Sulfide contamination of freshwater resources is a major concern for mining in regions where sulfur is abundant. One known sink for sulfide is iron. Waste rocks from iron-rich mines contain iron-bearing minerals such as goethite, hematite, magnetite, siderite, ilmenite, and olivine. Depending on the mineralogy of the iron-rich mining waste rocks, these materials may have use in sulfur-capture systems within mining discharge streams. Here we investigate the relative sulfide removal capacities of various pure iron-bearing mineral nano- and micro-sized particles and the effects of organic electron transfer mediators in assisting the sulfide removal. For comparison, we investigate sulfide removal using well-characterized iron-rich mining waste materials from several mines in northern Minnesota. The reactivity of these iron-bearing materials with sulfide is enhanced by coupling with microbial iron liberation.

Sulfide removal by iron-bearing minerals in mining waste streams

255th National Meeting (2018)

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