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Remediation experiment of Ecuadorian acid mine drainage: geochemical models of dissolved species and secondary minerals saturation

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Abstract

Acid mine drainage is one of the main environmental hazards to ecosystems worldwide and it is directly related to mining activities. In Ecuador, such acidic-metallic waters are drained to rivers without treatment. In this research, we tested a laboratory combined (Ca-Mg) Dispersed Alkaline Substrate (DAS) system as an alternative to remediate acid drainage from the Zaruma-Portovelo gold mining site, at El Oro, Ecuador. The system worked at low and high flow hydraulic rates during a period of 8 months, without signs of saturation.. Analysis of physico-chemical parameters and water composition (ICP-OES, ICP-MS) demonstrated that treatment effectively increased water pH and promoted the retention of about 80% of Fe, Al, Mn and Cu. Under acid conditions As, Cr and Pb concentrations decreased with Fe and possible precipitation of jarosite and schwertmannite. However, the homogeneous depletion of Cr at pH above 6 could be related to ferrihydrite or directly with Cr (OH)3 precipitation. After DAS-Ca, sulphate, phosphate and rare earth elements (REE) concentrations decreased to 1912, 0.85 and 0.07 mg/L respectively, while DAS-Mg contributed to form a complex model of minor carbonate and phosphate phases as main sink of REE. DAS-Mg also promoted the retention of most divalent metals at pH values over seven. Thus, this low cost treatment could avoid environmental pollution and international conflicts. Anyway, further investigations are needed to obtain higher Zn retention values.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the material and human resources displayed from INIGEMM (Ecuadorian National Research Institute of Geology, Mining and Metallurgy) and CIMA (Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, Algarve University) to favour this research.

Funding

This work was supported by PROMETEO Ecuadorian program (Secretary of Superior Education, Science, Technology and Innovation) in the framework of the project “Experiencia Piloto en la Remediación y Mitigación de la Oxidación de Sulfuros y la Generación de AMD en Relaveras del Distrito Minero de Zaruma-Portovelo”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical, Chemical and Natural Environments, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Pablo de Olavide University, 41013, Seville, Spain

    Joaquín Delgado

  2. Centre for Marine and Environmental Research, Faculty of Science and Technology, Algarve University, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal

    Joaquín Delgado & Tomasz Boski

  3. Department of Crystallography, Mineralogy and Agricultural Chemistry. Faculty of Chemistry, Seville University, 41012, Seville, Spain

    Cinta Barba-Brioso

  4. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Biogeochemistry Dual Major Program, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16802, USA

    Diana Ayala

  5. National Research Institute of Geology, Mining and Metallurgy, 170124, Quito, Ecuador

    Sandra Torres, Edmundo Calderón & Flavio López

  6. Central University of Ecuador, 170129, Quito, Ecuador

    Flavio López

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  1. Joaquín Delgado
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  2. Cinta Barba-Brioso
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Delgado, J., Barba-Brioso, C., Ayala, D. et al. Remediation experiment of Ecuadorian acid mine drainage: geochemical models of dissolved species and secondary minerals saturation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 34854–34872 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06539-3

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