Geochemical distribution of selected elements in flotation tailings and soils/sediments from the dam spill at the abandoned antimony mine Stolice, Serbia
Authorized Users Only
2020
Authors
Mutić, Jelena
Marjanović, Prvoslav
Đorđević, Tamara
Kašanin-Grubin, Milica

Randjelović, Dragana
Article (Published version)

Springer Nature
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Materials held within mine tailings pose a serious risk to the environment in cases of tailings dam failure. Collapse of the tailing dam at the Stolice antimony mine in West Serbia caused a spilling of tailing slurry into the nearby river watersheds. Medium-term effects of As, Pb, Sb, Zn, and Cd from the tailings material that remained in the flooded zone 3 years after the initial exposure were evaluated. Mobility of these elements was determined by analyzing their distribution between exchangeable, reducible, oxidizable, and residual phases. Results indicate that Fe-Mn oxides represent important sinks for As, Cd, Pb, and Sb. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that concentrations of the analyzed elements were related to sand-sized fractions, as they tended to adsorb or co-precipitate as coatings on larger particles (particularly feldspar and quartz) upon the change of redox conditions. Assessment of the most relevant physico-chemical factors, metal(loid) concentration, and mobi...lity can be used as tool to characterize the degree of contamination of impacted sites. Percentage of sand-sized particles, content of investigated metal(loid)s, and their amount in the reducible fractions are factors determining the best remediation techniques for the area impacted by tailing spill.
Keywords:
Flotation tailings spill / Risk assessment / Soil / Metal(oid)sSource:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2020, 27, 6, 6253-6268Publisher:
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Projects:
- Magmatism and geodynamics of the Balkan Peninsula from Mesozoic to present day: significance for the formation of metallic and non-metallic mineral deposits (RS-176016)
- Application of advanced oxidation processes and nanostructured oxide materials for the removal of pollutants from the environment, development and optimisation of instrumental techniques for efficiency monitoring (RS-172030)
- Geochemical investigations of sedimentary rocks - fossil fuels and environmental pollutants (RS-176006)
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-07348-4
ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499