Tracing molybdenum attenuation in mining environments using molybdenum stable isotopes

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Date
2019-04-18Author
Skierszkan, Elliott K.
Robertson, Jared M.
Stockwell, Justin S.
Dockrey, John W.
Das, Soumya
Weis, Dominique
Beckie, Roger D.
Mayer, K. Ulrich
Publisher
American Chemical SocietyType
ArticleMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Molybdenum contamination is a concern in mining regions worldwide. Better understanding of processes controlling Mo mobility in mine wastes is critical for assessing potential impacts and developing water-quality management strategies associated to this element. Here, we used Mo stable isotope (δ98/95Mo) analyses to investigate geochemical controls on Mo mobility within a tailings management facility (TMF) featuring oxic and anoxic environments. These isotopic analyses were integrated with X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and aqueous chemical data. Dissolved Mo concentrations were inversely correlated with δ98/95Mo values such that enrichment of heavy Mo isotopes in solution reflected attenuation processes. Inner-sphere complexation of Mo(VI) with ferrihydrite was the primary driver of Mo removal and was accompanied by a circa 1 ‰ isotope fractionation. Limited Mo attenuation and isotope fractionation was observed in Fe(II)- and Mo-rich anoxic TMF seepage, while attenuation and isotope fractionation were greatest during discharge and oxidation of this seepage after discharge into a pond where Fe-(oxyhydr)oxide precipitation promoted Mo sorption. Overall, this study highlights the role of sorption onto Fe-(oxyhydr)oxides in attenuating Mo in oxic environments, a process which can be traced by Mo isotope analyses.
Citation
Skierszkan, E.K., Robertson, J.M., Lindsay, M.B.J., Stockwell, J.S., Dockrey, J.W., Das, S., Weis, D., Beckie, R.D., & Mayer, K.U., (2019). Tracing molybdenum attenuation in mining environments using molybdenum stable isotopes. Environmental Science and Technology 53, 5678–5686. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b00766Subject
mine waste
molybdenum
isotopes
groundwater
iron (oxyhydr)oxides