NDLI: Antimony Mobilization through Two Contrasting Gold Ore Processing Systems, New Zealand

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Milham, Lisa Craw, Dave
Copyright Year	2009
Abstract	Antimony, a toxic metalloid similar to arsenic, is present at variable levels in most gold-bearing rocks. Antimony is soluble in the surface environment, so antimony (Sb) mobilization in mine waters is an environmental issue around gold mines. The Reefton gold mine was originally developed in gold-bearing quartz veins; Sb concentrations were low (<100 mg/kg) compared to arsenic (As) concentrations (>1,000 mg/kg), and the mine waters had low dissolved Sb (<0.1 mg/L). A second stage of gold mineralization at Reefton involved brecciation and cataclasis of quartz veins and wall rocks, with addition of stibnite (Sb$_{2}$S$_{3}$). Processing of this ore has resulted in higher dissolved Sb in mine waters (0.1–1 mg/L), even after water treatment that removes most dissolved As (to 0.01 mg/L) by adsorption to suspended iron oxyhydroxide. Competition between As and Sb for adsorption sites on iron oxyhydroxide particles may have resulted in partial exclusion of the more weakly adsorbed Sb. The high rainfall (2,000 mm/year) at Reefton ensures adequate dilution of mine waters after discharge. The Macraes gold mine has no stibnite, and most Sb is in solid solution in the abundant arsenopyrite (Sb up to 2,000 mg/kg). Pit waters have both Sb and As dissolved up to 0.1 mg/L, partly because of evaporative concentration in a low-rainfall environment. Macraes tailings waters have high As (up to 3 mg/L) but negligible Sb (<0.001 mg/L). Reefton mine gold-bearing concentrate, containing stibnite, is transported 700 km to be processed by autoclave oxidation and cyanidation at the Macraes mine. This introduction of additional Sb to the Macraes site substantially increases the Sb content of the process stream periodically. Tailings from this process have up to 3 wt% Sb, dispersed through As-rich iron oxyhydroxides that are formed in the autoclave. The Sb-rich tailings are strongly diluted (approximately 100:1) by the Macraes tailings, and adsorption of Sb to iron oxyhydroxides in the tailings piles ensures that there has been no increase in the Sb content of the tailings water since the Reefton concentrate has been added at Macraes.
Starting Page	136
Ending Page	145
Page Count	10
File Format	PDF
ISSN	10259112
Journal	Mine Water and the Environment
Volume Number	28
Issue Number	2
e-ISSN	16161068
Language	English
Publisher	Springer-Verlag
Publisher Date	2009-04-22
Publisher Institution	International Mine Water Association (IMWA)
Publisher Place	Berlin, Heidelberg
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Adsorption Antimony Arsenic Arsenopyrite Iron oxyhydroxide Stibnite Ecotoxicology Energy Economics Sedimentology Hydrogeology Geology
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Water Science and Technology Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology

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