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Geochemical Assessment of the Ecological State of the Territory of a Cu–Ore Deposit by Thermodynamic Modeling of the Water–Rock–Gas System

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Abstract

Thermodynamic modeling with the HCh software complex was applied to analyze the probability of acid drainage formation during the evolution of a copper–ore deposit in low-temperature conditions (5°C) with various water levels. During the modeling, three main factors were taken into account: the percentage of pyrite in rocks, the availability of oxygen in the air, and the water content of the rocks (the relative rate of water exchange). It was found that the increase in the content of pyrite sulfur in the rock and an increase in the ratio of the rock–water mass (decrease in water exchange) lead to an increase in mineralization and a decrease in the pH of the drainage solution. The openness of the system to atmospheric gases (in particular, to O2) increases the acidification effect. The most environmentally unfavorable rocks at the deposit are mudstones, siltstones, and silt-sandstones.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991, Moscow, Russia

    O. A. Limantseva & B. N. Ryzhenko

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  1. O. A. Limantseva
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  2. B. N. Ryzhenko
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Correspondence to B. N. Ryzhenko.

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Translated by Z. Litvinenko

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Limantseva, O.A., Ryzhenko, B.N. Geochemical Assessment of the Ecological State of the Territory of a Cu–Ore Deposit by Thermodynamic Modeling of the Water–Rock–Gas System. Geochem. Int. 58, 1430–1436 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702920130066

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702920130066

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