Liu Bo, Peng Tongjiang, Sun Hongjuan
School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recycle, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Mianyang, 621010, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2017 Jun;24(18):15804-15815. doi: 10.1007/s11356-017-8921-9. Epub 2017 May 22.
Pollution by the release of heavy metals from tailings constitutes a potential threat to the environment. To characterize the processes governing the release of Mn, Sr, Pb, and U from the uranium mill tailings, a dynamic leaching test was applied for different size of uranium mill tailings samples. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were performed to determine the content of Mn, Sr, Pb, and U in the leachates. The release of mobile Mn, Sr, Pb, and U fraction was slow, being faster in the initial stage and then attained a near steady-state condition. The experimental results demonstrate that the release of Mn, Sr, Pb, and U from uranium mill tailings with different size fractions is controlled by a variety of mechanisms. Surface wash-off is the release mechanism for Mn. The main release mechanism of Sr and Pb is the dissolution in the initial leaching stage. For U, a mixed process of wash-off and diffusion is the controlling mechanism.
尾矿中重金属的释放所造成的污染对环境构成了潜在威胁。为了表征控制铀矿尾矿中锰、锶、铅和铀释放的过程，对不同粒度的铀矿尾矿样品进行了动态浸出试验。采用电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱法（ICP-AES）和电感耦合等离子体质谱法（ICP-MS）测定浸出液中锰、锶、铅和铀的含量。可移动的锰、锶、铅和铀组分的释放较为缓慢，在初始阶段较快，然后达到接近稳态的状态。实验结果表明，不同粒度级分的铀矿尾矿中锰、锶、铅和铀的释放受多种机制控制。表面冲刷是锰的释放机制。锶和铅的主要释放机制是在初始浸出阶段的溶解。对于铀而言，冲刷和扩散的混合过程是控制机制。
