Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Introduction
Abstract Acid-base accounting tests, commonly
used as a screening tool in acid mine drainage
(AMD) predictions, have limitations in (1) measur- Acid-base accounting (ABA) tests, involving the determi-
ing with confidence the amount of neutralizers nation of acid generating potential (AP) and neutraliza-
present in samples and (2) affording an interpreta- tion potential (NP) of samples, are commonly used as a
tion of what the test results mean in terms of pre- screening tool to predict the occurrence of acid mine
dicting the occurrence of acid mine drainage. Aside drainage (AMD). These tests are designed to examine the
from the analytical difficulties inherent to the con- balance between the acid-producing and acid-consuming
ventional methods, a potential source of error in components of wastes (Coastec Research 1991). The tests
neutralization potential (NP) measurements is the are static in nature and as such they do not predict drai-
contribution from the dissolution of non-carbonate nage quality from the wastes. Instead, the tests allow sim-
minerals. Non-carbonate alkalinity measured dur- ple, rapid and low-cost screening of samples to make a
ing static tests may or may not be available to neu- preliminary prediction for acceptable or unacceptable wa-
tralize acidity produced in the field. In order to as- ter quality (Coastec Research 1991). The ABA tests have
sess the value-added of extending the NP with the limitations in terms of providing reliable measurements
knowledge of mineralogical composition and evalu- of NP. Secondly, the meaning of measured NP in terms
ate potential sources of errors in NP measurements, of predicting the occurrence of AMD is often not clear.
a suite of samples were examined and characterized Uncertainties or errors in NP measurements can arise
in terms of their mineralogical and chemical com- due to any or a combination of mineralogical composi-
positions. The results indicate that although the tion, particle size, procedural limitations and human er-
acid-base accounting tests work well for simple ror. Among these, uncertainties due to particle size, pro-
compositions, the tests may result in overestima- cedural limitations and human error are inherent to the
tion or underestimation of NP values for field sam- techniques and as such they can be minimized by revis-
ples. Mineralogical constraint diagrams relating NP ing the procedures and by improving laboratory quality
determinations to Ca, Mg and CO2 concentrations control/assurance standards. Readers should refer to Nor-
were developed with the purpose to serve as sup- ecol Environmental Consultants (1991), Lawrence and
plementary guides to conventional static tests in Wang (1997), and Lapakko (1994) for an evaluation and
identifying possible NP contributions from non- review of the conventional NP determinations.
carbonate minerals and checking the quality of the Measured NP values do not necessarily indicate alkalinity
chemical testing results. Mineralogical NP makes it that is readily available to neutralize acidity produced by
possible to interpret the meaning of NP results and the oxidation of sulfide minerals in mine wastes. One
to assess the behaviour of samples over time by limitation as noted by Coastec Research (1991) which in-
predicting the onset of AMD and calculating NP volves the inability of static tests in making a distinction
values for individual size fractions. between the various acid consuming minerals and their
neutralization capacity, can lead to significant over or
Key words Acid mine drainage 7 Acid rock underestimation of NP. Norecol Environmental Consul-
drainage 7 Neutralization 7 Acid-base accounting 7 tants (1991) recommended that routine ABA tests include
Mineralogy 7 Tailings 7 Waste rock a supporting mineralogical description to provide confi-
dence in the chemical results. In addition, Price and oth-
ers (1997) pointed out that existing static tests do not
identify minerals that contribute to effective field NP. In
Received: 1 June 1998 7 Accepted: 6 October 1998 cases where measured NP values reflect non-carbonate al-
A.D. Paktunc kalinity, effective field NP is likely to be overestimated.
CANMET, Mining and Mineral Sciences Laboratories, 555 Booth In summary, as stated by Lawrence and Wang (1997), re-
St, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A0G1, Canada liable and confident determination of the practical NP
e-mail:dpaktunc6NRCan.gc.ca value of a waste cannot be achieved by a single static
test. It is clear that there is a need to make the static test cast in terms of kg CaCO3 equivalent per tonne, the fol-
results more meaningful from the point of view of their lowing consideration must be taken into consideration.
ability to better screen samples and to establish minera- One important thing to consider is the fact that one or
logical parameters prior to designing and conducting ki- two moles of CaCO3 are required to neutralize one mole
netic geochemical tests. Mineralogical composition is a of sulfuric acid. This depends upon which one of the fol-
critical factor as it indicates the sources of NP and AP. lowing reactions takes precedence during neutralization.
Provided that other conditions that cause and/or in-
CaCO3cH2SO4 *Ca 2ccCO2cH2OcSO 2P (2)
fluence AMD are met, a static testing technique, based on 4