Internal loading of antimony from mining contaminated sediments under oxic conditions

IF 3.4 3区地球科学 Q1 GEOCHEMISTRY & GEOPHYSICS Applied Geochemistry Pub Date : 2025-01-01 Epub Date: 2024-12-22 DOI:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2024.106272

Kuzey Güneşli , John Chételat , Michael J. Palmer , Katrina Paudyn , Brittany Astles , Heather Jamieson

{"title":"Internal loading of antimony from mining contaminated sediments under oxic conditions","authors":"Kuzey Güneşli , John Chételat , Michael J. Palmer , Katrina Paudyn , Brittany Astles , Heather Jamieson","doi":"10.1016/j.apgeochem.2024.106272","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The environmental fate of antimony (Sb) in aquatic ecosystems has been less studied compared to other metal(loid)s released by mining. This study investigated Sb flux from lake sediments of Yellowknife Bay (Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada), which were contaminated by gold mining operations. Sediment Sb fluxes were measured in the field by short term (2–6 day) incubations of intact sediment cores and in the laboratory by incubating bulk sediment over a longer 30-day period. Antimony diffusion from sediment to overlying water was observed in 17 of 28 intact cores (61%), with flux rates ranging from 10 to 279 μg/m<sup>2</sup>/day. Overlying water and surface sediment remained oxic during the field measurements. Sediment Sb concentration (0.7–47 μg/g) was positively correlated with Sb flux, and the mineralogy of the sediment, characterized in a companion study, likely influenced flux spatial patterns. Other environmental factors, specifically season, temperature, organic matter content, and iron or manganese concentrations of sediment did not explain Sb flux. Porewater Sb concentrations were low (0.2–9.6 μg/L), and porewater depth profiles were not related to solid-phase Sb concentration, suggesting limited post-depositional mobility within sediments. Laboratory incubation of mixed bulk sediments showed higher Sb fluxes of 185–1555 μg/m<sup>2</sup>/day over the course of a 30-day experiment. Temperature warming from 7 to 22 °C did not enhance the Sb flux. Higher Sb fluxes in the laboratory versus field measurements may have been due to (i) more Sb in the laboratory sediments (∼160 μg/g), and (ii) oxidative dissolution of stibnite and Sb sulfosalt minerals that were previously stable in deeper anoxic sediments but disturbed and exposed to oxygen during laboratory manipulation. This study demonstrated that Sb can diffuse from mining-contaminated sediments into overlying water under oxic conditions, with fluxes influenced by sediment Sb concentrations and mineralogy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8064,"journal":{"name":"Applied Geochemistry","volume":"179 ","pages":"Article 106272"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Applied Geochemistry","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883292724003779","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/12/22 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GEOCHEMISTRY & GEOPHYSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

The environmental fate of antimony (Sb) in aquatic ecosystems has been less studied compared to other metal(loid)s released by mining. This study investigated Sb flux from lake sediments of Yellowknife Bay (Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada), which were contaminated by gold mining operations. Sediment Sb fluxes were measured in the field by short term (2–6 day) incubations of intact sediment cores and in the laboratory by incubating bulk sediment over a longer 30-day period. Antimony diffusion from sediment to overlying water was observed in 17 of 28 intact cores (61%), with flux rates ranging from 10 to 279 μg/m²/day. Overlying water and surface sediment remained oxic during the field measurements. Sediment Sb concentration (0.7–47 μg/g) was positively correlated with Sb flux, and the mineralogy of the sediment, characterized in a companion study, likely influenced flux spatial patterns. Other environmental factors, specifically season, temperature, organic matter content, and iron or manganese concentrations of sediment did not explain Sb flux. Porewater Sb concentrations were low (0.2–9.6 μg/L), and porewater depth profiles were not related to solid-phase Sb concentration, suggesting limited post-depositional mobility within sediments. Laboratory incubation of mixed bulk sediments showed higher Sb fluxes of 185–1555 μg/m²/day over the course of a 30-day experiment. Temperature warming from 7 to 22 °C did not enhance the Sb flux. Higher Sb fluxes in the laboratory versus field measurements may have been due to (i) more Sb in the laboratory sediments (∼160 μg/g), and (ii) oxidative dissolution of stibnite and Sb sulfosalt minerals that were previously stable in deeper anoxic sediments but disturbed and exposed to oxygen during laboratory manipulation. This study demonstrated that Sb can diffuse from mining-contaminated sediments into overlying water under oxic conditions, with fluxes influenced by sediment Sb concentrations and mineralogy.

Abstract Image

查看原文

微信好友朋友圈 QQ好友复制链接

本刊更多论文

氧化条件下开采污染沉积物中锑的内负荷

与采矿释放的其他金属（类）相比，锑（Sb）在水生生态系统中的环境命运研究较少。研究了受金矿开采污染的加拿大西北地区大奴湖（Yellowknife Bay）沉积物中锑的通量。沉积物Sb通量在野外通过对完整沉积物岩心进行短期（2-6天）孵育来测量，在实验室通过对大块沉积物进行更长时间的30天孵育来测量。28个完整岩心中有17个（61%）观察到锑从沉积物向上覆水扩散，通量速率为10 ~ 279 μg/m2/d。在实地测量期间，上覆的水和地表沉积物保持含氧状态。沉积物Sb浓度（0.7 ~ 47 μg/g）与Sb通量呈正相关，沉积物矿物学特征可能影响Sb通量的空间格局。其他环境因素，特别是季节、温度、有机物含量和沉积物的铁或锰浓度不能解释Sb通量。孔隙水Sb浓度较低（0.2 ~ 9.6 μg/L），且孔隙水深度剖面与固相Sb浓度无关，表明沉积物内沉积后流动性有限。在30天的实验过程中，混合块状沉积物的Sb通量较高，为185-1555 μg/m2/d。温度从7°C升高到22°C没有增强Sb通量。实验室中锑通量高于现场测量值可能是由于(i)实验室沉积物中锑含量较高（~ 160 μg/g），以及（ii）辉锑矿和Sb亚硫酸盐矿物氧化溶解，这些矿物以前在较深的缺氧沉积物中稳定，但在实验室操作过程中受到干扰并暴露于氧气中。研究表明Sb可以在氧化条件下从采矿污染的沉积物中扩散到上覆水体中，其通量受沉积物Sb浓度和矿物学的影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文去求助

来源期刊

Applied Geochemistry 地学-地球化学与地球物理

CiteScore

6.10

自引率

8.80%

发文量

272

审稿时长

65 days

期刊介绍： Applied Geochemistry is an international journal devoted to publication of original research papers, rapid research communications and selected review papers in geochemistry and urban geochemistry which have some practical application to an aspect of human endeavour, such as the preservation of the environment, health, waste disposal and the search for resources. Papers on applications of inorganic, organic and isotope geochemistry and geochemical processes are therefore welcome provided they meet the main criterion. Spatial and temporal monitoring case studies are only of interest to our international readership if they present new ideas of broad application. Topics covered include: (1) Environmental geochemistry (including natural and anthropogenic aspects, and protection and remediation strategies); (2) Hydrogeochemistry (surface and groundwater); (3) Medical (urban) geochemistry; (4) The search for energy resources (in particular unconventional oil and gas or emerging metal resources); (5) Energy exploitation (in particular geothermal energy and CCS); (6) Upgrading of energy and mineral resources where there is a direct geochemical application; and (7) Waste disposal, including nuclear waste disposal.