Assessment of Eco-Hazard of Copper-Nickel Ore Mining and Processing Waste Storages
V. A. MASLOBOEV1, S. G. SELEZNEV2, D. V. MAKAROV1, A. V. SVETLOV1
1Institute of Problems of Industrial Ecology of the North, Kola Science Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok 14a, Apatity, 184209 Russia
2Monolit Mining Company, pr. Gvardeiskii 61/1, Nikel’, 184420 Russia
Keywords: overburden dumps, copper-nickel ore concentration tailings, ecological hazard, sulphide oxidation
Abstract
The authors examine oxidation of sulphide minerals in mining waste storages and the associated ecological problems. The highest environmental hazard is produced by fine-dispersed mill tailings, especially where sulphide content is comparable with nonmetal content of low-chemical activity. In terms of some industrial waste storages in Murmansk Region, it is shown that the eco-hazard source can be not only fine but also coarse particle waste (Allarechensky deposit waste) and ore concentration waste with low sulphide content but highly chemically active nonmetals (Pechenga ore field).
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