If arsenic is present, regardless of what form, solubility increases with higher pH. Environmentally; during or after detox, the arsenic can be precipitated via ferric sulphate leaching to produce the highly insoluble ferric arsenates which will settle, sometime requires the use of flocculant, in the tailings pond.
Arsenic is a substance found in the environment. It occurs naturally in crushed rock. It is often found near gold deposits and is extracted as part of gold and other mining activities. The waste left over after mining processes is called mine tailings.
Arsenic has been commercially recovered from realgar and orpiment in China, Peru, and the Philippines, and from coppergold ores in Chile. Arsenic also may be recovered from enargite, a copper mineral. Global resources of copper and lead bearing minerals contain approximately 11 million tons of arsenic.
Mar 01, 19900183;32;Concentrations of arsenic toxic to humans and aquatic life have resulted from mining activities in some instances. Hence, regulatory agencies in the U.S. are requiring gold mining companies to comply with very restrictive arsenic standards.
Dec 01, 20010183;32;The results show that gold was probably deposited together with arsenic as coupled solid solutions in sulfide minerals in the early stage of mineralization. Metallogenic chemical reactions concerning gold deposition in the Carlintype Asrich gold deposits would involve oxidation of gold and concurrent reduction of arsenic.
Apr 13, 20180183;32;Arsenic trioxide waste was created during mining operations. When the arsenopyrite ore was roasted to release the gold, arsenic was also released as a gas, arsenic dioxide. As the gas cooled, it changed to a solid state and became arsenic trioxide dust.
The Macraes gold mine, like most similar gold mines, is strongly enriched in arsenic as well as gold. The main arsenic mineral is arsenopyrite (FeAsS), and this mineral is commonly intergrown with pyrite grains. However, there is also some arsenic distributed through the pyrite.