A multidisciplinary characterization of a tailings pond in the Linares-La Carolina mining district, Spain

Martínez, Julián; Hidalgo, M. Carmen; Rey, J.; Garrido, Jesús; Kohfahl, Claus; Benavente, J.; Rojas, Diego

doi:10.1016/j.gexplo.2015.12.013

Cited by 31 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Regarding the application of electrical techniques for the characterization of mine waste deposits, good examples can be found in [32,33]. The ERI technique has mainly been used on waste piles [34] and tailings dams [35], whereas few studies have focused on the internal structure of mine tailings ponds (e.g., [2,[11][12][13][14][36][37][38][39]). To combine a good penetration depth, a reasonable vertical and horizontal resolution, and a good signal-to-noise ratio, the Wenner-Schlumberger array was chosen for this study.…”

Section: Non-destructive Geophysical Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abandoned Mine Tailings Affecting Riverbed Sediments in the Cartagena–La Union District, Mediterranean Coastal Area (Spain)

et al. 2020

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This study presents the results of the geoenvironmental characterization of La Matildes riverbed, affected by mine tailings in the Cartagena–La Unión district, Murcia (southeast Spain). Soils and riverbeds in this area are highly polluted. Two Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) profiles were carried out to obtain information about the thickness of the deposits and their internal structure. For the mine tailings deposits of La Murla, a tributary of the El Miedo riverbed, the geophysical method imaged two different units: the upper one characterized by low resistivity values and 5–8 m thickness, correlated with the mine tailings deposits; and the lower more resistive unit corresponding to the Paleozoic metasediments bedrock. The ERI profile transverse to the Las Matildes dry riverbed revealed the existence of three different units. The uppermost one has the lowest resistivity values and corresponds to the tailings deposits discharged to the riverbeds. An intermediate unit, with intermediate resistivity values, corresponds to the riverbed sediments before the mining operations. The lower unit is more resistive and corresponds to the bedrock. Significant amounts of pyrite, sphalerite, and galena were found both in tailings and riverbed sediments. The geochemical composition of borehole samples from the riverbed materials shows significantly high contents of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn being released to the environment. Mining works have modified the natural landscape near La Unión town. Surface extraction in three open-pit mines have changed the summits of Sierra de Cartagena–La Unión. Rock and metallurgical wastes have altered the drainage pattern and buried the headwaters of ephemeral channels. The environmental hazards require remediation to minimize the environmental impact on the Mar Menor coastal lagoon, one of the most touristic areas in SE Spain.

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Section: Non-destructive Geophysical Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abandoned Mine Tailings Affecting Riverbed Sediments in the Cartagena–La Union District, Mediterranean Coastal Area (Spain)

et al. 2020

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“…These conditions pose an environmental hazard, due to the lack of preventive measures in the design (conditioning and waterproofing of the site). Failure to seal and revegetate these abandoned sites have exposed the structures to the action of atmospheric agents [3][4][5][6][7]. Mobilization of the metal(oid)s present in such wastes affects the surrounding soils and channels, as has been shown, for example, in Goseong (Korea), where high levels of Cu, Pb, As, and Zn have been measured and detected in crops [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Tailings Dams by Electrical Geophysical Methods (ERT, IP): Federico Mine (La Carolina, Southeastern Spain)

et al. 2021

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This work analyzed the effectiveness of two electrical geophysical methods in characte-rizing tailings dams. A large flotation cell used for sludge thickening in the concentration plant of the Federico Mine (closed in 1985) within the old mining district of La Carolina (southeastern Spain) was selected for this research. In addition to the direct information provided by the geology of the study area and the surface exposure of the waste deposits, information regarding the construction of this mining structure was available, which helped in the interpretations of the geophysical survey data. In this study, two geophysical surveying methods were used simultaneously: Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and induced polarization (IP). Six profiles were acquired, processed, and interpreted. The length of the profiles allowed the obtaining of data reaching maximum investigation depths ranging between 7 and 65 m. These profiles provided information for a detailed analysis of the internal characteristics of the deposited materials. The lateral and vertical observed variations are linked to different degrees of moisture content. The study also defines the geometry of the top of the bedrock and the tectonics that affect the pouring/dumping hole. Old flotation sludge has resistivity values that range between 1 and 100 Ωm (i.e., wet waste 1–30 Ωm, dry waste 30–100 Ωm), while phyllites in the rocky substrate have resistivities larger than 200 Ωm and can even reach va-lues greater than 1000 Ωm. Between the waste and unaltered phyllites, there is a supergene alteration zone (weathering) with resistivity values between 100 and 200 Ωm. The IP method was used to detect the presence of metals in the accumulated waste in the pond by analyzing the presence of large chargeability anomalies. Anomalies were detected in four of the profiles, which ranged from low (i.e., between 0 and 8 mV/V) to medium (i.e., between 8 and 18 mV/V) and high values (i.e., 18 and >30 mV/V).

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“…The combination of geophysical and geochemical techniques, together with the use of statistical techniques, can be an adequate methodology for determining the physicochemical properties and identifying the processes that take place inside the waste [9][10][11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This lengthy period of mining activity has left numerous wastes on the ground from both the extractive activity and the concentration and smelting processes. Environmentally, these wastes are potentially dangerous and have been deposited in sites lacking any previous adaptation or remediation after abandonment, given that, at that time, environmental regulations were very lax [10,[12][13][14][15]. An old dam of flotation wastes from the Federico Mine was selected, located in the drainage basin of the Grande River (Figure 1a,b), whose waters feed the Rumblar reservoir, intended for human consumption and irrigation [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of the Pb Content in a Tailings Dam Using a Linear Regression Model Based on the Chargeability and Resistivity Values of the Wastes (La Carolina Mining District, Spain)

et al. 2021

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The study area is located in the old mining district of Linares–La Carolina (southeastern Spain), the largest global producer of lead between 1875 and 1920. The selected environmental liability is the dam of the Federico mine and the waste that was generated during the flotation process. Geophysical techniques were applied along the slope of the dam, specifically ERT and IP. In total, 26 waste samples were taken along the entire slope of the dam, in which a high metal(oid) content was identified, sometimes much higher than the reference levels established by European and regional legislation for contaminated soils. The concentrations of Pb, As, and Ba stood out, with mean values of 4863 mg.kg−1, 89 mg.kg−1, and 794 mg.kg−1, respectively. Univariate and multivariate statistical analysis could characterize the distribution of the contents of the different elements along the slope, defining the associations and dispersion patterns of the metal(oid)s in the interior structure of the mine wastes. With the results of the Pb content (the most abundant metal in mineral paragenesis), a mathematical model was obtained by linear regression that related the variability of this cation with the variation in electrical resistivity and chargeability obtained by geophysical techniques.

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A multidisciplinary characterization of a tailings pond in the Linares-La Carolina mining district, Spain

Cited by 31 publications

References 32 publications

Abandoned Mine Tailings Affecting Riverbed Sediments in the Cartagena–La Union District, Mediterranean Coastal Area (Spain)

Abandoned Mine Tailings Affecting Riverbed Sediments in the Cartagena–La Union District, Mediterranean Coastal Area (Spain)

Characterization of Tailings Dams by Electrical Geophysical Methods (ERT, IP): Federico Mine (La Carolina, Southeastern Spain)

Estimation of the Pb Content in a Tailings Dam Using a Linear Regression Model Based on the Chargeability and Resistivity Values of the Wastes (La Carolina Mining District, Spain)

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