Effect of rehabilitation of the oxygen concentrations in waste rock dumps containing pyritic material

Conference · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Univ. Ky., Off. Eng. Serv., (Bull.); (United States)

OSTI ID:5453526

Harries, J R; Ritchie, A I.M.

The oxidation of pyritic material in waste rock dumps is the main source of acid drainage and heavy metal pollution from the abandoned Rum Jungle mine site in the Northern Territory, Australia. The site is being rehabilitated to reduce the level of heavy metals in the local river system. The hydrology of the dumps and the temperatures and gas compositions in them have been studied to provide information on the pyritic oxidation process and the release of pollutants. These studies indicated that at many locations in the dumps the supply of oxygen was the rate-limiting mechanism for the oxidation of pyrite. In late 1983, the first dump was treated by reshaping and covering to reduce the ingress of water and oxygen. The concentrations of oxygen within the dump started to decrease as soon as the first clay layer was emplaced, and the profiles showed that oxygen transport by both diffusion and thermal convection had been stopped or greatly reduced. The rate with which the oxygen concentration decreased was in good agreement with the oxidation rate derived from temperature distributions measured within the dump.

• Research Organization: Australian Atomic Energy Commission Research Establishment, Sutherland
• OSTI ID: 5453526
• Report Number(s): CONF-841204-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Univ. Ky., Off. Eng. Serv., (Bull.); (United States)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
AUSTRALASIA
AUSTRALIA
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
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HYDROLOGY
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SULFIDES
LAND RECLAMATION
MANAGEMENT
MINERAL WASTES
MINERALS
MINES
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PYRITE
RUM JUNGLE PROJECT
SOLID WASTES
SULFIDE MINERALS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE MINING
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
URANIUM MINES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER POLLUTION
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