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http://dx.doi.org/10.9719/EEG.2020.53.4.337

A Study on Applicability of Mercury-contaminated Tailing and Soil Remediation around abandoned Mines using Washing Process  

Kwon, Yo Seb (Department of Energy and Mineral Resources Engineering, Sejong University)
Park, So Young (National environment Lab., NeLab)
Koh, Il Ha (National environment Lab., NeLab)
Ji, Won Hyun (Institute of Mine Reclamation Technology, Mine Reclamation Corporation)
Lee, Jin Soo (Institute of Mine Reclamation Technology, Mine Reclamation Corporation)
Ko, Ju In (Institute of Mine Reclamation Technology, Mine Reclamation Corporation)
Publication Information
Economic and Environmental Geology / v.53, no.4, 2020 , pp. 337-346 More about this Journal
Abstract
This study was carried out to evaluate the applicability of the soil washing process to remediation mercury-contaminated mine tailing or solid material (soil and sediments etc.) around abandoned mines. First, the physicochemical characteristics of mine tailing were analyzed through particle size analysis and sequential extraction. Secondly, laboratory scale washing experiments were performed using hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, potassium iodide and sodium thiosulfate. As a results of particle size analysis, mine tailing particle were concentrated below 40 mesh and the particle size below 200 mesh was the most analyzed. As a result of sequential extraction, elemental mercury fraction was analyzed as the highest with 69.12%, with strongly bound fraction 15.25% and residual and HgS fractions 11.97%, respectively. Laboratory scale washing experiments showed low applicability for nitric acid and sodium thiosulfate solutions. In case of hydrochloric acid solution, it was analyzed that mercury removal was possible at particle size of 200 mesh or more. Therefore, it is considered to be performed together with the physical sorting process. Potassium iodide solution was analyzed to have high washing efficiency at all concentrations and particle sizes. In particular, the mercury removal efficiency is high in the micro particles, and thus the applicability of the washing technology is the highest.
Keywords
mercury; mine tailing; washing process; sequential extraction; washing solution;
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