Home – Home – Jornals – Chemistry for Sustainable Development 2022 number 4

Results of geochemical investigation of drainage waters discharging from the mining objects (dumps, quarries, tailings) of the Orlovskoe tantalum deposit (Transbaikal Territory) are presented. It is determined that the drainage waters from the dumps of overburden rocks and from blast holes are acid and weakly acid, and highly mineralized (TDS up to 4232 mg/L). With respect to the chemical composition, these waters are mainly of sulphate type, with anomalously high concentrations of aluminium, fluorine, chalco- and siderophilic elements. The waters of the tailing storage facility are neutral and weakly alkaline, with increased tungsten and arsenic concentrations. Thermodynamic calculations of the major forms of element migration in drainage waters show that simple cationic forms dominate for most metals, while the second prevailing forms are sulphate and fluoride complexes. The average concentrations of Mn, Al, Be, Zn, Fe, Li, Со, Ni, Cu, W, F^- and SO₄^2- are determined to be substantially higher than the maximum permissible concentrations for water objects for fishery, household, drinking and amenity water usage, which is connected both with the composition of the ores and host rocks of this deposit, and with technogenic activities.