Assessment of phosphogypsum impact on the salt-marshes of the Tinto river (SW Spain): Role of natural attenuation processes

Pérez López, Rafael; Castillo, Julio; Sarmiento, Aguasanta M.; Nieto, José M.

Assessment of phosphogypsum impact on the salt-marshes of the Tinto river (SW Spain): Role of natural attenuation processes

2011

Pérez López, Rafael | Castillo, Julio | Sarmiento, Aguasanta M. | Nieto, José M.

About 120Mton of phosphogypsum from the fertiliser industry were stack-piled on the salt-marshes of the Tinto river (Spain). This paper investigates the capacity of salt-marshes to attenuate contamination due to downward leaching from phosphogypsum. Solids and pore-waters were characterized at different depths of the pile to reach the marsh-ground. In superficial zones, metals were highly mobile, and no reduced sulphur was found. However, pollutant concentration decreased in the pore-water in deeper oxygen-restricted zones. Metal removal occurred by precipitation of newly formed sulphides, being this process main responsible for the contamination attenuation. Pyrite-S was the main sulphide component (up to 2528mg/kg) and occurred as framboids, leading to high degrees of pyritization (up to 97%). The sulphidization reaction is Fe-limited; however, excess of acid-volatile sulphide over other metals cause precipitation of other sulphides, mainly of Cu and As. This decrease in metal mobility significantly minimises the impact of phosphogypsums on the salt-marshes.

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