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| Authors | Wu, SL; Liu, YJ; Southam, G; Robertson, L; Chiu, TH; Cross, AT; Dixon, KW; Stevens, JC; Zhong, HT; Chan, TS; Lu, YJ; Huang, LB |
| Author Full Name | Wu, Songlin; Liu, Yunjia; Southam, Gordon; Robertson, Lachlan; Chiu, Tsz Ho; Cross, Adam T.; Dixon, Kingsley W.; Stevens, Jason C.; Zhong, Hongtao; Chan, Ting-Shan; Lu, Ying-Jui; Huang, Longbin |
| Title | Geochemical and mineralogical constraints in iron ore tailings limit soil formation for direct phytostabilization |
| Source | SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT |
| Language | English |
| Document Type | Article |
| Author Keywords | Fe-ore tailings; Soil structure; Mineral bioweathering; Fe (oxy)hydroxides; Mine-site rehabilitation |
| Keywords Plus | ORGANIC MATTER ASSOCIATIONS; SURFACE-AREA; GRAIN-SIZE; BIOTITE; DISSOLUTION; CARBON; FE; RHIZOSPHERE; SAPROLITES; AMENDMENTS |
| Abstract | The present study aimed to characterize key physico-chemical and mineralogical attributes of magnetite iron (Fe) ore tailings to identify potential constraints limiting in situ soil formation and direct phytostabilization. Tailings of different age, together with undisturbed local native soils, were sampled from a magnetite mine in Western Australia. Tailings were extremely alkaline (pH > 9.0), with a lack of water stable aggregate and organic matter, and contained abundant primary minerals including mica (e.g., biotite), with low specific surface area (N-2-BET around 1.2 m(2) g(-1)). These conditions remained relatively unchanged after four years' aging under field conditions. Chemical extraction and spectroscopic analysis [e. g., X-ray diffraction (XRD) and synchrotron-based Fe K edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) analysis] revealed that the aging process decreased biotite-like minerals, but increased hematite and magnetite in the tailings. However, the aged tailings lacked goethite, a compound abundant in natural soils. Examination using backscattered-scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (BSE-SEM-EDS) revealed that aged tailings contained discrete sharp edged Fe-bearing minerals that did not physically integrate with other minerals (e. g., Si/Al bearing minerals). In contrast, Fe minerals in native soils appeared randomly distributed and closely amassed with Si/Al rich phyllosilicates, with highly eroded edges. The lack of labile organic matter and the persistence of alkalinesaline conditions may have significantly hindered the bioweathering of Fe-minerals and the biogenic formation of secondary Fe-minerals in tailings. However, there is signature that a native pioneer plant, Maireana brevifolia can facilitate the bioweathering of Fe-bearing minerals in tailings. We propose that eco-engineering inputs like organic carbon accumulation, together with the introduction of functional microbes and pioneer plants, should be adopted to accelerate bioweathering of Fe-bearing minerals as a priority for initiating in situ soil formation in the Fe ore tailings. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
| Author Address | [Wu, Songlin; Liu, Yunjia; Robertson, Lachlan; Chiu, Tsz Ho; Huang, Longbin] Univ Queensland, Ctr Mined Land Rehabil, Sustainable Minerals Inst, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia; [Southam, Gordon] Univ Queensland, Sch Earth & Environm Sci, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia; [Cross, Adam T.; Dixon, Kingsley W.] Curtin Univ, Sch Mol & Life Sci, ARC Ctr Mine Site Restorat, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6102, Australia; [Stevens, Jason C.] Kings Pk Sci, Dept Biodivers Conservat & Attract, Kings Pk, WA 6005, Australia; [Stevens, Jason C.; Zhong, Hongtao] Univ Western Australia, Sch Biol Sci, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; [Chan, Ting-Shan; Lu, Ying-Jui] Natl Synchrotron Radiat Res Ctr, Hsinchu Sci Pk, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan |
| Reprint Address | Huang, LB (reprint author), Univ Queensland, Ctr Mined Land Rehabil, Sustainable Minerals Inst, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia. |
| E-mail Address | l.huang@uq.edu.au |
| ResearcherID Number | Cross, Adam/S-2710-2019; Southam, Gordon/D-1983-2013; Dixon, Kingsley/A-8133-2016; Zhong, Hongtao/R-9522-2017 |
| ORCID Number | Southam, Gordon/0000-0002-8941-1249; Dixon, Kingsley/0000-0001-5989-2929; , Longbin Huang/0000-0001-5024-0107; Chiu, Tsz Ho/0000-0003-4734-6490; Liu, Yunjia/0000-0002-1372-2606; Zhong, Hongtao/0000-0003-0674-0010 |
| Funding Agency and Grant Number | Australian Research Council (ARC)Australian Research Council [ARC-LP 019806]; ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Mine Site Restoration [ICI150100041]; UQECR [613767] |
| Funding Text |
The authors acknowledge the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility at the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland for assistance in XRD and BSE-SEM-EDS analysis. Dr. Jyh-Fu Lee in NSRRC 17C is acknowledged for the beamtime support, and thanks to Dr. Julius Motuzas in UQ for help on N |
| Times Cited | 6 |
| Total Times Cited Count (WoS, BCI, and CSCD) | 6 |
| Publisher | ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV |
| Publisher City | AMSTERDAM |
| Publisher Address | PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS |
| ISSN | 0048-9697 |
| 29-Character Source Abbreviation | SCI TOTAL ENVIRON |
| ISO Source Abbreviation | Sci. Total Environ. |
| Publication Date | FEB 15 |
| Year Published | 2019 |
| Volume | 651 |
| Part Number | 1 |
| Beginning Page | 192 |
| Ending Page | 202 |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.171 |
| Page Count | 11 |
| Web of Science Category | Environmental Sciences |
| Subject Category | Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| Document Delivery Number | GX7AF |
| Unique Article Identifier | WOS:000447915400020 |
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