Evaluation of coal mine drainage and associated precipitates for radium and rare earth element concentrations

IF 5.6 2区 工程技术 Q2 ENERGY & FUELS
Bonnie McDevitt , Charles A. Cravotta III , Ryan J. McAleer , John C. Jackson , Aaron M. Jubb , Glenn D. Jolly , Benjamin C. Hedin , Nathaniel R. Warner
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Abstract

Coal mine drainage (CMD) and associated metal-rich precipitates have recently been proposed as unconventional sources of rare earth elements (REEs). However, the potential occurrence of radium (Ra), a known carcinogen, with the REE-bearing phases has not been investigated. We hypothesized that Ra may occur in solids that are precipitated from CMD as a “radiobarite” solid solution ((Ba,Sr,Ra)SO4) and/or adsorbed with hydrous metal oxides. REEs have been documented to sorb or co-precipitate with iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and aluminum (Al) oxyhydroxide in CMD solids. Likewise, Ra has been documented to sorb to hydrous Fe and Mn oxides especially where sulfate (SO4) and/or barium (Ba) concentrations are insufficient to precipitate radiobarite. Thus, we conducted the first-ever survey of Ra concentrations in corresponding CMD water and solid samples in the United States. Samples were analyzed from 4 untreated and 9 treated CMD sites in both the bituminous and anthracite coal regions of Pennsylvania across a range of pH and SO4 concentrations. The dissolved Ra in CMD was relatively low (<0.5 Bq/L), consistent with radiobarite solubility; however, CMD solids were largely composed of amorphous Fe, Al, and Mn oxyhydroxide and silicate minerals. Ra was associated with Mn-enriched CMD solids, upwards of 875 Bq/kg. Total REE + yttrium (Y) content in the CMD solids was enriched upwards of 3600 mg/kg and was significantly correlated with Al content. These preliminary results suggest that REE extraction may target Al-rich solids to avoid Ra in Mn-rich solids.

煤矿排水及相关沉淀物的镭和稀土元素浓度评估
最近,有人提出将煤矿排水(CMD)和相关的富金属沉淀物作为稀土元素(REE)的非常规来源。然而,对于含稀土元素相中可能存在的镭 (Ra)(一种已知的致癌物质),还没有进行过研究。我们推测,镭可能以 "放射性方解石 "固溶体((Ba,Sr,Ra)SO4)和/或与含水金属氧化物吸附的形式从 CMD 中沉淀出来。据文献记载,在 CMD 固体中,REEs 与铁(Fe)、锰(Mn)和铝(Al)氧氢氧化物吸附或共沉淀在一起。同样,镭也被记录为吸附在含水铁和锰氧化物上,特别是在硫酸盐(SO4)和/或钡(Ba)浓度不足以沉淀出放射性方铅矿的情况下。因此,我们首次对美国相应的 CMD 水和固体样本中的镭浓度进行了调查。我们对宾夕法尼亚州烟煤地区和无烟煤地区的 4 个未处理和 9 个已处理 CMD 现场的样品进行了分析,样品的 pH 值和 SO4 浓度都在一定范围内。CMD 中溶解的镭相对较低(0.5 Bq/L),这与放射性方铅矿的溶解度一致;然而,CMD 固体主要由无定形的铁、铝和锰氧氢氧化物及硅酸盐矿物组成。镭与富含锰的 CMD 固体有关,含量高达 875 Bq/kg。CMD 固体中的总 REE + 钇(Y)含量高达 3600 毫克/千克以上,并与 Al 含量显著相关。这些初步结果表明,REE萃取可以针对富铝固体,以避免富锰固体中的镭。
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来源期刊
International Journal of Coal Geology
International Journal of Coal Geology 工程技术-地球科学综合
CiteScore
11.00
自引率
14.30%
发文量
145
审稿时长
38 days
期刊介绍: The International Journal of Coal Geology deals with fundamental and applied aspects of the geology and petrology of coal, oil/gas source rocks and shale gas resources. The journal aims to advance the exploration, exploitation and utilization of these resources, and to stimulate environmental awareness as well as advancement of engineering for effective resource management.
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