Geochemistry of Gold One tailings and associated contaminant transport into the Randfontein area, Witwatersrand Basin.

Abstract

The city of Randfontein, in the Witwatersrand, hosts several slimes and tailings storage facilities which pose potential threat to the environment in the form of acid mine drainage (AMD). The latter, readily scavenges toxic metals, contaminating surrounding soils and water resources, thereby potentially compromising the overall environmental- and public health of the area. To this end, three slimes sections (section T001, T002 and T003) from the Gold One Millsite Slimes Complex were investigated, with the aim of understanding metal release from the slimes dam into the Randfontein area. To achieve this, the mineralogical and geochemical factors controlling metal release were investigated using combined core log analysis, cluster and discriminant analysis, x-ray diffraction analysis, bulk geochemical analysis, acid base accounting methods and selective sequential extraction procedures.