Bioaccessible metals in dust materials from non-sulfide Zn deposit and related hydrometallurgical operation

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60460709%3A41210%2F23%3A95293" target="_blank" >RIV/60460709:41210/23:95293 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653523027686" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653523027686</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140498" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140498</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Bioaccessible metals in dust materials from non-sulfide Zn deposit and related hydrometallurgical operation

Original language description

Mining and processing of ores in arid (desert) areas generates high amounts of dust, which might be enriched in potentially harmful elements. We studied dust fractions of ores, soils, and technological materials from mining and related hydrometallurgical operation at former Skorpion Zinc non-sulfide Zn deposit in southern Namibia (closed and placed under maintenance in 2020). Chemical and mineralogical investigation was combined with oral bioaccessibility testing of fine dust fractions (<48 µm and <10 µm) in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) to assess potential risk of intake of metallic contaminants (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) for staff operating in the area. The bulk metals concentrations were largely variable and ranked as follows: soils < tailings « Skorpion ores < imported ores and dross used for feed ore blending. Maximum contaminant concentrations in the original granular materials were 927 mg Cd/kg, 9150 mg Cu/kg, 50 g Pb/kg and 706 g Zn/kg, respectively, and generally increased as a function of decreasing grain size. The highest bioaccessible concentrations of Cd and Pb yielded imported ores from Taiwan and Turkey and, together with the milled dross, these samples also exhibited the highest Zn bioaccessibilities. The exposure estimates calculated for a worker (weighing 70 kg) in this mining/ore processing operation at a dust ingestion rate of 100 mg/day indicated that most dust samples (soils, tailings, Skorpion ores) exhibited metals intake values far below tolerable daily intake limits. The overall health risk was limited in all mining and ore processing areas except for the ore blending area, where imported ores and recycled dross enriched in bioaccessible Cd, Pb and/or Zn were used for the ore blending. Safety measures required by the mine operator (wearing of masks by the operating staff) helped to prevent the staff's exposure to potentially contaminated dust even in this blending ore area.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_SC - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10511 - Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7)

Project

<a href="/en/project/GA23-05051S" target="_blank" >GA23-05051S: Metals and their isotopes in active and abandoned mining areas of sub-Saharan Africa – towards understanding of their geochemistry and impacts</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2023

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Chemosphere

ISSN

0045-6535

e-ISSN

0045-6535

Volume of the periodical

345

Issue of the periodical within the volume

neuvedeno

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

9

Pages from-to

140498-140498

UT code for WoS article

—

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85174593069