Beudantite: A natural sink for as and Pb in sulphide oxidation processes

Abstract

Gossans are the products of intense oxidation of massive sulphide deposits exposed at the surface. In the Filón Sur deposit (Tharsis, Huelva), a detailed petrological and mineralogical study of the gossan has allowed us to establish the distribution and abundance of the main mineral phases in the gossan profile. Among these mineral phases, beudantite is present in the whole profile, although it tends to concentrate towards the lower part, where this mineral can reach up to 40%. Chemical analyses of beudantite have shown the presence of significant amounts of As and Pb in the structure. Since the content of As and Pb in the original sulphides is very low, beudantite acts as a sink for these two elements during the gossan formation process. This natural mechanism of As and Pb fixation can have important implications for remediation of areas affected by acid mine drainage.

Keywords

BEUDANTITE GOSSANS FILON SUR DEPOSIT AS-PB SINK

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

DUTRIZAC

J. E.

, JAMBOR

J. L.

and O'REILLY

J. B.

: ‘Man's first use of jarosite: the pre-Roman mining-metallurgical operations at Rio Tinto, Spain', CIM Bull., 1983, 76, 78–82.

DUTRIZAC

J. E.

and JAMBOR

J. L.

: ‘Jarosites and their application in hydrometallurgy', Rev. Mineral. Geochem., 2000, 40, 405–452.

GONzALEZ

, MORENO

, SAEZ

and CLAYTON

: ‘Ore genesis age of the Tharsis mining district (Iberian Pyrite Belt): a palynological approach', J Geol. Soc Lond., 2002, 159, 229–232.

HUDSON-EDWARDS

K. A.

, SCHELL

and MACKLIN

M. G.

: ‘Mineralogy and geochemistry of alluvium contaminated by metal mining in the Rio Tinto area, southwest Spain', AppL Geochem., 1999, 14, 1015–1030.

LEBLANC

, MORALES

J. A.

, BORREGO

and ELBAZ-POULICHET

: ‘4.500-year-old mining pollution in southwestern Spain: long-term implications for modern mining pollution', Econ. GeoL, 2000, 95, 655–662.

MATHUR

, RUIZ

and TORNOS

: ‘Age and sources of the ore at Tharsis and Riotinto, Iberian Pyrite Belt, from Re-Os isotopes', Mineral. Deposita, 1999, 34, 790–793.

MORENO

, CAPITAN

C. A.

, DOYLE

, NIETO

J. M.

, RUIZ

and SAEZ

: ‘Edad minima del gossan de Las Cruces: implicaciones sobre la edad del inicio de los ecosistemas extremos en la Faja Piritica Ibérica', Geogaceta, 2003, 33, 75–78.

NIETO

J. M.

, ALMODOVAR

G. R.

, PASCUAL

, SAEZ

and JAGOUTZ

: ‘Evidencias isotópicas sobre el origen de los metales en los sulfuros masivos de la Faja Piritica Ibérica', Cuad Lab. XeoL Laxe, 2000, 25, 139–142.

NIETO

J. M.

, NOCETE

and SAEZ

: ‘Environmental impact of copper mining and smelting activities in southwest Spain during the third millennium BC', Environ. Pollut., 2004, In press

10.

SAEZ

, ALMODOVAR

G. R.

and PASCUAL

: ‘Geological constraints on the massive sulphide genesis in the Iberian Pyrite Belt', Ore Geol. Rev, 1996, 11, 429–451.

11.

SAEZ

, PASCUAL

, TOSCANO

and ALMODOVAR

G. R.

: The Iberian type of volcano-sedimentary massive sulphide deposits', Mineral. Deposita, 1999, 34, 549–570.

12.

STRAUSS

G. K.

and MADEL

: ‘Geology of massive sulphide deposits in the Spanish-Portuguese pyrite belt', Geol. Rundch., 1974, 63, 191–211.

13.

TORNOS

, GONZALEZ-CLAVUO

and SPIRO

: The Filán Norte orebody (Tharsis, Iberian Pyrite Belt): a proximal low-temperature shale-hosted massive sulphide in a thin-skinned tectonic belt', Mineral. Deposita, 1998, 33, 150–169.