. Meilian Xiao
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  6. Zhi Song
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  7. Xianglin Tu
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Correspondence to Bo Peng.

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Peng, B., Tang, X., Yu, C. et al. Heavy metal geochemistry of the acid mine drainage discharged from the Hejiacun uranium mine in central Hunan, China. Environ Geol 57, 421–434 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1313-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1313-1

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