Leaching Behavior of As and Pb in Lead–Zinc Mining Waste Rock under Mine Drainage and Rainwater

Abstract

At present, the pollution of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) is becoming increasingly serious. The pollution caused by the release of As and Pb from lead–zinc mines has seriously affected the water and soil environment and threatened human health. It is necessary to reveal the release characteristics of As and Pb. The actual scene of mine drainage (MD) and rainwater (RW) leaching waste rocks is the one of the main reasons for the release of As and Pb. However, the leaching behavior of As and Pb in these waste rocks under MD and RW suffered from a lack of in-depth research. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of As and Pb in waste rocks (S1–S6) by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), and then, the changes in As and Pb concentration and the hydrochemical parameter in leaching solution were systematically studied. Furthermore, the correlation between the release of As and Pb and mineral composition was also evaluated. Results showed that these waste rocks were mainly composed of carbonate and sulfide minerals. As and Pb were mainly bounded or associated with sulfide minerals such as arsenopyrite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and galena in these waste rocks, and small parts of As and Pb were absorbed or encased by clay minerals such as kaolinite and chlorite. Under MD and RW leaching, the pH, redox potential (Eh), and electric conductivity (EC) of each waste rock tended to be consistent due to their buffering ability; the leachate pH of waste rocks with more carbonate minerals was higher than that of sulfide minerals. Both As and Pb were released most under MD leaching in comparison to RW, reaching 6.57 and 60.32 mg/kg, respectively, due to MD’s low pH and high Eh value. However, As in waste rock released more under alkaline conditions because part of the arsenic was in the form of arsenate. As and Pb release were mainly positively correlated with the proportions of sulfide minerals in these waste rocks. MD leaching significantly promoted the release of As and Pb from waste rocks, which would cause a great threat to the surrounding environment, and control measures were imperative. This paper not only reveals the As and Pb pollution mechanism around the lead–zinc mining area but also provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of As and Pb pollution in the future.