Abstract
The Southern Urals exemplifies hydrogeochemical environments at mining districts. Information obtained by studying the geochemistry of nonferrous-metal industrial wastes (both mine and dump drainage) is important not only because these wastes are potential sources of base metals but also in the context of geoecological problems. The Southern Urals is one of Russia’s principal producers of Cu and Zn concentrates for metallurgical processing: the region produces 12–15% Cu and 49% Zn concentrates in the country and 35% Cu and 69% Zn concentrates in the Urals. The Yubileinoe, Podol’skoe, Sibai, Uchaly, Novy Uchaly, and Gai deposits are the largest in the Urals. The ores of these deposits contain certain components (Se, Te, Cd, Co, Ga, Ge, In, Be, etc.) that are environmental contaminants. The volume of mine and dump drainage in the Southern Urals amounts to 9 million m3/year, and its mineralization varies from 3.0 to 30–40 g/L, occasionally as high as 365 g/L, with a sulfate, chloride–sulfate calcic–magnesian, magnesian–sodic, and magnesian–calcic composition of the waters. The minor and trace elements of the regional waste waters whose concentrations exceed the regional background values are Cu, Zn (one to four orders of magnitude), As, Cd (one to three orders of magnitude), Li and Be (one to two orders of magnitude). All waste waters transfer various contaminants into environmental subsystems and most actively modify the composition of the groundwaters. At the same time, dump drainage is a potentially important secondary source of valuable mineral components.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
R. F. Abdrakhmanov, “Geochemistry of groundwaters in the influence zone of ore processing plants,” in Modern Problems of Hydrogeology, Engineering Geology, and Ecology of the Urals and Adjacent Territories, Ed. by O.N. Gryaznov (UGGU, Yekaterinburg, 2013), pp. 113–117 (2013) [in Russian].
R. F. Abdrakhmanov and V. G. Popov, Geochemistry and Origin of Groundwaters in the Polar Urals (Gilem, Ufa, 2010) [in Russian].
R. F. Abdrakhmanov, Fresh Groundwaters and Mineral Therapeutic Waters of Bashkortostan (Gilem, Ufa, 2014) [in Russian].
R. M. Akhmetov, “Geochemistry of soils in the influence zone of the Semenovskaya gold processing plant,” in Modern Problems of Hydrogeology, Engineering Geology, and Ecology of the Urals and Adjacent Territories, Ed. by O.N. Gryaznov (UGGU, Yekaterinburg, 2013), 117–120 [in Russian].
R. M. Akhmetov, Extended Abstract of Candidate’s Dissertation in Geology and Mineralogy (UGGU, Yekaterinburg, 2010) [in Russian].
R. M. Akhmetov and R. F. Abdrakhmanov, “Heavy metals and radioactive elements in the mining wastes of the South Urals and Cis-Urals, in Paper Collection on Geology, Ed. by V. N. Puchkov (DizainPoligrafServis, Ufa, 2009), pp. 253–257 [in Russian].
V. A. Chanturiya and B. M. Koryukin, “Analysis of anthropogenic raw minerals of the Urals and prospects of its reworking,” in Problems of Geotechnology and Geology, Ed. by V. L. Yakovlev (UrO RAN, Yekaterinburg, 1998), pp. 26–34 [in Russian].
A. M. Chernyaev, L. E. Chernyaeva, and V. N. Babchenko, Hydrochemistry of Minor and Trace Elements (South Urals, Transurals, and Kazakhstan) (Gidrometeoizdat, Leningrad, 1980 [in Russian].
F. M. Doyle “Acid mine drainage from sulphide ore deposits,” in Sulphide Deposits–their Origin and Processing, Ed. by P.M.J. Gray, G.J. Bowyer, J.F. Castle, D.J. Vaughan and N.A. Warner (Inst. Min. and Metal., 1990), pp. 301–310.
P. V. Elpat’evskii, “Content of metals in the anthropogenic waters of the ore deposits of Primorye, in Proceeding of Conference on Geology and Mining in Primorye: Past, Present, and Future, Vladivostok, Russia, 2000 (Dal’nauka, Vladivostok, 2000), pp. 26–29 [in Russian].
E. F. Emlin, Technogenesis of Sulfide Deposits of the Urals (Ural’sl Univ., Sverdlovsk, 1991) [in Russian].
A. M. Kosarev, I. V. Golovanova. and G. V. Selezneva, Potassium, uranium, and thorium in the Ordovician–Lower Carboniferous volcanic formation in the Magnitogorsk Megasynclirnorium, in Paper Collection on Geology, Ed, by V. N. Puchkov (IG UNTs, Ufa, 2000), pp. 88–92 [in Russian].
S. R. Krainov, B. N. Ryzhenko, and V. M. Shvets, Geochemistry of Groundwaters: Theoretical, Applied, and Ecological Aspects (Nauka, Moscow, 2004) [in Russian]
A. B. Makarov, Main Types of Anthropogenic–Mineral Deposits in the Urals (UGGU, Yekaterinburg, 2006) [in Russian].
D. K. Nordstrom, “Aqueous pyrite oxidation and the consequent formation of secondary iron minerals,” SSSA Spec. Publ., No. 10, 37–56 (1982).
A. I. Perel’man, Landscape geochemistry (Geografgiz, Moscow, 1961) [in Russia].
V. G. Popov, and R. G. Abdrakhmanov, Ion-Exchange Conception in Genetic Hydrogeochemistry (Gilem, Ufa, 2013) [in Russian].
E. V. Posokhov, General Hydrogeochemistry (Nedra, Leningrad, 1975) [in Russian].
V. A. Prokin, F. P. Buslaev, and M. I. Ismagilov, Copper Sulfide Deposits of the Urals (UrO An SSSR, Sverdlovsk, 1988) [in Russian].
I. B. Seravkin, Metallogeny of the South Urals and Central Kazakhstan (Gilem, Ufa, 2010) [in Russian].
B. Stromberg and S. A. Banwart, “Experimental study of acidity-consuming processes in mining waste rock: some influences of mineralogy and particle size,” Appl. Geochem., No. 14, 1–16 (1999).
L. S. Tabaksblat, “Composition and metal potential of mine waters of copper sulfide deposits at high anthropogenic load,” Girdokhim. Mater. 111, 31–38 (1994).
A. G. Talalai, A. B. Makarov, and B. B. Zobnin, “Anthropogenic deposits of the Urals, methods of their study and development,” Izv. Vyssh. Ucheb. Zaved., Gorn. Zh., Nos. 11–12, 20–36 (1997).
D. G. Taraborin, “Anonalous radioactivity of deposits of solid mineral resources of the Southern Urals (Orenburg District) as factor complicating the radiation environment in the region,” Otechestvennaya Geol., No. 5, 9–34 (2004).
N. A. Titaeva, Extended Abstracts of Doctoral Dissertation in Geology and Mineralogy (MGU, Moscow, 2002).
V. T. Trofimov, “Results and tasks of the development of ecological geology,” Vestn. Mosk. Gos. Univ., Ser. Geol., No. 4, 44–51 (2004).
E. G. Yazikov, S. V. Azarova, and V. M. Khudyakov, “Hydroecological problems of mining plants of Khakassia Republic,” Tsvet. Met., No. 4, 26–28 (2006).
Kh. N. Zainullin, R. F. Abdrakhmanov, and N. A. Savichev, Utilization of Industrial and Domestic Wasters (UNTs RAN, Ufa, 1997) [in Russian].
V. P. Zvereva, A. M. Kostina, and K. R. Frolov, “Formation of supergene minerals in tailing dumps of the Komsomol’skii tin district depending on sulfur concentration in solution,” Izv. Vyssh. Ucheb. Zaved., Gorn. Zh., No. 5, 123–127 (2013).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Original Russian Text © R.F. Abdrakhmanov, R.M. Akhmetov, 2016, published in Geokhimiya, 2016, No. 9, pp. 829–840.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Abdrakhmanov, R.F., Akhmetov, R.M. Hydrogeochemistry at mining districts. Geochem. Int. 54, 795–806 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702916080024
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702916080024