Contaminant source characterization of the San José Mine, Oruro, Bolivia

Banks, David; Holden, W.L.; Aguilar, Eduardo; Méndez, Carlos Hernán Herrera; Koller, D. C.; Andia, Zelmar; Rodríguez, José Manuel Fernández; Sæther, O. M.; Torrico, Armando; Veneros, Renato; Flores, J. Michel

doi:10.1144/gsl.sp.2002.198.01.14

Cited by 14 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Most of the samples collected in this study belong to this system. The results confirm the isotopic signature range identified in previous studies [4,7,11]. The third system is assumed as a transition between the modern flow system and an older, deeper one.…”

Section: Isotopic Compositions In Surface Water and Groundwatersupporting

confidence: 89%

“…Fluvial-lacustrine deposits, composed of clay and silt, cover large areas in the plain and prevent direct infiltration of surface water, causing floods during the rainy season [4,5,10]. Water retained at the surface evaporates by intense radiation, high temperatures during daylight hours, and high vapor pressure deficit, leaving salts encrusted in the soil matrix.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, their interpretation refers to a small area around the well field shown in Figure 2. The aquifer system is assumed to be a complex sedimentary unit, with horizontal and vertical continuity [2,4,6,7,12,17]. However, lenses with low hydraulic conductivity, mainly comprised of clay, exist in the stratification, but they are not large enough to isolate individual aquifers.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, lenses with low hydraulic conductivity, mainly comprised of clay, exist in the stratification, but they are not large enough to isolate individual aquifers. Banks et al (2002) [4] also proposed that the regional and deepest flow might be limited by a transition to a less permeable silty clay unit (Figure 2).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It runs off and reaches the aquifer system mainly through alluvial fans. The regional groundwater flows towards Lake Poopo, the lowest and predominant discharge zone in the enclosed catchment, though high extraction rates may be causing some shallow systems to flow towards a well-field in the middle of the study area [4][5][6][7]. Even if the conceptual description above has been established in previous basic studies, the region has been scarcely researched in the last decades.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Groundwater Origins and Circulation Patterns Based on Isotopes in Challapampa Aquifer, Bolivia

Lopez

Barmen

Rosberg

2016

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aridity and seasonality of precipitation are characteristics of the highland region in Bolivia. Groundwater becomes an important and safe source of water when surficial bodies are intermittent and affected by natural and anthropogenic contamination. Decades of exploitation of the Challapampa aquifer, combined with lack of information required to understand the groundwater circulation, represent a challenge for reservoir management. This study analyzes isotopic compositions of deuterium and oxygen-18 in different stages in the hydrologic cycle to assess flow patterns in the aquifer, especially in the alluvial fan of River Paria, where records are more extensive in space and time. Interpretations are based on existing and new data. Some implications, such as the age of water, the evaporation effect in groundwater and some thermal intrusions are supported by stable isotopes, tritium, radiocarbon, and electrical conductivity records. New results confirm that modern precipitation over the mountains surrounding the study area is the most important origin of water for shallow aquifers until exploited depths, 100 m below surface. The origin of water in deeper depths, 400 m, seems related to infiltration at higher altitudes and longer residence times.

show abstract

Section: Isotopic Compositions In Surface Water and Groundwatersupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Groundwater Origins and Circulation Patterns Based on Isotopes in Challapampa Aquifer, Bolivia

Lopez

Barmen

Rosberg

2016

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Modélisation et suivi de la remontée de l’eau de mine dans un complexe abandonné de mine de charbon: Mine de Siersza, Bassin houiller Haute Silésie, Pologne

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The flotation tailings of the former Pb-Zn mine of Touiref (NW Tunisia): mineralogy, mine drainage prediction, base-metal speciation assessment and geochemical modeling

Othmani

Souissi²,

Bouzahzah

et al. 2014

Environ Sci Pollut Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The underground extraction of Pb-Zn mineralization in the Touiref area stopped in 1958. A large volume of flotation tailings (more than 500 Mt) containing sulfides were deposited in a tailings impoundment. The goals of this study are to evaluate the neutralization capacity of the unoxidized and oxidized tailings, to assess the speciation of metals between the different components of the tailings material, and to assess the mobility of metals and the secondary minerals' precipitation in pore waters using geochemical modeling. To accomplish these objectives, representative samples from both fresh and oxidized zones were collected along a vertical profile through the tailings pile. Physical, chemical (ICP-MS), and mineralogical characterization (X-ray diffraction (XRD), reflected light microscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM)) of these samples was performed. Grain size analysis shows that the tailings are dominated by silt- to sand-sized fractions. The microscopic observation highlights the presence of pyrite, marcasite, galena, and sphalerite as primary minerals in a carbonated matrix. The study reveals also the presence of secondary minerals represented by cerussite, smithsonite, anglesite, and Fe oxi-hydroxides as important scavengers for trace elements. The static tests show that the presence of calcite in the tailing samples ensures acid-neutralizing capacity (ANC), which is significantly greater than the acidity potential (PA). The geochemical characterization of the unoxidized samples shows higher Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations than the oxidized samples containing the highest values for Fe and SO4. Sequential extraction tests show that significant percentages of metals are distributed between the acid-soluble fractions (Cd, Pb, and Zn) and the reducible one (Zn). Pore water analysis indicates that Ca is the dominant cation (8,170 and 6,200 mg L(-1), respectively), whereas sulfate is the principal anion (6,900 and 5,100 mg L(-1), respectively). Saturation index (SI) calculations of minerals in pore water extracted from both the oxidized and unoxidized samples are indicative of gypsum (SI >0) and Fe(III) oxides (SI ≫0) precipitation. The latter controls the Fe concentration in solution.

show abstract

Contaminant source characterization of the San José Mine, Oruro, Bolivia

Cited by 14 publications

References 8 publications

Groundwater Origins and Circulation Patterns Based on Isotopes in Challapampa Aquifer, Bolivia

Groundwater Origins and Circulation Patterns Based on Isotopes in Challapampa Aquifer, Bolivia

Modélisation et suivi de la remontée de l’eau de mine dans un complexe abandonné de mine de charbon: Mine de Siersza, Bassin houiller Haute Silésie, Pologne

The flotation tailings of the former Pb-Zn mine of Touiref (NW Tunisia): mineralogy, mine drainage prediction, base-metal speciation assessment and geochemical modeling

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About