A Kinetic Test Method to Assess the Long-Term Acid Generation Behavior of Sludge/Slag and Mine Tailings of Mine a (Quebec, Canada)

The mine A tailings storage was used successively for the deposition of sulfide tailings, and the co-deposition of sludge and slag. With the objective to evaluate the hydrochemical behavior of these materials, humidity cell tests were used. These cell tests internationally operated to simulate sulfide mineral oxidation and acid generation at controlled laboratory conditions. It consists of weekly wetting and drying cycles using deionized water flush of the studied material. At the end of each cycle, water flush was analyzed for several geochemical parameters in order to compare their oxidation rates, generation of alkalinity, and metal leaching potential (As, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn). Four cell tests were performed for 16 cycles (105 days) on the mine tailing and the sludge/slag materials. Indeed, this study enhances our understanding of the reactivity of the sulfur generated by the mine tailing and the high concentrations of sludge/slag material in Cu. These materials generate contaminated water and are therefore likely to affect the quality of the surrounding environment.