pH dependent leaching behavior of Zn, Cd and Pb from slags: kinetics and mineralogical control

From the Middle Ages until the beginning of the 20th century, extensive Zn-Pb mining and smelting was carried out in East-Belgium. By lack of waste treatment techniques and sustainable management practices, metal-bearing slags and unprocessed waste were dumped in huge tailings, which still represent an important source of contamination. A chemical and mineralogical characterization of different types of mining waste originating from the former Pb-Zn mining industry was performed in order to gain a better understanding of the slag properties, with special attention to heavy metal release under varying pH conditions, and to bring this in relation to different management scenarios.status: publishe