Mine waters as a secondary source of rare earth elements worldwide: The case of the Iberian Pyrite Belt

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) generates a great concern worldwide due to its severe impact water resources during hundreds and even thousands of years after the cessation mining activity if control measures are not implemented. AMD treatment is an environmental necessity, but also constitute tremendous opportunity for valorization potential secondary sources elements economic interest. The knowledge hydrogeochemistry REE in AMDs their distribution using normalized patterns would help discrimination most potentially marketable sources. To achieve this goal estimate total severely AMD-affected region, chemistry flow data were determined spatially temporally-distributed samples numerous collected throughout Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). Due high anual metal loads such as Al (6600 ton), Zn (1600 Cu (600 Co (26 Ni (10 LREE (10.7 ton/yr), MREE (2.1 HREE (1 Y (3.7 ton) or Sc (0.7 IPB have 24.1 M$/yr (being 22.6% potential). Although technical limitations impose more realistic value 4.2–10.3 M$/yr. magnitude cannot be compared with active mines, however longevity generation processes need improvement make these leachates interesting option recover metals, which plants costs, improving notably quality bodies abandoned sites.