Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/J01303X/1
Characterisation of Antimony-bearing Scorodite for Remediation of Toxic Mine Waste
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor K Hudson-Edwards, Birkbeck College, Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Grant held at:
- Birkbeck College, Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Science Area:
- Earth
- Overall Classification:
- Earth
- ENRIs:
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- Properties Of Earth Materials
- Assess/Remediate Contamination
- Pollution
- Waste Minimisation
- Abstract:
- Since the dawn of civilization, humankind has been extracting metals and minerals for the production of goods, energy and buildings. These activities have created great wealth, but they have also produced huge quantities of solid and liquid waste, known collectively as 'mine waste'. It has been estimated that the quantity of solid mine waste generated throughout the world matches that of Earth materials moved by fundamental global geological processes, at approximately several thousand million tonnes per year. Mine wastes contain toxic antimony (Sb) in concentrations that pose serious hazards to ecosystems, health and livelihoods. Humans can develop problems such as DNA damage and lung cancer from ingestion or inhalation of Sb-bearing particles. The risks posed by exposure to Sb can be mitigated by the formation of insoluble minerals that take up the Sb so it has low bioaccessibility. One such mineral is scorodite, hydrated iron arsenate oxide (FeAsO4.2H20). No one has evaluated the potential for scorodite to take up Sb, even though Sb and As (arsenic) have similar chemical properties, and they have been shown to substitute for one another in other minerals. We have discovered an Sb-rich scorodite in decomposed mine tailings from Bolivia, but the full potential of scorodite to take up Sb has not been investigated. Therefore, this study is aimed at answering the questions 'How efficient is scorodite at taking up Sb compared to As?', What are the chemical and mineralogical properties of Sb-rich scorodites?', and 'What are the predicted bioaccessibilities of Sb-bearing scorodites?' By answering these questions, we will be able to design schemes for remediating Sb-contaminated mine wastes using Sb-bearing scorodites, and thus improve the lives of 10s to 100s of thousands of people worldwide.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/J01303X/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Small Grants (FEC)
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Small Grants
This grant award has a total value of £49,106
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| DI - Other Costs | Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Investigators | DA - Estate Costs | DI - Staff | DA - Other Directly Allocated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £8,040 | £14,644 | £3,460 | £3,486 | £15,827 | £3,650 |
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