×

Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences

An International Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal

Indexed in Scopus SCIE (Web of Science) Crossref GeoRef

« Back

ARTICLE IN Volume 7, 2012 - Number 4

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF Cu, As AND Sb TOXICITY BETWEEN DUMP-FIELDS OF ABANDONED Cu-DEPOSITS ĽUBIETOVÁ AND ŠPANIA DOLINA (CENTRAL SLOVAKIA)



Hana FRANKOVÁ1, Lenka ČMIELOVÁ1, Tomáš KLIMKO1, Eva LACKOVÁ1, & Peter ANDRÁŠ1,2
1VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Faculty of Mining and Geology, 17. listopadu 15, 708 33 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic, hana.frankova@vsb.cz
2Faculty of Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, 974 01 Banská Bystrica; andras@savbb.sk

Reading time: | words
Download PDF document Downloads: 5223

Abstract

Ľubietová and Špania Dolina mining areas belong to the most important Central European historic Cu-deposits. The ore mineralization contain not only Cu but also toxic As and Sb which contaminate the country components. The Eh/pH diagrams enable informative indication of As speciation in sediments and soils in the surrounding of the abandoned deposits. The most important As form in technogenous sediments of both studied ore fields Ľubietová and Špania Dolina is the less toxic As5+ speciation. The Eh/pH stability diagrams indicates predominantly occurrence of Fe(OH)4As, H2AsO4-, HAsO42- forms. Only in several few samples of technogenous sediments and soils As falls to the As3+ stability fields, e.g. to the Fe2+ + As3+(aq) field. Arsenic content in water depend on arsenopyrite FeAsS and tetrahedrite (Cu,Fe,Ag,Zn)12(AsSb)4S13 decomposition. Its redeposition is realized by adsorption on Fe-oxyhydroxides surface. Arsenic content is controlled also by next degradation of secondary As phases under changed thermodynamical conditions. Both main As speciations (As3+ and As5+) occurs in groundwater approximately in a balanced portions. Arsenic in samples falls mainly to the H2As5+O3-, HAs5+O42- and H3As3+O30 stability fields. Arsenic speciation in surface water from both localities is in comparison with those of groundwater more close to the less toxic form As5+ (H2AsO3-, HAsO42-, H3AsO30). Technogenous sediments and waters at Ľubietová and Špania Dolina are also contaminated by Sb. In sediments and soil from Ľubietová Sb prevail in less toxic degree Sb5+ and is present in SbO3- form, while in dump-field and in tailings at Špania Dolina one part of samples characterized by Eh<0,1 values is concentrated in Sb3+ stability fields of valentinite Sb2O3 and stibnite Sb2S3. Arsenic and antimony in surface waters and groundwater at both localities indicate application of Eh/pH stability diagrams presence of Sb predominantly in Sb4O6 and Sb2O3 forms, it means in form of more toxic Sb3+. The samples from Špania Dolina are in comparison with those from Ľubietová mowed down to more negative Eh values.
Keywords:
  • Cu
  • As
  • Sb
  • Eh/pH
  • stability
  • diagrams
  • speciation
  • toxicity

Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of CJEES and/or the editor(s). CJEES and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

© 2012 by the author(s). Licensee CJEES, Carpathian Association of Environment and Earth Sciences. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

How to cite

Hana FRANKOVÁ, Lenka ČMIELOVÁ, Tomáš KLIMKO, Eva LACKOVÁ, & Peter ANDRÁŠ (2012). COMPARATIVE STUDY OF Cu, As AND Sb TOXICITY BETWEEN DUMP-FIELDS OF ABANDONED Cu-DEPOSITS ĽUBIETOVÁ AND ŠPANIA DOLINA (CENTRAL SLOVAKIA)

Google Scholar