The Richmond Mine of the Iron Mountain copper deposit contains some of the most acid mine waters ever reported. Values of pH have been measured as low as -3.6, combined metal concentrations as high as 200 g/liter, and sulfate concentrations as high as 760 g/liter. Copious quantities of soluble metal sulfate salts such as melanterite, chalcanthite, coquimbite, rhomboclase, voltaite, copiapite, a...

Soils around mining sites play a significant role in the transport and control of heavy metals in the environment. Therefore, understanding the adsorption properties of soil is essential in solving pollution problems. The objective of this paper was to study Zn(II) adsorption onto Sarcheshmeh copper mine soils. The adsorption isotherms of Zn(II) were studied. The Langmuir isotherm indicated an ...

The socio-ecological impacts of large scale resource extraction are frequently underreported in underdeveloped regions. The open-pit Grasberg mine in Papua, Indonesia, is one of the world's largest copper and gold extraction operations. Grasberg mine tailings are discharged into the lowland Ajkwa River deposition area (ADA) leading to forest inundation and degradation of water bodies critical t...

to construct copper heap leaching structures, a stepped heap of ore is placed over an isolated sloping surface and then washed with sulphuric acid. the isolated bed of such a heap consists of some natural and geosynthetic layers. shear strength parameters between these layers are low, so they form the possible sliding surfaces of the heaps. economic and environmental considerations call for stu...