Sediment-Trap Measurements of Suspended Mine Tailings in Shallow Water Cover
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 128, Issue 1
Abstract
Disposal of pyritic mine tailings under shallow water covers is an effective and commonly used method for reducing tailings oxidation, thus minimizing the formation of acid rock drainage. However, wind-wave-induced resuspension of tailings under the water cover could compromise suspended solids discharge criteria and increase the overall sulfide oxidation, since dissolved oxygen concentrations are higher in the water cover than in the pore water. This article reports field measurements of suspended tailings collected approximately 2–10 cm above the tailings surface by means of 16 sediment traps partly buried in the tailings bed. The traps were distributed over an area of about where the water cover depth varied from 0 to 2 m. The traps were sampled on three occasions during a total study period of 93 days distributed over two field seasons. Wind speed and direction were monitored at the site during the study. Hourly average wind speeds ranged from 0 to 10 m/s. Suspended tailings were recovered in every sediment trap on each sampling event. Comparison of particle size distributions for suspended solids and bed tailings suggests that at this site and for the duration of this study, tailings erosion and resuspension occurred primarily in areas where the water cover depth was 1.0 m or less, and that suspended tailings were transported by currents to other parts of the water cover. The amount of tailings resuspension was related to the frequency of strong winds blowing in the direction of maximum fetch. Comparison of suspended solids and bed tailings compositions indicates that suspended tailings oxidized at a larger rate than bed tailings.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 128 • Issue 1 • January 2002
Pages: 19 - 30
Copyright
Copyright © 2002 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 21, 2000
Accepted: Jul 18, 2001
Published online: Jan 1, 2002
Published in print: Jan 2002
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