An accelerated kinetic leach test for geochemical and environmental characterisation of acid and metalliferous drainage

This study developed a new accelerated kinetic tests to assess the acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD) potential of six legacy mine waste samples from Tasmania, Australia. The new test seeks to eliminate the uncertainty associated with geochemical static tests and provide a shorter and cheaper alternative to conventional kinetic tests that is applicable to a large number of samples onsite or in a laboratory. The dataset is as follows:
1. Particle size distribution of crushed Spray, Dundas, Site X, Endurance and Mt Lyell mine waste samples and "as received" Zeehan smelter tailings.
2. Mineralogy per size fraction for Spray, Dundas, Zeehan smelter, Site X, Endurance and Mt Lyell mine waste samples. The mineralogy was used to evaluate the theoretical AMD potential of the mine waste samples, which was compared to the acid-base accounting results.
3. pH and electrical conductivity profiles of leachates generated by Spray, Dundas, Zeehan smelter, Site X, Endurance and Mt Lyell mine waste samples over 100 days. The profiles show the lag phase and onset of acid-generation after day 10.
4. Chemistry of leachates generated by Spray, Dundas, Zeehan smelter, Site X, Endurance and Mt Lyell mine waste samples on days 1, 5, 10, 26, 50 and 100. Some PTEs including Al, As, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Zn exceeded the environmentally acceptable concentrations specified for freshwater in Australia, thus the mine waste samples pose moderate to extreme risk based on water hazard indices.